Strategies for Working From Home
Strategies for Working From Home
Lily Garcia recently wrote an article on this very topic. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120302769.html] The author suggests that most people that work from home really DO work. However, they may need some different strategies and tactics to keep them going strong:
Rise and shine - This one is excellent to mention and one that I have a hard time doing (remember I don't quite care for mornings much.) However, I still make it a point to get up at a regular time with my alarm clock, get ready for my day and go to work. My commute is just much shorter! By treating your work as you would a job that you drive to, you are giving it some honor and importance. Your attitude changes when you are not in your PJs!
Minimize interruptions - The author suggests that "telling your family and friends that you are working during certain times and that your availability is no greater than if you were in a cube somewhere." This was one of the hardest things for me to master when I first started working out of my home office. People seemed to think that I would be available at all times. To make matters worse, the room that is my office had two large openings that people could walk in and out of when ever they wanted.
Today I have two beautiful sets of French doors on the openings that I can lock when I'm not at work. My home phone does not even ring in the room - only the business phone. If I happen to hear the house phone ring, I now ignore it and let it go to voice-mail. When I'm on a break, I'll check it.
Schedule breaks and lunch times - Eating at your desk is not healthy and everyone should have some breaks in their day. It allows for your brain to recharge. Some people work best with a very set schedule every day, while others work better by flexing these breaks at different times throughout the week.
Plan time out of the office - Working from home can be isolating and for some that is depressing. One advantage of working in a traditional office environment is that you get interaction with other people. I use time out of the office to have breakfast or lunch with someone I want to network with. There are also instances where I just need a change of scenery. When that happens, I go to to a coffee shop or another location that has Wi-Fi and do my writing. Changing environments will frequently make me inspired to write. When I'm in town I usually end up at Panara's, but my favorite spot is Apple's Bakery in Peoria IL. Any time I have meetings over there I usually end up at Apple's and a yummie lemon cookie or one of their awesome new gluten free items. (Sorry -- get me on the topic of food and I can get distracted sometimes!)
Be Careful to Not Overeat! - A large struggle that a lot of people face when working from home is the distance from their office to the refrigerator! Be careful not to get into the habit of grabbing snacks and constantly eating at your desk. This is where planned breaks and lunches come in handy. Do what you can to eat only in rooms for eating and not your office. Also eat foods that are energy generating, not energy sapping.
What To Do Now:
What techniques have worked fro you? Please give me your candid comments and tell your friends and colleagues to read this post and give me their candid comments as well. I'd love to hear your feedback!
I look forward to hearing from you.
To your success!
Stephanie
Strategies for Working From Home - To learn more about this author, visit Stephanie Calahan's Website.
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It is happening more and more every day. People are working out of their homes. Some work from home as a telecommuter for a large corporation, while others own their own business and use their home as a base camp. What ever your reason, understanding that working from home has advantages and challenges is important.
Lily Garcia recently wrote an article on this very topic. [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/03/AR2008120302769.html] The author suggests that most people that work from home really DO work. However, they may need some different strategies and tactics to keep them going strong:
Rise and shine - This one is excellent to mention and one that I have a hard time doing (remember I don't quite care for mornings much.) However, I still make it a point to get up at a regular time with my alarm clock, get ready for my day and go to work. My commute is just much shorter! By treating your work as you would a job that you drive to, you are giving it some honor and importance. Your attitude changes when you are not in your PJs!
Minimize interruptions - The author suggests that "telling your family and friends that you are working during certain times and that your availability is no greater than if you were in a cube somewhere." This was one of the hardest things for me to master when I first started working out of my home office. People seemed to think that I would be available at all times. To make matters worse, the room that is my office had two large openings that people could walk in and out of when ever they wanted.
Today I have two beautiful sets of French doors on the openings that I can lock when I'm not at work. My home phone does not even ring in the room - only the business phone. If I happen to hear the house phone ring, I now ignore it and let it go to voice-mail. When I'm on a break, I'll check it.
Schedule breaks and lunch times - Eating at your desk is not healthy and everyone should have some breaks in their day. It allows for your brain to recharge. Some people work best with a very set schedule every day, while others work better by flexing these breaks at different times throughout the week.
Plan time out of the office - Working from home can be isolating and for some that is depressing. One advantage of working in a traditional office environment is that you get interaction with other people. I use time out of the office to have breakfast or lunch with someone I want to network with. There are also instances where I just need a change of scenery. When that happens, I go to to a coffee shop or another location that has Wi-Fi and do my writing. Changing environments will frequently make me inspired to write. When I'm in town I usually end up at Panara's, but my favorite spot is Apple's Bakery in Peoria IL. Any time I have meetings over there I usually end up at Apple's and a yummie lemon cookie or one of their awesome new gluten free items. (Sorry -- get me on the topic of food and I can get distracted sometimes!)
Be Careful to Not Overeat! - A large struggle that a lot of people face when working from home is the distance from their office to the refrigerator! Be careful not to get into the habit of grabbing snacks and constantly eating at your desk. This is where planned breaks and lunches come in handy. Do what you can to eat only in rooms for eating and not your office. Also eat foods that are energy generating, not energy sapping.
What To Do Now:
What techniques have worked fro you? Please give me your candid comments and tell your friends and colleagues to read this post and give me their candid comments as well. I'd love to hear your feedback!
I look forward to hearing from you.
To your success!
Stephanie
Strategies for Working From Home - To learn more about this author, visit Stephanie Calahan's Website.
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Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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Productive and Organized - Stephanie is a nationally known speaker, productivity consultant and founder of Calahan Solutions, Inc. She has worked with hundreds of clients, and understands that every person is unique and requires systems that work for them.
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