Tips on Successful Telecommuting

Telecommuters are workers (either employees or freelancers) who benefit from flexible work location and hours. Because they´re free to schedule their work hours and decide where and when they can work more comfortably, telecommuters are happier workers. And happy workers are more grateful, loyal, and productive employees, who are more effective in helping a company grow and achieve its goals.

Being a telecommuter or virtual worker may be a dream come true to the average employee. However, we all know all that glitters is not gold. This is why employees should be prepared to make a successful transition into the telecommuting world to make the most out of this new experience.

Here are some tips on successful telecommuting for beginners:

1-Be disciplined.

When you´re telecommuting there´s no boss watching over your shoulder. Still, you need to show results. And now that you´re telecommuting, chances are you need to focus on results more than ever before to prove your employer you´re responsible enough to have the privilege to work from home. So, the first thing you need to do is make a plan. Establish a routine and stick to it religiously. Your plan should include a time to shower, get dressed, have breakfast and start working. Schedule your working hours at that time of the day when you feel more productive. Also, remember to avoid personal interruptions on the hours you’ve scheduled to work.

2- Setup your Home Office.

Preparing a space at home that’s adequate to work from can make a huge difference in your telecommuting experience. Your home office should be a quiet and isolated place away from your family and that doesn´t remind you of any pending household tasks. This space must be completely yours and setup to invite you to focus on work. A basement or attic office could be a good alternative for some telecommuters. In any case, try placing your computer and desk in a private separate room in your house. Make your room look as professional as possible but also like a space where you would enjoy spending your time in.

Remember to equip your office with high speed internet access, a comfortable chair, printer, scanner, phone, headset, copier and other traditional office supplies.

You may want to consider a backup office in case any unexpected problems occurred at your home office, such as sudden internet disconnections.

3- Set limits for work.

Working from home should never become living at work! This is why it is very important to set a starting time and always have a finishing time. Also, remember it is healthy to take short breaks during your working hours. After your working hours are over, shut down your computer and close your home office door. Not letting work invade the rest of your life is key to become a successful telecommuter. After all, the main reason you’ve started telecommuting in the first place was to achieve a better work-life balance.

4- Focus on Constant Communication.

The biggest fear of a telecommuter is to become isolated from the other company members working at the office. Do not fear! Just communicate, communicate, and communicate. Use all the virtual tools available nowadays to do so (such as chat, Skype, call conferences) and respond to e-mails and voicemails as soon as you possibly can. Communication narrows any geographical distance. There´s never such as thing as too much communication when you´re telecommuting. If you’re smart and work on constantly improving your communication skills, they´ll never know the difference between you and the person sitting at the desk right next to them.