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Working remotely has officially become part of the norm in the business world. People of all industries are working from home on a regular basis – whether it’s just for the day because of a sick child or permanently as a remote employee.
Despite the reason, however, working remotely isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Without the right technology at your side, completing tasks and staying productive can seem impossible.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the four things you absolutely need if you want to work from home successfully.
These gadgets mean business.
Working remotely can be a challenge if you don’t have the proper tools at your side. In fact, it can be so much of a challenge that you’ll end up doing anything but your job (which is clearly not an option).
So in the spirit of actually doing your job, it’s probably a good idea to invest in tools and gadgets that can help you push through those working hours. For example, if you typically find yourself working with a laptop, you’re going to need access to a high-quality, wireless mouse. Working on repetitive tasks or click-intensive projects with a touchpad is a one-way ticket to a headache.
Here are a few other items to consider:
- A lapdesk
- A Wi-Fi enabled printer
- A monitor stand
- A desktop scanner (You can also use an app for this.)
Face-to-face is always ideal.
If you work from home every day, then sooner or later you’ll probably need to hop onto a video call with coworkers or clients. And even if you don’t have a need for professional video conferences, it is nice to be able to talk through projects and tasks with co-workers face-to-face.
A simple solution can be an app like Skype, Highfive, or GoToMeeting. All you really need for these to work is a laptop with video functionality. However, if you’re working on a desktop with no built-in video camera, you can always pick up a webcam from BestBuy or Walmart for as little as $50.
Here’s a list from Lifewire that details the best webcams of 2018 (there’s even one for $8).
An app for all things teamwork.
The easier it is to share documents, ideas, and tasks with your team, the easier it will be for you to get your job done. And this is especially true for any person working remotely. For example, if you find yourself working from home after hours with no access to the documents you need, it will be nearly impossible for you to get anything done.
Because of this, it’s important to incorporate a handful of apps into your team’s day-to-day. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- A document-sharing app like Dropbox or Google Docs
- A note-taking, idea-sharing app like OneNote or Evernote
- A messaging app like Slack or Microsoft Teams
Team platforms are where it’s at.
An app that helps you collaborate is one thing, but an app that keeps everyone on the same page is an entirely different experience. For this to happen, you need a fully mobile, company-wide platform with a handful of integrations.
Platforms like Asana, Trello, or Wrike are ideal. These platforms give you and your coworkers the ability to schedule and assign tasks to people, communicate within project boards, and share documents and images with one another. A tool like these can help a remote worker (or even an office employee working from home for the day) manage his or her workload, gain easy access to work-related data, and maximize productivity.
For a comprehensive list of the best team platforms available, check out this list from TechRadar.
