This blog post is about home working environments.
Wow another blog post so soon! It surely is a crazy world we live in right? Anyway I’m getting to grips with mobile blogging, including trying out different ways to publish. So for example, yesterday I wrote and published a blog post via my new amazeballs Nexus 7, and today I’m sending this blog post in via email! In this blog post I’m going to cover two topics, and write about being self-employed, and some thoughts on providing added value to clients.
Giving yourself options
How you work shouldn’t always have to conform to the same set patterns. Obviously a bonus of using the same method to perform a task, is hopefully you excel at it, but also at times flexibility is required, and thus at times knowledge on how to accomplish a task in more than one way.
For example not only have I been expanding my mobile working options, but also my home office setup as well. Temporarily I’ve hooked up a monitor to my laptop, to provide two screens. This has enabled me to work more productively on a few tasks. Being self-employed meant I didn’t have to justify the addition on a monitor to anyone. There was no jealously issues with a colleague, or jumping through hoops to get a manager to sign-off on the purchase etc. I had a spare monitor and I hooked it up for a definable reason.
Last year I invested in a couple of lapdesks, which I have blogged about previously. Essentially enabling me to work without a desk if required. I found myself spending half the summer working at various seafronts! Also it means I can work from the couch! Plus when staying at locations it means if I feel the best location to work from is the bed, then I can use a lapdesk. Imagine trying to justify that to a boss!
So I’ve adapted from ‘home’ working to ‘mobile’ working, and at times I’m at a seafront, getting fresh air, have a nice view, but still working!
Also with the ‘lapdesks’, I’ve basically enabled myself to work from different areas at home. One day it could be the kitchen table, another the sofa, perhaps the bay window, bed or even a desk! 😉
Look to improve the quality of your output
I’ve also been focusing on improving the quality of my work, via different methods. I already produce high quality work for my clients, but it doesn’t mean I’m not looking to improve their ROI! However providing ‘added value’ can take up time, and can be a learning curve. I regularly review my work, and make sure I don’t unnecessarily set myself up with unneeded work which will hurt my margins.
One of my recent pieces of ‘added value’ was because I went out of my way to ask a client why they were doing something, and their response got me thinking, and has resulted in ‘added value’ I’m now providing, which I’ve not seen any of my competitors provide yet!
Conclusion
What works for me, might not work for you. Working from home and being self-employed though does enable me to cut through company ‘bull****’, and to respond quicker to demand. Anyhow talking about work, I must get on! I hope you are all having a great start to 2013.