Here are Liberty Insurance’s top tips to be productive while working from home!

Set office hours

Although it may be tempting not to set the alarm clock, if you want to be productive you need to stick to a schedule. Since you will be working with other people and you will have to respond to emails, be present in the corporate chat or answer video calls, it is important that you adjust your workday to your company’s working hours. Setting office hours will also help protect your personal life and prevent teleworking from ending up consuming every minute of your day. 

Set up a work-only space 

To work productively from home, the best thing to do is to separate work and leisure spaces. If you have an office, it will be easier for you to adapt and focus. It is important that you set up this space so that you feel comfortable. Remember that working in a pleasant and orderly environment will increase your productivity. If you can’t turn a room in your home into an office, at least make sure to use a desk. Avoid lying on the sofa and working because your productivity will plummet as your brain will immediately associate this space with leisure and rest, disconnecting from your work. 

Establish a work routine

Even if you have a home office, you should follow a routine similar to that which you’d follow if you were going to work. Don’t stay in your pyjamas all day. Getting ready and dressed as if you were going into the office will help your brain prepare to enter “work mode”. Organise a routine like the one you followed in the office: plan short breaks and don’t eat while sitting in front of the computer.

These little breaks are very important because they will allow you to get back to work with even more energy and fresh ideas. Avoid doing housework during the office hours that you have set because you will lose your concentration and work rhythm. 

Plan priority tasks

Working from home is not the same as being in the office, where project managers usually have tighter control over daily tasks to ensure that nothing important has been left undone. To be productive, you must become your own boss, which means learning to manage your time and self-regulating. Before starting to work, spend at least 10 minutes organising your day. Check what tasks you have pending and organise them according to their priority. Try to be objective and don’t plan out more tasks than you can do, because you will end up becoming overwhelmed and frustrated. 

Take advantage of your peaks in productivity

Your energy level, motivation and concentration will change throughout the day. When working remotely, it’s essential to know when these spikes in productivity occur, so that you can plan your schedule based on them. Most people are more productive in the morning, so it’s best to spend those hours on more complex projects that require more focus and energy. You can spend your less productive hours on tasks that are more repetitive or that require less mental effort, such as checking work emails or planning tomorrow’s tasks. 

Avoid technological distractions

When you work at home, no one controls what you do, so you can end up developing unproductive habits. To meet deadlines, you will have to impose strict discipline: avoid checking personal messages, browsing social networks or reading the news during work hours. Little tricks, like logging out of your accounts, can act as a deterrent and prevent you from logging in automatically.

You can also use applications to block access to social networks while you’re working. And if you want to go one step further, there are applications like Strict Workflow that allow you to create a blacklist of websites that you won’t be able to access from Chrome during the period of time that you specify.

Use time management tools

If you’ve never worked from home, the first few days you may have a hard time staying focused on a task, or you may find yourself being less productive than you thought. In that case, time management applications can become your allies. Productivity applications, such as RescueTime or Harverst, will help you monitor the amount of time you dedicate to each task, so you can detect the black holes where the minutes seem to disappear into. You can also use timers like TomatoTimer to schedule blocks of time of maximum concentration with rest breaks. 

Stay in touch with your coworkers

To work from home effectively, you must keep yourself informed about all the changes occurring in the company that may affect your projects. This means that you must keep in constant communication not only with your boss or the project coordinators but with your closest coworkers as well. This systematic contact will help you to better perform your duties, as well as to alleviate the loneliness and feeling of disconnection that you could end up experiencing when working from home. 

How can you stay productive with kids at home?

If you have kids, working from home can be twice as challenging, as children are noisy and easily bored. Accordingly, you should rely on your partner to share the burden of childcare-related tasks. Consider a daily schedule, realistic and adjusted to your needs. Remember that it’s better to work fewer hours, but without interruptions to get the most out of them, rather than getting frustrated because you need to stop what you’re doing to continuously look after your children. 

A good option is to wake up earlier to take advantage of those hours when your children may still be sleeping. If your kids are already in school, they will likely have online classes and will need to do their homework. You can take advantage of those hours to complete your job’s most complex tasks. Technology and video games can also become your allies. Don’t feel guilty for allowing your children to use them while you work. 

If you live with other people, including siblings, parents or flatmates, it’s important that they respect your work schedule and don’t constantly interrupt you. Keep in mind that your brain takes an average of 23 minutes to re-focus and work at peak capacity after a distraction. So just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you’re available at home. 

Remember that working from home can be an excellent opportunity to develop new professional skills that could be very useful in the future, as well as demonstrate your commitment, worth and dedication to your company.

Discover home insurance plans ready for the real world from Liberty Insurance Ireland.

This article has been written and provided by Liberty Insurance. #ad

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Whilst things I used to worry about at the beginning (such as getting enough sales and having set processes) are now a distant memory, I find myself needing to be more organised than ever. Personally, I found this stage of growth the hardest and most stressful. The dynamic changes and specialist advice becomes increasingly more important. I did, however, find these tips helpful when pushing my company into being a 6-figure profit business:

Fall in love with strategising

The first year I made 6-figures in profit I’d spent at least once a week working on strategy. Luckily, this is my favourite part of my job. I could do this all day and it’s really a treat to curl up with herbal tea and figure out how I’m going to achieve my goals. Every time I focus on my business strategy I feel motivated and 100 times more productive. Most importantly, I have a clear direction of what I need to do next to really make the business flourish.

If you don’t enjoy focusing on strategy work then change your perspective on it. Figure out why you shy away from focusing on your business strategy and work through it. So many people I speak to sheepishly tell me they don’t strategise because they don’t know how to. It’s so simple to get started though and you can develop your skills and analysis as you go along. Here’s how to get started

1. Write down a list of goals you’d like to achieve with a timeline (I.e make £100,000 profit by October 2021)
2. Working backwards, figure out roughly how much revenue you’ll need to make in order to hit your financial goal.
3. Bullet-point a list of objectives you need to achieve to meet that goal. For example, this could be the number of sales you need to make.
4. Create an actionable plan of tasks you can do to support you to meet those objectives. Keep jotting down ideas, do some market research then come back to your strategy.

This is a super basic way to get started and to start thinking about the future of your business. When you start feeling comfortable with this you can explore strategy tools such as the SWOT analysis, the Astroff Matrix, and my personal favourite, the Business Model Canvas.

If you studied business you’ll have heard of these but if not, don’t worry, there’s a ton of useful resources online. These tools will help you understand how you develop your business with a clear direction.

Use project management tools religiously

Throughout my career, I’ve used different project management tools and in truth, I’ve always loathed them. I found them overly complicated and unnecessary. Logging time felt like a hassle and I just wanted to get on with my job without the admin. I couldn’t see why my bosses were so keen to force a project management system on us since we all hated using it.

Now I’m running a business I can 100% see the value in it. I would be completely lost without Asana. I use it every single day, without fail. My account has everything I need to know about my campaigns and what my staff are working on, along with deadlines and reminders. Good project management is crucial to a successful business so it’s dead important you find something that works for you.

I recommend trialling a few different tools such as Asana, Trello and Teamwork, and seeing which works for your business. Depending on your business, you might even feel comfortable sticking to pen and paper. This can be fine in some cases but be aware that if you intend to scale your business, collaboration is easier online. I found it’s best to get comfortable with the tool first before you start building a team.

Hire help more than you think

When your business is small, it’s hard to begin outsourcing or think about hiring. Funds are usually tight and it’s tempting to cut corners. Ultimately, you’ll come to the point where you simply don’t have enough time to do everything, and you’ll need to weigh up if it’s worth doing something you could pay someone £10 an hour to do when you could be focusing on something that brings in more money.

I started off slowly but then after the business rapidly grew, I didn’t have much choice but to hire quickly. It was scary and I felt uneasy about the situation but logically I knew it would enable me to have some time back to focus on building the business. I knew if I continued to resist hiring that I would run out of hours in the day and I wouldn’t ever meet my goal (something I learnt about my business whilst focusing on my strategy!).

Now I try to hire before I feel like I’m desperately juggling too much. This not only makes me feel less stressed but it also enables me to dedicate time to ensure I find the right person for the job and I don’t feel rushed in making a decision.

The post How To Make Your First £100,000 Profit In Less Than 12 Months  appeared first on Strawberry Squeeze.

Running a business as an introvert comes with its own challenges – unlike extroverts who don’t get drained by activities like networking and sales, you really have to think about how to run and grow your company while also preserving your energy. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have a thriving business, it just means setting certain things up so you can always show up as the best version of yourself.

Set Your Schedule Around Your Energy

There are certain parts of running a business and being an entrepreneur that just has to be done or else the business won’t survive. It’s different for different types of industries. If you’re an online entrepreneur, you might have to do a lot of calls with potential clients, but imagine what that would do to your energy if you have to do back-to-back calls, how do you make this more bearable?

Build time to recharge into your schedule. Whether you have a day with zero calls or free afternoons, make sure you set a time that allows you to recharge. Remember, if you feel tired and drained, it’s going to be impossible to do your job and to do it well, so being rested and relaxed isn’t just for you, it’s for your business too.

Make Travel Less Stressful

Another necessary part of running a business is a travel and network events. As great as these things are, they are also draining for an introvert. The process of moving to and from the event, being around a lot of people for hours on end, and even the overwhelm that comes with new ideas shared at conferences can be immensely taxing.

There are ways you can make it easier. Being in crowded boarding lounges can also affect you, and you can either pay to get into a private lounge or if you really want to splurge, you can consider chartering a plane for you and your team. Many people are intimidated by what they think a charter plane cost will be, but there are actually great packages. Travel is incredibly draining for everyone, but for introverts, it’s a lot worse. Whatever steps you can take to make it easier will be great for your mental health.

Try Podcasting

If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re going to have to put yourself out there and increase your visibility in your niche. If you’re an introvert, preferably you would want to do this from the comfort of your home right? Well, you can by leaning into podcasting. Podcasts are a powerful way to introduce yourself to new audiences, network with fellow business owners, and increase your authority in your industry.

It’s great because you can have amazing conversations without leaving your home, and you can leverage the podcast to create all sorts of content. If you want to protect your energy while growing your business, you can start your own podcast, or just pitch yourself to podcasts and be featured as a guest.

Fine Tune Your Environment

The great thing about being an online entrepreneur is that you can build a thriving 6-figure business from the comfort of your home, which is also great for introverts because going into an office and spending all day with people can really be tough on your energy. You have more freedom, and you can work in a space with more peace and calm which will allow you to do your best work.

Your working environment impacts how you feel, how you work, and your ability to rest so put a lot of thought into it. Decorate your working space so that it calms you and inspires you to do your best work. Remove all clutter from your space because working in a disorganized space will also affect your energy.

Being an introvert isn’t a weakness or a flaw that you have to correct, it’s just how you function as a human being. As an entrepreneur, it can actually work in your favor if you know how to protect your energy and give yourself time to recharge your batteries. Many successful business owners are introverted and we can learn a lot from them and implement it in our own lives.

The post Introverted Entrepreneur? How To Run a Business And Protect Your Energy appeared first on Strawberry Squeeze.

We’ve all had to keep ourselves entertained during lockdown. Perhaps you’ve mastered the art of cracking cupcakes or discovered a flourish for flower arranging, and you want to earn a little money on the side.

You might even have grand plans to turn this lockdown venture into a full-time career. If it’s your first foray into the world of business, it can be a little intimidating. That’s why we’ve compiled five fantastic tips to get you started. 

Get Online

Your business isn’t going to go anywhere if people can’t find your products. 

When starting out, you’ll need a business website with an eCommerce platform for online selling. It’s also worth having a good social media presence – this is an excellent way for creators starting out to find a following and raise brand awareness. 

High-Quality Photographs

Research shows that users spend more time looking at highly detailed images.

Remember the days of actually visiting a store? It feels like a lifetime ago now, but customers who could touch products were more likely to buy them.

That’s hardly practical for an online business, so you’ll need to compensate with your images. Let your customers feel like they have a product in their hands. 

Remember the golden rules: less is more, and customers appreciate quality over quantity, so don’t overload with images!

Make Reproduceable Items

This is really just to save you time – and keep you sane.

It takes an incredible amount of effort to photograph, list, and describe a product, so the fewer times you have to do this, the better.

Try to establish a core range. Not only will this help your brand recognition, but it will also increase the desirability of any limited edition ranges you might produce.

Keep Profit in Mind

One of the most common mistakes people make, especially when they’re just starting out, is to dramatically under-price themselves.

Go into your business with the goal of making a liveable wage from your products – even if it is just a side-hustle. Don’t just price to cover supplies, especially if you’re selling handmade products.

Your time is valuable and you should treat it as such! 

Advertise

Word of mouth is all well and good to start with. You may have even gathered a group of loyal followers.

But eventually, you’re going to need to expand your customer base. 

One way to do this is through PPC (pay-per-click) advertising. PPC is great for connecting you with new online customers, as the ads are triggered when a user makes a related search. 

Use a company such as Maratopia Digital Marketing, experts firms like this will be more than happy to get you started and guide you through the waters you have yet to chart! 

PPC can also be optimised for social media, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get your brand out there!

Have you transformed your lockdown hobby into a business? Share it in the comments! 

The post 5 Tips For Setting Up An Online Business During The Pandemic appeared first on Strawberry Squeeze.

Every freelancer must have a suitable office and appropriate equipment needed for the job. To get you started, you need to find stationery equipment that will help you facilitate your freelance work. Now we’ve got most of our furniture in the new office, we’re starting to purchase the little things, like stationary! Here are some things you’ll need to consider…

1. A Computer and Internet Connection

You cannot work as a freelancer without a computer and a reliable internet connection. Since your work depends on one machine, you must choose a computer that perfectly suits your freelance work. Which is exactly why I’ve finally treated myself to a new MacBook Pro!

Choosing your computer configuration will depend on your needs and the kind of work that you do. Begin by identifying your preferred computer specs depending on the type of projects you intend to handle. Secondly, identify whether to get a laptop or a desktop computer and purchase whatever is the best option for your working style and. habits.

As a freelancer, your internet connection is one of your most essential working tools. Your internet connection should be strong and stable enough to ensure your work is done with zero interruptions. Also, consider working with a trustworthy service provider to avoid risking internet service interruptions.

2. Furniture

Working as a freelancer means spending a lot of time sitting at your desk. You must invest in comfortable office stationery such as a desk and chair to maintain good posture during your workday. Recently, more advanced furniture designs are extremely comfortable and support your back fully while typing. Sam has become an office chair expert, as of late. Whilst I find sitting on an exercise ball is best for my posture and my lifestyle.

To maintain a good workflow, you must invest in a good closet or shelves where you can store your books, files, and other documents to ensure everything is functional and coincides with your needs. We have the same storage that we had in the old house, which isn’t beautiful, but it’s functional. It’s heavy-duty, lockable, and enormous, giving us a huge amount of storage space!

3. Files

Regardless of your job specialty, you need to have several files as they help in keeping documents safe and easily accessible. Often, you may find yourself with piles and piles of important documents that have no immediate use but are vital in your work. Documents that are safely kept will not easily tear, get dirty, or lost.

We keep all of our files in the storage cabinets so we have peace of mind that they’re safe and protected. You may choose to get a fireproof safe, too, if you need something that’s going to protect valuable documents. We’re regularly destroying documents as well, so we’re not storing more than we actually need to. Remember GDPR, kids!

4. Notebooks and Pens

Having notebooks and pens while working on any project helps you record each detail required by the client or the customer. Notebooks will also help note down creative ideas for your project as they appear in your head, which helps increase your productivity. I also find having a notebook is better when I’m on a Zoom call with somebody, so they can actively see I’m writing, as opposed to clicking around on my screen, which may come across as if I’m distracted.

It is important to have different notebooks for various assignments as this helps you stay organized and makes things easy to reference when you require them in the future. As a volunteer, I’m often working on lots of different projects, completely unrelated to my work, and I don’t want anything to get mixed up. There’s a good reason for this, but also it just easier to keep track of.

A Daily Planner

It may be challenging to keep track of all your work and projects, especially if you have busy schedules. Therefore, as a freelancer, you need to invest in a good desk planner to plan your schedule for the whole week. Having a planner helps to enhance productivity, manage stress levels, and maintain reliable records.

Alternatively, you can use an online app such as Trello or Asana to keep tabs on your to-do lists and priorities. It’s helpful being able to separate projects out and assign deadlines, but most of all, I love the flexibility of being able to move things around in the planner without having a messy book full of scribbles (or a mash of communication across text and email!).

Take Ownership of Your Home Office

You can give your home office a personal touch by investing in the right equipment. Appropriate office equipment makes you relaxed, confident, and productive, leading to a successful freelance career.

The post Must-Have Stationery Equipment For Freelance Work appeared first on Strawberry Squeeze.

Fast-forward to my 30’s, and I’m still obsessed with learning. I always have a non-fiction book on the go, I love documentaries, and I’m usually enrolled in some kind of course. Sometimes it’s a distance learning course, and sometimes it’s a short in-person course I can fit in between my working hours.

Feeding my mind with new information and exploring new subjects lights a fire inside me. I’m a huge advocate for online learning and short courses (basically, whatever works for you and your schedule), and here’s why:

Earn more money

Whether it’s to get that promotion at work, progress onto another qualification, or start a business – one of the main reasons people study courses is to elevate their career and make more money. Studying online means you can learn in your own time at your own pace. This means you can do it alongside a full-time job or another qualification that you might be attending in person. Distance learning and online courses require commitment and dedication but you can achieve your goals much quicker this way.

In the space of a single year, you can gain 12-months of industry experience and achieve the same credentials as your peers, giving you a competitive edge when it comes to applying for jobs. Extra qualifications from specialists in distance learning and online courses can also really help if you’re gunning for a promotion at work or you’re looking for a career change and you need to gain some experience.

Explore new subjects

When I studied abroad in Australia I chose subjects that interested me, that complimented my marketing degree, and offered me a competitive edge. I ended up studying consumer psychology, human behaviour, and 2 other neuroscience and sociology modules. This was one of the best decisions I could have made. Choosing these classes broadened my knowledge and forced me to learn quickly, which was really motivating in itself.

It was daunting choosing something so far out of my comfort zones but I felt secure in the fact that it was only 6 months and that if I didn’t like it, I could always change my mind (I dropped studying philosophy for that exact reason). Enrolling in a short course or learning via distance learning allows you to get a taste for another subject without needing to commit yourself to a full-time qualification. It also holds you accountable to ‘give it your all’ for a period of time, so you can give it your best shot before deciding it’s not right for you.

Reduce stress

Running a business is stressful and sometimes it’s hard to step away from work. I try and take my mind off of things by exercising, gardening, and volunteering. I feel as though I’m teleported to another world when I’m in the ocean or sowing seeds in the garden, it’s my mindfulness medicine. After going through a bit of a rough time at the beginning of the year, I decided to pull myself out of a rut and enrolled myself onto a ceramics course. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do – and I can actually do it regardless of the weather.

Studying doesn’t always have to be about adding something to your CV or progressing in your career. Taking care of your mental health is more important than your next promotion. When I’m taking care of myself, I’m happier and I feel more motivated (I even come up with more creative business ideas!). Studying these vocational courses forces me to focus on myself, instead of just working on my business. This course commits me to at least 3-hours away from my computer every Friday morning for 8 weeks, and I can’t wait.

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