Telecommuting and Jobs Tutorial - Part 6 - Creating an optimal home work space
 

The more efficient your home work space is, the more productive you’re going to be. The more productive you are, the more time you’ll have. The less productive well…let’s just say that working from your kitchen table with children and pets running around, the dishwasher running and the television within sight isn’t a great idea. So, here are a few tips to get your home work space established.

Schedule. The first thing to consider is when you’re going to be working. Some telecommuting positions have rigid time structures. For example if you’re a customer service associate then you’ll need to be available during business hours. On the other hand if you’re doing their bookkeeping and your best time is in the middle of the night then maybe that’s when you’ll work. If you’re a morning person, you may be scratching your head right now. The key to a productive schedule is to work when you’re best able to. When your mind is the clearest and your schedule allows.

Establish clear working hours and stick to them. This is really important. Keeping a regular schedule is imperative to productivity. Choosing to work when the mood strikes you won’t result in getting very much done and your life as a telecommuter may be short.

Space. The next consideration is where is your office going to be? If you’re lucky enough to already have a home office then you’re ahead of the game. For others, a home office can be created with very little effort and overhead. The important thing to remember is to make sure your office is in a location where you’ll be able to focus. Decide how much space you need, find a location that will enable you to concentrate, and then make sure you have the equipment you need.

Equipment. A computer, high speed internet connection, and a phone are generally two requirements of a telecommuter. Of course with Skype, Vonage, and other communication technologies all you really need is a computer. One other piece of equipment to consider is a file cabinet and an external hard drive or backup device to make sure important documentation isn’t lost. Other possibilities area printer, copier, fax machine.

Software is a requirement and many computers come with the basics installed including a word processing program, spreadsheet program, web browsers and Outlook or other email and contact management software. Adobe reader and quick PDF creators are also a nice way to send and receive documents. Depending on your employer, you may have additional software requirements.

When setting up your office space spend some time evaluating your personality, work habits, potential work schedule and the amount of space you’ll need for your equipment. Basements and attic spaces are common locations for home offices however if you feel like Rapunzel locked in the attic when you’re working, chances are you’re not going to be very happy or productive. The more official your office looks and feels, the more productive you’ll be and the more likely your family will be respectful of your new working situation.

Many telecommuting experts recommend having a website. Our next and final lesson in the getting started guide is all about selling your services.

Telecommuting Tutorial Part 7 - Selling your services with a website.