“Home is where the heart is” and “the heart should be where the work is”. So, in some twisted sense, it would follow that “the work should be where the home is”. On a more serious note, more and more people, especially women, are opting to work from home nowadays. Not only does it save commuting time and money, the number of productive hours also go up as one spends much less time socializing/networking at work. Add to that, the advantage of being able to oversee the home front, and one can understand this growing trend. But to be able to really be efficient working from home, one has to lay some ground rules. Once you are “physically” around, people at home tend to feel you are available. Phone calls, children, relatives and a dozen other issues eat into your “work” time and you end up stretching to meet deadlines. A few simple steps towards getting organized can really make this route much easier for you to travel on.
Set a routine/timetable – Make sure you keep a fixed time as the beginning of the work-day and stick to the time punctually. The breaks in-between should also be at predetermined timings. This way any staff you employ will learn to follow the rules and you will also be more disciplined towards your work.
Set up a home office – Try not to double up in the study-room of the kids or the dining area or the like. Having a separate office-space will help you in keeping your work related things separate and you’ll be more organized and focused in the bargain.
Get “dressed” to work – You need not start having wardrobe blues but it is a good idea to dress-up for work. It’ll set the mood and you’ll feel refreshed. Just changing out of your ‘home’ clothes will give you a feel of starting your work.
Be ‘off-limits’ to children, friends and relatives – Though the main aim of starting to work from home could be to keep an eye on the kids, it could prove to be very distracting. They need to be firmly told that though you are around, you are not ‘available’ for every minor thing. Your breaks are the times which could be used for interruptions. If productive work has to actually start from home, everyone around has to understand your “work” and ‘work-time’
Keep the mobile on ‘silent’ mode – Try and not pick up all the calls. Endless conversations on the phone will only deprive you of your work-time. Office at home does not mean that you are free – you still have to follow the office rules!!!
Treat your office as your sanctum-sanctorum – Don’t let children or friends convert it into a meeting place for gossip over coffee. Catching up with an old friend once in a while is okay but anything on a more regular basis will hamper your work. You are the one to set the decorum for your office.
Regulate your holidays - Being seen at home often gives the relatives a feeling that you can take time off work whenever you wish. That may be the case, but don’t make it a habit. Too much of time off can hamper your output. Have the usual holidays with a few give and takes. To be efficient, you’ll have to be disciplined.
Equip your “office” – No use starting work and rushing for stationery every time! Equip your work-place with whatever you might need in the course of your work. Keep the things in their slotted places – it’ll save time if you don’t have to search for things. It is also useful to keep surplus of the items you are likely to use more.
Hire an office-help – If you can afford it and you have someone reliable in mind, it’s a good idea to have an assistant or ‘office-boy’. Small things like keeping the things in order or doing the bank-work can prove to be cumbersome.
10. Last, but not the least - be organized - Once you start working from home, you need to be very organized. A “to-do” list for the next day has to be ready, all the outside work has to be written down and relegated to the week-ends and the dead-lines have to be met religiously.
Follow these simple, effective steps and a venture well-started shall become a “dream realized”.
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in February, 2010. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time.
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