Open an Bed and Breakfast and Work at Home

A Home Business Article Contributed by Philippe Nicolitch

Work at Home: a New Trend

I called my friend Jane at work a few weeks ago to finalize dinner plans, when I realized that her phone line had been forwarded to her house: I work at home, she said to me! Employees of her company had been offered to work at home up to four days a week and spend at least one day in the office. Although this may not be the perfect solution for all bosses, employees and businesses, in Jane's case she now saves a two-hour commute, spends more time with her family, and most important, she is more efficient in her work.

At first Jane was a little nervous about the idea. She felt that she may be tempted to watch re-runs of Oprah and Judge Judy most of the day. But with minimal self-discipline she now achieves more in less time, she feels less stressed and has more time for herself.

Work at Home in Four Easy Steps

Step number one: Set-up your work at home environment. Make sure you have all the equipment required to complete your job. Most people will require a laptop computer to carry back and forth to the office, a phone line and voice mail separate from your private phone, and a high-speed internet connection. Some companies even sponsor all or part of the home-office equipment, as they came to realize that it makes them save a lot of office space!

Step number two: Pick the appropriate location for your work at home office space. Ideally you should use a spare room or den that you can use as your office space. If you don't have the spare space, a section of your dining room, or the kitchen may also work well for you. However, try to avoid the bedroom to keep a good balance between work and rest.

Step number three: Pick your work hours and stick to them. This should be done in agreement with your bosses so they have the feeling that they can contact you just as easily as if you were down their corridor. In your own interest, you also want to make sure that you physically and psychologically 'leave' your office at the end of each day.

Step number four: Make sure you deliver your work assignments with the same timeliness, just as if you were office-based.

Work at Home - is It Right for You and Your Company?

Companies have come to realize that these work at home arrangements save them a lot of office space, please their employees, reduce stress, and in many cases increase work efficiency.

From an employee stand-point, working at home often makes them save hours in commuting. With less disruption, most people feel that they are also more efficient and concentrated on their work.

With the technology available these days to the general public, there is no reason why companies and employees should not at least try to work at home at least one day per week.