Archive for February, 2009
Work from Home Essential No.2: Home Sweet Home
Feb 26th
Well, it’s pretty obvious that in order to work from home, you need a home to work from, but what I have discovered recently is that it’s vital to have a home you like and feel comfortable in.
I’d never given it any thought before, having been in the fortunate position of always enjoying the various houses we’ve lived in, but then last summer we sold up in Cornwall to return to Somerset. We had just one day to find a house to rent and so took the best available on that day. It was small, but being of minimalist disposition, we decided it would be good for the soul to have a thorough clearing out so we would fit in.
We were determined it would work – after all, another house move was the last thing we wanted – but it became increasingly obvious that it wasn’t working, not at all. It was the first time I haven’t wanted to get up in the morning because I couldn’t face going downstairs to the dark, cramped ground floor. Or deliberately tried to stay out as long as possible because I didn’t want to go ‘home’.
As the end of our six month contract drew closer, we realised there was no alternative but to look for another place, despite our dread of the upheaval and hard work of another move so soon. We found a lovely, spacious, light house very quickly, and have felt much happier ever since we moved in. Everything is so much easier when you are comfortable in your surroundings.
…And Walking On Air
Feb 25th
Perhaps the only good thing about a wading through treacle day is that, by comparison, whatever follows has got to be better! Yesterday I managed to make some small but significant changes to the site and send out the invitations to my book launch. It won’t be a glittering affair – no celebrity authors and their A list friends – just a get-together for friends and people who have helped me with the book in various ways, but it’s still quite a milestone.
Writing a book and getting it published is such a longwinded process that it becomes an end in itself and the final product – the book – becomes less and less a reality. But inviting people to a party to celebrate makes it more real, as does realising, as I did last night while chatting on the phone to a friend, that the book is published next week! It’s been in the dim and distant future for so long it was a shock to realise it will soon actually exist.
Wading Through Treacle
Feb 23rd
Much as I love the benefits of working from home, I can’t deny there are days when you feel like you’re wading through treacle. Today was such a day. We spent lots of time taking photos intended for the website, but when we got them onto the computer and into the right size, they just didn’t look good on the screen. (OK, photographers, stylists and designers, that’s exactly why you’ve invested all that time in your training, and now I appreciate how much effort goes into the end result!)
On a day like today I have to keep reminding myself that it wasn’t all a waste of time, it is a process of learning, and if we hadn’t gone through it, we wouldn’t know what we know tonight. But it still feels like a frustrating lack of progress. And maybe it’s no coincidence that today I haven’t left the house…
Coffee, Cake and Company
Feb 20th
If you’ve browsed this site you’ll know I’m always banging on about getting out regularly when you work from home, and this is one instance where I’m very happy to take my own advice. Having moved from rural Cornwall where I had to drive everywhere, to a small town where all the facilities are within a few minutes walk, I’m particularly enjoying having a good coffee shop close to hand.
I’m not so sure whether the coffee shop is as delighted to have me and my friend – last time we were there for two and a half hours over two drinks each and a shared piece of cake, and only shifted when A rang my mobile, wondering where I’d got to. This time it was almost two hours with only the shared cake and a coffee each. At least our visits were a month apart and we are both regular customers outside our chatathons. There’s nothing quite as talkative as a homeworker unchained from the desk for the afternoon.
What To Wear?
Feb 18th
One of the best aspects about working from home is that you can wear whatever you like. That often means less investment in expensive work clothes and smaller drycleaning bills – what’s not to like?
But inevitably from time to time there are occasions when you do need to dress up a bit more, to meet clients or attend a networking event, for example. If you’ve only recently started to work at home you probably have plenty of suitable outfits to choose from. But the longer you’re home-based, or if you only have these occasions very rarely, it can become a real dilemma to know what to wear.
I recently saw a section in the local Marks & Spencer I’ve never noticed before – ‘Careerwear’. A great idea but disappointingly it was dominated by a sea of black and grey garments. It’s vital to look businesslike and professional (and I devote a chapter of my book to simple ways of keeping up an impeccable image in all respects) but it’s also good to display a bit of personality.
As an ambassador for working from home I’m still trying to find the right balance between looking convincing and not looking corporate.
Work from Home Essential No.1 – Warm Feet
Feb 14th
Do you spend long periods sitting at a workbench or desk, getting more and more chilled? I’ve tried all sorts of solutions over the last few winters – thermal socks, scarves, wrapping myself in a blanket, body warmers, gloves, and sometimes all of the above at once – but nothing was really that effective.
But this year I have discovered sheepskin boots
Even during the recent snowfalls, my feet have been toasty all day, whether I am sitting at the computer or standing on the ceramic tiles in the kitchen. And warm feet for this homeworker mean warm body, warmer hands, and a much nicer disposition. I still wouldn’t dream of wearing them out of the house, but as homeworking attire they are lifechanging.
7 Tips to Work from Home Successfully
Feb 4th
Home working is a common dream for the many people who commute and are office-bound. The reality of working from a home office, however, is that it can be lonely and unproductive. I have worked from home for many years and these tips are the product of my own experience.
I have found that the key to being able to work happily and successfully from home is to create a strong structure for your working days.
If you work with other people, you are automatically part of a dynamic system which demands your participation. It may sound blissful to be away from the office politics and the constant interruptions, but it is difficult to achieve anything if it feels as though you are all alone and there are no consequences if you don’t get on with your work.
I have developed the following habits for building a structure for home working through trial and (much) error:
1. Have an established routine for starting your day. For example, after breakfast, browse websites you have found in magazine and newspaper articles or promotional material, have a look at your favourite newspaper’s site, log into your business bank account and check your e-mails – suddenly you are into work mode without any pain!
2. Make your phone calls straightaway – speaking to other people will give you energy and will probably provide some deadlines or help to prioritise your work.
3. Make yourself part of a web of business associates which may include any or all of the following – clients, suppliers, sub-contractors, employees, people doing a similar job. The more you feel part of something outside yourself and your own home, the more motivated you will feel.
4. Go along to networking and training events – never think you ‘don’t have time’. Taking a break away from your desk will re-energise you and give you fresh ideas for tackling problems which seem insoluble if you keep going over and over them.
5. If it’s all getting heavy and too much like hard work – stop and do something you enjoy, preferably away from home. Go for a walk, get a coffee at your local cafe, meet a friend. When you come back, you will be in a totally different frame of mind and what was so difficult before will just flow.
6. You have the flexibility your office-bound friends are so envious of, so use it! Combine something you enjoy with a business errand – after a business meeting, have lunch out, do some shopping, have a walk in the park.
7. Remember that sometimes it is just really hard and you may feel overwhelmed. At times like this, refer immediately to point 5 above!
