This has been a year of change for so many of us. A large portion of people are now working from home. It’s interesting to me, because I’ve been providing virtual bookkeeping and accounting for years.
Redmond Accounting is a cloud accounting and bookkeeping firm, so we operate remotely. We’re paperless and rarely need to meet in person. Most of my employees live thousands of miles away. Some of us live on the east coast and some live on the west coast.
There can definitely be challenges when it comes to telecommuting. Staying on task and motivated is something I know I struggle with. My new puppy, Ripple, requires a lot of attention!
My work day is flexible when I work from home which I enjoy. When I need to take the puppy to the vet, I can do that during the day with no problem. Client calls and meetings are from 9 to 5, but a good portion of my duties can be done at any time.
Being able to work remotely is a marketable skill. In future business ventures, employers like myself will be more inclined to hire remote workers. There has never been more technology to support working from home, but doing it effectively and efficiently is a desirable capability.
Here are some tricks of the trade for working from home:
1. Networking from home is different but not always worse, especially now that my local groups have migrated to Zoom. Meeting with colleagues at least once a week has helped me maintain a level of normalcy. Keeping up with people on LinkedIn can help bridge the gap as well.
2. Dedicating a spot in the home for work is key. Working from bed eliminates that mental separation of work and relaxation. Leaving my desk and closing my laptop at the end of the day is my way of ‘clocking out’. If I don’t do it that way, I find myself stressing over work more often at late night hours.
3. Setting aside time for lunch may seem unimportant, but it can really improve my productivity. If I don’t schedule it out I’ll end up rushing to the pantry for a granola bar in between meetings and feeling burnt out afterward. When I give myself that break in the day, even if it’s not at a normal lunch hour, I’m good to go for the whole day.
4. Dressing up for the work day puts me in the right mindset. Even if I don’t have a meeting that day I’ll still get ready. (Fridays are a different story…)
5. Coordinating schedules with people across different time zones can be tricky. This can also create another level of variability in what hours I work. I’m a frequent flyer on time zone conversion websites.
6. Make sure you use technology that supports working from home. At Redmond Accounting, a few of our favorite applications are Quickbooks Online, Bill.com, Aero, and Expensify to manage working remotely. Not only are we able to provide our clients with virtual accounting, bookkeeping, and consulting services,, but our team can stay focused and ensure projects never slip through the cracks.
If you’re curious to learn whether working with a virtual accountant is right for your business or would like to know more about how you can set up your internal accounting department to operate virtually and on the cloud, schedule a complimentary consult so we can learn more about your business’s needs.
We’d love to talk with you. we’d love to help you empower your business through accounting expertise and insight.
