Getting The Most From Working At Home
From David Heilbronner, Principal, WorkteQ
http://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/workingathome/a/gettingthemost.htm


Whether You Telecommute Part time, Full time or Work From Home
You work from home. Congratulations, you're on the cutting edge of a
growing segment of professionals and entrepreneurs. Telecommuting
and working from home have some obvious advantages: you get to spend
more time with your family, you avoid expensive, frustrating and
time-burgling commutes and you get to make sales calls in your
bathrobe.

In addition to the fact that no matter how hard you work or how
successful your business is, it's nearly impossible to convince your
friends, family and especially your parents that you actually have a
job, working from home has some other challenges.

The overall key to success is to realize that your home is set up
for your personal life, not your professional life. At the office
you have all the resources you need to get your job done; at home,
you have to decide between what you need, what you can afford and
what space allows.

At work you have co-workers; at home you have family.
If you're new to or are considering telecommuting or working from
home, here are some ideas to help you get off to a good start:

Set up a designated office – even if it's just part of a room. When
you walk in that area, consider yourself to be punching-in for the
day. Make sure the rest of your family respects this area and treats
it as your "Corporate Headquarters." Set up your office hours and
stick with them. This will help you distinguish between your
personal and professional life and prevent you from getting
sidetracked by non-work-related distractions.

Designate one outside space or third space as an alternative office
or meeting space. Some people use coffee shops; others actually rent
office and meeting space by the hour. While etiquette experts say
it's fine to work from home, clients may feel uncomfortable when
asked to meet at your home (unless you have a separate office space
with a separate entryway). Whether it's the local coffee shop, or
even better, a rent-by-the-hour meeting and office space, meeting
with clients on the outside of your home office creates a
professional impression while still allowing you to retain the
freedom of the work-at-home lifestyle.

While one of the much-touted advantages of working at home is the
ability to work in your pajamas, avoid that temptation and get
dressed. Getting dressed symbolizes the beginning of the day and
helps get you into work mode.

Install a separate telephone line for your business. If this is not
possible, answer your phone in a professional manner during your
business hours.

Avoid isolation by joining professional organizations, chambers of
commerce, or a business networking groups. Also, consider renting
space occasionally or even once a week from temporary office space
providers.

Meet people face-to-face every so often. Even though technology has
enabled us to work in virtual space, the power of the face-to-face
encounter cannot be underestimated. If you have co-workers, go to
lunch. If you work for yourself, be sure to find others who do the
same and meet regularly for coffee or lunch.

Get broadband cable or DSL. These services are no longer considered
luxuries. Your clients and colleagues expect you to have fast
Internet access and the ability to view rich websites and receive
large files in your email.

Consider going wireless. Why tie yourself down to one corner of your
office? A wireless router and card for your laptop can be had for
around $100 and will give you great flexibility. Once you have a
card, you can stay connected while on the road by stopping by one of
the growing number of wireless "Hotspots" available in cafes, hotels
and airports.

Protect yourself. Make sure you have the latest anti-virus software
and keep it updated. Anti-spy software is now just as critical as
anti-virus software. Lavasoft's Ad-aware and Spybot Search and
Destroy can both be downloaded for free at download.com. Also,
consider a personal firewall. Zonealarm, McAfee, and Symantec are
just a few of the popular packages available.

Consider hiring your own personal "computer geek." You have a
plumber, electrician, and a handyman to maintain and fix all of your
household appliances, so why treat your computer any differently?
Computer technicians typically charge from $65 to $125 per hour
(just like a plumber) and offer a range of services from keeping
your computer and software up to date to installing wireless
networks and firewalls. Best of all, they come to you in your home
office. Call someone BEFORE you lose your hard drive so that they
can be ready for any unforeseen events.

If you take the time to plan ahead and do things smart, you'll find
that working from home can be a convenient, productive and rewarding
alternative to traditional cube-dwelling office environments.