Ah… the life of a freelancer… feet up, TV on, sitting around in your dressing gown and your clients are none the wiser. But is this really the best way to approach your freelance and contracting work? Freelance Advisor and Web Marketing Consultant Leif Kendall asked the freelancers on the Brighton New Media list what they think are the best working practices for those of us not trapped in a cubicle and tied to a desk.
The secrets of success when working from home
I’m a freelance copywriter and sometimes I work from home. When I do, I often find it hard to concentrate on my work. In search of strategies to make working from home more effective, I put this problem to the erudite Brighton New Media email list. What follows is the product of their combined wisdom. Thanks BNMers!
Read on for 17 top-tips for home-working and hard-working freelancers…
How to make working from home a ‘workable’ option:
Have a clearly-defined work space (which doesn’t have a TV).
Occasionally work somewhere else (coffee shop, shared office, beach).
Work on interesting things.
What motivates you? Define this, write it down, and refer to it when you lack motivation.
Structure your day. Allot time for household errands. This helps prevent housework encroaching into your work time.
Don’t fight the boredom. If you’re bored, stop staring at your computer, take a break, and try again later. Recognise when you’re wasting time and do something fun for a while. Consider it a well-deserved brain holiday.
Make a To-Do List, but don’t become a list fascist. The list serves you. You do not serve the list.
Phone people instead of emailing them. Human interaction can brighten up your day and surprise people.
Take a proper lunch break and stop working. Maybe step outside.
Move around. Vary the place you work. Try working from a different room in your house.
Snack regularly. It keeps up your energy levels and fuels your brain.
Have someone or something to talk to (a partner, a cat, a plant).
Encourage your partner to be supportive. They better they understand your work, the better they’ll be able to support you.
Start early. If you feel like you’ve had a productive day, you’re less likely to feel obliged to carry work into the evening, when you should be unwinding.
Get naked. The BNMers swear by it.
Use social media tools like Twitter to keep you connected to your peers.
Emigrate. Work in a warmer, sunnier country and work mañana.
So there you have a few ideas to help make working from home a happy solution. Thanks again to the BNM group who really wrote this post for me!
Now… what’s your secret?
Share your secrets for success in the comments below… what works for you when you are working from home?
i’d have to say that point 3 -”Work on interesting things” is by far the easiest way to concentrate on your work. however there comes a time when you find yourself working on a dull project and it takes a bit more effort to refrain from putting up your feet and getting on with what the client is paying you to do. these other points you make come in to play then. (not having a tv on in the room is very important!)
Nick H Nov 27, 2008 at 12:31 pm
three more…
1 – If you’ve got something boring to do, divide it up into little tasks. Then it’s done before you realise you’ve done it.
2 – take the time to figure out when you work best… it depends on your home life but some people work best / most creatively in the evenings.
3 – be frugal. If you’re careful, working from home is a lot cheaper than commuting (no travel costs and no pressure to spend a fiver at Pret every lunchtime). It’s not good to be a freelancer in debt, so try and stash away as much as you can and then you don’t need to get too worried if the phone stops ringing for a bit…
Nick H Nov 27, 2008 at 12:13 pm
oh and
4 – turn the internet off sometimes. it does wonders for productivity….
Michael Rose Nov 27, 2008 at 12:52 pm
@NickH: Turn off the Internet??? That’s CRAZY TALK!
goes to look for the off switch :)
Dividing up tasks is a great idea.. I’ve been using the Timeboxing technique for that…
As soon as any money comes in to your bank account, stash 25% of it in an ISA or high interest account. It makes April infinitely less stressful and you always save more than you need – time for treats!
Roweena Nov 27, 2008 at 12:29 pm
…same goes for cats…they’re cute for 5 minutes…then it’s constant demands for attention, jumping on lap, trying to play with the mouse cursor on the screen, persitent meowing because it’s 2 minutes past feeding time and they’re clearly starving to death…
scott ace Nov 27, 2008 at 3:53 pm
i like working with flog it on in the bkground
Samar Nov 28, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Music or Scenery. I realize it varies from person to person but I find it easier to concentrate if there’s music in the background or some kind of scenery I can look at between work.
Looking out the window into a garden etc.
Lou Hewitt Mar 23, 2009 at 3:41 pm
:Sarah L – that’s a great one that I’ve always done too – isn’t it even better when April comes and you’ve stashed too much! Everyone else is skint and you have a nice little nest egg to go shopping with.
Dean Apr 2, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Thanks for the tips. I think no. 14 is important. When I start work early, by mid-morning I'm usually making good progress. This lifts my spirits and helps me get even more done.
seopenkey Jun 3, 2010 at 10:02 am
Hi all,
I hope that all tips provided here would be beneficial for all who does not take their work seriously.
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Nov 27, 2008
at 10:17 am
i’d have to say that point 3 -”Work on interesting things” is by far the easiest way to concentrate on your work. however there comes a time when you find yourself working on a dull project and it takes a bit more effort to refrain from putting up your feet and getting on with what the client is paying you to do. these other points you make come in to play then. (not having a tv on in the room is very important!)
Nov 27, 2008
at 12:31 pm
three more… 1 – If you’ve got something boring to do, divide it up into little tasks. Then it’s done before you realise you’ve done it. 2 – take the time to figure out when you work best… it depends on your home life but some people work best / most creatively in the evenings. 3 – be frugal. If you’re careful, working from home is a lot cheaper than commuting (no travel costs and no pressure to spend a fiver at Pret every lunchtime). It’s not good to be a freelancer in debt, so try and stash away as much as you can and then you don’t need to get too worried if the phone stops ringing for a bit…
Nov 27, 2008
at 12:13 pm
oh and 4 – turn the internet off sometimes. it does wonders for productivity….
Nov 27, 2008
at 12:52 pm
@NickH: Turn off the Internet??? That’s CRAZY TALK!
goes to look for the off switch :)
Dividing up tasks is a great idea.. I’ve been using the Timeboxing technique for that…
http://www.freelanceadvisor.co.uk/2008/10/20/thinking-inside-the-box-a-method-for-focusing-on-freelance-tasks/
I’m finding 10 min chucks are the best for me personally.
Nov 27, 2008
at 12:06 pm
Cancel your World of Warcraft subscription!
Nov 27, 2008
at 12:18 pm
Never, ever, ever, imagine you can work with toddlers or babies in the room.
They are pests who will eat your cables, crayon on your wireframes, and shout about poo when your client calls.
Nov 27, 2008
at 12:54 pm
LOL. Thanks Louise!
Did you see the Family Friendly Freelancing tips?
:)
Nov 27, 2008
at 12:08 pm
This one took me many years to learn:
As soon as any money comes in to your bank account, stash 25% of it in an ISA or high interest account. It makes April infinitely less stressful and you always save more than you need – time for treats!
Nov 27, 2008
at 12:29 pm
…same goes for cats…they’re cute for 5 minutes…then it’s constant demands for attention, jumping on lap, trying to play with the mouse cursor on the screen, persitent meowing because it’s 2 minutes past feeding time and they’re clearly starving to death…
Nov 27, 2008
at 3:53 pm
i like working with flog it on in the bkground
Nov 28, 2008
at 12:31 pm
Music or Scenery. I realize it varies from person to person but I find it easier to concentrate if there’s music in the background or some kind of scenery I can look at between work.
Looking out the window into a garden etc.
Mar 23, 2009
at 3:41 pm
:Sarah L – that’s a great one that I’ve always done too – isn’t it even better when April comes and you’ve stashed too much! Everyone else is skint and you have a nice little nest egg to go shopping with.
Apr 2, 2010
at 12:22 pm
Thanks for the tips. I think no. 14 is important. When I start work early, by mid-morning I'm usually making good progress. This lifts my spirits and helps me get even more done.
Jun 3, 2010
at 10:02 am
Hi all,
I hope that all tips provided here would be beneficial for all who does not take their work seriously.