Home working: can you hack it?

Have you started home working? The economy is creaking slowly upwards, but not out of the woods yet. And that means more people are joining the flexible working revolution – sometimes involuntarily.

Taking redundancy and becoming self-employed will be tempting, and the idea of working from the sofa may be even more tempting.

Join the flexi-work revolution

Alison Harmer standing next to a bookcase working from home

I started working from home seven years ago in 2003. When you start working in this way, your initial reaction is often ‘whoopee’! For me, it meant no early alarm call or sweaty daily commute. Best of all, when you work from a home office, you can manage your work time and family life in your way.

To be fair, nowadays, businesses are less blinkered about ‘teleworking’, as the workspace industry sometimes calls it. So you may already have experienced working away from the traditional office. But the odd day working from home is not the same as being there full-time.

What you need to consider

Before you go ahead, consider the downsides as well as the ups. Working from the spare room is not for everyone. Here are some tips to find out whether you’re suited.

Reconsider if you’re the type of person who:

  • Will get up late, given half the chance
  • Is easily distracted by household chores or daytime TV
  • Doesn’t like working unsocial hours
  • Enjoys other people’s company
  • Lacks organisation and discipline
  • Finds it difficult to put time aside for yourself
  • Can’t switch off between work and home life.

If you think you can hack all that and are ready to give working from home a go, make the proper preparations.

Be prepared

  • Make sure you’re adequately insured
  • Check there’s nothing against home working in your mortgage or tenancy agreement
  • Pick a room that’s quiet and kitted out with all you need
  • Invest in the most up-to-date software, including firewalls, anti-spam and a dual backup system
  • Create a support network of local suppliers for IT, admin, couriers, etc
  • Set aside times for work that the family must respect
  • Don’t get sloppy – dress as if you’re going to work.

Home working is a cost-effective way of starting a business, but it is not the only place to work. Mixing work at home with a serviced office, professional meeting room or flexible workspace by providers like Regus can sometimes be the best of all worlds.