I think a lot of us have been viewing remote working as a temporary situation. Did you know that right now, roughly half of our workforce is doing most of their work from home! While we have been toiling away with our laptops on the kitchen bench, many businesses have had a rethink about the dynamics of the workplace. Remote working is going to be around for a while yet, and perhaps we have even seen the end of the traditional one employee, one desk model for some people.
I have put together a few tips to consider if ‘work from home’ is your ‘new normal’.
Tip 1 – The Right Office Environment
The first thing to think about is the non-tech stuff – do you have an area in your home that you can dedicate as a work zone? Do you have a good chair, lamp and desk? Don’t forget about a laptop stand – and if you’re doing a lot of work with documents, then I’d highly recommend setting up a second monitor. A small investment to create or improve your home office area might be exactly what you need.
Tip 2 – Understand Your Internet Connection
Remote working relies on having a reliable and predictable internet connection. If you aren’t too sure on the way your connection works then it’s time to do a bit of reading. You’ll need to know a bit about your plan and your Internet Service Provider (ISP), you should try to get to know about your modem or router (what do all of those lights mean), and you should test out your wireless network to ensure you’re not setting up in black-spots in your house.
Tip 3 – Headphones, Microphone, and Camera
Love or hate it, video and teleconferencing is now a part of our everyday lives. A set of good headphones with a quality microphone will make connecting to teleconferences easier for you, and it also makes it easier for the people you communicate with. If you need video, then a decent camera is also going to provide a clearer picture for your colleagues.
Tip 4 – Maybe It is Time for an Upgrade?
Are you trying to work with an old PC or other old technology? Now that you are trying to do more with your technology at home, you might need to consider upgrading. Overall, technology prices for laptops and PC’s have decreased in the past decade. Upgrading might be a lot easier, and cheaper, than you expect – and it could save you a lot of heartache.
Improving your home working area and upgrading your technology is not just about productivity, it will make it easier for you to separate home and work (for both you and the people you live with), and generally make the experience a lot less stressful and more enjoyable.
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WestVIC Technology (WVT) provides IT Advice, IT Support, and a full range of IT Services for both home and business across Western Regional Victoria. We provide our services to customers in Ballarat, Geelong, Bacchus Marsh, Ballan, Melton, Daylesford, Castlemaine, Maryborough, Ararat, Stawell, Horsham, Hamilton, Warrnambool, Camperdown, Colac and other places and towns across this region.