In the UK
in 2012, around 13% of the workforce work mainly from home. That is an increase
of 21% since 2001. In America,
the increase has been 41% since 1999 and where the States leads we tend to
follow.
At Toolkit, we know many of our clients run businesses from
home, so here’s a helpful guide to enjoying the lack of a morning commute but
not falling prey to some of the pitfalls of working from home.
Here are four of the commonest problems home workers face,
and how to keep on top of them.
1 – Focus.
When you shut the door and jump in a car before setting up
at a desk you can leave the troubles and distractions of home behind. When you
stroll from the shower to a home office, the dishes are screaming to you from
downstairs, the television is a few steps away and there’s no internet filter
or logging to stop you logging on to Facebook for a couple of hours.
It’s a good idea to try to replicate the positive features
of a work place in your home office. Try to set up an area that is just
dedicated to work, so when you shut the door you know it is time to put your
business head on. If you still struggle to forget that you’ve promised the kids
to put some shelving up in their bedroom, try taking a break from the
environment as a whole – take a walk and get a cup of coffee.
2 – Boundaries
In an office, you’re in a very defined environment dedicated
to getting things done. Personal calls are put on hold until the end of the day
and your partner knows that you can’t be expected to get the shopping done
while you’re dealing with work. This can go out of the window when you’re at
home all day.
Again, bringing a professional environment and schedule to
your home office can help build boundaries. It’s crucial that you let people
know that your job is just as tough as theirs is and is to be treated with the
same respect. Making sure you’re at your desk at 9am and you take the same breaks you would in a nine to
five job can help too.
3 – Overworking
Once the distractions of day-to-day life and building a
schedule have been conquered, there’s another danger lurking: not turning off.
Envious friends might thing you’re enjoying a lie in and coffee and cakes
whenever you fancy it, but it can be far too easy to forget to stop work. There
are no colleagues leaving at 5pm
and turning the lights off to remind you that it’s time to stop.
Set strict boundaries and don’t neglect your social life.
Particularly if you are running your own business, it can be tough to know when
to say ‘enough is enough’. Working hard comes with the territory for most
self-employed people, but if you’re going to last the long haul then you need
to work to a schedule that isn’t going to burn you out.
4 – Isolation
Saying goodbye to office politics and poisonous gossip can
be one of the great joys of working from home. However, it’s likely you’re
going to be spending most of your time on your own, and that can take its toll.
Loneliness and isolation can, over time, become serious issues and even lead to
problems with depression.
If you’re working from home, you’ll need to recognise that
you need to put some effort and planning into maintaining a social life too. If
you can keep their use to reasonable hours then sites like Twitter and Facebook
can replace the interactions of the coffee room. Some jobs, even when worked
from home, can provide a good deal of interaction, make the most of it and talk
to people by phone or Skype rather than emailing when possible.
Look to business networking groups for some real life
contact that could help your business prosper. A growing trend in the States is
for home workers to come together and share offices and it’s coming to the UK, Sharedesk
now have British offices for sharers.
Working from home is a great opportunity for most people,
and as technology advances, it’s only going to become more common, so if you do
have the chance, make the most of it.
Get in touch with Toolkit Websites, Website Designers in Southampton, Hampshire, UK and see how we can help your business grow.