Work from Home Audit

Kate Cowling, Time Boutique, bespoke personal assistance, Brighton
It was like talking to a friend. I was slightly apprehensive about speaking with someone over the phone as I do prefer face-to-face, but it was extremely relaxing, informative and enjoyable.

The Work from Home Audit costs:
£35.00 for 30 minutes
£65.00 for 1 hour (currently no VAT)

What can the Work from Home Audit help you with?

If you are already working from home, you will know that although this lifestyle offers many benefits, it also throws up distinct challenges. If you are planning to work from home you will adjust much more quickly if you realise that working from home involves much more than a change of location.

Fiona – I knew that as my work grew I needed to attend to systems within the house – both personal and business. I knew I needed to de-clutter and outsource but was quite stuck with how exactly to put this thinking into action and in what order.

Working from home is affected by many factors that vary with each individual – your personality, where you live, the kind of work you do, the type of house you live in, the size of your family and their personalities, how often you have meetings outside the home and so on and so on. Whether you are employed, self-employed or running a business, you might wish to talk about:

• where and how to make a workspace within your home
• how to balance family and work demands
• establishing a productive working routine that fits in with all your commitments
• making sure your image is always professional, even if you work from the kitchen table
• recognising the potential for becoming isolated and what the effects of isolation might be
• how to stay strongly connected to the rest of the world
• how to recognise and cope with procrastination
• developing confidence as a home worker
• how to deal with crises and unexpected events without going to pieces
• or any issue that has come about as a result of living and working in the same place

Kate – I had been running my business from home for 8 months when I decided to take the Work from Home Audit. I was getting to grips with working from home but the isolation was getting to me slightly and I felt it would be a positive step towards transforming the way I felt about my home/work environment. When isolation hits, positivity seems to go out the window!

What is my expertise?

As an accredited business adviser I was trained to draw information from clients about difficult subjects (frequently a business adviser is not consulted until all other avenues are exhausted and the situation is becoming untenable) and then to help them to consider possible solutions. This is a skill I use in the (entirely enjoyable!) Work from Home Audit.

I am good at spotting people’s potential when they can’t see it themselves, and helping them to appreciate how much they have already achieved and how much more they are capable of. We home workers have a tendency to run ourselves down, to concentrate on our failings and believe ourselves weak and lacking in resources. This is far from the case. It is simply a question of looking at things in a different way. In my own life I have amazed myself with what I can achieve when someone else has had confidence in me and expected me to do it.

Fiona – I’ve had the most amazing results since working with Judy. I gained a totally different perspective through the Audit with her which allowed me the clarity to resolve problems that had been bugging me for a while.

People sometimes call me the Work from Home Expert, which implies I will magically know the best solution for your unique situation! I see it a little differently – I have worked from home for so long that I have experienced its joys and challenges many times for myself. As a business adviser I worked with many home workers, I interviewed over 50 while researching my book, and I talk constantly to home workers about their experiences. So I am very familiar with the territory and can help you to find your own solutions, as well as point out potential pitfalls if necessary.

I am a passionate advocate of working from home – not just in the practical sense of making a living in the most efficient way, although that is a definite plus – but also as a way for people to take responsibility for their lives and live them to the full, to develop their strengths and talents and still have the time and energy to build rewarding relationships with family, friends and their community.

Kate – Speaking to someone who has no ‘personal’ connection makes a real difference and it makes you see things from a completely different viewpoint. It felt like a business one-to-one but with a relaxed feel and with someone who really had time to sit and listen and give advice.

What will be the result of the Work from Home Audit?

There have been many times in my life when someone has asked me a question or made a chance remark that has made me think differently about an issue I was facing, and moved me forward. Sometimes I have been racking my brains for ages, to no effect, and just raising the subject with someone else has given me a new insight. Sometimes the answer seems so obvious I can’t believe I haven’t come up with it already!

Working from home often means lots of time alone with your own thoughts and you may end up not being able to see the wood for the trees. Simply airing those thoughts allows room for new ideas and inspiration, where all you could see before was a dead end.

Fiona – Literally everything flowed from the Audit onwards. Clarity occurred immediately on some issues, others needed more mulling over but solutions appeared at a manageable pace. I was able to allocate zones in the house reflecting my personal and business needs. This allowed me to sort small sections at a time. My energy was freed up to develop and build the business once I’d created a better space to do it from.

Talking about your situation and the challenges you face will help you to feel fresh enthusiasm for your home working lifestyle, to take on new opportunities and to feel confident and motivated.

Kate – I was able to take a step back from things and look at things in a clearer, postive way. Judy gave me some really original ideas and encouraged me to move forward using a few new tools. I took what she said on board and since the WfHA, I am busier than ever and have a far more positive outlook and absolutely love working from home!

Who is the Work from Home Audit for?

Kate – Anyone starting out on their own and of course working from home. Ideally someone who has come from a busy lively office to working on their own at home… this is a big leap but Judy can guide you through perfectly!

Fiona – Absolutely anyone and everyone working from home who suffers from ‘carrying’ everything in their head and feels overloaded. Especially useful if you’re struggling with domestic and professional boundaries within the home.

Interested in a chat? What to do next

Contact me by email or phone on 01373 473223 to discuss your needs and arrange a suitable date and time. We will organise for payment for your chosen session to be made by cheque or bank transfer and when the money has cleared the call will go ahead. You will call me at the appointed time and together we will come up with ways to move you forward.

Looking forward to speaking to you soon!