Working from home can be seen as a great privilege - the ultimate goal for many a modern worker. More people than ever before are taking advantage of the flexibility of working at home, and if managed correctly, the benefits can be huge - to both the employer and the employee.

The offer of home work is becoming an increasingly viable offer for businesses due to technologi-cal improvements, which mean colleagues can easily communicate (for example via video calls, instant messaging etc.), collaborate (via cloud-based software) and monitor their work through shared documents. The use of iPads in professional environments means it is very easy to work on-the-go; fixed desks are quickly becoming a relic of the 20th Century, and people are enjoying the improvements in the quality of their work as a result.

So Why Work from Home?
1) Commuting Time is Saved. This means the worker can enjoy extra rest and benefit from this greater convenience. All of this combines to lead to enhanced productivity, due in part to…
2) Increased Concentration. Setting yourself up for work in your own space is bound to have its benefits. You can make sure all unnecessary distractions are removed, and that the right atmos-phere for you is created. This is impossible to attain in an office environment where competing colleague requirements  and requests would make this impossible.
3) Enhanced Work / Life Balance Working from home reduces stress and helps workers to con-centrate on the job in hand. With no traffic or public transport to navigate in the morning or wor-ries about office politics, morale is heightened. Working in one’s own home environment makes you feel more connected to it; you can have a break in your own space and keep up to date with some of the chores if you so wish! You could even buy a dog now you have some extra time available to take it our for walks!
4) Lower Overheads  if you work at home as a sole trader, this is great news; you can keep your costs down by sharing accommodation rather than

How to Overcome Some of the Main Challenges of Working from Home
Keep Your Finger on the Pulse
You may quickly feel out of touch with your business when you work from home. Otherwise, it’s very easy for this to happen naturally- and without even realising. 

Therefore, you need to schedule in daily - or even half-daily - catch-ups with your colleagues. This will help you all to connect and realise your common goal, as well as alerting you to anything that may affect your work.

It’s important to maintain focus on the customer too! Are they getting their online orders on time? Thankfully, it has never been so easy to find out; couriers such as Parcel2Go.com offer excellent tracking facilities, meaning both the dispatcher and receiver can easily log the parcel’s progress!

Self-Motivation
Unless you work for yourself, it’s very easy for your motivation to slip, particularly if you don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder. Set yourself targets - hourly and daily - and compare your success and progress with a willing fellow colleagues.

Following the above advice may help you to work in much pleasanter environments.

No matter how your business operates, one thing’s for sure - working remotely can be a catalyst in helping to drive it forward.

What are Your Thoughts on  Working from Home?  Overall a good thing or a bad thing?