09 September 2010 by Sophie
Shaa is Smarta's founder - find out more about her
at Shaawasmund.com.
With the wonderful invention of WiFi, more and more of us can
choose the option of home working, whether it's full- or part-time.
Remote working can give you the flexibility and time to complete a
number of projects without having to leave the sofa.
But working from home can have its downsides too. If you're used
to working in an office, it'll be a bit of a shock to the system to
work on your own, even if you've got plenty of support online.
You'll also need to have a lot of self-discipline (which many
entrepreneurs have by the bucket load) in order to avoid
distractions and stick to a work schedule.
So, here are a few essential tools to help you remain focused
while working from home.
- A decent office space: Working from your bed
or sofa might seem like the most appealing option, but you'll get
so much more done if you're in a decent working space. All you need
is a desk and comfortable chair, ideally away from the distractions
of your TV, plus WiFi. If you're just starting out, you might want
to check out Freecycle for available desks in your local
area.
- Dropbox: the
essential online tool for remote workers. It allows you to access
your files from any location, either from your toolbar or the
Dropbox website. Just drag the files over to the Dropbox folder and
you'll be able to use them later on or collaborate with
others.
- Twitter:
Twitter is full of remote workers, freelancers and creatives, so
it's the greatest place to ask for advice, share information and
generally chat with like-minded people.
- Skype:
Whether you're conducting an online meeting, exchanging files with
a colleague or client or simply catching up with a friend abroad,
Skype will help you easily stay in contact.
- Remember the Milk: essentially
a to-do list. But it allows you to create tasks under a number of
subjects (work, home, by client etc), set due dates, priorities,
add to your calender and a multitude of other details. Each morning
the site will email you your tasks due today, and if you subscribe
you'll get the app too.
Also, check out our tools directory for a whole load of resources and
tools for starting up and running a business.
Do you have any essential tools for working from home? I'd love
to hear about them in the comments section below.
Read more of Shaa's blogs at Shaawasmund.com
and follow her on Twitter @shaawasmund