Pro Tips For The First Time Remote Worker

It might not be a surprise to learn that there has been a 115 percent increase since 2005 of US employees who work from home, taking the overall number to 3.9 million American employees telecommuting, according to the 2017 State of Telecommuting Report. The report also discovered that there is very little difference between men and women working remotely and this contributed to the advances in technology.

Whether you’re starting out as a freelance writer or you work for a company that offers remote positions, here’s some top advice to adapt your career to take up remote work.

Decide on the Type of Remote Work

Working from home demands a different style of working than in a company’s workplace and it’s not without its challenges. Deciding what skills you have that can be adapted to a remote position is one of the first decisions you should be making. Fortunately, there’s a variety of earning opportunities available for the remote worker from lower level jobs to highly skilled career niches such as teaching, web designing or selling. There are so many advantages to working from home but make sure the job you do matches your abilities and skills needed to be a successful remote worker.

Organize Your Finances First

Managing your cash flow and creating a realistic monthly budget, whether you’re working from home or abroad, is crucial regardless of the type of remote work you’re doing. Start putting money aside as early as possible and ensure you are informed about paying taxes, having insurance and are confident about the best savings account that works for you.

Being organized with your finances from the outset will determine you’ll always be ahead of the game and won’t be caught in finance problems later down the line. It’s important to have a financial fallback plan in case of emergencies or when work is slow, which can be particularly possible at the beginning of your venture, so make sure you have everything clear in your mind before your start off. It may be difficult at first, but living within your means when you've launched your new career move is more likely for you to be a success in your new venture.

Choose the Right Workplace

Being able to work from home is advantageous on many levels and it means you can even work in your pajamas if you want to! However, having the right kind of workplace is essential to a productive day’s work no matter what kind of work you do. Choose an area or room at home that is sorely for working so that you keep your life and home separate and only work while you’re in that area.

Of course, the beauty of working remotely also means you can work from anywhere so take advantage of using coworking spaces, either in your hometown or anywhere else in the world! Coworking venues are also great places to network and meet like-minded people to swap ideas and experiences, which can be very valuable for the first time remote worker. Croissant helps those remote workers find spaces all around the world too.

Avoid Distractions

One of the biggest challenges facing a remote worker is finding ways of limiting the chances of distractions. How do you do any work if the kids are around? Or when a friend drops by for a catch-up? Set boundaries to help you be strict with yourself and make sure family members and friends are aware that you cannot be tempted by an impromptu lunch or help around the house when you're working. While you should be adaptable to your new working position, you are likely to face many challenges so allow yourself time to get used to a different routine and use time management skills to get the job done quickly and efficiently.

Build Your Client Base

This will be dependent on which area of work you intend to branch out to, but essentially, finding your niche and building up your business for the long term will set you off for a good start. If you already have some clients, you may be lucky enough to get referrals from work already done. However, if you are starting from scratch, setting up your own website and marketing your freelance services on social media is vital to get the word out there.

Think about setting up a fair pricing strategy to attract potential clients and always be attentive to their needs to make a good impression to secure more work. Unless you are working full time as a remote worker for a company, the internet is going to be your best friend to look for work, so be prepared to spend many hours scouring sites to reach out to new customers.

Freelance contributor Lucy Wyndham began her career in architecture and real estate before taking a step back to spend more time with her family as a writer and editor.