Working From Home
   
 







Can I Work From Home?
Setting up your office at home can have many advantages including:
 
  • Cheap – saves on office rent
  • Saves time – no commuting
  • Flexible – great for evening working
  • Never far from the family
 
To find resources for your home office, click on the links to the right of this box.
 
Before you take the decision to work from home consider the following questions.  Answer yes to any of them and you may want to look at other options.
 
Q     Do you get easily distracted?
 
Some people find that working at home is full of distractions and that it is hard to stay focussed on working.  Talking to family members, daytime TV or even housework  can all prove to be distractions.
 
To reduce the risk of distractions, providing a clear separation between time “at home” and time “at work” can be helpful.  Some people report that dressing formally for work can help them to stay focussed on their job.  Others suggest that working clearly defined hours and including strictly timed breaks (during which they can empty the dishwasher or sit and read the paper) provides the structure which they need.
 
Q     Will you be working in a shared family space?
 
Sharing a space with other members of the family can be extremely trying if you are working at home.  A dedicated office is ideal but if this is not possible, a room which no-one else goes in during work hours e.g. a dining room, will probably do fine.  Sharing a room with your children watching TV or working on the kitchen table whilst others come in and out will test your powers of concentration to the limit.
 
If you need to create more space, a loft conversion or a conservatory may be cost effective options.
 
 
 
 

Q Are you a workaholic?

If some of us are tempted to do other things when we are supposed to be working from home, workaholics find it hard to turn their backs on work in any circumstances. If you are a workaholic you may find that, when your home becomes your office, your whole life is swamped by work.

If this is an issue for you, scheduling in family and relaxation time from the start may help to nip this potential problem in the bud.

Still not sure, check out these two books. They are great resources with lots of practical suggestions

 I Love My Life: A Mom's Guide to Working from Home by Kristie Tamsevicius
Working from Home Pocket Guide by Hugh Williams.

Now Get Started
 
If you have decided that working from home is for you, click on the links below to find some of the resources (computers, printers, furniture etc.) which you will need.