Many of us are working from home these days, be that out of choice, or out of necessity because of the recent pandemic. And for the most part, there are advantages to home working. We can have a better work-life balance (in theory). We can avoid the daily commute. And we can enjoy some of our home comforts while working. If you’re working from home, you can probably relate to these benefits.

To ensure greater levels of productivity throughout the day, however, it is important to set up a home office. This can be your base from which to work from, especially for your office-related activities.

However, it is possible to make mistakes with your home office, so consider the following and avoid them where possible. 

Develop a High Level of Cyber Security

There are a lot of people out there who would just love to hack into your business and cause some serious issues. Whether someone is trying to get into a financial account, steal personal information, or someone is just a troll who wants to cause trouble you need to have your business protected. There are several effective ways you can go about this that will give you the security you need to be able to keep yourself, your business, and your employees safe from losing precious information and resources. Checklists like the Essential 8 are great to review to give you some insight on what great cyber security looks like. It may take some effort to secure your company’s digital profile, but it will be well worth it to know that you, your business, and your staff are secure and your information is only your business and no one else’s. 

Mistake #1: Setting up your home office in the family room

In theory, this shouldn’t be an issue if your children are at school and your partner is at work. You should be able to work productively. However, if you ever do need to work overtime, or if your family are regularly at home while you’re working, you will have problems. From the sound of their chatter to the noise of the TV, you will struggle to work effectively if you’re in the same room as them. 

Where possible then, find a space in your home where you won’t be disturbed. This could be a guest bedroom or any other room that can be repurposed into an office area. You will then be able to work with fewer distractions, and your productivity should increase as a consequence. 

Develop a High Level of Cyber Security

There are a lot of people out there who would just love to hack into your business and cause some serious issues. Whether someone is trying to get into a financial account, steal personal information, or someone is just a troll who wants to cause trouble you need to have your business protected. There are several effective ways you can go about this that will give you the security you need to be able to keep yourself, your business, and your employees safe from losing precious information and resources. Checklists like the Essential 8 are great to review to give you some insight on what great cyber security looks like. It may take some effort to secure your company’s digital profile, but it will be well worth it to know that you, your business, and your staff are secure and your information is only your business and no one else’s. 

Mistake #2: Working without any natural light

When looking for a place to set up your home office, choose somewhere near a window. A room that has plenty of natural light will feel more bright and airy, and you will benefit from the warmth too. You should also be more productive, as natural light can energize you and improve your overall wellbeing. It will also help to reduce eye strain from the glare of your computer. 

While we appreciate sunlight can be an issue when it reflects off your computer screen, you can always use cafe blinds or similar to alleviate the problem. This is better than sitting in a room without any light, as your mood levels will drop if you’re surrounded by very dim light or near-darkness, and your productivity might be affected. You will struggle to find what you need too!

Develop a High Level of Cyber Security

There are a lot of people out there who would just love to hack into your business and cause some serious issues. Whether someone is trying to get into a financial account, steal personal information, or someone is just a troll who wants to cause trouble you need to have your business protected. There are several effective ways you can go about this that will give you the security you need to be able to keep yourself, your business, and your employees safe from losing precious information and resources. Checklists like the Essential 8 are great to review to give you some insight on what great cyber security looks like. It may take some effort to secure your company’s digital profile, but it will be well worth it to know that you, your business, and your staff are secure and your information is only your business and no one else’s. 

Mistake #3: Sharing your computer with others

Do you really want to be fighting over the computer when you need to work? You might have to if your kids need it for their homework or if they want to play games, and your partner might want to use it too. There is also the danger that somebody will delete something important if your files aren’t locked away.

Use your business profits to buy yourself a new laptop if you need to, or make sure your family has access to other devices that can be used to get online. You will then be able to work when you want, without any arguments. Alternatively, create a computer schedule for your family, and password (and back up) any work information so it can’t be deleted. 

Develop a High Level of Cyber Security

There are a lot of people out there who would just love to hack into your business and cause some serious issues. Whether someone is trying to get into a financial account, steal personal information, or someone is just a troll who wants to cause trouble you need to have your business protected. There are several effective ways you can go about this that will give you the security you need to be able to keep yourself, your business, and your employees safe from losing precious information and resources. Checklists like the Essential 8 are great to review to give you some insight on what great cyber security looks like. It may take some effort to secure your company’s digital profile, but it will be well worth it to know that you, your business, and your staff are secure and your information is only your business and no one else’s. 

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