Whether you’re telecommuting to a traditional workplace or whether you’re working a completely online job where you never meet your supervisor in person, you need to prepare your home if you’re planning on making it your workplace. Some of the things on this list are essential, others are just helpful, but either way, you should at least consider getting everything that follows.
1. Home Office Space
If you have a specific room, cubicle, or just a different desk you only sit at when it’s time to work, having this space can help you focus on work instead of the thousand distractions you’ll experience when working from home. Even if you live alone, you’ll hear your hobbies or your favorite ways to waste time calling out to you and asking you to ignore your deadlines and slack off. At the same time, you may be able to save some money on taxes by setting aside a home office that’s strictly for work only.
2. A Schedule
Even beyond any deadlines or goals you have to meet, setting yourself a schedule can be an effective way of keeping yourself on task. It can also keep you from overworking yourself when you’re worried about whether you’re falling behind or not.
3. Fast Internet Service
Your home internet should be fast and reliable if you want to work from home consistently. Almost every major job interaction you’ll have will involve the internet somehow, and if you don’t have a good connection you may have problems with meeting deadlines and communicating with your supervisors. That’s why it makes sense to invest in a powerful home internet connection that will deliver your projects on time and let you speak to others through audio or video without any lag.
These three items are a good place to start, but you should also look for things like a standing desk (to make sure you get up and move around) and a scanner/printer (for making paperwork when you need to). Aside from that, you should also remember to keep a professional attitude while you work even if you’re using your home internet connection. If you can do that, and if you can keep in touch with people as you work from home, you shouldn’t have any more trouble at your home office than you would if you commuted to work.