Everything You Need to Start Working From Home

Everything You Need to Start Working From Home

by | Mar 15, 2016 | Career, Managing Yourself, Productivity, working from home, World of Work

Companies have slowly come to realize that working from home is the most in-demand type of work flexibility benefit that job seekers are interested in, and more and more companies have started offering remote working options.  It is a trend that is here to stay. With working from home gaining increasing professional acceptance and becoming one of the most viable options for people across the social strata, a lot is being debated upon about the finer nuances of this phenomenon. In our earlier posts, we have spoken about the pros and cons about working from home. In this post we talk about everything you need to start working from home, or as we would like to call it, the essentials for working from home. So if you are looking to start working from home, or to make working from home really work for you, here are all the resources that we think you need to make it a success:

1. Your Desk and Your Chair –

It makes sense to invest in minimalistic yet comfortable office furniture – especially your desk and chair since that is what you will be using the most. This is almost as important, or even more important than buying a pair of jeans that fit perfectly and look good too! Don’t settle for the first piece of furniture you set your eyes on. Do a bit of window shopping first. Make sure the chair is suited to your posture and is adequately comfy and completely at level with your desk. We are all aware of the extremely uncomfortable back aches and neck aches from long hours of sitting at our desks which are further amplified by impersonal and uncomfortable office furniture. Since you are setting up your office from home, chances are you will be spending a lot more time working than you would if you went to an actual office. It is completely worth your while to go the extra mile and pick out the perfect desk and chair for yourself!

2. Lighting –

Lighting is another crucial factor that influences your productivity and concentration, not to mention how good lighting is actually a comfort we rarely appreciate. It is important to set up your work space where you have access to both natural as well as artificial lighting. As far as viable, set up your workstation close to a window (preferably with your back to it, or with it to your side, so that you don’t get too distracted with the view outside). Apart from letting in natural light, it also helps with keeping the room properly ventilated. Coming to artificial lighting, it is better to invest in soft artificial lighting than fluorescent lighting which is harsh on your eyes. Choose a desk light, as well as an overhead light so that you can adjust the lighting according to the amount of natural light you have available.

3. Computer and WiFi, and related accessories –

One of the biggest drawbacks of working from home is that the IT department will not be just a buzz away. You are pretty much left to fend for yourself to efficiently optimize (but first make appropriate investments) the tools at your disposal. A good desktop/laptop with rich video and audio capabilities, a dependable high-speed internet service provider, a basic but well-functioning printer/ scanner, earphones with mike are some of the most essential accessories you must invest in while setting up your workstation at home. Choose brands which are known for their customer service so that there is some hope to be bailed out when you are in the middle of a technical crisis. Keep the customer service numbers handy (look for a representative’s number, go an extra mile to establish a professional relationship if necessary, it saves you many annoying minutes of waiting on-line before they transfer your call to the representative responsible!). Once again, this is another area where we would recommend you to compromise as little as possible and go for something you are confident will fit your requirements, and most importantly is crisis proof to some extent at least.

4. Phone –

Now that you will be working from home, most of your interaction will be virtual. And the most important medium for the same is your phone, of course. We recommend investing both in a land phone as well as a smart phone, so that you stay connected even if one of these fail you. Having a good smart phone (even if you are not all that tech savvy) with a dependable network is crucial. Even if your system fails you, you will still have access to email, Skype and other forms of communication tools on your smart phone. It also helps you stay connected and in sync with what’s happening, even if you are physically away from your workstation. We know that a land phone is a little old school, but it is still worth investing in one, when you are setting up your office from home. It is important to have enough choices for communication, so in case one fails, there is another available and you are not insulated from the world of work!

5. Tools and Technology –

Going back to what we said in number four about not having the luxury of an IT department at your beck and call, it is absolutely mandatory for you to figure out all the tools and technology that you need. Start with a full proof data back-up system. Imagine your drive giving up on you, or your system crashing in the middle of something very important and you being left in a lurch! Use Cloud technologies (Read Five Ways the Cloud can rev up Operational Excellence for your Startup or Small Business) and make sure you sync your data as frequently as possible. In fact make it a habit to do that first thing in the morning and last thing as you wind up for the day. Create back up using a combination of three things – use mirrored drives such as RAID 1 to protect you in case of drive failures, program (or have it programmed) an internal disk for daily backups in case of a system crash, and of course online backup systems like Dropbox, Cloud or Google Drives. Technological advances have made the concept of a digital office so much more easier – there is a tool or app for almost anything. Delve into the online world for any area – be it collaboration, time management, social media – and there are so amazing tools available that can help improve your business productivity as an organization or as an individual. (Check a few of our favourite tools that have helped improve everyday performance and productivity here.)

6. Power Protection –

Wow! Who would have ever known how indispensable an IT and admin department is (who we always take for granted!) until we set up for work from home. Once again, you are your own resource when it comes to power back up. If you already have access to 24/7 power backup, thank your stars. If you don’t, invest in a dependable UPS and an inverter. If these options seem out of your budget, at least invest in a simple, but dependable UPS which at least gives you a few minutes to save your work and shut down safely if there is a black out!

7. Storage –

Apart from having ample storage space for your software, create options for storing all the paper work, files, books, etc., that are definitely going to pile up. It probably isn’t a great idea to wake up to (which you will, because now you don’t have an office to go to) piles of papers and files strewn around your workstation (even if you aren’t a neat freak). Also, remember that since you now work out of home, you clean your own mess, there isn’t anyone else who is going to be helping you with that. Plan for some basic, built storage spaces and invest in some file organizers and other stationary to keep your paperwork organized (we are starting to sound like real consumerists here!). You would be spoilt for choice when you browse the office stationary section on Amazon, we are sure!

8. To do list/ Planner –

We don’t know if you are crazy about stationary items like we are at Oorja Biz Ops, but being stocked on stationary should definitely be a priority when you are setting up your workstation at home. Apart from the regular supplies of pens, pencils, stapler, et al, get a planner for yourself or big enough sticky notes for writing down your everyday to-do lists. Having a planner or a to do list helps you pursue your day in a coherent way and gives you an idea about how much you were able to accomplish as against what you had planned for yourself. It is also important to set realistic goals which you can actually accomplish, and not just make a list of everything that’s on your mind and feel guilty for not having done enough, at the end of the day. If you are a fan of apps, well go back to point 5, there are tons of free/freemium apps for productivity to help you get things done.

9. Vision Board –

A great way to keep yourself inspired. Create or buy a pin board and turn it into your very own personal vision board. Pin up your ambitions, long-term or/and short-term goals, any quotes or photographs that inspire you and definitely a graph of how you see yourself growing in your career over the next few months/years (which you are of course free to keep adapting and editing as you move along). We’d recommend keeping the vision board as career oriented as possible so that it minimizes other distractions. For example, maybe putting up a picture of your dog who is no more with you would only pull you down on a bad day, not motivate or inspire you. Make you vision board your personal ‘feel good’ or motivation corner.

10. Small Luxuries –

What is the use of working from home if you don’t get to enjoy some of the most coveted advantages? Entitle yourself to small luxuries like a coffee machine, a neck pillow, maybe even a music system to help you relax when you are taking breaks. Make the process fun by bringing in small things that would make you happy and look forward to getting up to work every day. If you love flowers, have flowers at your workstation. Have a well-stocked small refrigerator in the room. Maybe even a secret stash of chocolates so you reward yourself when you feel you’ve done a good job. And perhaps, the uninhibited access to your pet’s attention because that is what makes all the difference at times!

The kind of work environment you create is a reflection of yourself. Put some effort into making your workspace at home a dedicated work zone, with minimum distractions. By minimum distractions we don’t mean dull and boring, make it as colorful and quirky as you wish but all those quirks should motivate you to be productive and creative, not distract you. When you choose the option to work from home, you make a conscious choice which comes with the two embedded qualities of dedication and sincerity. While it is important to be focused on your work and set aside all the distractions you may have while working from home, it is equally important to not let yourself get too absorbed by the work. When you start working from home full-time, you might start pushing yourself more than you would be, were you a regular office goer. Make sure you see enough of sunshine and have enough human contact to help preserve your sanity and health!

Note: At OBOlinx Tech, we provide flexible work from home option for our team. We have experienced firsthand the advantages and disadvantages of working in this mode both as an employer and as an employee. With clear goal settings, a strong process framework, much patience, some discipline and a steady flow of two-way communication, we KNOW this business model can work and is here to stay. This is the future of work and the future is already here.

We hoped you enjoyed reading this as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you. Do you work from home as well? What are some of the essentials to start working from home you absolutely cannot function without? Do you a question or problem that you need our help on? We’d love to hear from you!

Need more information on the latest telecommuting trends ? Download the free PGi Global Telework Survey report here to learn more about:

  • The rise of the teleworker, including the top technologies and alternative workspaces enabling them to work outside the office;
  • The global shift in knowledge worker demands, including the ideal flex schedule around the world;
  • And why, despite wanting to leave the cubicle, non-teleworkers haven’t left the office—yet.

How to Succeed at Freelancing in India – Your Essential Guide

by | Dec 14, 2015 | Business, Career, working from home, World of Work

The concept of Freelancing has been fast to catch on in India, and can be just the thing for people aspiring for more freedom and flexibility in their work. At Oorja Biz Ops, some of us have been there and done that, and thought it would be useful to compile some market data and our experiences into a quick and essential guide on how to succeed at Freelancing in India. This is for those of you who are considering or are walking on this road of freelancing. If you are looking to quit your full-time job to work as a freelancer and perhaps set out to achieve your entrepreneurial ambitions, here are some things you need to know.

How to Succeed at Freelancing in India – What is Freelancing?

Simply put, freelancing is working for yourself. You are a “free agent” and choose your own clients. You are self-employed and hired to work for different companies on particular assignments. There are multiple interpretations now of the freelancing term.  You could be one of the following types of freelancers:

Independent contractors: Their work is project based, however they do not have an employer.

Moonlighters: They do freelance work in addition to their day job – after work and/or weekends

Diversified workers: They have various sources of employment, mixing traditional jobs with freelance.

Temporary workers: Their work is project based, but they have a single temporary employer.

Freelance business owners: They could be sole proprietors or have hired a small team, but are essentially freelancers .

Note: When we say, freelancing is working for yourself – the key word here is WORKING. Many people enter into freelancing thinking it is an easy way to be your own boss, or perhaps sit at home earning money doing nothing. Nothing could be farther from the reality. It is very hard being a freelancer, perhaps harder than being in a regular job. According to a study cited in The Economist, freelancers work an average of 6% more hours per week compared to those in employment. If you want a fulfilling freelancing career, YOU HAVE TO WORK very very hard for it. But then nothing good ever came easy, right? Our Essential Guide on How to Succeed at Freelancing in India  is intended to make you aware of some of these challenges and help you get prepared so that you can enter into the “Fun” stage of freelancing.

How to Succeed at Freelancing in India – What Can You Do?

The right question to ask here is – what are the in-demand skills in the freelancing market that match my skills and area of expertise? If you want to have a long term and successful freelance career, offer a service that you know people want. Choosing something you love doing without checking whether there is a market for that is a folly. As Kelly James-Enger, author of Six Figure Freelancing says:

“‘Follow your heart and do what you love’ is just a slogan. You need to get real. If you’re not offering a service people are willing to spend money on, you’re not going to be in business [for long].”

Here are some of the skill categories that are popular in India and an approximate wage range for each of them (Source – Economic Times):

How to Succeed at Freelancing in India – How to Price Yourself?

Setting and negotiating rates often feels like one of the most complicated and intimidating parts of freelancing. In order to set a rate that is appropriate for your skills, education and experience a freelancer must first understand the freelance market. Payoneer surveyed over 23,000 freelancers worldwide in order to determine the average hourly rates charged by freelancers. Here are some key findings:

  • The worldwide average hourly rate charged by freelancers is $21
  • Over three quarters of respondents are male (78%)
  • Freelance professionals work an average of 36 hours per week (7 hours per day for a 5-day work week)
  • The worldwide income satisfaction level of freelancers is 46%
  • Over 80% of the professionals surveyed work on 1 to 3 jobs at a time
  • Almost half of freelancers find projects via online marketplaces
  • The preferred social media channel to promote freelancing skills is Facebook

Now the India specific data (Read the full report here) :

  • The average hourly rate charged by freelancers in India is $19
  • Almost half of the clients that Indian freelancers work with are based in Asia, The Americas are also an important region, with over a quarter of the professionals’ clients residing there.
  • On average, freelancers with a higher level of education are charging more. This suggests that hiring companies and professionals do take education into account when selecting their freelancers, in addition to their experience, portfolio, and skills.
  • Professionals in Sales & Marketing are not only the most hard working, but also hold the highest level of income satisfaction in India (followed closely by freelancers in Finance & Management, and IT & Programming), while those in Writing & Translation are at the lowest level of satisfaction as well as working the fewest hours per week. It appears that there is a direct correlation between hours of work and income satisfaction, suggesting that many freelancers would ideally like to find more work.
  • The worldwide satisfaction level of Indian freelancers is at 36%.

The table below from Upwork (Previously Elance-Odesk) will give an indicative idea on the average rate per hour that you could earn on the skills that are in demand internationally. These wage numbers come from the combined databases of Elance and Upwork, and are based on the average hourly rate for each skill between January 1 and May 31, 2015.

How to Succeed at Freelancing in India – Where Do I Find Work?

Want to break a leg in the world of freelancing? Start networking! The first and the best gigs that you get will most likely be through your own network. Meet up regularly with people who you think would be open to outsourcing or can recommend you to someone who would.  Shamelessly tap your friends/relatives and into their networks. Use social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to spread the word. The biggest challenge in Freelancing is finding enough clients on a regular basis to give you the income you need sustainably. And for that, branding yourself and marketing your skills and expertise effectively becomes critical. You have to keep putting yourself out there till you build a reputation – then people start coming to you !

Sign up/register with Freelance communities and marketplaces to get a steady flow of work and more choice.  The most popular international freelance sites are Upwork.com and Freelancer.com. Fiverr.com too is popular Indian websites, too, are gaining popularity with some niche sites as well. However, do conduct a background check before you engage with these websites.
(Source – Economic Times – note that Elance is now Upwork)

How to Succeed at Freelancing in India – Mind-Shifts that You Need to Make:

Freelancing definitely isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Things change. And things change rapidly. Your success or failure completely depends on You.  Most of the changes would have to be in your mindset – your thoughts and approach to situations and your ability to plan and decide. Here are five things you need to know before making the big shift from quitting your full time job to becoming a freelancer:

  1. Finance: The comfort and assurance of a pay check at the end of the month will no longer exist. Along with all the joys of being a freelancer also comes the risk of financial insecurity. Start with calculating the minimum income you need (be realistic!) to sustain your lifestyle, then work out the income you need to cover the “bare essentials”. Before you ditch your full-time job to commit to full-time freelancing, be certain that you can earn atleast enough to meet the minimum initially. We recommend having a nest egg to cover your expenses for the first three months atleast (more if you are the sole income earner in the household). Incomes from freelancing go from feast to famine and back again pretty much as a norm. Be prepared. There is a lot of cost cutting and budget planning you will have to meticulously do to be able to spend and save responsibly. And for sure, it has to be more saving (including investments for the future like insurance, etc.) than spending.
  2. Time: How you use your time is paramount and the sole condition to your success. You will realize that “time is money”, and the method in which you time and plan your work will be directly proportional to how much you are able to earn. It is easy to get into the schedule of a workaholic, which is something you should ideally be careful of. Remember, it is only when you enjoy your work that you will be able to sustain yourself and your business.
  3. Abilities and Skills: Once a freelancer, you are solely responsible for your growth. Your learning and skill development could either come to a grinding halt, because you would have no direct motivation to invest time in it anymore, or you could, once in every few months, look back, re-assess and re-plan. Stay abreast to stay competitive.
  4. Resources aka Technology and Tools: It will be solely your responsibility to set up your own support framework in terms of technology and tools, and ensure that it does not let you down. You know, as well as we do, that when this one thing goes wrong, you will lose out on money, time and since time is money, both. Capitalize on your strengths, and do not be afraid to delegate what you are not good at, because trying to micromanage everything never quite works.
  5. Staying Afloat: When you took, or take, the decision to become a freelancer, it was solely yours. It is essential that you do so, keeping all the pros and cons in mind. It is quite a daunting task to be able to go out there all on your own and pursue your aspirations. Every time you feel the pressure getting to you, keep reminding yourself why you ended up there in the first place, so that you stay afloat.

To work for yourself, be your own boss AND have a steadily increasing income is a dream for most. Only very few have the courage and the attitude to transform this into reality. There is no better time than today to be a freelancer in this new open-work, skill driven economy. And as our mentor, Seth Godin says (Check out his course for freelancers) – Each of us gets to choose the sort of freelance work we will do. This is a profound freedom, and one that we often ignore, wasting the opportunity…….When you move up the ladder, step by step, the work gets more rewarding. We each start as a replaceable cog, open to taking whatever is offered. With focus and effort, though, you can go all the way to becoming a remarkable creator with few substitutes. Along the way, you will gain respect, income and freedom.

What did you think of our Essential Guide for Freelancing in India – we would love to hear back from you. If you are a freelancer, we welcome you to share your feedback on this post and/or your experiences as a freelancer for our readers. If you want to become a freelancer and have a question that we have not answered, ask away here or email us at contact@oorjabizops.com if you want to keep your aspirations confidential.

Happy Freelancing Journey!

Header Pic courtesy : http://khalidfarhan.com/

To Do or Not To Do – Quitting Your Full Time Job to Work from Home: CONS

To Do or Not To Do – Quitting Your Full Time Job to Work from Home: CONS

by | Oct 26, 2015 | Managing Yourself, Productivity, working from home, World of Work

In our earlier post, we wrote about the advantages of working from home. However, working from home is surely not as easy as it may seem to be and it is not recommended for everybody. In this post we point out a few scenarios where work from home may not be the best option for you. By no means do we intend to confuse you. In fact, we hope these two posts together will bring some clarity to help you make an informed decision. Here are some reasons as to why it may be wiser for you to not quit your full time job to work from home.

1. Not for ‘procrastinators’ – If thinking of getting down to work reminds you of the tap that needs to be fixed, the room that needs to be cleaned and the cake that needs to be baked, admit that you are a ‘procrastinator’. Working from home will only make you procrastinate even more. To be able to work from home, you need to constantly motivate yourself, you won’t have other colleagues or your boss to do that for you, and need to be extremely self-disciplined. This is perhaps one of the greatest flip sides, that you may descend into the land of slackers and never recover!

2. Not for workaholics – If you are the opposite of what a procrastinator is, a go-getter and a workaholic, this may not be quite the right option for you either since you will have no office hours to limit your work to and will end up working crazy hours because you know your home is your work place. As a result, you will neglect your family, and/or have no social life at all.

3. You miss out on networking and office fun – One of the greatest disadvantages of working from home is that there will be far lesser or no opportunities at all for networking. In the process you end up losing out on knowing a lot of resourceful and interesting people. Also, there will be no scope for water cooler conversations and the office camaraderie, unless you plan on talking to your water cooler back home, which we explicitly forbid, since it would creep your dog out. You wouldn’t want that to happen since he might be the only company you’ve got!

4. There will be no office to ‘escape’ to – You chose work from home to be closer to your family, and to be a more responsible person who takes care of both family as well as work. However, what you probably don’t realize is staying at home 24*7 might get very depressing either because of isolation or because of having to give constant attention to people/things. In that case, office would at least give you a few hours away from home to help you recharge. Once you choose on working from home, you would no longer have that option.

5. Distractions – Yelling kids, needy pets, the constantly ringing door bell. Telephone ringing off the hook. Neighbour’s television. Your own temptations to take afternoon naps or swims, or simply to finish that “un-put-downable” book! There will be distractions galore if you work from home and it takes a very strong mind to ignore these, keep calm and continue working.

Besides, there is also the all-important “money” factor.  In some cases, opting for a work-from-home option may mean taking a substantial cut in the compensation. Most companies have not yet realized the full potential of offering remote or flexible working options and see this option as a soft or unnecessary perk (there are some companies too who reward their employees for opting for this option as it leads to considerable capex and opex savings for them).

If you feel the cons are nothing you have to worry about and the pros far outweigh them, we wish you all the very best. If you feel that the pros are not worth it, and having a full time job is much better for you, we wish you all the very best too! However, if you are still confused, we urge you to write to us and we will do our best to walk you through your confusions. Here is wishing you happy confusions! 🙂

P.S:

To Do or Not To Do – Quitting Your Full Time Job To Work From Home: Pros

To Do or Not To Do – Quitting Your Full Time Job To Work From Home: Pros

by | Oct 20, 2015 | Managing Yourself, working from home, World of Work

With the work from home trend gaining wider acceptance, it is no longer regarded as a ‘soft’ option.  If you hate starting your Monday morning stuck in a bumper to bumper traffic jam, dreading the company of annoying co-workers, this option may work out perfectly for you. However, like everything that sounds too good to be true, this too comes with some fine print conditions. Before making up your mind to quit your full-time job to work from home, make sure you have assessed the pros and cons in detail. Over the next two posts, we introduce you to some reasons why work from home may be the best option for you, and some reasons as to why it may not work for you. Happy reading!

1. More Flexibility: You will be able to work at your own pace, more or less. If you have kids or pets to look after this may be a great option for you. You can tend to your household chores in your self-awarded work breaks, and will be able to spend more time with your family. You may work in your jammies if you feel like it, no one will ask you not to. You can even binge eat while you work (maybe not such a great idea!). Essentially, you will have a lot more freedom in planning and executing your schedule.

2. No Commuting: This may be nothing short of a blessing for many of us who detest wasting hours of our precious time amidst blaring horns and toxic air. Working from home would mean saving those hours wasted stuck on the road. In other words, your life decisions will not have to be planned according to the “rush hours”.

3. Family Time: If you’ve always felt like you are constantly having to cut down on your family time because of your crazy work hours, you will now have more time to spend with your family. Work can get very stressful when your mind is constantly on what is happening back home, if your kids or your aging parents are fine and safe. This way, you will know for sure they are fine, can keep an eye on them and still get your work done.

 4. Economical: Working from home can help you save a lot of cash. You will save on transport expense, wardrobe expenses, food and unnecessary expenses because of workplace obligations (lunches, birthdays of people you don’t even know). Moreover, if you happen to be the founder of your own start up, working from home will also mean not having to pay the cost/rent for a whole separate establishment. You can manage your company or team remotely with as much ease or even more.

 5. Privacy: Once again, a lot of us simply long for this to become a reality for us. In a previous post, we mentioned how being “cubicled” is a “professional reality”. Working from home could be a boost for your productivity since you will not have to entertain or deal with annoying and nosy co-workers who keep inhibiting your progress through their nagging presence! You can work peacefully at your desk (or your own favourite work zone) and in an environment, familiar to you.

Hold on before you make the decision already, wait for our next post on maybe why quitting your full time job to work from home may not be that great an idea after all!

Five Tips to make Working From Home work for You

Five Tips to make Working From Home work for You

by | Dec 4, 2011 | Business, Career, Management, Performance, Productivity, working from home, World of Work

Working from home is a privilege that a few enjoy. It is usually perceived by both employer and employee as a perk of the job and is an important aspect of workplace flexibility. Many organizations are slowly realizing the benefits of a flexible/remote work policy and the win-win situations of implementing such policies (http://mashable.com/2011/10/10/remote-workforce-changing/). You may be your own company or a cog in the wheel of a large company; from experience, I have found that it is quite possible to be even more productive working from your home-office than from a cubicle. Distraction-free environment, commute, office politics, flexibility of schedule all contribute to enhanced productivity but the focus of today’s blog is how to get the best out of yourself when you are working from home :

Tip # 1 Integrity: You are in a position of trust and with Trust comes Responsibility. As Oprah has said –”Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not.” Self-discipline is key to ensuring that you are at your productive best. You are your own manager in this scenario and have to take ownership of your work output. Set daily, weekly and monthly goals and STICK to them come what may.

Tip # 2 Time Management: It is very easy to lose track of time when you don’t have to punch in time and out time. Having more flexibility in your schedule is great, but it also makes it harder as there are more options on balancing time slots between personal and work time. Create your work hours based on what works best for you, your customers and your team. These hours may change from time to time but it is important to block them. For example – I work best late night, so I schedule my highest priority tasks that need my concentration the most for my time slots in the night. You may want to use a timer initially to keep track of time and reward yourself when your timer goes off with a short break. You will find yourself less distracted. And know when to stop – don’t let work takeover your life! Find the techniques that work best for you in tracking your most valuable resource – time!

Tip # 3 Work – Space: Keep aside a specific space – a room is best – dedicated as your work zone. It helps change the state of your mind from “I am at home” to “I am at work”. You work-space should be sacrosanct – no distractions allowed, enforce a “closed door” policy if needed. Keep your desk uncluttered and surround yourself with stuff that helps you focus – maybe fresh notepads and pens, work board, good lighting, coffee maker, music.

Tip # 4 Tools and Infrastructure: When you work from home, you are your own IT, admin and HR helpdesk. Even if your company is not paying you for it, good infrastructure and tools are totally a great investment to help you overcome irritations and productivity loss. A comfortable office chair, power backup, a good speakerphone, a printer/scanner and copier, headphones and microphone are some essentials. Do maintenance on your laptop/desk top regularly to ensure best performance. Back up your data and use a good antivirus solution.

Tip # 5 Communication and Collaboration: This becomes even more critical when you are working remote – you have to make up for face time by consciously increasing your interaction with your team and peers through intensive communication and collaboration. Pick up the phone and talk to people more, take every opportunity to collaborate, create mailing groups to inform and be informed – just because you are not physically present in the office doesn’t mean you can’t be a present and active member of your team. And ultimately remember that your work has to speak out loud for you, be “visible” through excellence in your work.

Finally I leave you with these words from Abraham Lincoln in a letter he wrote in 1851 :

If you intend to go to work, there is no better place than right where you are; if you do not intend to go to work, you cannot get along anywhere.

— Abraham Lincoln

What strategies have worked for you in increasing your productivity when you work from home ? Do share.