There are two elements of working from home:
1) working under flexi rules for the company that employs you, or
2) running your own business from home.
If the former, please agree with your boss what they are going to cover expense wise, and how they will agree the hours you work. You should also seek a bonus, since you are reducing company costs.
If you are renting, then you are obliged to inform the landlord and if you have clients visit, please have your insurance revised to cover that.
If you are buying then please inform the mortgage company. Insurance has to be amended too.
Such as contents and also public liability cover.
In most cases, flexi working does not see clients visiting.
So onto number two and running your own business from home – link to follow.
2) running you own business from home.
All the above apply and more so – I would seriously discourage having people visit – suggesting a coffee shop or hotel as better, especially for people who work alone. You really do not want a nutter in your house or flat.
Create a routine in your life and build in social, me time, otherwise you will become stale and very quickly. In an office there is interaction, on your own at home, there is not.
A daily To Do list done the night before is now vital. Too many distractions otherwise.
Go out for a coffee/tea or a walk at some point – I have made friends with all the independent businesses locally and often pop in for a chat.
Also look for support such as here in this group, where you can share your success and seek guidance.
Keep an accurate record of all expenses – they are tax deductible.
Don’t forget energy a percentage of your council tax charge.
If your profit is less than £10,000 then claim working tax credits – these apply to the self employed too.
Create a phone line for business use only – it is 100% tax deductible. My link will explain more. And of course good broadband, go fiber if your area supports it, especially if you have family too.
Check you can use your home address for correspondence purposes. If not, seek an alternative, such as MailBoxes Etc. or your accountant.
Don’t be afraid to seek help and see what grants may be available as a start up or small business.
Networking groups have already been mentioned – there are also others less formal that meet as a coffee morning and some Chambers of Commerce run lunch time events, plus offer training in skills you need.
That covers most of it and my link is here:
Filed under: Case Studies, Combyne Group Update, Working from Home | Tagged: business, cash saving, Combyne Group, cost-control, employed, networking, self employed, working from home | Leave a comment »
Why not have a conversation?
Many years ago, when at school, the idea of debates and discussion were common in the sixth form, even to the extent of having a debating society. They were good fun, and perhaps were our first form of social interaction and a way of influencing how others’ thought?
For those who were aspirational, they could go a stage further and head off with a soap box (to stand on) to Speakers Corner by Hyde Park, London.
Now, whilst Speakers Corner was great, today anyone and everyone can be their own broadcaster whether through the medium of a blog and newsletter such as this or by creating a video and uploading to You Tube or Vimeo and create a social media following. You don’t need to be skilled, since a mobile phone will do the job for you.
In fact there are some people, who will record anything and everything in the hope of creating something similar to Charlie bit my finger, which now generates a six figure income from advertisers.
Now that really is the power of social media.
There are however downsides to this prevalence of moving pictures and that is the fact too many people fail to communicate by word and deed; is the fabric of society being destroyed with easy social comment such as through, video, twitter and facebook?
That has got to be a fear, since the younger generation are being starved of social interaction and learning to have conversations. What is more frightening still is the fact that teenagers are being stabbed on the streets of London for failing to respect someone by looking at them in the wrong way.
We all laughed at Little Britain and the characters within, but humour such as this is only a reflection on society today, previously Monty Python and That Was The Week That Was did the same too. Is this the sort of society we want, where everyone is out for themselves and what they can take?
There has been much written in political circles about the Tory Back to Work programme; cost about £5 billion so far and created so few jobs, in fact less than the average prior to the scheme starting, that some are openly doubting the sanity of our politicians and their support for the United Kingdom. Is the coalition really working for the betterment of us all?
What are truly inspiring though are the many entrepreneurs who in the face of too much legislation create their own businesses and at the same time, play their part in regenerating their locale by providing hope for others. These are the true wealth creators.
So is the support of independent traders a debate worth having, or should we simply hide ourselves behind our computers and continue with social media interaction and online purchases, which generates money for the few rather than the majority?
Laurence Lowne is the owner of Combyne Group based in London and working countrywide, helping people and businesses to control their utility costs through a range of award-winning services.
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Filed under: Comments, News | Tagged: business, Combyne Group, communication, entrepreneur, networking | 2 Comments »