It seems like the work from home wave is refusing to crash. Sure, in this current period of time we seem safe from damnation to further exclusion to the remote realms, but with remote working mandates changing more unpredictably than the Welsh weather, it’s hard to know exactly where many of us in Wales will be working by the end of this month let alone end of the year. But regardless of those rules, there are increasing swathes of business owners who seem to be sticking with the home-working model in spite of being assured that it’s safe to go back to the office. People aren’t calling it “The New Normal” for no reason.
Working from home of course presents obvious benefits for those who are immunocompromised as well as more broadly vulnerable to Covid infection. However, many businesses are beginning to see some of the unique advantages of having their employees work from the comfort of their home beyond the retention of good health. Along with the greater flexibility and the cutting of the commute for the staff, employers are also noticing some perhaps unpredicted spikes in productivity, whilst rhapsodically ruminating on the prospect of improved profit in a world where there’s no need for a centralised office space.
This in turn has opened up compelling possibilities in the minds of home and office workers alike. As serious debates swirl around the potential of businesses around the country seriously considering a 4 day work week to account for the increased productivity of home working, home workers in Wales could find themselves saving time without cutting down on their pay, all just by working from home. This is not to forget the added benefits of cutting time and costs on commuting, as well as the potential to be closer to one’s family and friends while living wherever they realistically would like.
Perhaps you’ve been seriously thinking about taking control of your life and home by working remotely? Thousands in Wales are already doing this and are finding themselves not only working smarter, but more content with their free time, saved money and their new home life.
You might be thinking, sure, this all sounds great, but I don’t even know where to start with working from home? Well, we’ve got you covered. Once you’ve hopefully reached an agreement with your boss regarding your shift from office to home, the hard work’s done. What’s left to do is to find out exactly what you need for your optimal home office.
Well, fortunately, we’re giving away – for free! – the 10 essential things you’ll need to start remote working right now.
10 essential things you’ll need to be Remote Worker Ready
Investing in everything below would cost less than one year working in an office. Chances are however, you’ve already got most of it! All that’s left is to round out with the final touches to your shopping list. Let’s walk you through them real quick:
Spare room/space for a home workstation
Like Virginia Woolf said: A person must have a room of their own if they are to work remotely (we may have edited this a little… but you get the idea). Enough room for a desk and a laptop should see you through (hey and maybe a desk lamp for decoration). Of course this isn’t completely necessary, as you may know from possibly having worked from home in your living room, kitchen, bedroom or even in local coffee shops during lockdown, and maybe even with use of a lap desk. However, I think we can all agree that a dedicated workspace with a flat surface and a comfortable chair will massively benefit your work productivity, time management and your mentality when it comes to separating your professional life from your home life, and not to mention your personal life too. You don’t want to blur those lines too much. For some inspiration take a look at these relatively small and creative inputs that can be used to convert lesser-used rooms into nifty home offices: https://www.idealhome.co.uk/home-office/small-home-office-ideas-222302
Workstation gear
Now it’s time to pimp that work station. We’re talking ergonomic office desk, a nice comfy office chair, a riser for your laptop so you’re not hunching over the laptop screen, a mouse and pad, an ergonomic keyboard (or wireless keyboard) to aid you in your rapid typing. Those are the essentials really. Sure, they might not seem like essentials, but if you want to keep a good posture and not do any longterm damage, no matter how small, to your back, then you should think about giving these ergonomic accessories a go. The rest, as they say, is up to you. Want a paper weight? A fax machine? This isn’t 1983 but whatever floats your boat!
Computer/laptop
Pretty self-explanatory this one. We’re guessing you’ve already got one, but we don’t want to be impolite presumers, so if not there’s always a chance you could get an office computer or a portable laptop to keep in your home office, especially if you need a rather large screen for certain tasks and a lots of space for hardy software.
Printer
With a lot of work presentations moving to the Zoomosphere, this might not be the most prescient piece of kit, but if you’re an office completist then why not? Perhaps you’re a graphic designer looking to see how your work looks on print? Or perhaps you like or need to keep physical copies of documents. Whatever the reason, if it’s something you need, then make sure to find room for a printer in your home office.
VoIP / Telephone
VoIP means Voice Over Internet Protocol, and it’s not as complicated as the acronym suggests. It’s just the means by which we communicate over the internet in the same way which we do over telephone. Zoom, for example, is a pretty famous one that offers this. Oh, and your mobile will also come in handy round the home office.
Home office software
These include the contemporary classics you might already be aware of and likely already familiar with e.g. Zoom, MS Teams, MS Office, Email, etc. A lot of these are free or will likely be supplied to you by your employer, so not much to worry about here. They also take up very little disk space on your laptop/computer.
Webcam
With Zoom meetings becoming de rigueur for home workers everywhere, this will be for showing off your lovely face on video meetings. Who said home working can’t still be personable?
Headphones
In case the kids and/or dog are crashing into things just outside your door… A pair of headphones could really help you out. Make sure to check out some noise-canceling headphones to really block out the unwanted intrusions in your day. These might even come in handy outside of work…
Stationary Equipment (if you’re a bit old school like me!)
Notepad, diary, pen, desk pad, daily planner to properly jot down your to-do list – all stuff that can be done on your laptop, but nothing beats the feeling of pen on paper!
GOOD RELIABLE INTERNET CONNECTION
Oh yeah, that last one, prooobably the most important! You literally can’t work from home without it. Reliable internet is the source of a productive work routine, especially from home where you’re required to communicate a lot over the internet while working remotely. Up until now, this has been close to impossible for almost all rural areas in Wales, making home working a dream for those not living in the city. Which is a shame considering that’s where all the offices are anyway!
However, things have changed…
For the last 30 years our Positive team have been developing innovative technology to connect every home and business in Wales to intensely good internet with minimum speeds of 50Mbps. That means no matter where you are, whether you’re up in a goat-herding hut in the mountains, or a sea-battered fisherman’s shack by the shore, you can now get the fastest, most reliable internet possible.
Better broadband could change your life. That’s why we’re helping you possibly get you over 80% off a home installation on the best internet in your area. That’s the fastest, most reliable internet possible, guaranteed.
For a no obligation quote and to take up this extraordinarily time-limited offer, register here for free. Don’t hesitate though, this deal really could end at any moment.
