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Bare Essentials: Hot Home Office Products

April 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Too good to use
Have you ever had a dessert that looks too good to eat? This gorgeous wooden desk set is almost too beautiful to use, but when you work from home you need to be functional. So why not tape, open letters,store supplies and staple in style using mahogany and sonokeling wood accessories? After all, art and function are always the perfect combination.

Looking sharp
I don’t know what it is, but there’s something irresistible about oversized replicas of small things or miniature versions of large things. This giant pencil sharpener made from rubber wood, has plenty of room for pens and pencils and will look much better on your desk than a boring, regular size coffee cup.

Getting a kick out of tape
Last year I bought a red shoe tape dispenser — it works better when you add weights to the inside — so when I saw this black stiletto one, I had to upgrade. Those of you who are shoe lovers can appreciate the style and function of this not-so-ordinary dispenser. The purse Post-it note holder is optional.

 

 

Filed Under: Bare Essentials, Home office organizing, Home office products Tagged With: , ,

Living With Less

March 21, 2011 By Leave a Comment

A few days ago I helped my parents move back into the house I grew up in — it caught on fire last fall. Fortunately they weren’t home at the time, but their neighbor who called 911 right away, was.

Seven fire trucks later, their fire was out and my parents moved to a condo for five months.

Over three days, the movers, my parents and I unpacked around 200 boxes. We were wiped.

As I was unpacking, I couldn’t understand how could two people could have collected so much stuff. Then I remembered that my parents have lived in the same house for 47 years.

Opening box after box taught me a few things including:

1. You can live with less. During the time my parents lived in the condo, they were able to get by with much less than they did when they lived in their home. Think about it…what could you live without? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home office organizing, Home office setup, Working at home Tagged With: ,

Small Changes in Your Home Office Can Make a Big Difference

February 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last weekend I figured out why some of my friends invite me over to their homes more often than they used to. Yes, I bring over appetizers, desserts or whatever dish they want me to bring. It’s not that. I’m not a very good cook.

They invite me over because they know I can’t stand to see a disorganized home office that could be arranged better. Here’s a perfect example:

A friend I’ve known for years invited me to her home. I took the obligatory tour that ended with her home office. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing, Working at home Tagged With: , ,

The Naked Truth…It’s Working Naked Day!

February 1, 2011 By 17 Comments

(Click here for the 2012 Working Naked Day post)

 

Happy 2nd annual Working Naked Day! Today is the perfect day for those of us who work from home to celebrate the freedom we have to set our own hours, follow our own rules and live a life that doesn’t include reporting to a corporate job each day.

As part of today’s celebration, you can strip down and work in your birthday suit, or stay in your pajamas. Although when you’re working from home you don’t need a holiday or permission to do that.

Need a few ideas for celebrating Working Naked Day?

  • Skype with a friend who is working in a cubicle all day while you’re working on your sofa, bed or in your home office. Let them know how comfy you are at home.
  • Blog, brag and tweet about the freedom you have to work from home. Who needs a commute when you can go to work in less than 10 seconds?
  • Take your laptop to the park, beach or a nearby coffee shop (especially if you’re surrounded by snow, not sun) and get inspired. Working somewhere other than in your home office can get your creative juices flowing.
  • Take advantage of your flexible schedule. Take the morning off and do something special like meet a friend for coffee, catch an early movie or work out later in the morning when the gym is less crowded.
  • Convince your boss to let you work from home. The company will save money on rent and you’ll save money on gas, wear and tear on your car and dry cleaning bills.

Consider taking today off to truly celebrate the choice you’ve made to leave the corporate world behind. And if you’re not already Working Naked, today’s the perfect day to strip away your inhibitions and start your own home-based business.  That’s the naked truth.

How are you going to celebrate Working Naked Day?

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing, Making money from home, Time mgmt./Productivity

Get Ready for Working Naked Day Tomorrow!

January 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Tomorrow is the 2nd annual Working Naked Day…the day we celebrate our freedom to work from home on our own terms. While our corporate counterparts are cursing their morning commute, we’re enjoying a slow stroll to our home office down the hall.

The blog posts below should get you in the mood for Working Naked Day. They’ll also remind you of why there’s no better way to work, than from home.

Snow What?  You Can Still Work From Home
Winter storms are taking over the country but for those of us working naked, it’s still business as usual. For you home office virgins, here are a few tips to help you ease into the world of working naked, even if it’s for only a short amount of time. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing, Making money from home, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: , ,

4 Ways for Staying Focused While Working Naked

November 16, 2010 By

Does this sound familiar: it’s almost noon, you’ve been sitting at your desk in your pajamas, workout clothes or um, your birthday suit, all morning and you still haven’t taken a shower?

This happened to me a few days ago. I started to leave my house early in the morning to go for a run, then one of my clients called. I finished the call and because I was in my home office anyway, I checked my e-mail accounts, tweeted and then updated my Facebook page.

I got sidetracked. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home

Time to Hire a Virtual Assistant?

October 25, 2010 By

Guest post by Jessica Maes

As a Virtual Assistant, I work directly with small businesses to support their business efforts. A byproduct of doing this is that I have the opportunity to observe small businesses up close and I notice certain tendencies that other people may not notice.

  • Small business owners try to do everything in their business. Often it is because they don’t think they can afford assistance, and sometimes they think that delegating would require an employee. An employee is something they don’t want to take on.
  • Some business owners can’t afford not to have assistance in their business. Time is money and when you spend time on parts of your business that you don’t enjoy or aren’t your strengths, you miss out on time that you could spend doing work you love that will generate revenue for your business. [Read more...]
Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: , , ,

What Are You Doing to Invest in Yourself?

October 21, 2010 By

Most of us who own a small business invest countless hours and money in our business.  We may spend more time on a project than we originally thought it would take — I know I do — but when it’s your own business, the extra time you invest in a project, usually pays off in the long run.

While you’re busy investing in your business, what are you doing to invest in yourself?  There are a few ways to build your personal stock.

  • Take classes. Whether you go back to school to earn a professional degree or take a few classes to sharpen your skills, the time and money you invest in school should pay off. You can offer more services and maybe even raise your rates.
  • Virtually attend Webinars. If your schedule and budget are tight, enroll in free Webinars that you can take day or night.
  • Create a space where you want to work. If you dread walking into your home office every [Read more...]
Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office design, Home office organizing, Home office setup, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: , , ,

Getting Others to Meet Your Deadlines

October 13, 2010 By

 

A client called me today about a freelancer who is helping her write a book.  She’s been waiting for his first draft for five weeks, sending several e-mails and leaving a few messages every week.

I can be annoying and persistent, neither of which are qualities my family appreciates, but she was even tougher with this guy than I could have been. (Note to self: Never make this client mad.)

This morning, he finally sent her the first draft along with a note that he had finally finished it. She responded that she was finished with him and fired him.

You may not have any trouble meeting deadlines, but at some point while you’re working on different projects, you’re going to need information from others. Here are five ways to help other people meet their deadlines and keep you on track.

1. Develop false deadlines. If you need something by the 15th of the month, tell the person you need it by the 10th.  If they’re a few days late, you’ll still be able to meet your deadline. The same tactic works for friends and colleagues who are always late. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working with clients Tagged With: , ,

5 Ways to Create a Working Home Office

October 4, 2010 By

Everyone has a different definition of a working home office. You may consider it a place with a desk, chair, computer, printer and office supplies. Someone else who works from home may describe a home office as a space with high-quality furniture, accessories and draperies.

I describe my home office as a place where I enjoy working every day (except for those days when it’s too nice to work inside) and a space that fits my working style. There are a few things to think about whether you’re setting up a new home office or thinking about fine-tuning your current office.

  • Decide if your home office would be better off in another room. When you first started working from home, may have set up your home office in an obvious place: a spare bedroom, guest room or basement. There may be a better place. If you [Read more...]
Filed Under: Home office organizing, Home office products, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: , , , ,
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