How to Make Working From Home Work

When I tell people I work from home, I know they are picturing me in my pajamas & fuzzy slippers.  Or they believe I’m using “work from home” to be PC about being a domestic goddess.  In fact, none of those are correct.  Ok, one of them is. . . I do love my fuzzy slippers.

I’ve worked from home now for 19 years.  I did the corporate cube land for several years prior.  One could say I’ve mastered the art of working from home.    If you are considering, here are five important guidelines:

• Be honest with yourself – Do some soul-searching. Are you envisioning leisurely days spent in your PJs, answering the occasional e-mail, and filing your nails?  If so, red flag.  That is vacation, not working from home.  Plain and simple, there are some people that are good at working from home, and others that are very, very not.Some people need the office space to get in a work mind set.  You may need the office comradery and bustle.  That’s ok.  When assessing if being home-based is right for you, you have to know yourself.  Do you have enough focus to truly work from home?

• Designate your space – If your ideal commute is up a flight of stairs, make sure you set up a designated home office. Not only does it put you in a work mind set, it also fosters efficiency and organization.  Setting up at your dining room table may be ok for the occasional work from home day, but long term you’ll want to setup an actual, designated office.Sharing your work space may not lead to home-based bliss.  I wouldn’t recommend sharing your large, double desk as a homework space for your 2 sons.  Yes, I did that.  It was short-lived, and ill-conceived!  Request that your family or roommates know that your office is a work place.  Set boundaries.  My family knows that during business hours, I’m working and if the door is closed to the office, it’s off limits.
• Design your space – You will spend more time in your home office than any other room in the house. Take the time to make it your own.  Map out your workspace to be efficient and attractive.  Decorate your space.  Pick a color that you enjoy, and that motivates you.If you can, invest in business grade equipment – monitors that are easy on your eyes.  Yes, monitors.  Dual monitors are a game changer if you haven’t already embraced that setup.  Purchase a decent printer if you print documents.  I also highly recommend a desk scanner.  There are several out there, but eliminating as much paper as possible helps keep your home office organized and clutter free.  And most importantly. . . invest in a good chair.  Having spent the first 5 or so years in a crappy, bargain basement office chair, my back paid for that.  My Herman Miller Aeron and I – or more likely my lower back – are dear friends.
• Defined hours – A slippery slope of working from home is that you are always physically at work. This piece of advice cuts both ways.  Define your hours for both working and not    Exercise restraint outside of your defined work hours.  If you don’t want to clients to expect to reach you after hours, don’t make it common practice to answer e-mails after your set hours.  Set the boundaries that you are available from these hours to those.  Believe it or not, it exudes business confidence and value.Consider your ideal work/life balance, and honor that.  If part of your decision is based on being available for your kids, like it is for me, try to limit taking work “home” after hours.  Also, make sure your friends and family know that you actually work.  It’s far easier to stay on task if you don’t get mid-day invitations to play hooky.
• Embrace the perks – Wear your fuzzy slippers to work. (I do recommend actually putting on day-time clothes every day!)  Take the dogs for a walk over what would be your lunch hour.  Enjoy the perks of working from home, as long as it doesn’t overtake the work.Set the expectation with both your clients, and your friends and family.  For instance, 3Leaf has ½ day Fridays in summer. My clients are aware, I set the expectation, and over the years, only one single client has pushed back. Embrace the upsides of being home-based.  Be conscious of the work/play line and don’t let the playtime overtake your business time.

Working from home can be an amazing setup.  I wouldn’t trade my fuzzy slippers and foot warming labs for a corner office.  If you’re considering it, make sure you have the discipline to truly work from home, carve out your dedicated space, make it yours, define and respect your work yours, and enjoy!