For those of you with children at school, you’ll be aware that the end of term is drawing ever closer.
A full six weeks of summer holidays lie ahead of you – a full six weeks where your children are looking for something to do.
Not all of us can source childcare for the full duration, and not all of us have endless holidays to take during this time.
Unfortunately, there’s a mountain of deadlines creeping up on you, that big report is due tomorrow, you assured a client you would get in touch, there’s a meeting you are scheduled to attend – the list goes on. All in all, you need to get to work.
We cannot take our children to the office, but what about taking our office home? Of course you can’t spend a full working day zoned out while your children are at home, but there is the opportunity to get on with work while they play out in the garden.
Director of telecommunications company Orca Telecom, Wayne Mackay, is highly experienced in his field and knows just about every trick in the book when it comes to staying connected.
Wayne advises that when you can’t get to your working environment, bringing your working environment to you is easier than you might think.
He said: “It is not worth the risk, especially in this day and age, when technology is so advanced – you can practically turn your home into your own personal office environment. All you need is a little bit of preparation and some know-how.”
Wayne shares his top five tips on staying connected this summer:
Clouds Can Be Good In The Summer
Your telephone set up is the first port of call when it comes to staying connected.
Having a cloud-based telephone service will allow your calls to be instantly re-directed via a web portal to alternative premises including your home if required.
You can also link or ‘twin’ your office desk phone and mobile so all incoming calls will ring both phones simultaneously.
You will also have the advantage of an automatic failover destination for your calls if your Internet service drops, meaning there will be no interruption to incoming calls. Audio messaging can also be changed instantly to reflect changes in your working hours.
Internet speeds In The Countryside
Many people find it hard to work from home as their internet speed is limited by the distance from their local exchange, and mobile signal may also be weak – particularly those who live in more rural locations.
Satellite broadband is a much more affordable alternative nowadays and can greatly improve your internet speeds.
If you have a decent internet connection but poor mobile coverage, mobile signal boost devices can provide full 3G coverage throughout your property.
The government backed Connection Voucher scheme can even cover the installation cost of having something more substantial installed, like a fibre service.
Be part of a virtual community
Social media doesn’t just mean telling the world what you had for lunch, or showing off your cute new puppy. There are channels out there that can really benefit your business communication and help you stay connected to the professional world, even if you are stuck at home with the kids drawing all over your living room walls.
There are numerous platforms to choose from depending on your business needs. Google+ is an extensive channel where new features are regularly released.
Business professionals are quickly beginning to take advantage of what Google+ has to offer. Popular features include social circles, real-time stream, hangouts, sharing, privacy and data liberation.
Microsoft Lync is also a great tool, and often underestimated. It enables people to work across different locations and time zones using a variety of communication methods such as instant messaging, conferencing, and enterprise voice. LinkedIn, Live Profile and Hootsuite are also platforms worth looking at.
An app-le a day …
Having useful apps can really make a difference to both your motivation levels and to how well connected you are, however we would firstly suggest that employees talk to their IT support teams to work out in advance how they would access company systems and files, and where best to save work?
Dropbox is a fantastic tool that allows you to store your documents in your Dropbox account, meaning never being out of reach of that important file. It is a free tool that takes minutes to instal and syncs all of your devices, very similar to the Cloud. You can also send people the link to certain files or folders giving them instant access, saving you the task of attaching numerous files to an e-mail.
MightyMeeting is another free app that lets you store and share business presentations. All you need to do is upload your presentation and sync it to your mobile device, or anyone else’s. You can also draw and share graphs and charts in real time using the whiteboard feature.
Other free apps to think about are, time and expense tracking app Office Time; data management app and cloud based clip board FormMobi; and data analytics app Roambi Analytics.
And if you’re concerned about your mobile data allowance whilst using al these apps, Onavo Count will help you stay on top of your usage levels.
Motivate your mind
Keeping yourself motivated can be difficult, especially in your own home where distractions are everywhere.
We’ve all been there, where the back garden and a cold drink seem much more appealing than anything that’s on your work computer. There is no point in making sure you stay connected if you have no motivation to get anything done.
The trick is to make yourself feel like you’re in a working environment. This can be achieved with a few small actions.
Get yourself up and showered and dressed as if you were going to work, this will naturally get you in the working mind set.
Literally separate work from home and give yourself a separate working area. Even if you don’t have a lot of space, a small desk in the corner, or transforming your dining room table is better than nothing.
Make sure the area has good lighting – light stimulates your brain and keeps you from getting tired.
The best kind of light is of course natural light. If you can, make the area close to a window, or use a natural light bulb.
Also be wary aware of background noise, such as the television or radio, especially when you may be taking calls from clients. This can appear unprofessional and that work is not taking priority.
Having your work comforts around you will also help you feel right at, well, work. Keep items on you such as your to-do list and diary nearby to help you keep motivated.