A long time ago, Benjamin Franklin or somebody said: “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” When I was young, I had the habit of sleeping in on Saturday mornings, I remember stumbling up the stairs around 10 am and my dad said, “the day is half over!” When I started college, I quickly learned the benefits of getting up early in the morning. First period at my college was 7:20 am and I was assigned first period for my entire first year at school. The early class time was not my choice, but by the end of the fall semester, I learned to enjoy getting up early and continued the habit for most of my college career. I even started getting up early on Saturday mornings to spend time in the nearly empty library. I got so much more accomplished when there were no distractions (girls) in that venue.

The benefits of rising early are numerous and well-known. Even Scripture exhorts us to get out of bed: “O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You” (Psalm 63:1). The wife who “rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household” is praised in Proverbs 31:15 while the one who sleeps late is called sluggard:  “As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed” Proverbs 26:14. I am well aware that almost every area of my life improves with an habit of getting up early.

The difficult part is getting to bed early enough in order to enable me to rise early. It is just that when the kids are in bed, it is so nice to relax and watch a little tube or surf the net. Here are some motivations for the “early to bed” part:

• Save electricity: think about how much less electricity you might save if you headed for bed at 10:30 pm rather than 11:30 pm? You could turn off all lights, the television, the computer and everything else.
• Save heat: We always turn our heat down two or three degrees at night. Get under those covers and give your furnace a rest.
• Quality time: Mrs. Stew and I interact more when the television and computers are off and we are just lying in the dark. Lot’s of good conversation and sometimes a little “conversation”.
• Eat less: When I stay up late, I always end up snacking on something that I do not need. When I am in the “stay up late” cycle, I pretty much eat a fourth meal every night.

Get to be early tonight and hit the ground running tomorrow morning!

Article by Stew

Photo by rkramer62

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On Monday, I shared the first five of ten money saving principles that I learned from my father. I say “learned” because while I remember them intellectually, I still struggle to apply them consistently.

6. Do it when you think of it.

This is the one that gets me most of the time. My dad developed a discipline in his life where he would take on a task almost as soon as he thought about it. There have been many occasions when he and I set up a time to do a particular job together and he would have it done by the time I showed up. Also, there are instances when he goes a little overboard, like when he starts vacuuming the living room floor when there is company in the house . . . or makes an important phone call during supper . . . The instinct to resist all procrastination is strong within him.

7. Arrive early

This is one that I “got”. My dad taught his children that “on time” meant at least five minutes early. It is a relaxing way to live and when last minute trouble rears its head, a couple extra minutes never hurts. The habit of punctuality is a strong one in our family. I often get texts from my brothers or sisters who are waiting for someone who is late. I once worked a job that was thirty minutes from where I was staying and I had to be there at 6 am or I would miss the transportation to the jobsite. One particular day, I was pulled over for speeding, the officer spent at least twenty minutes filling out the ticket and I still made it to work on time. Don’t ask me why I was speeding when I was twenty minutes early . . .

8. Assess the impact of wasted time

My dad was always keeping track of wasted time and telling us stuff like, “If a teacher wastes five minutes every class period, that is the equivalent to 75 hours a year” or something similar. He preached those principles and then lived them.

9. Get your work done, then play.

This goes to principle #8, when he was in charge, we never wasted a minute in class or on the job site, but if we finished early, we enjoyed our extra time. I remember fishing trips or spontaneous hikes in the woods that we would take at a moment’s notice – as long as we were far enough ahead on our studies. Sometimes when I was growing up, I would purposefully put off my homework simply because I knew it irritated my him so much.

10. Never take anything home

This is the one that I did not appreciate until I had my own children. At various times during his career, my father taught three or four elementary grades in one room or five or six different high school classes during the course of the day and rarely, if ever, did I see him bring his work home. Home was for odd jobs around the house and spending time with his family. His frenetic pace at work allowed him to relax at home.

Even though the principles of time management are simple, I have rarely met anyone who uses time as wisely as my father. Most of us will never get to that level, but maybe there are just a couple of principles that you can chose and work on. Personally, I am going to focus on #’s 3 and 6 in the coming year.

Article by Stew

Photo by Dave-F

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I am not an expert in using time, by any means, but I am committed to improving my time management. There is a famous adage that says “time is money”. That saying is just about always true and if there are not monetary rewards for saving time, there are certainly relaxation and family rewards for redeeming our time.

The person whose time management that I most admire is my father. Sometimes my brothers and sisters and I joke that he gets more done in thirty minutes than the average person accomplishes in an eight hour workday. Except it isn’t really a joke. He is probably the most efficient worker/administrator that I have ever observed. I thought I would share ten of his time habits this week. Five today and five more on Wednesday.

1. Work Ahead

Last minute problems should never prevent you from keeping your word. When my father was a school teacher, he always returned corrected papers on the next school day without fail. Even on days when his children were born, corrected papers were returned the next day because he graded them at the first possible opportunity. It is difficult to finish work on time, it is infinitely more difficult to discipline oneself to work ahead consistently.

2. Always push a little harder at the end

When I was young, my dad supported our family by working as a contractor in the summers. He taught for small, private Christian schools that usually could not afford to employ him year round.  Most people’s effort tends to trail off as a break time approaches,but  not dad. I always remember hearing him say to “do a little more” right before lunch or before it was time to go home at the end of the day.

3. Delegate

Even though my father worked hard, he did not think he had to do it all by himself. He was good at investing responsibility in others, motivating them to get the job done and then holding them accountable. If you learn how to organize people, you can save time by multiplying your efforts.

4. Learn to use technology

My father is quite a bit older than I am (naturally), but he is always informed on the latest technology. He is certainly not a “techy” or a “geek”, ,but whenever he gets a new computer or cellphone or software, he takes the time to actually read the manual so that he knows how to use it. Using technology to its fullest potential saves time.

5. Do it better the next time

My dad was always looking for ways to improve our processes and he was open to considering new ideas when it came to getting the job done. Sometimes we waste time when we resist change.

Stay tuned for five more time-saving and ultimately money-saving tips on Wednesday.

Article by Stew

Photo by Dave-F

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Last week, MoneyNing posed a question to his readers: Should I be a work at home Mom? Of course the first thing that came to my mind was the iconic 1980’s movie, Mr. Mom. Personally, I would love to be a stay at home “mom” and in some ways, Mrs. Stew is more suited to work outside the home . . . she likes being around people. As for me? Let’s just say that a cabin on the top of a mountain in Alaska sounds like a dream come true most of the time. But his article caused me to reflect on the past six months in our family. Many of you will remember that our family wrestled through the issue if a stay-at-home parent v more income last summer. You can read about our decision here and here. Currently, Mrs. Stew stays home with our children. She home schools our two older girls and also provides in-home daycare to several other children from other families.

In MoneyNing’s situation, he is contemplating staying home to work and having his wife go back to her full-time in order to provide health insurance for their family after the baby is born. The problem of health insurance is a an issue for all of us and often, job decisions are made on this factor alone. It seems to me that MoneyNing will need to be Mr. Mom.

Today, I would like to list some factors and observations that have convinced me that we made the right decision in having Mrs. Stew stay home. Some of you might remember that she had a job offer. A pretty good job offer, but it would have required us to find child care for our youngest and send our older two to school.

Income

We have observed a lot of questionable financial decisions on the part of the people who drop their children off at our home every day. Things like out-to-eat, expensive clothing, pricey club teams/activities, major home renovations, electronic toys, etc. To say nothing of the added expenses of gas, car maintenance, clothes and greater tax liability that are a part of working in the corporate world. Sometimes I think that my wife has a larger amount of take-home pay than the people for whom she is working.

I am not saying that all of this is unnecessary spending, just that with a little bit of fiscal discipline and wise spending, many of these mothers could afford to stay home. In each case, the husband has stable employment with benefits. The mother is working outside the home simply to maintain a standard of living, a keep-up-with-the-Joneses approach to life.

The kids

I have to say that our children seem happiest when they are home with mom and for that matter, so is mom. Mrs. Stew has worked outside the home two other times previously in our marriage and both times the result was greater stress in our marriage and more unwanted behaviors in our children. Crying, fighting, whining, sickness and their natural sleep patterns were interrupted more often.

In the case of the children who come into our home, the younger ones almost always cry when they have to leave . . . I really feel sorry for the parent whose child is more excited to see my wife than his own mother and father. This kind of thing cannot be healthy in the long run.

Right decision

There are many cases where both parents are forced to work outside of the home. I understand that we may be forced to consider that option again in the future. I do not intend to judge or cast aspersions on others who might make a different choice than we did. Just make sure that you are dropping your kids off at daycare for a good reason.Vacations in Jamaica or a new Lincoln Navigator might not be the best reason . . .

Right now, I am just thankful that Mrs. Stew has the option to stay home.

Article by Stew

Photo by Le Petit Poullailer

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I changed jobs a couple of years ago. For the most part, I am happy with the change. The new job is better for my family and I like our new location better. However, it has become clear to me that “Corporation B” is not as good at strategic planning and cost benefit analysis among other things as “Corporation A”. I am a little nervous about how this will affect my job in the long term, and I thought I would share one small example of this kind of thinking.

Corporation A always gave a Christmas bonus. Even when they had a tough year, the top executives at the company found a way to give a little extra income to all employees. We also had a Christmas dinner – but no frills – simple entertainment, a venue on the grounds of the company and a caterer that sponsored the meal for free due to a vendor relationship with our company. The meal was simple, but we always enjoyed the atmosphere and spending casual time with fellow employees. The food was served cafeterias style and our dinnerware was average. After the dinner, we all stayed to help clean up and were handed a bonus check on the way out the door. In my ten years working at that company, my bonus ranged from $150 to $400. Ironically, the biggest bonus came in the year where I was working at my lowest level. Bonuses were the same for every single full-time employee, regardless of rank.

Here is the math: Free meal, very few waitstaff, free venue, simple entertainment. I think that Company A spent about $2,000 for our Christmas dinner and usually handed out checks for $200 to approximately 150 employees. Total cost: $32,000.

I have worked at Company B for over two years and they do things differently. Every Christmas, the put on a big catered dinner. The food is great – Mrs. Stew had salmon and I had prime rib. Gourmet salad, dinner rolls, cheese cake and all of the trimmings. We ate off of china, drank from crystal glasses and held cloth napkins on our laps. Our beverages were poured by waitstaff and the venue was a large and well-furnished community fine arts center. Both years, Company B brought in outstanding entertainment. Last year was a well-known comedian and this year we had a great bluegrass band. At the end of the meal, we left the mess to the servers and walked to get our checked coats.

Not a bonus check to be seen.

Let me do some math. Fancy venue: $2,000 (just guessing here). Gourmet, catered meal for Mrs. Stew and me: $45 a plate, so $90 total. Top-of-the-line entertainment: $10,ooo. There were about 200 employees in attendance, so the grand total cost for Company B is around $30,000.

A fancy dinner is nice. Mrs. Stew and I really appreciated the gesture and a chance to get out without the kids even though we had to spend $25 on babysitting. However, I think Company B would get a lot more “bang for the buck” if they scaled back on the Christmas party and found a way to give a Christmas bonus.

What do you think?

Article by Stew

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Author: Mike.

Times are rough these days; if you have managed to keep your job so far, your neighbor, your friend or a family member probably lost their’s. You work pretty hard each and every day, no doubt you look at your budget periodically to make sure you are still on track. You navigate through a pleuthera of frugal ideas to help save a few bucks and ask God to watch over your family and possesions in hopes to avoid bad luck. You don’t really have any other choices yet this lifestyle can be stressful and tiring. Then, someone you know, a good friend, gives you a call and his voice appears as a ray of light over your head; he has found a solution, an easy way to make more money!

We are all looking for a sideline, an opportunity to make extra income and it would even be better if this source of revenue could become a source of passive income! Here comes your friend with a great opportunity to build your own business through Mary Kay!

Mary Kay is a MLM cosmetic company. Start with: What is an MLM company anyways? Multi Level Marketing businesses such as Mary Kay work through an aggressive recruiting process to build sales teams. Since everybody is paid on what they sell (no base salary), there is no additional costs to having an ever increasing sales force. Therefore, each Mary Kay representative is encouraged to recruit more folks “under” her so she can build her own team and become a sales director herself. In an MLM structure, when you sell something, a part of your profit goes directly to the person on top of you (the one who recruited you). If you haven’t heard about Mary Kay, you may have heard about Quickstar or Primerica. They have similar structures, the first business offers household products and the latter offers insurance and other financial services. I have actually done a full analysis of the Primerica structure over at The Financial Blogger.

I do not wish to discuss if MLM are good or not nor if Mary Kay is the root of all evil or the best company in the world. The MLM topic has been highly debated over the internet. However, there is something that still bugs me and it is rarely discussed. My sister-in-law was recently recruited into Mary Kay while keeping her day job. I actually really like her and we spend a lot of time with her and her fiancé. However, it has only been a month that she is promoting cosmetic products and I have already noticed a big change in her attitude.

It seems that Mary Kay, in her mind, is the best thing since sliced bread!

Every time I talk to her, see her or even hear about her, the words “Mary Kay” are emphasized in the conversation. Since every MLM success is based on recruiting (over-selling the product), people starting out with these companies are drilled to talk about it incessantly.

When you meet with them, they will automatically tell you how great so and so product is or how they made a $500 sale in their cosmetic class last week or even what her latest client told her about their kids not having sunburns anymore… thanks to the Mary Kay sunscreen!

As sales come with motivation, MLMs will usually organize weekly meetings where sales directors encourage their recruits and tell them to continue working hard. They will tell them that they are closing in on their dream of being financially independent and that they will be able to quit their full time job shortly to live from Mary Kay income alone.

I actually believe in team building activities within a company and that it is wonderful to consider and encourage your teammates. However, when it comes down to taking over your life to the point where it is the only thing you are talk about (becoming a fanatic), this is where I draw the line.

I have seen several people jeopardize their friendships by talking about their wonderful MLM project on a continuous basis. Don’t get me wrong; I am not saying that MLM is bad or that you should not join Mary Kay (I am not in the cosmetic business so I have no clue if they are good or bad products). However, if you get into a MLM business, please maintain a sense of balance in your life as well! There is nothing wrong about mentioning what you do for a living, once in a while (everybody does that) but you don’t have to plug the name 50 times a day either.

One is allowed to dream of financial independence and I am not there to tell anyone how to do it. I dream about financial independence too and I don’t drill my ideas and methods into the heads of relatives by mentioning my projects every time I talk with them… Why does it have to be different with MLM businesses?

I would be curious to know if you have joined any of these companies and if it works well for you.

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At the beginning of the month, the most recent unemployment statistic was published. The USA reached double digits while Canada was close behind with 8.8% (as of June). The scariest aspect about these statistics is to think that once you stop receiving unemployment support payments; you don’t count as “unemployed” anymore. Therefore, the unemployment rate might be 10% in the States, but it is even higher in the “real world”. People stop receiving unemployment support but not necessarily because they have gotten a job.

Lucky you! You are still working this morning (you better not keep reading blogs all day during work though ). However, it might not be the case for all your friends. What can you do to support an unemployed friend?

#1 Be there

Losing your job is definitely not a happy moment in one’s life. We spend so much time working that when a job is lost, an important part of our life is lost at the same time. Our routine is disrupted; some of our friends are still at work and we miss the feeling of being useful to society. This is why it is so important to take the time to listen to your friend and let him talk about his pain, anxiety facing the future even anger. If it ever happens to a close friend, make sure to be supportive; to go out and have a drink with him to lend an ear. Your friend might have lost his job, but he certainly doesn’t want to lose the rest of his life.

#2 Pass the word around

So far in my career, I have had three different jobs. Each time, I got the job from “someone who knows someone”. Networking is always important in career planning but it becomes crucial when you are unemployed and looking for a new opportunity. As a friend, talk about him to every single person in your own network. You never know, maybe a friend of a friend (that you don’t even know!) is looking to hire someone.

#3 Be honest

He may be your best friend but you wouldn’t even hire him to wash windows? This is going to be hard but you are better off telling him the truth. If you don’t think that he is in the right field or that he has an attitude problem at work, you should tell him tactfully. Being unemployed is not always a positive experience. It can be a great opportunity to ask yourself if you want to continue with what you were doing.  Perhaps take the time to improve your transferable skills in a specific field. If your friend gets a real picture of the image he is projecting, it will definitely help him in his job search. Since he just lost his job, the point is not to hammer him with all the negative points. Make sure to tell him what you appreciate about him as a colleague and point out his strengths. You don’t want your friend to stay unemployed and risk being depressed the rest of his life

#4 Lend money?

Aaaahh…. I’m not sure I like the idea of lending money to friends actually. I have done it a few times but only to one person and it wasn’t in a context of unemployment. I think your buddy need friendship more than money. And you will definitely help him more by finding him a new job or helping him getting on the right track for his next employer than supplying money. Once someone said: “Give a Man a fish, Feed him for a day. Teach a Man to fish; feed him for a lifetime”. While money will only offer tempororary support (unless you are really rich!), it may become a source of dispute if your friend remains unemployed. Usually, friends and money don’t make good partners.

#5 You don’t have to follow him

You have to be empathic to your friend’s situation but it doesn’t mean that you have to join him during his “black days”. Helping an unemployed friend is one thing, and you must know your limits. You don’t have to feel guilty either. This is called the “survivor syndrome”. If many people in our personal circle lose their jobs in the same field as ours, we may tend to feel guilty. However, it should not become a personal matter and you are not the one (hopefully!) who decided to lay off your friend!

Do you have any other thoughts about helping an unemployed friend? Did it happen to you? What did you tell your friend?

image source : khalilshah

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My first post here on Gather Little by Little started out as an advice article for readers. It turned out that several comments in the thread that followed contained some good questions and even more good advice.  In my previous article on staying employed during a recession I listed the following suggestions for people who might be worried about holding on to their job:

• Go the extra mile
• Make sure they know your name
• Distinguish yourself from fellow employees
• Take initiative, but be a team player
• Understand the mission

One commenter, Keri, added some more good thoughts. She suggested:

• Make yourself available after hours
• Have a niche
• Position yourself as the innovator

Keri also asked a couple of questions about letters of recommendation and how to best leave a job in a position to acquire a new job. Today’s article will focus on presenting yourself in as good a light as possible to your next employer.

Get a letter of recommendation

Sometimes a letter of recommendation is difficult to obtain, especially if your relationship with your employer is strained. The solution to this problem is to ask for a letter of recommendation before the relationship is strained. Ask several of your supervisors for such a letter every year. Three or four positive memos in your file will go a long way with a future employer. You are simply asking for documentation of the fact that you are doing a good job. Do it every year, do it in a non-threatening manner. Tell your boss or supervisor, that you are not looking for another job, you are happy at your company, but you would like the letter for your file.

I know some employees who use the same letter that their boss gave them in a previous year – they simply show the memo to their boss, ask if anything has changed, adjust the date and request a signature. If your supervisor is squeamish about creating a written record of your good job performance, you might want to take that as a warning.

If you lose your job without a letter of recommendation in hand, do your best to get one from somebody in the organization on your way out the door. If your immediate superior will not give you one, you need to ask around and find someone who is willing to sign the document or write an email on your behalf.

In this economy, good people are being let go simply because of budget tightening. Many bosses are in the position of saying, “We like you, you are good worker, but we have to let someone go”. The only thing you can do in that situation is ask them to make a written record of those statements that you can add to your resume. Most employers will be happy to do this for you because it helps to comfort their conscience.

Annual review

Most companies conduct annual reviews with all employees, if your company does not conduct such meetings, it is critical that you obtain some type of written record of your job performance. You may even want to request an annual review and make sure that a record of that review is a part of your file.

References

There is an old principle that states that a lawyer should never ask a question to which he does not know the answer. It is the same way with references. Do not put a person’s name and contact information into a job application without knowing what that person might say about you. I have seen resumes where an individual does not list any references from the job that they held immediately preceding the job for which they are applying – this can be a red flag to potential employers. Find at least one person, somewhere at the company you are leaving, who is willing to allow their name to be used as a good reference.

Timing

Timing can be tricky in these matters. If you are thinking of leaving your current job, it is unwise to communicate that to your employer until you are certain that you wish to leave.  This is another reason why updating your letters or reference and conducting annual reviews are important. Your files should be up to date as a matter of policy – a regular occurrence that does not invite suspicion – not necessarily because you are looking for greener pasture. If you must use your current employer as a reference, warn them that a call might be coming.

During annual reviews at my last job, I told my supervisor every year that I was applying for other jobs. I even told him which jobs I was interested in! Part of the reason that I was able to do this is that every job that I was considering was a definite step up, even my boss could not blame me for considering some of the other positions. As a matter of policy, I requested a written letter of recommendation from him every year. When circumstances at that company made it clear that I would no longer be happy working there, I was all set to move on. I had an updated resume and I actually had several job applications pending. When I originally filled out the applications, I had not intended to leave, but when it became apparent that my current job was not right for me, I was in good shape.

The bottom line

You need to be proactive in making certain that a written record exists when people say good things about you. When you are recognized for doing a good job, you need to make that a part of your file.

However, there is no substitute for working hard, showing up on time and ultimately generating money for your company or helping your organization accomplish the mission. If you are not a good employee in the first place, all of the resume/recommendation/review strategies in the world will be of no use.

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Earlier this year, the organization where I work was forced to lay off ten percent of our full time workforce.  I survived this particular round of layoffs, but  I knew that I would have to make a conscious effort to make sure that I stay employed.  I am not necessarily scared of unemployment, I trust that God will find a way to meet our needs. In fact, there is actually a part of me that looks forward to seeing what might unfold under such a scenario, but this does not mean that I am going to volunteer for unemployment. I plan to be thankful for and content in the job I have. I hope to be a good steward of what has been entrusted to me.

No job is safe in an economy like this. There is no fool proof way to guarantee that you will not be down-sized, fired, or any of the other ways that a person can lose a job over the next few years. My job is particularly precarious because I work for a small non-profit company that depends on donations in order to survive. The combination of poor stock market and the tightening of IRS deductions for large gifts is having an effect on charitable organizations like mine.

Here are few strategies that I hope will help keep my name off a pink slip:

Go the extra mile

In January, I had to tell my wife that I might be putting in some extra hours over the coming year, but I saw it as a way to hedge against losing my job. Over the past couple of months, I attended voluntary meetings, accepted a voluntary position on a committee, and even volunteered for two out-of-town trips that my supervisor did not want to make. It is true that the extra time was inconvenient and often involved weekends and evenings, but I would rather work a few extra nights than have every weekday open . . .

Make sure they know your name

My company is just big enough that three months ago, my CEO did not know me from Adam or Mike or Jeff. Under normal conditions, I would not have cared. I liked my job, but I was not really interested in climbing the ladder – especially if it meant “kissing up”. But when a bunch of employees lost their jobs, I decided to take a little more initiative. My goal was simply to make sure that the president and vice presidents and chief financial officers of my company did not just see a financial liability when they looked at my name on a balance sheet.  In January, I started to simply show up – attending meetings, receptions and lectures that were optional for people in my department. At the first four different events I introduced myself to the president of our company as if it was for the first time – all four times. On the fifth occasion he remembered my name. He said, “Hey, you’re ______, the guy who ______ mentioned in cabinet last week because you represented us at a couple of meetings out of town . . .”

Mission accomplished.

Distinguish yourself from fellow employees

Don’t be an Eddie Haskell – an annoying, pretentious do-gooder – but rather try to execute assigned tasks so that your supervisor does not have to worry about supervising you. When your boss looks to you, he knows that assigned tasks will be finished completely with no loose ends. Your employer will notice, even if he doesn’t say anything.

Take initiative, but be a team player

There are some employees who take a Machiavellian approach to their jobs. They willingly step on others in order to get ahead. This approach only works in the short run. Don’t make the case for your job at the expense of those around you and remember that sometimes being irreplaceable means cultivating good relationships with your peers. Every team needs  “glue” guy, the person that works well with everyone. Try to be the person who is liked by everyone.

Understand the Mission

Companies do not exist for the sole purpose of providing employment to the masses. If your employer can make the same amount or more money without you on the payroll, then he has no reason to keep you around. Make sure you know exactly how your job affects the profitability of your company and then make your case for employment by doing your job well. Understand the mission of your position and take some time to evaluate whether or not you are meeting that goal. If you are not, you had better start checking the classifieds.

And if the worst happens – make sure you walk out the door with a good recommendation.

From Glblguy: I mentioned last week that another writer was going to be joining me here on Gather Little by Little.  Well, you just finished reading the  first article published here on GLBL by that writer: Stew.  You’ll be reading lots more from Stew as he’ll be posting a couple times a week going forward and you can get to know him a little more on Thursday.  I’m really glad to have him, so join me in welcoming Stew to Gather Little by Little!

Photo by: mark sebastian

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I’ve been working from home now off and on for a few months. It started with 1-2 days at home, then 3 and within a few weeks I’ll be working from home full-time.  Personally I love it, but it’s different in more ways than I anticipated.  Working from home also isn’t for everyone.  I’ve found it to be highly productive for me, but it does require a great deal of discipline.  Here are just a few tips I have for those that are either already working from home or might be considering it:

Dedicated Space

Depending on your situation, dedicated space could mean just a desk over in the corner where you go when you work.  Having 6-kids, this wouldn’t be an option for me.  I have a dedicated office downstairs away from my family.  It’s quiet and distraction free.

The important thing for most professionals is being able to work at home and not having the person on he other end of the phone know.  I’ve been on way to many calls where I hear dogs barking in the background, children crying, and spouses talking.  I have one person I work with that must watch TV as he works.  Every time I call him I always hear a TV blaring in the background.  While all of these things are a normal part of being home, they aren’t a normal part of the work environment for  most.  You have to separate yourself from these things.

The other advantage of a dedicated space is that when you go there, you go into work mode.  If it’s your kitchen table, it’s hard to make the mental distinction that you’re at work rather than sitting down to eat breakfast or dinner.  When I walk into my office downstairs and shut the door it feels like I am walking into the doors at my companies operations center.  I go into “I’m at work mode”.

Communication Tools

When you work from home, you spend far more time on the phone than normal.  Therefore it’s critical to invest in a good quality phone line, phone, and headset.  Prior to moving I had used Vonage with a fair amount of success, but now that I’ll be going full-time at home I moved to a land line for clear and reliable phone service.

Get familiar with Instant Messaging technologies, they are a life saver.  The phone is a wonderful tool for lengthy or complex conversations, but instant messaging tools are a life saver for short and quick questions/conversations.  It’s far less distracting and intrusive as a phone ringing.  It also allows you to be on a phone call, but continue to communicate with people.  Just be sure you pay attention to the phone call!

I tried to avoid it, but I’m going to have to purchase a fax machine or use an online fax service (any suggestions??).  As much as I try to work paperless, paper is still somewhat of a reality especially when dealing with other companies or people that aren’t as paperless.

Having good communication tools allows you to be available and being available is a critical requirement for making a work from home situation successful.  Regardless of the reality, if you aren’t available than people will perceive you as not working.  Do everything you can to make yourself available.

Staying Focused

This is by far the biggest complaint I hear about people working from home: staying focused.  Here are just a few suggestions to help:

• Establish a schedule – Most likely when you worked at the office you had a schedule.  Do the same when working from home.  Be at work at a certain time and leave at a certain time.  Not only will your co-workers appreciate it, it will help you mentally feel like you’re going to work, even if the commute is only a few feet!
• Get up and get dressed – Sure one of the advantages of working at home is working in your PJs.  This doesn’t work for me.  I have a morning routine that I’ve been going through for years and in order for me to get into work mode I have to go through that routine.  I get up, fix coffee, eat breakfast, write for my blogs, shower, get dressed, then head to my office downstairs.   Granted, I wear sweats, jeans, shorts, etc. rather than business casual, but it still helps to put me in “work mode”.
• Take breaks – Ironically enough, this one has been tough.  I tend to just keep working through the whole day, even eating at my desk.  Not a good idea.  Take breaks.  Take a walk outside, come upstairs to eat lunch for a 1/2 hour or so.  This will keep you fresh and avoid overworking.
• Plan – Each day before I turn off the lights and close the office door, I make a list of everything I need to accomplish the next day.  Before I leave the next day I make sure everything on that list is done, then I make the next list.  When you begin working from home you’re no longer evaluated on whether you are at work but by how much you get done.  Make sure you are getting things done.

A few final thoughts

Just a few final thoughts from some experiences I’ve had with others working from home…yes believe it

• Don’t carry the phone or cell phone with you to the bathroom.  Awkward.
• Don’t drink alcohol while you’re working.  Resist the temptation to open that beer at 3:00pm.  You wouldn’t do it at work, don’t do it at home.
• Wear clothes. If you aren’t, don’t proudly tell everyone that you aren’t.  Even if you don’t tell them, they’ll know.  I’m not sure how, but we just do.
• Don’t eat while you’re on the phone. Nothing worse than talking to someone while they crunch chips in your ear.
• Get a phone with a mute button that is easy and quick to find.  When working at home, the unexpected will happen.  A mute button just might save you uncomfortable explaining like when your dog stands outside your window and barks at you, or your kids come busting into your office to have you settle a dispute.

What tips do you have?  Are you thinking about working from home but have concerns?  Add a comment or question!

Photo by: Yogi

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