Working From Home: When To Start?

What is Working From Home?

People who work from home capitalize off of this new freedom. Remote work is the concept of working outside of a traditional fixed office setting. The idea behind remote work is that people do not have to physically be somewhere to get a job done. Remote workers can accomplish their work without commuting to an office every day so long as they have the proper communication outlet: consistent internet connection. So long as you have a computer, you have the flexibility to schedule your work day so that you have more leisure time to experience what you want.

How to Work Remotely

Working from home does not necessarily mean you work from home every day. Remote employees work from their home offices or nearby internet cafés and can work from their company’s office when if and when it’s necessary. They have the flexibility to choose when and where they work.

Co-working spaces act as a hub for community and productivity. They act as a halfway point between the traditional office environment and working from home. Co-working spaces give workers the opportunity to meet people and create partnerships, make connections and friendships.

Work From Home Policy

The work from home policy, also known as the telecommuting policy, allows workers to work remotely or on the road. You can set an informal or formal policy, meaning a short-term project while traveling or a set business schedule for your company’s needs. If both the employee and the job requirements are eligible for a telecommuting arrangement, a supervisor or employee can assign you to a work from home policy. With platforms like Slack, Google Drive, and Coschedule productivity is boosted, distractions are eliminated and the overseeing of task management is simplified.

Working For Remote Companies

Over the past 25 years, companies that hire remote workers have opened new industries and professions. The evolution of the internet and the infrastructure improvements has resulted in a radical change in the way people work, transact and behave, leading to the rise of “digital nomadism”. Major corporations and the global workforce have adapted to this remote work in a big way. Professionals in several fields, as well as a wide range of the workforce – analysts, technology experts, architects, sales and business development specialists, all work outside of centralized offices.  People can now work from remote locations such as an Airbnb they have rented a room in or a coffee house with good Wi-Fi connectivity.

Companies, instead of outsourcing workers outside of the company can hire remote workers from outside an office location entirely. Here’s a list of 5 companies that are hiring for work-from-anywhere remote jobs.

1. Toptal – Hire Freelance Talent from the Top 3%
2. Close.io | Inside Sales Software CRM with Calling & Emailing
3. Automattic
4. InVision | Digital product design, workflow & collaboration
5. Appen | High-Quality Training Data for Machine Learning

Be a Part of the Remote Workforce

There are a few simple requirements to be a part of the remote workforce. These include identifying your skill and being able to communicate your work. Communication is key! For this, you will need a laptop and consistent internet connection. If you’re interested in remote work, there are websites that list remote jobs. You can search for freelance work according to your field and your skill. There are freelance gigs anywhere from copywriters, transcribers, and publishers to photographers, accountants and virtual assistants.

Are You Considering Working From Home?

There are several benefits to working from home

1. Flexibility Pick and choose your own schedule. Dictate how much time you want to spend working during the week (and/or weekends) and decide how much personal time you need for your own leisure. Stick to your schedule.
2. Customize Your Workplace Create your ideal workspace. Keep your office at home or take it with you wherever you go. You can link your job with your travel schedule – you are not tied to your home. Your office can be anywhere. Decorate it exactly how you would want to. Or don’t. It’s your choice.
3. Save Money Stop spending money on expensive business attire. There is no need to impress anyone working from home and if you don’t need to meet anyone face-to-face as often. Also, start dictating the cost of your commute. Meet people when it’s convenient and stop spending money on gas commuting to and from work through city traffic. With that, lunches and coffee can be prepared at home. The need to spend 5 bucks on coffee at Starbucks has vanished.
4. Stay More Focused You can choose to stay out of the white noise. Working from home means cutting out small-talk with coworkers and just noisiness in engaging in unnecessary and miscellaneous activities which bring down productivity. Choose what you want to surround you. Also, choose your breaks. Everyone needs a moment to breathe to keep running.
5. Save Time With increased digitization, communicating information is at the tip of your finger. All you need is an internet connection and a device that will connect to the internet and communicate instantaneously with anyone from anywhere in the world. Obviously, this cuts out time in traffic.

Things you would have to consider before thinking about working from home

1. Motivation When you travel to a workspace or go to an office, it isn’t as hard to just begin working. The office setting creates the mood to start working. You may find it to be a little less motivating to sleep in the same place you choose to work.
2. Distraction Social media allows people to have that “always online” mentality, the need to be plugged in at all times. Stay away from social media other than for work. Interaction with friends or just simply reading the latest news on TMZ can be distracting.
3. Sticking to a Routine Sometimes the work-hard, play-hard mentality does not pan out the way it did in your mind. It’s tough to mirror the work ethic you have at work the same way if you are to work from home.
4. Miscellaneous Spending No surprise, how much can spend and how much you actually spend always end up being two entirely different amounts. This isn’t news. Sometimes you do end up ordering the chinese food you said you wouldn’t. Even with an accountant, it will never add up, no matter how much you try.
5. Productivity Where did your willpower go? HBO just came out with a new season of Game of Thrones. You have all this work, but… this is your favorite show.Being a part of the remote workforce does not necessarily mean you have to work from home. Some remote workers change up their usual routines and start traveling as digital nomads. This lifestyle opens many doors to new opportunities, experiences, friendships and, possibly, even partnerships. The remote workforce is more likely to achieve a better network and global understanding of what they do.

Five Handy Tips For Starting to Work at Home

1. Turn Off Notifications

   Maybe, turn off your phone notifications if you are not waiting on someone or for a call. Create a schedule for when you will check your email.

2. Set Goals, But Be Practical.

   Use a planner and stick to your agenda. Don’t just work as you go. You are not restricted to the traditional 9-5 workday at the office. You can choose your hours, but make sure you do choose hours in which you can complete a significant amount of work. If you’re a morning person, work in the morning. Or, if you work better at night, make the nighttime your working hours. Just make sure you do not lose time.

3. Keep An Account of What You Spend

   Know your budget and work with it. Download an app that stores your receipts and maybe has a cashback program so you can earn your money back as you spend at places like the grocery store. Definitely, start mobile banking. Watch what you spend on and look for things that you do not necessarily need – cut them out of your next week’s budget.

4. Keep Consistency in Mind When Choosing Who You Work With

   Keep in mind that you choose who you work for and who you work with. Choose wisely, make sure the people you work with are consistent and responsive. If they always have a delayed response, you start to move slower. This, in turn, can affect your productivity. Also, make sure you set boundaries with friends and family. Your work schedule is important and as much as you love your social circle, drama can be very distracting – good or bad.

5. Exercise and Diet

   Get your blood flowing. Build up your endorphins. Have a hearty breakfast that will keep your brain stamina going. Eating right can have a huge impact on your mood and, in turn, your willpower to work.

   Be grateful. You get to choose your schedule when working from home. Changing your perspective can help with the thought you have first thing in the morning, the “I wish I didn’t have work to do” thought. Motivate yourself with your leisure time. Make money so you can spend it.