What is the best way to work from home?

What is the best way to work from home? In this changing world, more of us are going home to work but is it beneficial or productive? We'll tell you how.

How to work from home in a crisis even if you don't know-how.

I went home to work one day. it was a short period while we moved offices. this was time for downsizing about six years ago and we were forced into it because our new premises were not available.
We quickly restructured into a cloud-based service and took the leap of faith. I am still working from home.

The timing was good because many services had been moved to online which enabled us to work in the cloud

You need services to work from home

Of course, a phone line and a good internet connection are necessary and we all have them.
A place to work where you can avoid family interference is a great help, I don't believe working from a dinner table quite cuts it.

The first thing was to set up an online diary shared by all so we knew what others were involved in and when, so this was critical. The product chosen was Backpackit.
(now called Basecamp)

We can store all our forms and procedures, brochures and pricing to be immediately available at anytime.

Next was online accounting so that those involved could log in at anytime.

The internet and email are universal so that was easy. We use email contact as the primary form of communication.
An online fax service was added and a 1300 number with call selection completed the inbound solution.

Hours of work change when you are at home.

An interesting feature of working from home is the change of hours. Some work early whilst others stay late. Lunch and tea breaks are normally done at the keyboard this saves more time.

I am an early riser and work across several time zones so calling the east coast at 6 am is not a problem. This is with a three hour time difference.

Others modify their time around things like school duties etc so they split the day into work periods.

Furthermore, you save on travel time, water cooler gossip and solving the problems of co-workers. A gain of a couple of hours a day.

Your work at home dress dilemma

Writing for intent

If I am working I dress for work. Slouching around in trackies or jammies puts you in a relaxed and less efficient position.

My grandson attends a prestigious boys college. With Covid-19 rampid, they have gone to home schooling and online learning. However, they must wear a school uniform during school hours. This gives them a commitment to study.
Your work from home is no different.

Do you achieve more or less working from home

In general, it has been found that your production will increase at home. It is important not to extend your hours and have a break at times. Have a cut off time and stick to it or the work will take over.

Maintain outer world contact from home

The biggest problem I had, in the beginning, was the Hermit style. I did not have the ability to sound ideas of others by brainstorming a solution.
We solved this with a weekly coffee shop meet and telephone hookup. This is an important feature because I, like many others, withdraw from the group and become less of a team player. A situation that must be addressed.

The social media trap and how to avoid it

Have you ever wandered into the Youtube vortex? You look at all these great videos and get spat out an hour or so later.

Perhaps an email takes your fancy and you can watch a compelling presentation on something that is really important.

Maybe do a few photos for Instagram because you saw something really funny that needed following up.

I like social media and use it all the time but fortunately, I have learned to manage my time and still get all the benefits I need.

Social media is time destructive with irrelevant rubbish most of the time so take control and use it to your advantage.

We need to check emails often because of the support service offered. As a result, I have learned where my delete button is and use it with passion.

Facebook can be accessed in quiet moments but only in short bursts and YouTube when I have to as it is the biggest spider web on the market.

What benefits do people see when working from home?

First of all, I can regulate my hours to suit my life, I don't have to travel to work and can have a break when it suits me.

What is the best way to work from home?
Some reasons for working from home

Everyone will be different and many rolls will be more difficult to manage but anything can be overcome with a bit of planning.

Only you can control your time unless, of course, you have someone tracking your progress. Working for the boss means that many times you will need to bend to their desires however the other time is yours

What is the best way to work from home?
The benefits list

Being a time-waster is a choice that only you can control. We are all guilty of mindless activities however the stronger control the urge and get the actions competed.

How to power work at home

Set a task, a deadline and a clock then do the job until it is finished or the alarm sounds.

When writing I often set 500-word blocks and time myself. The results mean nothing except that I concentrate fully on the task for 45 minutes without a distraction. This is a great way to focus all your energy on a task.

Set times for routine tasks and work between breaks to achieve as much as you can. There are hundreds of ways to waste time and just a few ways to capitalise on it.

Does a task list work?

My personal opinion is that you must have a daily list. This written product will include all sorts of issues that need to be attended to and not forgotten.

  • Write a 1500 word post
  • Make a doctor's appointment
  • Picking up the kid from school
  • Compose and send an email to my list
  • Pay the overdue electricity bill
  • Follow up on a new contact.

Whether you do this at night as the last job or first thing in the morning is a personal attribute that does not really matter. I do a bit of both to suit the occasion. If I have a pressing problem it may be at night so I can best arrange my time for the following day.

When an issue keeps repeating, either fix it or delete it.

You may employ an online list, a printed form or the back of an envelope they are all there to make sure you don't forget important issues.

Finally, your list will be a priority.

Marketing online from home works well

As a marketer, I have long learned the art of selling from the lounge.

There are so many tools to use that are automated and cloud-based so you can work from anywhere.

Email Marketing, newsletters and autoresponders with
Constant Contact I have used this for years without a spot of trouble and all from a home office.

SMS broadcast. Yes, you need a carrier and a list but messages can be dispatched in seconds.

Social marketing is all virtual and can often be loaded for delivery over a future period.

Blogging is easy, we can do it from anywhere at anytime and it all becomes one world.

Websites and funnels are all controlled online and access can be given to anyone with varying authority.

You can also add a bit of training to your time to stay ahead of the curve. I would suggest the Wealthy Affiliate for everything on the internet. Once registered for the free service you can join the forum and chat service and get endless answers to those support questions you will come across. Working at home can be frustrating when you have a problem and seeking easy answers from similar workers will really help.

In conclusion,


Nothing is perfect however if you build a support base around you then it is never lonely or without help. Help may be physical or psychological but we all have our times of need. Being able to reach out is important.

I am writing this in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic whilst housebound and watching the world in disarray.

My day job continues without interruption, my blogging passion remains and I have empathy for many parts of the world.

There is often a funny side to events, at the start of Covid-19 we were all unsure what to expect. I am very outgoing and active so really unsure about this housebound world, so what happens?

I came down with a bout of Shingles and had to avoid all contact for a couple of weeks.
Next, I managed to stay on top but it did teach me that I am not invincible.

What is the best way to work from home?
Peter Hanley
About

You can work from home and enjoy the experience.

What is the best way to work from home? By Peter Hanley

Peter Hanley

I have been in business for many years and the internet to find ways to grow your business faster

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