Working remotely from home office - tips?

[cgoldberg]

Does anyone here work from home?

I am a programmer and have commuted to an office nearly every weekday for close to 15 years.  But, I just took a job that will be 100% remote... so I will be working out of my apartment.

I live alone and have a decent home office (aka bedroom) and desk setup.
What do I need in my office besides a computer and mechanical keyboards?
I have the basics... what might I be overlooking?

Any advice or tips from others that have cut the office cord?  How do you like it?

[kill will]

I work from home all day every day ... i would suggest a tenkeyless, and at least 2 different work stations.  i would also suggest maintaining proper heights for the monitor, desk level, seat level, etc.  maintain proper posture.  take 5 minute breaks and stretch ALL of your limbs.  have a second workstation such as on the couch to mix up your muscles.  also make sure you stretch your fingers.  as far as hygiene, clean your keyboard and mouse a good amount so germs dont linger.

[cgoldberg]

all good advice, but I do all that in a regular office.  what is it about working from home that's different, besides having to make your own coffee?

For example, I just ordered a nice headset/mic because I will be using Skype a lot... which I didn't need at my last office.  

How do you communicate with co-workers mostly? (IM? skype? email? IRC?)

[cyberphine]

I'd suggest not using your bedroom if at all possible.  Working where I slept was a horrific setup for me.  I couldn't sleep well because I was always at work, and it was hard to "refresh" when waking up at work.  I also had problems overworking because I'd always be starring at something work related.

As far as equipment:   good phone headset (you're remote so being on the phone is a must unfortunately), good webcam, laser printer if needed, paper shredder, big whiteboard, corkboard, lots of envelops and stamps, UPS backup for headest/comp, some type of filling cabinet.

(EDIT: and you got in before I could finish typing       )

[cgoldberg]

thanks for the reply cyberphine.

I'd suggest not using your bedroom if at all possible.  Working where I slept was a horrific setup for me.

unfortunately, I live in a one-room studio, so my bedroom sorta *is* the apartment.  But it's spacious and has good lighting and view.

As far as equipment:   good phone headset (you're remote so being on the phone is a must unfortunately), good webcam, laser printer if needed, paper shredder, big whiteboard, corkboard, lots of envelops and stamps, UPS backup for headest/comp, some type of filling cabinet.\

ah good call.  yikes.. my shopping list is getting longer, but this is exactly the tips I was looking for.

now I need to get:
- printer
- shredder
- whiteboard
- file cabinet
- UPS
- better chair

[.XL]

thanks for the reply cyberphine.



unfortunately, I live in a one-room studio, so my bedroom sorta *is* the apartment.  But it's spacious and has good lighting and view.



ah good call.  yikes.. my shopping list is getting longer, but this is exactly the tips I was looking for.

now I need to get:
- printer
- shredder
- whiteboard
- file cabinet
- UPS
- better chair

Get a room divider, then. I was living with my gf and my friend in a one br apartment, my gf and i in the bedroom with our computers in there, too. Whenever I had a research project (had ~5 last semester) everyday I was researching I'd go to sleep looking in the corner where my computer is...and every morning I'd wake up and see my computer there, know I was going to spend 6+ hours there later. It's really, really demoralizing.

The room divider would probably help you get over this. My friend moved out and my gf and I moved our computers to the living room. Now, all that there's left in the bedroom is shelving for books and the TV. Makes it much easier to sleep and wake up, surprisingly.

Also, the only thing of those that you need new is the UPS. You can grab a cheap-ish one from Amazon or Newegg. The rest you can find off craigslist. My roommate worked from the apt and managed to get a biiig desk, filing cabinet, and chair for ~$100. Definitely worth the money. Get a deep desk! It's nice to be able to spread yourself, keeps the blood flowing in your arms better, and keeps the monitors far from your eyes.

Shredders and printers can be bought for ~$25-50. You don't need the best, you just need to get by with them. AFAIK a $50 printer should serve your needs. If you don't need them right away, Newegg always has a printer discounted during it's sales.

Plants. Live plants. Live plants will keep you relaxed, especially if they're the big green leafy kind. They also do well to recycle the stale air that can develop sitting in a room with the door closed for long periods. I got a large potted plant after I read that tests done with potted plants on the room reduced stress in the workplace (something to do with associating the plant with nature, and nature being calming). I tried it out, and it works. It also makes the room feel more 'fresh,' for lack of a better term.

Most importantly...I don't know how distracted you get, but I know my buddy would always get distracted from his work. He'd end up on youtube, playing CS1.6, watching a movie, or just browsing the web. If you can have a separate personal profile and use parental controls to keep yourself from entering your personal profile (i.e. one admin, one 'fun' profile) during the time you're supposed to be working, it will increase your productivity and help you relax when working (you'll realize you have all this time ahead of you to get work done, and won't be facing distractions). My roommate did this with a program that limits the websites you can go to and the times you can go to them. Once you turn it on, you can't turn it back off until the timer is up. Those were the only couple hours he'd ever be productive lol.

Most of my experiences are limited to long hours of studying, researching, or observing my roommate work from our apartment. I hope some of it is of help!

[Mercen_505]

Make sure you have a damn good internet connection (as in reliable), and something for a backup. We use cellular modems for those times when we don't have something local to rely on. Sadly, vacation only means something when no one can reach you!

[keyboardlover]

What I'd like to know is, where can I find a job where I can work from home every day??

(I'm a developer as well)

[instantkamera]

I work from home now and it is great, but I learned from a previous job where I was forced to work from home. Cyberphine hit the nail on the head. It's all about creating a routine for yourself that simulates an office job as much as possible. Of course, you need to set your desk up the same as you would in any office, but as you said, that's the no-brainer part.

I back the idea of a separate space that is for WORK, and it has to be something you can close off and leave when the day is done. If you dont have a separate space, you might have to make one, or possibly it's time to move to a bigger home?

You need to follow a fairly strict schedule to simulate the feel of a "9-5". Unless you are a freelance worker who is used to spotty hours, it's really best to set boundaries for yourself AND any co-workers you may have. It should be clear that just because you work from home does not mean you are available for work at any time of day/night.
Make sure you treat each morning the same way you would if you were going into the office. Make sure you take a shower, brush your teeth etc. Dress casually/comfortably, but GET dressed (dont rock undies or PJs all day).

If this all sounds obvious, great.

As for gear, mostly it's already been mentioned:
- A good net connection w/ a backup - a lot of ISPs will at least offer a dial-up for emergencies, a 3g connection would be better in a pinch (Although TECHNICALLY I managed with a 5down/256K up 15G a month capped connection for 4 months, even with a deticated VPN and an IP phone).

- UPS. You can get a reasonably cheap, but burly (~1500VA/900W) UPS for less than 200 bucks. I have a cyberPower 1500AVRLCD, It kicks ass. They make a linux driver for it (or it will work w/ NUT) and once my main machines are off, it will still power my modem, two routers and phone for well over an hour (meaning I can grab a laptop and get back to work).

- Get a good chair (see chair threads), check with your employer if they will help pay for one even. Worse comes to worse, write it off come tax time.

[.XL]

I didn't even think of the internet connection...

Maybe you could grab Clear? From the couple times I've used it, it works quite well. And if you are using Comcast (...bastards...) Clear will be great to supplement your net connection those couple times a week it cuts out for 45 minutes.

I *believe* your company has to help finance or completely pay for a new 'work' computer for you. You could probably get some $500 from them, and use that to buy all the supplies you need (and just use your current pc).

[Findecanor]

I have worked from home during a few months, many years ago.

I agree with previous posters that the most important thing was to have self-discipline to emulate a "normal" office routine as much as possible. When I was "at work", I had to be mentally not home, and when I was "not at work" I had to shut off the thoughts of work.
Stick to working during regular office hours. Don't sleep in, just because you can.

I did work from my bedroom, but I would also not recommend it. I think that having some sort of physical separation could help with establishing a mental separation. If you have the space to set up a designated work area, do that, and don't spend time there after the workday is over.
Keep your work computer and home computer separate. If you want to do some web surfing after the workday is over, shut off your work computer and do it on your home computer.

[kill will]

figure out the tax system and write everything off (seinfeld)

[Lanx]

learn to close tabs.
honestly if you catch yourself "surfing" close that stuff immediately.
I have a GTD timer myself on my droid and a kitchen timer, if left to my own devices i'd have too much wanderlust, so i need "things" to keep myself in check.

This is an issue cuz if your in an office, you usually have "others" keeping a check on you, either trying to look like your working or actually working. However, if your by youself then you are the only point of failure so imo take out distractions.

If you have a tv, unplug that thing in your room till it's time to get off work. Force yourself not to just "casually" browse, you could get lost.
I found actually "changing" clothes worked well for a few weeks, sure it maybe more laundry and it defeats the "i can work in my robe and pj's lol, working at home is great" but if you dress the part, you think the part, try putting on a shirt and tie.

[bugfix]

I personally don't work at home (I'm a student), but I'm currently in a similar position. There's a semester break at the moment, which means that I have to write my term paper.

I found that I can only do some real work on it, when I don't sleep in and don't surf the Internet during the day and pretty much pretend to be at the Uni while working, as I would be if it wasn't for the break.

[mike]

I personally don't work at home (I'm a student), but I'm currently in a similar position. There's a semester break at the moment, which means that I have to write my term paper.

Being a student is just as much work as anything else, although it's perhaps more like being a freelancer than a 9-5er. The claim that students don't work is one of my pet irritations - some are lazy yes, but some work bloody hard.

I haven't done much working from home, and what I have done has been mostly out of hours cover/work, but in addition to other suggestions :-

• Take a real break between your morning routine and starting work - take a 10 minute walk around the block. And probably do the same thing at lunch - the temptation is to get some food and go back to work immediately.
• Even more importantly, take a physical break like that 10 minute walk when you finish work. And don't do any work afterwards unless it's an emergency. I've noticed that it's very tempting when the work machine is sitting there, to get just one more thing done and you end up working more than when you go home at the end of the day.
  
• Don't get too worried about a few distractions during the day. Sure it's possible to get distracted to the point that you're not getting enough work done, but it's also possible to drive yourself too hard - don't forget at work there are also breaks (the "water cooler discussion", etc.). I believe the tendency is more towards working too hard than getting distracted - certainly I felt that way.
• Take the landline off the hook. You're not there to answer calls from salescritters. Ask work to use your mobile phone to contact you if Skype isn't working. If you're getting people popping round because you're "at home" during the day, you're going to have to gently discourage that.
• Lastly somebody mentioned not to sleep in just because you can. Actually I'd say go for it! You''ll probably want regular hours, but one of the benefits of working from home is to start (and finish) work at times that suit you - you get just as much work done if you work from 11-19, or 7-15 as you do from 9-17.

[Superfluous Parentheses]

Shredders and printers can be bought for ~$25-50. You don't need the best, you just need to get by with them. AFAIK a $50 printer should serve your needs. If you don't need them right away, Newegg always has a printer discounted during it's sales.

I really recommend the OP buy a printer/scanner combi machine. When you're working on your own you will run into paper work that needs to be shared or backed up, and a cheap printer/scanner combi is really all you need (and it won't really cost more than a cheap printer anyway).

[bugfix]

Actually a more expensive printer will often have lower printing costs, which in the end will make up for it's initial high price.

I personally use this one. It's very fast, can print on both sides of the paper and only costs 0,9 cents per page.

Being a student is just as much work as anything else, although it's perhaps more like being a freelancer than a 9-5er.

I know, what I meant was that I don't get paid as a student.

[Superfluous Parentheses]

Actually a more expensive printer will often have lower printing costs, which in the end will make up for it's initial high price.

Maybe, yeah. Personally I use less than a single ink cartridge a year. Basically, I only print stuff I need as hardcopy; stuff like contracts. I email my invoices as PDFs and print one copy for taxes. For me it's really not worth spending more than 70 euros on a printer when I only spent less than 15 euros a year on ink.

[.XL]

Maybe, yeah. Personally I use less than a single ink cartridge a year. Basically, I only print stuff I need as hardcopy; stuff like contracts. I email my invoices as PDFs and print one copy for taxes. For me it's really not worth spending more than 70 euros on a printer when I only spent less than 15 euros a year on ink.

I personally don't see the benefit in buying an expensive printer and replacing the ink. You're better off buying a $50 printer once a year than buying ink. That's what I do, and I find it quite a cheap alternative to buying ink frequently.

[bugfix]

I print about 7200 pages per year, which costs me with my Kyocera about 70€. With one of the cheap printers (ie a Canon with Canon PG510 cartridges) that would make 490(!)€ per year in cartridge costs alone!

[bladamson]

I think the most important thing is to set up a work area and only use it for work.  Get another computer that is -only- used for work, and only has work stuff on it.  The idea being that you're still "going to the office", just that the office is in the other room instead of across town.

If you are like me and you try to use your personal computers for work stuff, you will become distracted and slack too much.  It's a mental thing.

Also, get on a schedule and stick to it.  It's tempting to let your schedule slide and get crazy, but that will make you unproductive.

Once you have your work area set up that is only used for work, ask you tax guy what you need to do to claim a home office deduction (basically it's a portion of your rent and utilities equal to the ratio of your work area vs the whole size of your house, here, but I think it may vary from state to state; I'm pretty sure it's illegal to run a business from your home in Virginia, for example).

[cgoldberg]

great advice everyone...
keep it coming.

-Corey

[.XL]

I print about 7200 pages per year, which costs me with my Kyocera about 70€. With one of the cheap printers (ie a Canon with Canon PG510 cartridges) that would make 490(!)€ per year in cartridge costs alone!

The whole printer thing is up to the OP to decide. If he gets some money from his employer to outfit his new home office, he might want to get a printer. If that's not the case, I'm assuming programmers don't do much printing and he won't be printing out 7200 pages a year

OP - you should definitely check out tax deductions and the money your employer is willing to put up for your home office. I know for a fact it's MD state law that an employer asking an employee to work from home has to fund a workspace for them. That's usually some 1k including pc, monitor, peripherals, desk, chair, etc.

Since you'd be using your own PC and peripherals I think you'll be able to use the money your employer gives you to pick up a better chair (youll need it) a good room divider, and a second monitor if you need one for programming, with money left over to put towards rent.

[bladamson]

Oh yes, make sure you make it clear to friends and family that even though you're working at home, you're still WORKING 9-5, and as such they should respect your time in the same way as they would if you were working at an office away from home.

Otherwise they'll make plans for you without consulting, assuming that you can just drop whatever you're doing on a whim, since you're working from home.  Sisters and mothers are especially bad for this, and may need to have the point drilled into them point-blank several times. -_-'

[bladamson]

Re: printers.

I use a $120 Brother HL-5160 black & white laser for my work printing.  It's definitely much more cost-effective, faster, and more reliable than an inkjet, and only slightly more expensive initial pricetag.  It is also much more cat-proof, with the paper being hidden away in the printer tray and it doesn't have flimsy protrusions for them to climb on and break.

[ricercar]

When you buy a separate computer setup for work and use it only for work you can write off 100% of the purchase price when you do taxes. You can even sell it to yourself (for non-work) at depreciated cost, and buy new equipment the subsequent tax year.

[YetAnotherDeveloper]

I'm a developer and have been working at home for a while....

• Nice pair of Headphones (blocks out other noise, i use mine almost all day)
  
• Good webcam (i have and really like this one)
  
• Skype online number + google voice + cell phone = one number for all coworkers to reach you anywhere.  this means you can go for a walk, go get coffee, eat lunch and they can always reach you.
  
• UPS (for modem and pc, keeps skype going and other transactions)
• Backup USB Drive
• Whiteboard
• Files/Folders (real ones not digital)
• I'm a big fan of the small moleskine notebooks one for each project
  
• Printer/Scanner/shredder
• I use PamFax with Skype that allows me to fax stuff, the service kinda sucks but its a plugin for Skype (or standalone) and its cheap.
  
• Skype ScreenShare can crap out alot so get and install Microsoft's Shared View (i'm assuming you develop in windows)
  
• I use the same desk for personal and work but i do have an extra work computer and use it only during work hours.
• No TV and do not go to netflix... (netflix is an easy one to fall into.. if it becomes an issue then create a rule on your router to block it during work hours)
• Learn to take breaks and dont feel bad about them... its easy to just sit in your office all day, i have been setting forced break times; two a day.

[TexasFlood]

I'm taking notes here as well.

I'm big on wireless.  I have a small old laptop which I loaded Ubuntu on and access my other PCs if I want to move around.  And I have a number of wireless phones and headsets so I always have a spare if the battery runs down.  I really only use the dect 6.0 stuff any more although I have some old 5.8GHz and 900MHz phones laying around.  Good phones are pretty important if that's your primary means of interaction.  I spent some time reading reviews before I got any of my current wired or wireless phone gear.  I have a couple of wired speakerphones that will work correctly in a power outage.  Wireless phones, particularly wireless speakerphones and headsets allow you to move around a bit, catch a bite to eat if busy, answer the door, take a bio-break (which brings up the importance of a reliable mute button, hah), etc.  If things are very tense I have a hard time sitting still so can roam like a caged tiger to burn off the excess energy.

As others pointed out, a good multifunction printer and shredder are important.  Again, spend some time reading reviews & get reliable stuff.  I'm a cheap bastard and like to save a buck but you'll usually regret cheaping out on home office gear.  Getting a deal is great, but buying crap for cheap isn't.  I have a white board but don't find myself using it as much lately, seems to lose some of the usefulness, above and beyond a notebook or softcopy notes, when only you can see it.

I like to have spare stuff when possible and it naturally accumulates (sometimes too much) over time as you upgrade stuff.  I have spare phones, a cell phone & MIFI gateway if the land line or Internet goes out (it has a few times).  Dial-up is always a fallback option but painful once you're used t broadband.  I have a old spare Laserjet printer and Epson scanner to back up my Brother_MFC-440CN if needed.  I have spare printer inkjet/toner cartridges, spare router, and spare keyboards and input devices of course, :-D.  UPS, Backup USB Drive also good suggestions which I have.

Trying to make everyone understand, including yourself, when you are at work and when not, can be a bit of a struggle.  Interesting to see how others cope with these issues.  Setting a work location and taking breaks are all good ideas.  Depending on what is going on, I can struggle staying focused on work or doing anything but.  Balance is the best practice but sometimes easier said than done.  The ability to work at any time can be quite the double edged sword.  It allows a lot of flexibility so subject to abuse both ways, slacking off or becoming a workaholic and killing yourself.

[TexasFlood]

I'm taking notes here as well.

I'm big on wireless.  I have a small old laptop which I loaded Ubuntu on and access my other PCs if I want to move around.  And I have a number of wireless phones and headsets so I always have a spare if the battery runs down.  I really only use the dect 6.0 stuff any more although I have some old 5.8GHz and 900MHz phones laying around.  Good phones are pretty important if that's your primary means of interaction.  I spent some time reading reviews before I got any of my current wired or wireless phone gear.  I have a couple of wired speakerphones that will work correctly in a power outage.  Wireless phones, particularly wireless speakerphones and headsets allow you to move around a bit, catch a bite to eat if busy, answer the door, take a bio-break (which brings up the importance of a reliable mute button, hah), etc.  If things are very tense I have a hard time sitting still so can roam like a caged tiger to burn off the excess energy.

As others pointed out, a good multifunction printer and shredder are important.  Again, spend some time reading reviews & get reliable stuff.  I'm a cheap bastard and like to save a buck but you'll usually regret cheaping out on home office gear.  Getting a deal is great, but buying crap for cheap isn't.  I have a white board but don't find myself using it as much lately, seems to lose some of the usefulness, above and beyond a notebook or softcopy notes, when only you can see it.

I like to have spare stuff when possible and it naturally accumulates (sometimes too much) over time as you upgrade stuff.  I have spare phones, a cell phone & MIFI gateway if the land line or Internet goes out (it has a few times).  Dial-up is always a fallback option but painful once you're used t broadband.  I have a old spare Laserjet printer and Epson scanner to back up my Brother_MFC-440CN if needed.  I have spare printer inkjet/toner cartridges, spare router, and spare keyboards and input devices of course, :-D.  UPS, Backup USB Drive also good suggestions which I have.

Trying to make everyone understand, including yourself, when you are at work and when not, can be a bit of a struggle.  Interesting to see how others cope with these issues.  Setting a work location and taking breaks are all good ideas.  Depending on what is going on, I can struggle staying focused on work or doing anything but.  Balance is the best practice but sometimes easier said than done.  The ability to work at any time can be quite the double edged sword.  It allows a lot of flexibility so subject to abuse both ways, slacking off or becoming a workaholic and killing yourself.

[ricercar]

I have a separate desk for working at home, and I always dress in something that's not pajamas while I am working for money. I work in billable hours, so I always block off at least one full hour to work, whenever I sit down at the work desk.

[cheerios]

Supplies aside, you need a schedule for yourself. Working from home can seem ideal and flexible, but that also leaves a lot of room for procrastination. Make sure that you have a daily plan and stick to it. Do not go easy on yourself. Make your at home office seem as much like a work office as possible so when you are in there you are ready to sit down and get work done - no distractions.

[iMav]

I have worked out of my home office for several years now.  Most everything seems to be covered already.  It depends a bit on what the demands are on you. If you will be on the phone a lot and need your hands free, you obviously need a good headset.  If you need to print, sign, and return documents for work, you need printing and scanning functionality.  

One thing that I use a lot is an efax account.  Makes sending and receiving faxes painless.