September 6, 2009

Quickbooks online edition

The number one reason members of both sexes fail to adapt to operating remotely is they fail to realise the essential requirement of high-quality organisation and enduring self discipline.

I have been working remotely for almost a decade since I first found Quickbooks online an ‘on demand’ small business accounting software web application and was inspired by the fact that if you can perform accounting on the net then why shouldn’t it be viable to perform other important types of work away from the conventional office?

Whilst working remotely has significant advantages there are numerous pitfalls which lead to issues that cause decreased work output and lower motivation. The most significant reason for low work output from remote workers is interruption and it is a proven and well known fact that it can take a worker up to 0.33 hours to establish their original efficiency level after experiencing a disruption.

Studies also show that persons who are consistently subjected to disturbances are more likely to suffer from reduced memory power and are prone to developing mental health issues in later life. We live in an over communicated time and it is important that you know the problems this causes before you decide to work remotely. Whilst working remotely you should do everything possible to minimise the probability of being interrupted.

Here’s how I do it:

1, Get a habit, make sure that everybody knows it and obsessively maintain it!

Good examples are a fixed time of day when you look at or send e-mail and make or receive telephone conversatiions. Before I began working remotely I used to receive well over 200 e-mails every 24 hours. Now I think I am unfortunate if I receive in excess of five. To ’reset’ my electronic mail experience I modified my e-mail address and vigorously took steps to protect the details being made known to anyone. I then made sure every individual who I gave my e-mail address to, to use it with special care. I also created an automatic reply that swiftly informed anyone sending me mail my schedule for attending to mail and if something needed my urgent consideration to mark it as ‘Urgent’.

2. Get rid of alerts.

Turn off every feature that can send you a perceptible alert. This includes cell and
conventional telephones and types of alerts from electronic mail such as display events, warning sounds, screen changes to your inbox list and of course facing a window. Get a door on your work room and put up a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.

In ‘Remote Working Part 3 – The basic implements’ I will reveal my favourite tools and software.

 

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