Working from home questions

Question

For those who do work at home, how difficult is it to get into working remotely?  I have been looking into working remotely for a while however I am finding that it is difficult due to not having some of the requirements needed like high speed internet (it’s not available in the area I live in).

Lisa · Answer

Hi. I live in a rural community with the same issue. I found an excellent work around. I paid $200 for a mifi device from Verizon and it’s own line at $20/mo. Unlimited  with 15 gigs of high speed. I could not have worked at home without it. And it is mobile. It saved me!

AlisonD · Answer

Hi - I have worked from home for about 20 years, so feel pretty expert at it! Looks as though other FGB members have addressed your tech issues, so I'll try and tackle the emotional and mind sides of this query because they can be challenging, depending on your situation and personality.

I did not see whether you're living alone, with a partner, or with kids or another combo. I started working remotely when our daughter was born; I was relatively newly married and decided to freelance instead of returning to my full-time job at a publishing company. It went very well, so I did it for 10 years until my old boss there asked me to work for him again at another firm, writing custom content. I have not worked in an office since Nov. 1998 but have worked on-staff for several publishers and been self-employed, freelancing for many of the world's biggest tech brands, as well as some of the smallest.  Here, in no particular order, are my suggestions. Some, based on my experience, are impossible to get -- at least if your partner is anything like mine. Grrrr. :(

a, Definitely make a work space, whether you can or cannot dedicate a room as an office. (This is also great at tax time; check out IRS.gov for their rules for deducting home-office expenses... really important if you are going to be self-employed.)
b. If you ARE going to be self-employed, consider forming an LLC, S-Corp., or other type of business. Taxes as a freelancer are horrendous -- I did not follow this advice. I was a fool. Cost me tax-rate of about 50% pre-tax, paid quarterly on estimated taxes and was still never enough. Horror show and the main reason I took up my former manager's offer!
c. Do two things for yourself: You MUST allot time for you as Janice wisely says, otherwise you'll work all the time. You MUST pay yourself, too, versus dumping payments into a checking or savings account and using it from there. This discipline will help when / if freelance dries up in, say, January versus when it's crazy-loco-busy in May.
d. If you have children, depending on their age come up with a system for when they cannot bother you unless it's an emergency. (Aside: My daughter once thought an emergency was, 'Mom, may I please have a cookie?' when I was hosting a webinar! She was very young so it was actually cute -- answer was still 'NO!!!') 
e. Your appointments for you are just as important as other appointments: If you're going to the doctor, stylist, lunch with a friend (remember when we did that?!), then those are equally valuable to meeting with a client/ new client. I didn't do that and got burned out at times.
f. Join a virtual group within your industry as well as being super-active in FGB; you really will need us/them, sometimes just to chat, sometimes for things like your post here, sometimes for a laugh or cry.
g. Think of all the things you like and dislike abut your office job and build on those dos and don'ts.

There are more pieces of advice I could share but I don't want to monopolize and I'm on deadline! But I'm happy to answer specific questions if you think I can be of help. Good luck. You've got this! - Alison

Tyra · Answer

I agree with getting a hot spot .  I would think of it as an investment in exchange for more flexibility that WFH provides . And with most roles, especially WFH ones, communication, communication and communication is so important in building a relationship based on trust .

Fran Greenman · Answer

Working from home can seem like a dream - especially for moms who feel disconnected from family when they are away in an office or traveling most days.  It does take discipline, however, and self-motivation to assure that you get your work done and done well in the midst of the distractions that surround you at home.  While WFH jobs were hard to come by in the past, the pandemic has accelerated many companies interest in- and approval of  - working from home, which has helped too.  Since nearly all companies had to 'go remote' in the spring, they can now see that there are advantages and that productivity does not suffer (and might actually improve!) and many are reevaluating their position.  With a retail background, you should have many of the requirements companies seek when hiring remote customer service managers.  Often, these companies will provide the equipment that you need and subsidize, if not pay outright, for utility services like telephone and internet.  My home is also in an area where high speed internet is challenging, but there are many options to get there - your cable, wireless and/or satellite companies may be able to help.  Best of luck to you!

Limor Bergman · Answer

Hi Anonymous,
I have been working from home for the last 4 years.
I even published an article about it a while back, you can read it over here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-happy-remote-employee-limor-bergman/
Fast internet is really essential, otherwise you can try to join some of the calls via phone. but it also depends about the culture of your company.
What about working from a shared office space, or a coffee shop, is this an option for some of the days/meetings?

Vela Sivasankaran · Answer

That is tough. You need broadband internet, if you are going to be logged in for atleast 8 hrs per day. Mobile internet is a very costly option, use it sparingly. You can check if your local cafe offers free wifi to their customers and work there but then this will really not be a work from home. Some major broadband companies like Comcast offer free wifi for the public on their existing customers networks too but only in the areas they serve already.

Anonymous · Answer

I want to thank all of you for the advice that you have given me.   I do have a husband as well as three girls who are old enough to not bug me. Now I just have to find the right company for me. My background is mainly in customer service since I’ve worked retail most of my life.

Janice Enoch · Answer

Hello! I agree with making the investment in the internet technology that will offer you the opportunity to take advantage of work at home job opportunities.  When you do work through your internet challenges and find a remote position I suggest setting a schedule and being disciplined with managing the schedule to ensure you do not suffer from burn out.  Personally, I log off at a reasonable time each day to spend time with my family, prepare dinner and to enjoy some Me time!  It's very easy to continue working all day and evening when you're at home which will eventually lead to burnout and no one wants that!

Anonymous · Answer

From a technology standpoint, you may need to invest in a mifi or other internet source; first see if your company has anything to offer in terms of a product or discount that could assist you. Treat it like an investment for it yourself.

Then there is the mindset -- 
Separating the spaces where you work and live are key, so even if you are in the tiniest space, carve out a work nook. If you need to spruce up an area or move furniture around, do it! It's your space so do what you want.
Lighting is key- invest in good lighting whether for virtual calls or to work at.
If you will spend a significant time on Zoom (hello 2020), check on the background in the area you create (no unmade beds behind you)
If you have a window nearby, consider getting a plant or window bird feeder for a nature boost.
Time boundaries are a must - just because you don't commute, should not mean you have additional hours in the day to 'be on' unless you choose to.
Getting dressed  as if you are going to work (especially if you are on virtual calls) may help keep your mind engaged in 'work'
Block time during the day to get out of the house/apt and take in some fresh air between meetings or projects.

Try it and see if it works for you. Sometimes it take a while to establish a routine. Some people are more productive, some less. 
If you have the option, take it. If nothing else you will learn a lot about yourself and your work (and other) habits.

Juliana Vieira Habib Oliveira · Answer

Hi!!!

I would say, organizations should provide you all the support for you working frok home. Of course,  depending to policies practices the internet allowance can change; or, in case you can take some materials to build a confortable office in your home.
The most important is: give this visibility to your managers, providing possible solutions as well. That would be good!

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