People who work at home cite better hours, less time preparing for the job, more time to spend with family and autonomy as reasons for loving the concept of a home office. Although millions of American workers have embraced telecommuting, you still need a plan to make the situation successful.
Be prepared to buy your own equipment in the beginning. If you work at home, you get to choose your own computer, smartphone and mobile devices. Some companies may reimburse your expenses. Others may prefer you use these home office purchases as a tax write-off at the end of the year. Make sure the initial expense is worth it. Buy extra equipment as backups in case one fails. Get two computers, two tablets, two cellphones and have a backup Internet connection ready. When you have a home Internet connection, invest in a mobile hotspot that plugs into your computer should your home connection go out for whatever reason.
When you decide to spruce up your work space, do it the way you want it. Paint the room in your favorite color, hang photos of your family vacation on the wall, and keep your college diplomas as a backdrop for your computer's video camera. Get the computer desk and ergonomic chair you have always wanted. Upgrade your 3-year-old laptop to the newest version. Go all out when you work at home.
Dress the part, at least a little bit. You do not have to be business formal all of the time with a tie or pantsuit. However, you should probably dress a bit more formally than your pajamas when you show up for work at home. Shower, shave, put your makeup on and do all of the normal morning routine to get your mindset ready for the task at hand.
Do not spend all day chained to the desk. Having the freedom to walk around your neighborhood for 15 minutes at lunch is part of the reason why you decided to work at home in the first place. Exercise helps your brain and your body, so get out and enjoy your day as a reward for a hard morning on the job.
Between 20 to 30 million Americans worked from home at least one day per week in 2012, and at least 24 percent of workers did some of their jobs at home. As many as 52 million people had positions compatible with telecommuting thanks to connected devices and wireless technology. A study done in 2013 touts at least one in five Americans in the labor force do some work from inside their homes, and that number should increase to 63 percent by 2018.
People who work at home do so with the best intentions. Keep your office space enjoyable yet job-friendly to get the most out of the experience. The possibilities are endless if you love making money on your own terms in your own space.
Photo courtesy of patrisyu at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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