When it comes to work, people have mixed feelings. Some people love the structure and routine of an office job, while others prefer the flexibility of freelancing or starting their own businesses remotely. If you’re part of the latter group, you probably see all the benefits that come with remote working, like not having to drive to an office every day and being able to bring your pets along to work with you! But there are plenty of other fun facts about remote working that aren’t as obvious and make it stand out from a typical office job in many other ways.
1. Some of the Biggest Names in Business Conduct Most Business Remotely
Companies like eBay, Evernote, and even Google give their employees a choice to work remotely. At Evernote, more than 80% of employees work remotely at least half of their time. While there are some downsides to working from home (like loneliness), remote workers also save on commuting costs, office space expenses, and even happier hours! A study by Stanford University discovered that people who worked from home were 13% more productive on tasks than people who worked in an office. Many companies have started offering paid remote options as well — as long as they can trust you to get your job done! If working from home is something you’re interested in, make sure your resume or CV includes evidence of past remote experience or educational courses.
2. When Do I Need To See A Client?
How many times have you had a conversation with someone who lives across the country or even overseas and asked, When can I take you out to lunch? or When can we meet in person? If it’s an important relationship, be proactive. Schedule time on your calendar and use video chat, phone calls, emails, Skype (don’t forget about writing snail mail), etc. But what if you’re meeting someone for a business deal? Let them know up front that you will schedule a time and make it happen within a specific time frame. Then when they ask when they can see you face-to-face, show up on that date and don’t cancel!
3. Feeling Guilty Is Common
Even if you love working remotely, it can be hard to shake those feelings of guilt when you have to decline a family gathering, birthday party, or another social event. Luckily, there are ways you can minimize those feelings of guilt while still enjoying time off from work. Make sure, to be honest with friends and family about why you need time off so they understand your commitment to your job and feel more comfortable inviting you back in the future. And if they don’t support remote work? Just remind yourself that it isn’t personal — they probably just don’t understand yet!
4. Safety Can’t Be An Excuse
No matter what industry you’re in, you can make your employees feel safe while they work remotely. A healthy work-life balance is important for productivity and employee morale, so don’t think that a remote team will eliminate those benefits because of safety concerns. Managers can use Skype video calls or Google Hangouts to keep an eye on their employees when necessary, and there are plenty of software available to track hours worked as well as help with data security issues. Regardless of how far apart workers are physical, companies can still ensure that they feel secure while working away from an office.
5. The Right Time For You Is Different For Everyone
Sure, you may be able to work from anywhere in theory, but does that mean you can? There’s a reason why many remote workers say they still prefer to head into an office — it’s just easier. If you don’t have a supportive spouse or partner and you don’t live in close proximity to your friends and family, working from home might feel lonely. Before making big plans for telecommuting, be sure that your support system is up to snuff. (For more on creating a good support system around remote work, read The Digital Nomad Launching Guide.)
6. It’s All About Willpower And Having A Good Support System
The №1 thing that can kill your willpower is not having a good support system in place. In any relationship, whether it’s a business or personal relationship, it’s imperative that you have someone there to provide emotional support and keep you from making bad decisions based on how you feel at that moment. Think about how easy it is to spend money when you’re feeling down in the dumps — don’t do that! Instead of impulsively buying things to make yourself feel better, but all purchases are on hold for one week, and then reconsider what items are absolutely necessary for your life.
7. Things Aren’t Always Quiet
Let’s be honest: It’s not always quiet at home. Whether it’s kids, pets, or even spouses, being able to work from home has its own unique set of challenges. (In fact, our survey results found that 34% of those who work remotely say working from home requires more discipline.) And you can bet there are going to be times when you’re distracted by outside noises and occurrences — but that doesn’t mean you can’t do your job effectively. With a little extra effort, some good planning, and an open line of communication with your boss or colleagues, you should have no problem staying on task while working from home. Here are 8 fun facts about remote working that we guarantee will help keep things lighthearted!
8. Being Flexible Is Important
Flexibility is important for remote workers because working from home means that you won’t always have an office, desk, or coworker to lean on. Being able to adapt and make changes on a dime will not only help you get your work done efficiently, but it’ll also help you avoid hitting a wall if something goes wrong. For example, if there’s a problem with your Internet connection and you can’t get any work done at home, then find another place (coffee shop, public library) where you can do some productive remote work. If a coworker doesn’t answer emails for two days in a row, learn how to function without them — or quickly plan ahead by booking another meeting time with them.
Some of the Biggest Names in Business Conduct Most Business Remotely. While there are some downsides to working from home, remote workers also save on commuting costs. Many companies have started offering paid remote options as well — as long as they can trust you to get your job done. There are ways you can feel guilt while still enjoying time off from work. Be honest with friends and family about why you need time off so they understand. Managers can use Skype video calls or Google Hangouts to keep an eye on their employees when necessary. There are going to be times when you’re distracted by outside noises and occurrences. 34% of those who work remotely say working from home requires more discipline. Being flexible is important for remote workers because you won’t always have an office, desk, or coworker to lean on.