work at home

Work

Would Working At Home Suit You?

12:30PM Angus Kidman | Here at Lifehacker we regularly look at technology and tactics to make working at home easier and office designs to simplify the process. But there’s one issue that planning can’t solve: are you actually up to the task? More »
Work

Earmark “Alternative Offices” When Working Remotely

11:00PM Azadeh Ensha | Even if you work from home, odds are you’ll be out and about at some point during the day. Weblog WebWorkerDaily explains why it’s especially important for those who work from home to keep some alternative offices in mind. More »
Work

Master The Art Of Web Commuting

7:00AM Adam Pash | If you’re lucky enough that—even occasionally—you can telecommute to your job (though web commute seems more accurate these days), you’ve no doubt learned that working away from the office comes with its own set of problems—and solutions. More »
Work

Use Boundaries To Stay Sane Working From Home

5:00AM Jason Fitzpatrick | Whether you telecommute a few days a week or work from home full time, working from home isn’t the walk in the park office workers sometimes envision it to be. More »
Work

FreelanceSwitch’s “Monster List” Of Freelance Job Sites

10:30PM Kevin Purdy | Starting out as a freelancer can be an exhilarating experience, but that part ends right about when you realise you don’t know where to turn next to find your gig. The FreelanceSwitch blog updates its Monster List of freelance job site to more than 150 sites of work offers and contract bidding, including a few non-English options. The best work you’ll get as a freelancer usually comes from folks and firms you already know or can network with, but for filling in the monetary gaps, this list isn’t a bad place to start.

Balance Your Work and Family Life

7:00AM Tamar Weinberg | Some of us work extremely hard and never have time for our personal lives, and particularly, our own families. Perhaps, however, it’s time to change that. Consider this: it’s pretty difficult to be productive for over 80 hours a week. Instead, take a break during the evening and focus on family time (especially during dinner). At the end of the day, you’re making that money so that you can attend to your family—but your family should not be put on hold while you’re hard at work. What changes have you made to emphasise family over your career? Let’s hear your best moves in the comments. Balancing Work & Family [FreelanceSwitch] More »

Use a Mirror to Light Up a Home Office

10:30PM Kevin Purdy | The Freelance Switch work blog rounds up 10 low-cost improvements that can improve a home office (or most any office, really), including LH editors’ favorite, the cordless workspace. One trick in particular could be a boon for those dwelling in fluorescent-lit caves: If your office doesn’t get a lot of daylight, you might want to begin by maximizing that. Make sure your windows are clear of anything that impedes the light. If you are on the ground floor but facing the wrong direction to get much natural light, you can use a strategically placed mirror outside to reflect more light in. Similarly on the inside a mirror can help push light around your room. I get sunlight in my office, but in the wrong direction, so I’ll definitely be trying this out soon. How have you improved your workspace without breaking the bank? Share your tips in the comments. Photo by flikr. 10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Home Office Cheaply [via Dumb Little Man] More »

Specify A Time To Return and Make Phone Calls

2:00AM Wendy Boswell | Constant phone interruptions can break up even the most dedicated workflow. However, you can solve this by setting aside a specific time each day to return and make your calls. Productivity blogger John Cox has more: Folks will leave you messages. Return those messages at a set time. Try to say between 10AM and 11AM in the morning and 2PM and 3PM in the afternoon is the time that I call people back. Not before, not after. I suppose there could always be exceptions to the rule due to emergencies, but to be honest with you, I haven’t had to make the exception. The only reason that folks expect an immediate return call is because we train them into that behavior. I’ve had to do this since I started working exclusively from home, and it’s cut my distractions down pretty drastically. If you’ve set aside a specific phone time, please share in the comments how this is working (or not working) for you. 7 Habits [John Cox] More »