Working from home not only allows you to earn a living in your pajamas, it also can boost productivity and greatly increase morale when it comes to getting work done. Working from an apartment does the same thing, but in a much smaller area — not to mention one that you don’t own. Apartment dwellers who work from home are probably going to run into a few common issues. Luckily, there are solutions that make working from your apartment a dream come true.
How to Love Your Workspace
Conquer Tech Problems
The importance of technology never stops growing in the workplace, so issues are bound to pop up. But when you’re working from home, there is no IT department you can contact. Instead, you’ll need to troubleshoot on your own. Consider the following tech issues:
- Bad Cell Reception: Unreliable cell reception in your apartment is every person’s pet peeve, even if they don’t work from home. But if your phone calls are in constant danger of sudden disconnection, trying to run a business can become a nightmare. Making phone calls using your apartment’s WiFi is one way to combat bad cell phone reception. If that isn’t an option or your internet signal isn’t great, either, other fixes are available, like purchasing a microcell unit. A microcell looks like a regular router but works to boost your cell phone signal. Microcells run on Wi-Fi, so if your internet signal also isn’t stellar, it might be smarter to buy a cell booster. However, these often need to be mounted inside or outside your apartment, so you should check with your landlord before purchasing and installing one.
- Internet Dependability: Sometimes you happen to get an apartment that doesn’t have great Wi-Fi reliability. Often the cause of bad cell dependability is the concrete and metal within apartment walls, which blocks the signal. But with Wi-Fi, things are a little more complicated. Starting off, you’ll need to have an up-to-date router and make sure you situate it in a smart location, trying to keep as few obstacles as possible between the router and your workspace. If that doesn’t work, a range extender may be what you need.
- Wi-Fi Security: Home security is important, and that includes internet security. The best way to keep your Wi-Fi access secure is by using a difficult-to-guess password made up from a variety of letters, numbers, and other characters. Don’t give it out to anyone you don’t completely trust. Aside from having a strong password, your internet provider may be able to give additional advice about keeping your Wi-Fi secure.
Solve Space Challenges
Living and working out of a small apartment can make anyone feel a little claustrophobic sometimes, especially if you have roommates or a lot of clutter lying around. Here are a few tips to make your workspace an area you’ll love.
- Space: When you’re going through your apartment and thinking about where to put your office, make sure you’re being realistic about the amount of space you need. Spreading your things across the dining room table may seem easy, but might not be a realistic idea once dinner time rolls around. Consider how much space you’ll want for an extended period of time; you might find you need only need a little space — say, the size of a closet. Or try to pick a space with natural lighting, as it’s been proven to make people feel more productive.
- Clutter: Most office buildings have janitors who come in at night to make sure the building remains clean. However, if you’re working from your home, you’re the one doing the cleaning. It’s important to keep clutter to a minimum and organize the things you actually need for work. If, at the end of the day, you just have too many things cluttering up your apartment, consider renting a storage unit to hold things you don’t use regularly.
- Storage: It’s important to make sure your ‘office’ provides access to all the items you need to complete your job. This means you might need to invest in storage containers like filing cabinets to keep yourself organized. If your job involves shipping products, you’ll definitely need to keep all of your shipping supplies organized. Storage bins of all shapes and sizes can be your friends.
- Roommates: If you have roommates, trying to work from your apartment can be a little more difficult. If they need to study or work, too, think about setting up a coworking space where you and your roommates are able to coexist and still get work done.
- Distractions: Distractions are abundant when working from home. One of the best ways to keep from getting distracted is putting on headphones to keep you focused on the task at hand. Sticking to a schedule is also important, so as not to blur the line between work and relaxing in your home.
Avoid Legal Headaches
Sometimes working from home can be a little complicated. This is why it’s so important to do your research before starting. Here are a few things to look into before starting to work from your home.
- Read Your Lease: Make sure you know exactly what your lease says and doesn’t say about working from home, as you don’t want to violate any of the rules your apartment complex has in place. This will also come in handy in case you need to talk to your apartment’s management about any concerns you have down the line.
- Understand Ordinances: Working from your home or apartment means you should probably read up on local ordinances, as they’re the next logical step up from reading your lease. This is simply to ensure that you’re following local rules and procedures when it comes to working from home.
- Get Permits: After you’ve done all your research, make sure you obtain any permits you might need to in order to work from your apartment. It’ll be a relief to know you’re doing everything correctly.
Overall
Since working remotely from a home or apartment is much more popular now, some common issues have begun to arise. But worry not: Those problems come with some straightforward solutions that can make your apartment a great place to work.
Laura Gayle is a full-time blogger and the creator of Business Woman Guide.
