The top reason people fail to succeed at operating remotely is they fail to realise the essential requirement of good quality organisation and enduring self management.

I have been toiling remotely for nearly 8 yrs since I first unearthed Quickbooks online an ‘on demand’ small business accounting software web application and was energised by the fact that if you can do accounting on the Internet then why shouldn’t it be possible to perform other important types of work at a distance?

Whilst working remotely has many benefits there are numerous things that workers don’t realise which turn into issues that result in reduced productivity and lower motivation. The most cited reason for reductions in effectiveness in remote workers is disturbance and it is a proven and well publicised fact that it can take a employee up to 20 mins to establish their original output level after experiencing a distraction.

Deeper insights reveal that people who are consistently subjected to distractions are more likely to suffer from decreased memory power and are prone to developing mental health trouble in old age. We live in an over communicated world and it is important that you are acquainted with the issues this causes before you commence working remotely. When operating remotely you should do everything possible to reduce the probability of being interrupted.

Here are the essentials:

1, Get a habit, make sure that everybody knows it and stick to it!

Good examples are a consistent time of day when you review or write and send mail and make or take phone conversatiions. Before I began working remotely I used to receive up to 200 electronic mails every 24 hours. Now I think I am unfortunate if I get in excess of 5. To ’reset’ my e-mail experience I changed my e-mail address and vigorously took steps to shield the details being made known to anyone. I then educated every person who I gave my e-mail address to, to use it with special care. I also set up an automatic response that swiftly told anyone sending me mail my routine for processing mail and if something needed my urgent consideration to mark it as ‘Urgent’.

2. Get rid of alerts.

Disable every function that can send you a interruption. This includes cell and
ordinary telephones and types of alerts from e-mail such as visual alerts, warning sounds, display changes to your inbox folder and of course facing a window. Get a door on your office and put up a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.

In ‘Remote Working Part 3 – What should be in your tool box’ I will reveal my favourite tools and software.

Obviously not all of us is able to work remotely as there are some types of work that require employees to go to their office or travel to undertake their work face to face. But for those of us have the chance to work remotely then I thought it would be useful to share my experiences and share some practical wisdom by distributing it online with the sole objective of providing useful timesavers for adapting to remote working or managing remote workers.

I should warn you that there are groups of people on the Internet who will try and make you purchase courses for preposterous sums of money, trust me you don’t have to do this.

I am fortunate to be able to work in whatever location I choose and just about everyone who asks me what job I do wants to understand how I manage to work remotely. Don’t be fooled here I am still improving the art of remote working as all of the time I come across tribes on the net who teach me new methods and I am continually coming across new tools and ways that make my life simpler and improve my productivity.

In the past 7 years I have substantially adapted my working methods to let me to do most of my work remotely with a portfolio of internet tools and solid self discipline. One early morning whilst surfing the web I unearthed Quickbooks online and this made me aware of what just might be possible. The discovery of online ‘on demand’ small business accounting software was a pivotal moment for me and the beginning of my ‘remote working history.

I have to inform you up front that successfully working remotely is as much about the software as it is about self discipline. Working remotely also means imparting to your co-workers, managers and clients as to what they can expect and how they will stay in touch with you.

In ‘Remote Working Part 2 – Staying focused and maintaining concentration’ I steer you through how to focus.

Self discipline more….

Before I present to you my collection of the top web tools that almost certainly assist you to operate remotely, I need to alert you to one more pearl of wisdom related to self discipline and specifically to do with keeping your focus and levels of concentration

I’ve observed and confirmed a consistent habit in colleagues who work online and I’ve known for quite a long time and I call this habit the 50 min effect. I uncovered these men and women who focus and work for 50 minutes and then kick back for a whole 10 mins. rest and are much more productive and generate a significantly better quality of work than members of both sexes who don’t have similar working methods.

OK as promised I present you with my list of favourite remote working online services:

Electronic Mail

Google Mail is free. For my money the search and label (categories) features are superior to anything I have previously seen. The only disadvantage so far is that I have seen it run quite slowly on lower spec.computers

Phone calls

Skype used to drive me crazy as the connection performance was atrocious, but all credit to the software tech’s at Skype now as they have really improved the quality of the service. For few dollars a month Skype lets me call and conference in any phone and Skype subscriber in the world. The current version of Skype has an abundance of very useful functions and there are now plenty of of useful add ons.

Organising Content

Evernote has connected more than a million users in no time at all – it lets you to store, organise and annotate any type of digital media up on the Internet. Just go check it out…it’s free.

Invoicing, Time and Expenses capture, Accounting and CRM

You definitely know that my ambition to work remotely was originally encouraged by Quickbooks Online, a small business accounting software system. But it is no match for the free edition of salesorder.com – a lead to cash system that’s as easy to use as a pc mouse I looked at NetSuite whose pricing (and people) scared me off. My choice here is salesorder.com – Go check it out.

The number one reason men and women fail to succeed at working remotely is they fail to see the criticality of having good quality organisation and enduring self management.

I have been operating remotely for more than six years since I first discovered Quickbooks online an ‘on demand’ small business accounting software online system and was blown away by the fact that if you can do accounting on the net then why shouldn’t it be workable to perform other important types of work at a distance?

Whilst working remotely has substantial gains there are numerous traps that people easily fall into which convert into problems that cause reduced productivity and reduced morale. The most cited reason for decreases in productivity in remote workers is distraction and it is a verified and well known fact that it can take a employee up to 0.33 hours to return to their original productivity level after experiencing a distraction.

Studies also show that persons who are regularly experience distractions are more likely to be susceptible to decreased memory power and are prone to developing mental health problems in later life. We live in an over communicated era and it is essential that you know the problems this causes before you decide to work remotely. Whilst operating remotely you have to do everything possible to eradicate the probability of being distracted.

Here are my most important tips:

1, Get a habit, tell everyone about it and stick to it!

Good examples are a specific time of day when you read or compose and reply to mail and make or be available for telephone conversatiions. Before I began working remotely I used to get as many as hundreds of electronic mails in 24 hours. Now I think I am unfortunate if I get more than 5. To ‘restart’ my e-mail experience I altered my e-mail address and tenaciously took steps to look after the details being made known to anyone. I then made sure every party who I gave my e-mail address to, to use it wisely and sparingly. I also created an auto-responder that swiftly told anyone sending me mail my routine for attending to mail and if something should have my immediate consideration to mark it as ‘Urgent’.

2. Get rid of alerts.

Turn off every possible mechanism that can send you a perceptible alert. This includes portable and
ordinary handsets and types of alerts from e-mail such as display events, warning sounds, screen changes to your inbox folder and of course facing a window. Get a door on your office and put up a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.

In ‘Remote Working Part 3 – Basic Toolkit’ I will reveal my favourite tools and software.

Obviously not all of us can work remotely as lots of careers require people to consistently attend their place of work or travel to undertake their duties in person. But for those of us have the chance to work remotely then I thought it would be useful to share what I have learned and share some practical advice by putting it on the net with the sole objective of providing useful advice for adapting to remote working or managing remote workers.

I can tell you that there are a lot of self proclaimed ‘gurus’ out there who will try and make you purchase online education for big sums of cash, believe me you don’t have to do this.

I am blessed to be able to work anywhere I choose and just about everybody who asks me what work I do wants to know how I am able to work remotely. Don’t get me wrong here I am still refining the art of remote working as everyday I encounter people on the net who tell me about new ways and I am repeatedly coming across new systems and approaches that make my life simpler and increase my productivity.

In the past 7 years I have steadily adapted my working practices to allow me to do all of my work remotely with a portfolio of internet tools and solid self discipline. One late night whilst surfing the web I discovered Quickbooks online and this brought to my attention what just might be possible. The discovery of web based ‘on demand’ small business accounting software was the turning point for me and the start of my ‘remote working history.

I have to tell you up front that productively working remotely is as much about the tools as it is about self management. Working remotely also means informing your colleagues, managers and customers as to what they can expect and how they will stay in touch with you.

In ‘Remote Working Part 2 – Best practises’ I talk about how to focus.