Tips for Working from Home

by Maria Perez
(San Antonio, TX)

With rising facility costs, more and more companies are offering employees the chance to work from home. This is a wonderful opportunity since it can be a huge cost savings. Most people find they save on gas and other commuting costs, as well as potential savings on professional clothing and the associated cleaning. However, working from home requires a dedicated worker with good time management skills.

The biggest tip I would offer new "work-at-home" employees or home business owners is establishing a true work environment. If possible, I would suggest setting up a dedicated home office. I truly thought that I could sit in my favorite EZ-Boy Recliner and tip tap on my laptop. But I found that this became a huge distraction. I would slowly become engrossed in television, surfing the internet, etc…

Since I was not working efficiently, by typical 8 hour work day slowly morphed into 12 to 14 hour work days. I found it was frustrating because I still had deadlines to meet and since I was concentrating during the day, it took longer and longer to complete the tasks. Once I established a home office (with no distractions) I began to work more efficiently and was able to complete my tasks within my 8 hour work window.

The second tip I would offer goes hand in hand with a dedicated office. People have to be realistic about the work at home experience, especially working moms. A lot of people I know thought that working at home would solve their daycare needs. However, for the majority of people this just isn't true. Your employer or your home business requires your full attention. There is nothing worse than speaking on the phone with someone while their baby is crying in the background.