Working from an office at home, you will have many tools that help you get the job done. Things such as a fast, reliable internet connection, efficient computer system and cloud-based applications for storage are all essential in today’s home office environment.
However, there are a few things that can help you if you deal with clients outside of your home environment or have paying customers coming to your home.
Mobile Internet
Although you have mobile internet for your cell phone, you will need a strong and reliable connection to your work phone or tablet. Not only will it enable you to view your products and deal with documents while visiting clients or customers, but it will also help you to deal with payments remotely. Check with your local cell phone providers to see who has the best coverage in your area.
Cloud-Based Document Management
You might have cloud-based storage, though have you got all of your applications on your mobile device? Make sure that you use the cloud to its full potential to benefit your working practices. To make things easier, you should consider having an online document management system and dairy. That way, you have access to documents and your calendar wherever you are. It makes you look more professional when dealing with clients to have the details available instead of having to confirm things when you get home.
Mobile Payments
One of the most important parts of your business is getting paid. You want to make the process as easy as possible for both you and your customers. That could mean that you take payments while at visiting clients, out at an event, or at home. The best way to do this is with a POS System because it is versatile enough to cope with any way you want to arrange payment, no matter where you are. It is this versatility that will make your customers happy.
Video Conferencing
If for some reason you cannot get to a client, or they are in another country, then using something like video conferencing can be of great help. Not only can it still allow you to show your clients things and send documents to them in real time. It also keeps both of you up to date on the project. Some people prefer to speak to someone face to face, so video conferencing is the next best thing. If you are planning on talking to someone in another country, then you need to be mindful of the time zones before you attempt to call.
Time Keeping Software
Although this might seem strange, having a way of keeping your time accurately is by using some type of time-keeping software. Not only does it help you to work set hours, it is also a good way of tracking your time for specific tasks so that you can manage your time better. By using a few of these applications, you can increase your turn around times and make things easier for you.