Top Tips for Home-Workers : Making the most of working from home

Over 8 million workers in the UK now work from primarily from home, and over a quarter of us work from home at least once a month. Much of this increase has been as a result the price and availability of advanced technology in our homes.rnWorking from home can initially seem like the easier option of a working location, and it certainly has its benefits, but there are also many reasons why some people may struggle to achieve a successful career working from home.rnWe have listed the most important factors to get right to in order to be successful in your home-working career.

MotivationrnThere are often many distractions at home that can tempt you away from your work. Sometimes motivating yourself to work with so many distractions around you can be a challenge.rnTry and set yourself assignments and deadlines as you would have in a normal office environment and make sure you stick to them. rnBan yourself from engaging in any recreational activities that could pull you away from your work, including using the television or any games you might have in your house, even during break times. rnRemember to allow yourself to have breaks away from your workspace, just as you would do in a normal working environment, but be sure to limit your breaks to no more than five minutes at a time to prevent you from becoming distracted with other activities around the house.

WorkspacernIt’s important that you create a working space in your house that’s isolated from your daily home life activities. Make sure your workspace is free of any distractions that might tempt you away from your job.rnYou might be lucky enough to have a separate room where you can create your workspace in which case distancing yourself from the rest of the house should be relatively easy to achieve.rnIf not, find a space within your house where you can setup a desk and distance yourself from your household activities. Even a small separate space in your house will help get you into “work mode” and should help you avoid becoming tempted away by other interests in your house.rnIf your home is going to be your primary working area, it would be wise to invest in some modern comfortable furniture for your workspace. Working in other spaces of your house such as your sofa, kitchen table or bed is likely to result in you being far too relaxed to achieve full productivity.

Tax ReliefrnIf you work for yourself, or for an employee and you spend most of your working hours at home, you may be entitled to claim back some expenses from your tax return at the end of the financial year.rnYou may be able to claim a standard monthly percentage of some of your utilities and home expenses based upon the hours you spend working at home, or a small flat weekly fee can be claimed back.rnMake sure that you check the details of your tax relief with your local tax office, because the amount of household expenses you can claim as a home worker often changes from year to year.

Interacting With OthersrnWorking from home can often mean the amount of time you spend in contact with other humans is greatly reduced. If you are the type of person that enjoys spending a lot of time alone, this arrangement will work in your favour. However, if you find that you are beginning to feel slightly isolated – be sure to set aside some time every day to call a co-worker or a friend who is able to spare a few minutes to talk with you.rnYou may find that you have friend or co-workers that are local to you who also work from home regularly; arrange to meet up with these friends occasionally for lunch or for short walks.