Web Worker Daily posted a great piece yesterday about on the “9-Best Practices
for Home-Based Workers”. It’s a must-read for everyone that works at home:
In a nutshell, here are the 9:
1. Keep Regular Hours
2. Arrange for a second phone line or number.
3. Get ready for work by showering and dressing up for work as though you were going to the office.
4. Limit personal tasks during business hours.
5. If you have kids, especially younger ones, consider hiring child care.
6. Adopt an exercise habit.
7. Tell friends and family you’re not available during the day.
8. Work from a local cafe on occasion.
9. Give yourself a couple years to figure out what works for you.
It’s all good advice, though in my line of work I really don’t need a second phone line. With the exception of an occasional conference call, most contact me via Skype, YIM or email.
There are a couple of bits of advice I feel are most important:
Keep Regular Hours: You betcha. If you really want to find your rhythm, you’ll need to block out specific periods of time for work. It’s more productive to be able to focus for a long period of time, rather than work sporadically in drips and drabs. Plus when friends and family realize you work regular hours, they’re less likely to bug you.
Get ready for work by showering and dressing up for work as though you were going to the office. No one’s asking you to wear a suit, but to get out of the “home” frame of mind, and get into the “work” frame of mind, you’ll want to get dressed. I know that dispels the whole work in your pajamas thing, but it really does make a difference get dressed for your job like everyone else.
Work from a local café on occasion. This isn’t easy for those of us who work with kids in the house. I’m here to tell you however, that heaven is blogging while sipping a white chocolate mocha from a remote location while The Boy is in preschool. I don’t always have the luxury of working from the local coffee shop, but when I do, it makes all the difference in the world.
It’s not easy to work from home. You need the right equipment, the right atmosphere and the right attitude. Without all three, you’ll have a difficult time of it.
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I have to giggle at #3 since I'm sitting here taking a short coffee break after working on one of my blogs and I'm still wearing my nightgown. I should try getting properly dressed to see what difference it makes for me.
Although I like the suggestion of child care for those of us with young kids, it just isn't feasible for me because I don't make enough money yet to justify another cost on top of the regular bills that I'm taking care of. I think once my oldest starts school it will help.
Posted by: sherry | June 6, 2007 6:43 AM | Permalink to Comment