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How to Switch from a Corporate Office to a Home Office
Working at home is not at all like working in a corporate office. If you're switching from a corporate setting to a home office, first spend some time analyzing the biggest conveniences of your corporate arrangement. What are you really going to miss about it? In what ways does the corporate setting work for you? How are you going to compensate for those advantages at home?
When Janie, a medical representative, started working out of her home, it seemed as if she'd changed not only locations but personalities. In her corporate office, Janie had been extremely efficient and organized. Her desk had always been clear, and whenever anyone needed anything, they knew Janie would be able to find it in her files immediately. After just 30 days at home, Janie's desk in her bedroom was overflowing, and she had supplies and papers stashed all over the house; she was spending entirely too much time running around trying to find things and trying to find places to put things.
Changing your environment changes the way you work. In Janie's case, switching to a home environment meant she no longer had a spacious office in which to store everything; she no longer had a secretary to help her keep up with the typing, filing, paperwork, and phone calls; and she no longer had access to time-saving conveniences such as the "industrial strength" copier. Janie was having trouble maintaining both her standards and her pace.
When I first met with Janie, I knew right away she would have to find a better location for her home office so that she could consolidate her files and supplies. By putting a Murphy bed in the spare bedroom, we freed up enough space for her to have a bona fide office. From there we worked on innovative storage techniques, using some old furniture in new ways, as well as some new products.
After her office overhaul, Janie was ecstatic. She had always been an organized person, but working out of a makeshift home office had over¬whelmed her skills.
I've seen many talented executives undermine new home-based careers by underestimating how much time it would take them to juggle the roles of errand runner, secretary, receptionist, mail room clerk, and purchasing department head—not to mention sales and marketing manager! All home office professionals have to wear several hats, but those who are self-employed have the most demands on their time.
When Barry, a vice president of an electronics firm, retired from his corporate job, he decided to open a consulting firm in his home. Although he was well organized, had a well-equipped home office, had plenty of cli¬ents, and had the skills to be a consultant, there was a fatal flaw in Barry's business plan. He couldn't type. Barry had figured that typing couldn't be too difficult; besides, didn't he have a spelling check on his computer? To his dismay, he discovered that a single letter was taking him an entire hour. We found Barry a secretarial service to help him handle his correspondence and proposals, which not only freed up a lot of Barry's time, but removed a source of irritation from his day.