Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, a lot of businesses have chosen to adopt a hybrid working scenario. This means part of your week could be spent in the office and the other part at home. This may seem pointless but it gives bosses and employees a lot more freedom when it comes to the home and work-life balance. If you have kids at home and you can do your job with them around then this is a bigger bonus for you. Saving on childcare while you are at home will do wonders for your health and bank balance. If you are unsure how to go about working from home then take a look at the article below for more inspiration.
Your Own Business
If you are running your own business from the comfort of your own home then you will need to make sure you have everything you need to hand. It can be a bit of a juggling act to have office supplies in two different locations. Some bosses have even chosen to scrap the office altogether, if this is the case and you also want to do this then you need to consider your employees. These people might like to escape to the office each day, however, they may understand the benefits also.
Arrange a meeting with them and discuss how they are feeling. Don’t simply tell them that they will be working from home permanently, ease them into it gently. It can be a bit of a shock to the system. If you want your employees to feel valued and included then take a look at the article by Dee Agarwal. He explains that showing your employees how much you value them makes your business more likely to succeed. Make sure your employees are aware that you will only ever be a phone call or email away if they get stuck or need support. If you want to be the best boss, you could even schedule fortnightly consultations online if your employees want to discuss anything with you.
A Quiet Space
One of the main things you will need when working from home is a quiet office space. This could be a spare room that has been converted into your office. You will have everything you need and you could even get the room soundproofed to make it even better. This means that you won’t hear any of the noise from outside and nobody will be able to hear your meetings. This is essential if you are running a business that requires confidentiality.
Make sure that if you have people at home while you are working that they are in fact aware that you can’t be disturbed. It may help to have a sign on the door that says ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ in big shouty capitals. You don’t want to be like the man on the news whose child came running into his office while he was being interviewed.
Everything You Need
When you work from home it can be tricky knowing what equipment you need. Once you have been doing it for some time you will know what can make your life easier and what will be a hindrance. If for instance, you are forgetting about meetings and appointments then a wall planner could help you remember. Alternatively, there are apps and software you can install on your PC to alert you to these. It might be useful for both you and your employees to use the same diary-sharing apps. This means you will all be able to see what the others are doing and not disturb each other in meetings with clients.
If you need to store confidential files and paperwork then you could do this on your PC as well, make sure that the file is encrypted and safe with a password. You could also print them off and keep hard copies. You will need to invest in a lockable filing cabinet if you are doing it this way.
Furniture
Working from home can mean slobbing about in your PJS as nobody is going to see you. However, you won’t be comfortable if you don’t have the right furniture. The best desk and chair to invest in for your home office is one that is ergonomic. What this means is that it provides the right level of support so you are not hunched over all day. The desk and chair should be adjustable as not everyone’s the same height.
If you don’t want to sit down for long periods of the day then you could look into getting a standing desk. This will give you breaks from sitting and provide you will relief throughout the day.
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