10 tips for setting up a home office

Home office? Remote working? Teleworking? With the rapid expansion of the industry and a multitude of research, more and more companies are introducing the possibility of a home office or remote work. Even if this concept has been unfamiliar to anyone in the years so far, and you feel that the transition is not very comfortable, focus on the positive sides. Also, in this article, we’ve gathered some practical tips that can make it easier to get your home office up and running even if you step in from scratch.

To gather the basics of the article, we’ve gathered a number of opinions and research on remote work, i.e. home office work, with all its pros and cons, so they now provide useful tips for a quick reorganization.

There have been quite a few telecommuting opportunities in the world so far, so many people are not aware of its etiquette rules or basic conditions, although it is not so difficult to implement, and it will certainly be much needed in the future. Bigger than ever.

The foremost thing is that setting up the system and getting both the management and staff used to the home office requires patience – on the part of everyone. But in these difficult times, the minimum is to pay attention to each other, to help each other, as this can be the key to long-term survival and the successful continuation of our business.

Home office step by step

1. The right environment

It is important, and it is also required by law, that teleworking can be done if the home environment is suitable for it, so the conditions are similar to the office. That’s why let’s set up a corner, a small office that only serves this purpose, which is quiet, there are no distractions and distractions. Where the files fit, the laptop as a work tool, and anything else you might need. So the work environment should be ergonomic.

2. Means of working

Of course, we need a laptop, a notebook, a company phone that we can work on, and in a good cause, the “company laptop” was already available before the introduction of the home office. This has to be taken home. If you didn’t have a corporate laptop, it’s not too late to get one, because not everyone has a stable or up-to-date private laptop, or they may not be the only ones in the family to use it.

Make your business software, spreadsheets, data, etc. available on your device. And we arrived at one of the cardinal points.

3. Software, cloud

For a home office, it is essential that everything works on an internet basis. That is, the big problem is if the corporate network is only available “indoors” (in the office). If you have an in-house network resource that is essential to your work, such as a NAS or local server, you may want to consult an IT professional about its remote access (such as RDP) or move it to the cloud.

Nowadays, Google makes it easy to work on documents, spreadsheets, and anyone can access the documents they need by giving them permission. They can also be used to create great administrative interfaces, so we can see how the work is going.

Here you may need a well-thought-out folder structure that everyone can use practically. Once you have it, after 1-2 days it will be almost automatic “where to click” for your files.

4. Protect the structure

Of course, you need to pay attention to data protection, at the company level it can be a good solution to use 1Password, which makes it easier to log in. We need to think about which external companies we need to give access to, e.g.

You can also increase protection by creating a virtual private network, or VPN.

All of this may seem complicated at first, but an IT acquaintance or internal staff member can help you solve these issues one or two.

5. And where do we communicate all this?

Because the point is that we do not meet in space, good online communication channels and tools are needed. There are many of these where we can not only chat or video conference but also share files and organize our business. To name just two of the programs we use and love: Slack and Google Hangouts can be great.

It’s important to stick to these, not post to another on Facebook for business. Have one or two channels used only for work. One reason for this is that the home office is a confluence of privacy and work in the first place, not to mention this by “harassing each other” in every possible forum.

6. How much should we meet?

It is very profile-dependent. Initially, until the sessions are set up, it is natural that more coordination will be needed. Later, however, keep in mind that if two people are involved in discussing an issue, you don’t have to rob the entire team of time with a conference call.

It’s worth agreeing on fixed points, meeting times when everyone is sure to be close to the machine (although most apps are also available by phone).

7. Task management software, work programs

We can be very helpful with various task-sharing programs, work management interfaces like Asana or Monday.com. In these, everyone can always see the tasks to be performed, and the projects to be performed can also be reviewed at the group level. Perhaps getting to know these is the most time-consuming when a team starts from scratch. Perseverance because you can come in!

8. Time management

A home office is not a classic 9-5 thing. This is one of the advantages, and perhaps the difficulty. You have to forget the entrenched things and give trust to others. Working time takes on a bit of a new meaning, and you shouldn’t be wondering if your colleague did anything else between the two tasks. The aforementioned software is therefore good: if the work is clear and deadlines are set, everyone knows what to expect. So there is work, not working time. Here, too, we can call for help from programs (Toggl, Everhour) that are not for control, but rather to increase our own efficiency and not go on an adventure.

In the current situation, everyone has already assessed the value of having a job and a job – you won’t risk it with a superficial or inaccurate end result.

9. Work-life balance

While working hours become a little more flexible, it doesn’t hurt to stick to our routines. Continue to get up as before, sit in our little home office, take a break and eat as before. However, leave the big wash and cleaning to your time. It’s no problem if we smuggle in a short dog walk, as the breaks are very necessary for our head to ventilate, but let’s keep the routine.

Also, after working hours don’t forget to have some fun too. For example, you can play some video games or online roulette at home. But if you have the same computer for work and free time to use different chrome profiles or e-mail addresses. Because if you don’t all the data can get messy.

10. Don’t go to the detriment of privacy

It’s also good to keep your daily routine because one tends to be upset a little in the home office. He misses a few hours during the day, on a “then make up” basis, when we should be spending time with my family. And as a loner, the order can be upset even more.

In the next period, we may have to work more and differently, but we really need to relax, play sports, relax and sleep, so let’s pay attention to these too!