To work from home part time is a system in which you take on a job that does not require you to “go” to the office. Instead, you are free to work wherever you want; whether it’s working from home, cafe, co-working space, library, or other places. Working remotely is becoming a trend especial during these post-Covid times. For starters, many startups and companies offer remote work options to their employees. I have had clients with all their employees working remotely.
Although it is becoming common practice, remote work can be considered a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing when you can work productively without the hassle of dressing up, spending time on the road, or spending money on “work” food.
However, to work from home part time is a curse when you’re not good at time management. You can easily end up working too late too often. If that’s the case, you will be exhausted and prone to stress. A lot of people have their own way of managing remote work. Here I will try to share my practical tips if you want to work from home as a part-time freelancer in order to improve your process. With each of the tips below, you can immediately apply and feel the benefits. Without further ado, let’s look have a look at them.
Prepare a comfortable workplace.
Even though it sounds trivial, many people still don’t pay attention to the place when working remotely. Especially those who decide to work from home. They generally still like to work on the sofa or even on the bed. If you are one of them, try using the checklist above to ensure your workplace is comfortable. Then, try to compare which one is more productive: working on the mattress/couch or working in a more controlled environment?
A remote workplace is something you should not underestimate when deciding to work from home. Believe me, where you work has a big influence on your productivity and work effectiveness. If you have a good budget or you have a full-time job, you can make it as comfortable as your office desk. It’s like bringing your office to your home. That is why it is important to make a comfortable workplace.
A good working environment can make you enjoy working. One after the other, you will end up completing your tasks quickly and efficiently. As opposed to having a messy place that will really not get you in the mood to get to work. A comfortable workplace is non-negotiable. Some of the things below might help you work comfortably, swiftly, and happily.
– Quiet and conducive place.
This kind of thing makes it easier for you to focus on work. If you work from home and live with your family, ensure you have a dedicated workspace to avoid being disturbed.
– Ergonomic desk and chair.
Both of these things support you to be more comfortable and at home working. In addition, ergonomic tables and chairs also prevent you from back injury and fatigue.
– Headsets or earphones.
This device not only serves to listen to songs when bored or need to focus. Headsets, in particular, come in handy when you need to make a conference call or video call.
– Fast and stable internet connection
Communication with your clients should not be interrupted because of the slow internet connection. Make sure you work in a place with a smooth internet connection. If necessary, prepare your modem and internet connection just in case.
Chat and video conferencing application
Always have chat and video conferencing applications ready. If needed, you do not need to panic open it. In today’s era, chat and video conferencing applications are a must-have application on your phone and laptop. It will ease your job from home. So make sure you get them installed on your computer. The most popular ones are meet or zoom.
Drinking water
Always have a large water bottle at your desk. This way, you always remember to drink, so you don’t get dehydrated. In addition, you reduce the time back and forth to grab a drink that can interfere with focus. Having little things like that ready before your start your working day can really help improve your productivity.
Prepare important software
Once you have a comfortable workplace, don’t forget to prepare important tools and software for work. Here is the software that will help you answer the challenges of remote work. Since I am a data scientist, I usually have my Visual Studio Code ready to run before I start my working day. After my morning routine, I usually boot my computer, start up the various tools I will be using later and then have breakfast. That way, I can jump straight to the work.
Task management or to-do-list applications
Apps like Quire or Trello help you list what tasks to do. In addition, the app also helps everyone on the team see the progress of each other’s work. After using it couple of times, you will create a good workflow that will keep records of what you do every day and organize your daily work.
Time conversion app
If you have clients from overseas or work with a global team, an app like this is essential. You can easily adjust the time when you need to make a conference call with it. If you want practicality, you have to visit a website like The Time Zone Converter or even use the timezone feature in Google Calendar.
Chat application
A dedicated chat app helps you communicate with the team. You can use Slack, Telegram, WhatsApp, or the chat feature on Skype.
If you work remotely in a team, make sure every member uses the same software. That way, the workflow in the team becomes more effective. In addition, the same software will make it easier for you to coordinate and make reports.
Create a clear workflow
After setting up all the required software, you still need to design the workflow. Remember! Software is just a tool. It’s how you use the software that matters. Therefore, a clear workflow is mandatory. Each type of work certainly has its workflow. It’s just that, to make it easier, you can use the three simple benchmarks below:
- What’s being worked on?
- What will be done next?
- What is the expected result of this task?
You and everyone on your team need to know what you’re working on. This is important so that each can check each other’s progress. If there is a bottleneck or problem, the team leader/client can easily track it down.
Create a regular schedule for reports
At this point, you should be able to work from home part time smoothly. If you work in a team, some things need to be implemented. One of them provides a special time for regular reports more often through email. I personally tend to use google suite for the files just because sharing them among various clients and teams is easier.
Through regular reports, each team member can discuss with each other. In addition to making the relationship between you and your clients closer, reports can improve communication between you and your client, solve a client’s problems and improve workflows.
Schedule regular online meetings
In addition to output, what must be considered when working remotely is a sense of belonging and cooperation. Working from home can be very lonely, which can be very hard on an extroverted person. Therefore, there must be a special time for regular online meetings. Here, you and your team (if you have one)/client are free to discuss anything. However, if you can, use this time to discuss and share new knowledge about your position. You can discuss the matters such as task management, additional skills or courses, and industry trends. Basically, take a good 2-5 min to socialize as an “ice-breaker
Final words
The key to work from home part time is to be organized. It includes in your time, in your workplace, and also in the way you manage yourself, your tasks, your clients and your team (if you have one). When you can organize those things well, then everything should be fine. Once you find the key to enjoying and managing your part-time job, you may consider trying a full-time freelancer.