Work it: Take files between the office and home

Learn what it takes to make working at home work for you

By Mara Gulens

“I have no fixed address. I work all over the place,” says Laurel Larcombe, an associate partner in financial services.

As both a consultant and a “mobile employee,” Larcombe’s time is divided between client sites, her company’s headquarters, where she has no permanent desk, and home one or two days a week.

“When I have to do work that requires thinking and quiet time, it’s way easier to do it at home,” she says. “More importantly, when my son has five o’clock karate class and I have to pick up him up at four, it means I can do more of the balance stuff.”

There’s no place like home

Beside the many people taking the plunge to start up home-based businesses, an increasing number of people bring their work home with them at night or have flexible positions that let them work both at the office and at home. No wonder InnoVisions Canada, a telework and flexible work consulting organization, says today’s knowledge workers spend more than 50 per cent of their time away from the office.

What it takes: The technology

To work successfully from home, a client site or even a coffee shop, you need technology that allows you to be connected with the office in a way you won’t be missed.

The basic tools

People who work at home need the same tools as those at the office. Make sure you have a working desktop computer or laptop, a high-speed Internet connection and a printer. If you’re working for a larger company, the IT department will most likely set you up for telecommuting.

E-mail

Making sure you can interact the same way you do at work is your top priority, says Jeff MacArthur, a technology specialist in Halifax. Microsoft Exchange Server allows you to set up Outlook so you can access e-mail and sync your calendar through the web. If that’s not an option, then you may be able to configure your home computer to download work e-mail or access your e-mail account online.

The least favourable solution is forwarding mail to something like a Windows Live Hotmail account. “But that doesn’t give you all the interaction that you expect with e-mail,” says MacArthur.

Access your files

Virtual private network: Those working with large companies should be able to access their files at work with a VPN, which “is like a tunnel that’s encrypted,” explains MacArthur. “It’s a secure way to connect to the files.”

Remote desktop: Another great solution is remote desktop technology, available with Windows Vista Business Ultimate and Enterprise editions, which allows you to connect through the Internet to your computer at work. “You can see all files as if [you were] sitting at your desk,” explains MacArthur. “Your home computer is just a keyboard, mouse and monitor.”

Windows Live SkyDrive: You can also use SkyDrive, which lets you store, access and share information with anyone via a PC or web-enabled mobile device.

Portable devices: If that all sounds too lofty for your situation, then go the simplest, albeit most mechanical, route. Burn the information you need to transport on CDs or DVDs, or drag it to a USB/portable drive, which is basically today’s version of the floppy disk. Even digital media players can be used for this purpose.

Stay in sight

“One of the dangers of working from home is that it can lead to the expression out of sight out of mind,” says MacArthur.

Windows Live Messenger: Messenger allows you to set your status and “communicate things like having a door open — just like you would at the office,” says MacArthur. Instant messaging is one of two things that enable Larcombe to work from home without anybody even being aware of it. “It’s great. It knocks out a whole bunch of phone calls and e-mail hell,” she says.

Voice over IP: VoIP phones with follow-me numbers allow Larcombe to forward calls to wherever she happens to be. They also forward voice calls and messages to e-mail and the web. Free VoIP services, such as Skype, require that both ends have the same downloadable software, but they do let you place long distance calls for free (there is only a small charge if the person on the other end doesn’t have it).

Windows Mobile: More and more mobile workers swear by their portable connectivity devices and smart phones, which package together Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, Internet Explorer, Bing and Media Player with phone capabilities — your office in your pocket.

Be secure

“All the things you do [on your home computer] you should be doing when you take work home from the office,” says MacArthur. If you have a wireless network, make sure you activate the security settings. Laptop users are encouraged to encrypt and password-protect data in case their machine is lost or stolen.

What it takes: You

Tell someone you’re working from home and chances are they’ll ask if you plan to spend the day in pajamas. “That’s probably your early challenge,” says Larcombe. “I’m pretty disciplined. When I’m at home working, I work my butt off.”

Besides understanding your personality type and your reasons for working at home, Jamie Crookston, who helps groups and individuals develop effective career and life strategies, offers these tips to make working at home work for you:

1. Make sure your family supports you.
2. Have a support network to prevent isolation.
3. Negotiate with family members to avoid conflicts (especially where care of young children is concerned).
4. Set aside separate space with your own dedicated equipment.
5. Set up a doable work schedule that lets you build in free time and work when you work best.
6. Manage your self talk to make sure you feel positive.
7. Create daily, weekly and monthly goals to measure progress.
8. Get frequent feedback from external and internal clients.
9. Reward yourself. Never forget the importance of self-recognition and appreciation.