I’ve been working from home for more than a decade. Working remotely can mean working off-site and online for employers using email, chat, and web-based collaboration apps. Or you might own your own business and have a network of people that you deal with regularly.
Most people think that working remotely means you are in your pajamas all day. And friends and family think you are free to run their errands and talk on the phone all day. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are those days that I do stay in my pajamas, that is definitely a perk but all of my days aren’t quite so easy. I am trying to make a living after all.
Working Remotely – At Home
You should have a designated work area. Sure the couch is the most comfortable place, and there are days that I do work there, but you should have a desk or table set up for when you need it. If you have children, they should know this area is off limits.
You can’t just wing it – as tempting as it is – you need a schedule. Set up a schedule that you can stick too. Working from home can be a challenge to stay focused. The laundry is calling your name, dinner needs to planned, errands need to be run – the list goes on and on. I typically set up my to-do-list every Sunday so I can incorporate all my business and personal objectives so I know which days I have appointments and which days I have more or less time.
Communication is the key to working from home – check in often using your preferred form of communication – Skype, phone, text, video or instant messaging. If you leave services such as Skype up all day, be sure to set it to “away” or “busy”.
Working Remotely – At Other Locations
There are days I love to work at the library or the coffee shop. Working from home can be an isolating experience but it doesn’t have to be.
Netbooks are good for taking on the go depending on the work you will be doing or perhaps your iPad. I find it easier to lug my netbook than my laptop which requires an outlet at some point. But again, it depends on what I am working on that day when I leave the house.
As far as etiquette goes – don’t hog the outlet and do order a coffee, tea or three while you are there working. Hogging the table but not ordering, is not a good thing.
Respect fellow patrons and pack some headphones; everyone doesn’t want to hear the video or music you are listening too.
Consider sharing your workspace with another if possible.
Tools for Working Remotely
There are some days that I can’t be at the computer as much as I would like or at the coffee shop for that matter. I have a BlackBerry with a T-Mobile data plan that allows me to check on everything I need while out on the go. From e-mails to Twitter, Facebook and everything in between, it’s right on my phone and always accessible. Adding a data plan is affordable and comes in handy on many occasions. For me, it’s worth every cent.
Dropbox just might be your best friend. It will allow you to share files and documents with your co-workers/employees so you can keep on top of document changes while working.
It was mentioned briefly above but Skype is a must have tool for working remotely. It’s a definite selling point if you are trying to convince your employer that working from home can be effective. They can check in with you and also see you; seeing faces improves the quality of communication.
A headset can be helpful but isn’t always necessary.
Lastly, most friends and family members don’t understand the concept of working from home. Find a local group to join or maybe a forum on line so that you can find likeminded people that understand what you are going through. You still need a life!
Tags: Mobile Communication, Working from Home, Working Remotely
If you liked reading this post, consider following Technically Easy through the following:
on January 20, 2012 at 9:58 am
gosh, you are sooo right, my friends and family don’t understand the concept of working from home. where can i find a local group of like minded people?
on January 20, 2012 at 10:03 am
You’ve just mentioned every single point that a work from home person deals with everyday Chrissie. There’s always a struggle balancing work from home, especially on days when the kids have a school day off! Just goes to show that no matter where you work, there are always challenges to overcome.
Adeline recently posted…Apple Introduces Interactive iBooks Textbooks for iPad
Twitter: theapptimes
on January 20, 2012 at 3:16 pm
I have never been a big fan of working from home. Once in a while it is okay, but I prefer to meet in at an office and chat with my college. However the possibility with hi-speed and mobile Internet connection and tools like DropBox and Skype has for sure made it a lot easier to work from home.
Thomas recently posted…How to rip your DVDs with SoThink DVD Ripper
Twitter: techwork_dk
on January 24, 2012 at 1:02 pm
It is always good to meet with people face-to-face, but a lot of work can also be done remotely. With the way in which technology has changed over the past few years, there are many ways of accomplishing goals without actually meeting the person – especially if they are on the other side of the world.
on January 27, 2012 at 9:16 am
Great tips. I actually just started working from remotely all the time about 3 months ago. The tips above are really good advice. Also, you mentioned dropbox and skype. These are 2 of my favorite tools to use!
Dominic recently posted…Why is my HP So Slow?
Twitter: ComputerTooSlow
on January 28, 2012 at 4:21 am
Hi,
Thanks for the tips! Although I do not work remotely myself, we do work with a lot of international partners and clients. I certainly agree that it’s best to ask each other for feedback, and if the conversation is loud and clear. I agree even more with meeting each other face-to-face from time to time. It’s always beneficial to develop a relationship offline and this will make the long distance calls more efficient. Thanks for your post, it got me thinking.
majidahmed recently posted…Boys Bedding
Twitter: majidahmedmba
on January 30, 2012 at 8:28 am
Meeting face-to-face can be difficult when working with international partners and clients. With a little work it is possible, mainly because of the offline relationship that you mentioned.
on February 2, 2012 at 3:38 pm
Thanks everyone
I’m glad you found the article helpful. I’ve been working from home for so long now that I can’t imagine not doing so. It really is all about balance, some days being easier than others.
on May 3, 2012 at 11:44 pm
I run into the problem of separating working from life all the time! I continuously run into problems of certain friends and family members figuring that just because I am at home, I must be able to stop and visit, or go out with them at the drop of a hat. Like you said, they think I sip latte’s and wear pajamas all day long…sleep in…have naps…basically don’t do much. So far from the truth! It’s been tough, but I’ve had to lay down the law and say between this hour and that hour I’m working hard and can’t be disturbed, unless it’s an emergency! So far not too bad..we’ll see
Twitter: WAHIdeasCom
on May 11, 2012 at 8:13 am
You definitely picked up on the main problem of working form home; discipline. I work form home myself; and it’s a constant struggle to keep myself from wasting entire days just bouncing around the internet or browsing pornography. I actually went so far as to install filters on my own internet so that I could only access work related websites; and if I wanted to check anything else I had to move to a separate computer. Worked wonders.
Stefan recently posted…The Birthstone of May