Five Tips For Being Successful At Working From Home.

I’ve been successfully working from home for the past 18 years and loving every minute of it. I started at a time when you’d hear that screeching sound of dial-up internet! Do you remember when you could not be on the phone and surf the internet at the same time? Friends and family were furious as they could never get through to speak with us.

There are numerous benefits of working from home and I’d encourage anyone to consider a career shift and secure a work at home job. However, working out of your home can be very difficult, so I’d like to leave you with five tips to help you make the most of the opportunity ahead.

1. Have a dedicated work space.

My first ‘office’ was a converted ‘mud room’ in our townhouse. When I outgrew that  we created a makeshift office in the basement with exposed walls with insulation covered in plastic, a cement floor so cold I had to wear wool socks and winter slippers and the musty smell we could not get rid off even with the use of a dehumidifier and air filtration system. After purchasing our first home, I finally had a ‘real’ office. A room with a big window overlooking our garden (in the spring months I see blue jays, cardinals and even humming birds at times) and most of all a ‘door’.  Try to get something with a window for natural light (especially if you live in a country where you have long dark winters), a room with a door so you can have private moments (like skype and phone chats) and set up the office like an ‘office’. Our girls know that when my office door is closed I’m either on the phone or need quiet. Keep your ‘work’ in this office space!

2. Create a work schedule and let your friends and family know what that schedule is.

Your family and friends will not consider that though you’re home, you have to put in your 9 to 5. Create a work schedule and let them know that they cannot disturb you. The schedule will help you get actual work done as it will be very easy to sit in front of the tv and waste the day away. My first schedule was very specific.. so 9-10 am was for answering emails, 10-10.15 was a coffee break, then it was respond to phone messages, lunch, new business, break, .. well you get the picture!

3. Network online!

Make use of social media, forums and other means of being in contact with people in your industry. Working from home can be lonely and you will feel isolated. Plus this will give you the opportunity to keep update on new trends etc.

4. Breaks.. away from the home/work space.

Take breaks! Try to make the breaks away from the home as home will start to feel like ‘work’! If it means meeting someone outside the home for lunch..even a coffee, do so. A simple thing like sitting in our garden for 30 minutes helps take the stress away from working at home. A little tv is not bad either!

5. Dress the part!

Yes, you can be in your underwear and do this work at home thing, but I assure you that if you don’t dress the part you’ll be doomed to fail. Following your schedule.. get dressed as if you were going to work outside the home. For me it means taking a shower, shaving and getting dressed for the day.

* The image above was taken at Maracas Bay, Trinidad and Tobago. One of the perks of working from home (in my case) is that I can work wherever I can secure an internet connection!