I have quickly discovered that there are several advantages to working from home rather than going to the office.
There are the Monday morning meeting, desperate to get it over with, but having to wait for some silly bugger to put the kettle on because the coffee machine decided not to work, the subsequent handing round of biscuits. Yet, further delays while we all wait for some fool to come out of the loo. So, it was after one particularly boring meeting listening to one of the team telling us about a great idea she or he had to improve the business, which I may add was a complete non-starter, I decided to take the plunge. I told everyone that as of today, I would be working from my home study and would pop in when required to sign anything that needed signing, and that was it, FREEDOM!!!
The next morning, I woke to a new world order, my study awaited, fully equipped and ready to go. All I had to do is put the coffee on, without listening to the details of someone’s private life which according to the storyteller was much more interesting and exciting than mine, no more waiting for late arrivals, this was paradise. There is one major decision that one must make before working from home, and that is the subject of attire. How should one dress? Several factors need to be considered, one of them being the type of business you are in. In my case, I am in a business sector where clients expect a certain standard of dress. However, on a pre-epidemic visit to a London City trading room, I was surprised to see that most of the staff dressed in a very casual way, denim jeans and tee shirts. I left rather disappointed at this change in dress code, mind you, the last time I went into the city was on a steam train when everyone wore a bowler hat. I decided after careful consideration to adopt the same standard of dress I wore in the office, a two-piece suit, shirt and tie. I think this made me feel confident and at the same time, the client on the other end of the telephone would have no idea that I was calling from my home office. I could have been on the top floor of a tower block for all the client knew.
Moving forward to 2003 when Skype became available. This added even more benefit to working from home. Just imagine the advantage of working and holding meetings with people on a computer screen, without travelling, or sitting with a colleague who had devoured enough garlic the night before to melt your face when they spoke. I became an avid Skype fan, and it was free. I will add one caveat to this dream way of working, I did escape the office every Wednesday, leaving my home in Dorset and driving to London to meet clients. This being my weekly escape to the hustle and bustle of London, where I had worked for many years prior to moving to Dorset. The onset of the current Corona epidemic has, of course, put a stop my weekly sojourn. I digress, back to working at home. I must be honest and say if I never saw another office, it would not bother me. The secret to working at home is discipline. I am probably working more extended hours because I enjoy working more in my study. I am never tempted to skip and watch a TV program or engage in some other form of distraction.
Equipment
I use, a PC and a Laptop, a printer and a VoIP telephone connected to our main office switchboard and of course a mobile phone. As I mentioned before, I use Skype a great deal for meetings, which in many ways, such meetings are nearly as good as a face to face meeting. I always ensure that Skype meetings are pre-arranged, so I am not caught short answering a random Skype call in my boxer shorts, which nearly happened on one occasion when I did take an urgent call from a lady client when I was wearing just a shirt and tie. I think she would have had a fit if she had known. Of course, all she could see was a perfectly respectable businessman in a shirt and tie. Before any of you comment, this was not some form of perversion, I had walked from the bedroom to my study to get my mobile which had rang at the same time, before I had finished dressing.
Once the current epidemic comes to an end, I believe we will be entering into a new world order in business. Many people will continue working from home if their business allows them. Those of us that run our own companies will find that simpler than people who are employed of course. There are additional benefits to the environment that are already having a positive effect during this current epidemic.
To summarise, my message is simple, embrace this time and think seriously about working from home, you may find it worthwhile and enjoyable, and when the next disaster happens, you will be prepared.