If there is one thing that is hard to do when you’re working from home it’s staying professional. It’s so much easier to relax when you are at home, but when you are owning a business in the home you are often going to be more inclined to sit back, relax and enjoy your day rather than act in the most professional manner. Working from home is difficult enough as it is but if you want to win contracts and keep your staff in a job, you have to do all that you can to be the kind of business that people want to work with.
Remote working is the new normal now and many businesses (including yours!) are seeing the benefit of having that business and law of their employees working from home. If you are running the business single handedly, you have to try to maintain a professional air despite not having an office to get to each day. You have to consider how people now view you without your posh surroundings and you have to accept that you might have to go the extra mile to be seen as a big player in the industry. So, how can you be more professional when you are working in the home? Let’s take a look!
- Be seen. A big way to give yourself the professional look is to be seen in the first place. You need a virtual mailbox and address company to have an address separate from your actual house that people can use. If you have one of these, you’re going to be taking the initiative to be seen and heard by others. It’s a big thing to do when working from home: being seen is a must!
- Schedule your day properly. When you work from home you have to make the extra effort to schedule your time for business and personal purposes. You have to take the initiative to split your day into sections so that you have enough time to focus on your work and time to focus on your family. With the right schedule, you can ensure that your customers get adequate time on the phone, on Zoom and through live chat and email with you.
- Get dressed! If you want to be a professional at work, then you need to dress as if you’re at work even though you’re at home. It can make you feel ready to tackle the day when you’re dressed for the occasion, and you might be working by yourself but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t feel like you’re able to get through the day. Wear clothes that you would wear if you were going to the office and you’ll feel like you’re in a professional mindset.
- Create definition. You have to create a definition for your brand and as someone working from home, you have to learn from the competition out there. You need to get your brand out there and the best way to do that is with a succinct mission statement. You should even think about developing your brand in a way that’s going to help your business to shine among all the rest. Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean that you can’t get your brand out there. The internet is a fabulous thing!
- Invest in technology. Working from home can mean that you are required to invest a little more in technology these days. You can always benefit from a phone system, too, and when you ensure that your technology is on point, people will be able to get in touch with you when they need to.
- Upgrade your software to include video conferencing. You need as many options as possible when it comes to your ability to connect with others outside the business. Your video conferencing is going to ensure that you can be face to face without being face to face. You can use a range of different video conferencing options to still remain the face in your business, and that can make all the difference to the way you do business at all.
- Get online. If your brand is not online, then you need to be online and visible as much as possible. Get on social media and create a website that reflects everything that you know about your business. You should also talk about things that matter in your industry so that people know that you know what’s happening.
- Talk to your people. Those who spend much of their time at work while being at home often forget how to talk to others outside the business. You need to do all that you can to remain social!
