When most people think about working from home, they imagine sitting at their desk with their feet up and maybe a cup of homemade coffee. Working from home may seem like an easy setup that shouldn’t require much effort to pull off. However, in reality working from home requires just as much structure as a traditional office and maybe even more.
Distractions when working from home are much more difficult to avoid and there are often more of them. Whether it’s family members, pets, the internet, or just being overly comfortable in your own space, working from home presents unique challenges that can derail your productivity if you’re not prepared. Here are two of the most important tips to remain productive and successful in your home-based office.
Set a Schedule
Setting a schedule and sticking to it is by far one of the most important requirements for a successful home-based business. With the right type of schedule, you can often be even more productive than you would be in a traditional office in less time, but it has to be done properly. It’s also a good idea to speak with other people who have successful home-based businesses or offices and ask what their tips are for maintaining an efficient schedule.
Without a schedule it can be easy to start late and get frequently distracted. You’ll find yourself getting a second cup of coffee or browsing the internet before you’ve accomplished much of anything and before you know it the day is wasted. With a set schedule you can hyper-focus on the work at hand and minimize distractions while still reaping all the benefits of working from home.
Keep the Lines of Communication Open
Everyone always says that “communication is key” and this is never truer than when you have a home-based business or office. Keeping the lines of communication open with your employees, coworkers, or clients can be the difference between being productive and successful or failing miserably. Without proper communication, confusion and misunderstandings will occur frequently and will derail your company’s productivity.
If, however, you use all the best possible means of communication such as videoconferencing, email, and document sharing, you can minimize any misunderstandings that might occur. Document sharing is particularly effective when attempting to keep your team unified, especially if all of you are in different places during working hours.
Maintaining a schedule and keeping the lines of communication open are extremely important when it comes to having a successful home-based office. Whether you spend all of your time at home or only a small portion of it, it’s important to use that time as effectively as possible to ensure that your home-based office is a success.
