Are you still spending a lot more time working from home than you used to? If so, you certainly aren’t alone – many of the business owners and executives we deal with our running companies from the confines of a spare bedroom.
Whether that’s a good thing or major limitation to your productivity depends a great deal on what kind of environment you have to work in. With that in mind, let’s look at seven great ways to upgrade your home office this month…
#1 Talk to Your Service Provider About Faster Connection Speeds
This is a simple step, but one that’s easy to procrastinate on. You need fast internet for video calls, file transfers, and a dozen other daily work-at-home tasks. Often, you can achieve quicker speeds by cutting back on the number of devices you use and optimizing your software settings. But, for a real boost in power you should talk to your internet service provider about getting a stronger monthly package.
#2 Buy a Better Office Chair
A lot of people think of office chairs as being interchangeable, but your back would disagree. With the right ergonomically designed piece of furniture you can feel more comfortable throughout the day, enjoy better sleep, and (maybe most importantly) stay productive through a long meeting or afternoon.
#3 Learn Something About Ergonomics
Buying a good office chair that makes you feel comfortable is a great first step towards taking it easy on your body. You can go further, though, by adjusting things like your keyboard position and monitor height for more comfort. Ergonomics is one of those areas where small changes add up in a big way. By spending an hour tweaking things here and there you might be surprised how much better you’ll feel throughout the day.
#4 Consider Getting a Second Computer Monitor
A second computer monitor is one of those purchases you don’t think you need until a few weeks after the fact. Then you wonder how you ever got along without one. If you’re the kind of person who works on multiple things at once, or tends to leave a project and come back to it later – that is, all of us – then you’ll love having more real estate on your screen.
#5 Go Paperless (or Get Close)
Some people think that having lots of papers around makes them look busy or important. They might be both of those things, but stacks of documents invite all kinds of problems. They are visually distracting, can be lost or stolen, and can even become a fire hazard. Spend a weekend scanning all the contracts, reports, and other loose items around your home office and you’ll be amazed at the difference it will make.
#6 Setup Your Phone, Software, and Apps for Concentration
It’s always tough returning your focus to the task at hand once you are distracted. This is more likely to happen at home then it is in an office or other professional setting. You can improve your productivity in a big way by silencing your phone, turning off email notifications, and setting up your apps in a way that they can’t grab your attention when you’re supposed to be concentrating on something else.
#7 Create Office Rules for Your Family (and Yourself)
The hardest part about working from home of course, is that you’re at home. Make sure your family understands what that means by putting up a schedule of working hours, some do not disturb signs, or reminders to knock on the door. And then do your part by deciding to switch away from work mode once you’ve put in enough time for the day. Drawing those lines is great for your personal life and will make you more productive when you come back the next day.
At Home or in the Office, Fantastic IT Can Help!
It doesn’t matter whether you and your team are working in an office, in an industrial setting, or at home. Fantastic IT is here to help you get the most from your tech while minimizing service disruptions.
To learn more about what we can do for you contact us today to schedule a free consultation!