The Best Work From Home Tips from a Telecommute Company
Did you know that Virtual Resort Manager has been a telecommuting company for quite a while? That's right! Your favorite vacation rental software provider started making the transition to working remotely ten years ago. Today, we are in our fifth year of being a 100% telecommute company.
Through the years, we have tried and tested many different "work from home" techniques and technologies to create a virtual space that serves our clients and employees with the very best. We feel that we have an excellent approach to telecommuting and give ourselves an A+! Despite having employees spread out across the United State and in multiple time zones, we are a tight knit family.
We rely on several applications to help us be successful and to stay in communication with our clients, to stay connected to one another, and to keep ourselves organized.
Keep scrolling to read about the best work from home tips and tricks from a telecommute company who is doing it right! Our employees have chimed in to give you their very best advice.
Technical Tips
"In moderation, use the tools like Sococo and Zoom to reach out to your coworkers and have water cooler conversations. Obviously doing this too much takes away from productivity . . . but on the other hand not having any human contact can negatively affect productivity too."
Mike "Tex" Lord, VRM Development Team
"Work from home hack: Take a monitor from the office so you can have more than one when working from home. Then, when you get back to the office make sure you use two (or more) monitors. The more monitors, the better. (Note: You might see diminishing returns around the 6 monitor mark.)"
Jonathan Hickman, VRM Development Team
Tips for Working From Home When Children Are Home
"My tip is for parents and would be one of these:
1. Have plenty of educational things to keep your kids busy and learning during the day and not glued to the tv/tablet (coloring/painting books, toys that encourage building stuff, age-appropriate workbooks, etc...) and take a few minutes here and there to do these with them.
2. Work as much as you can when your kids are still asleep in the morning, napping, after they go to bed to maximize time spent with your family.
3. Take your laptop outside and let your kids play while you work."
Courtney Parker, VRM Marketing Team
"Having my children home and trying to homeschool on top of working, I’ve found doing school sessions in 30 minute intervals gives both them and me a break so we are not all having complete meltdowns before lunch."
Megan Vangelist, VRM Training & Support Team
"Have an arsenal of kids activities/educational learning videos, and crafts lined up for your kids. Giving them productive stimulation will help give you peace of mind to focus on your work."
Chantal Maddocks, VRM Marketing Team
"Get rid of cats.
Get rid of new puppy.
Ignore kids, even when they break stuff or fight.
Kick kids off the laptop you are trying to use for work and they are trying to use for school.
Drink more coffee.
Give up.
Try again.
But seriously, I don't know how you full-timers do it. I really don't! The best thing I do is actually put my to-do list on my phone calendar for the day. Even little things... like "back up computer" but also big things like "write blog." Having the items in my calendar helps me plan my day.
I also have learned to write when it's best for me - at night! A lot of people are drained by then but it's when I am best able to focus. My brain is more creative then, too."
Michelle Moll, VRM Marketing Team
Setting Up a Workspace at Home
"You need to have a work space to yourself so you do not get distracted."
Michelle Smith, VRM Training & Support Team
"Good seating. You might find that your home chairs are not as comfortable as your work chairs. Good work chairs can be very expensive when purchased new. However, you can find much cheaper refurbished chairs or second hand on the secondary markets like Craigslist, Offerup, Letgo, etc…
Kevin Gorham, VRM Training & Support Team
"Choose a dedicated workspace. I am most productive when working at my desk than anywhere else in my home. It is also a visual cue to my family when they see me there that I am working, and they are less likely to interrupt me."
Stefani Pereira, VRM Marketing Team
Getting in a Routine
"Keep a consistent schedule – take your normal breaks and lunches and work your normal schedule."
Tammy Taylor, VRM Installations Team
"Really good Jazz music. Preferably Coleman Hawkins or Miles Davis."
Christopher Rahilly, VRM Marketing Team
"Remember that just because you are working from home doesn’t mean your day goes beyond normal “quitting” time. Be sure you do not let your job take over your home life. Just because you can work 20 extra hours doesn’t mean you should. 😊 (But if you need to, go for it!)"
Lauren Schreckengost, VRM Training & Support Team
Staying Healthy At Your Home Desk
"Get up & stretch.
Move every hour or so.
Get fresh air & sunshine!"
Amanda Oaks, VRM Marketing Team
"Sitting at a desk all day can do a number on your health! If you don't believe me, get an AppleWatch or Fit Bit... it doesn't lie.
Be sure to drink a lot of water! Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. And don't feel guilty about taking breaks or logging out for lunch."
Tracy Sanderson, VRM Marketing Team
Looking for more great reads about staying healthy at your desk job? Check out this blog post that is full of wonderful ideas.
Want to know more about our remote work routine and what works for us? Ask us! If we get enough inquires, we would be happy to offer a "how to run your business from home" webinar. Email us at [email protected].
Remember, VRM is more than just your vacation rental software company. We are part of your team... and we consider you a part of our family. The entire VRM team is here for you.
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