Author: Telecommute Job Online

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Something More in This Life

Ever have that feeling like there was something more in this life? You may have found yourself with some free time on your hands since the pandemic, and you may have found some peace and quiet, enough to hear a still small voice say,

“There is something more in this life.”

You could do what most other people do when they hear that little voice, brush it aside as a silly thought, “It must have been something I ate.”

Only there is nothing silly about it. It is your truest most high part of yourself, reaching out to you. This voice knows who you are, who you really are.

You are so incredibly special, and part of you has forgotten. Oh, you knew who you were. You knew you came to this planet with a purpose, message, passion, and mission. There was a time when it was so very clear. Then slowly, your birthright was beaten out of you by the social construct, and by the time you were seven years old, any remembrance of it was gone.

Have you had the thought that maybe it is time to strike out on your own, to take the reins of fate into your own hands? You have not missed a thingThere is no better time than now to spread your wings and fly, but to achieve your highest and best, the best thing you could do would be to fully embrace your purpose, message, passion, and mission.

Everything you do when you are aligned with your sacred and highest good, especially if you are considering an entrepreneurial venture. Imagine how powerful your adventure could be empowered by your full power potential.

What is your purpose? The answer is the key to your massive successful endeavors.

A look back at your life, everything that has led to this moment, is a rarely looked at map that leads you here and into the future. Once you look at your life from the vantage point of your higher self, all the chaos, drama, and trauma, all makes perfect sense.

Can you remember what you wanted to do with your life before you were seven? You might be surprised how it all lines up so perfectly, pointing where to go next.

Now you have to prepare to launch the new you, your new enterprise in harmony with your powerful authenticity.

For the first time in ever, you can use technology to access the world with your unique message, even under pandemic lockdown.

There has never been a better time to start a movement and align with like-minded people just like you who share a passion for what you are feeling led to do, and help others that need to hear your message. There are people who desperately need to hear what you have to say. You could be saving lives this year.

You were meant for more than this.

You are the light in the darkness.

Let your light shine.

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How to Start Your Own Business

With millions of new startups during the pandemic, shouldn’t your new business be one of them? What kind of business would you open? Certainly, one that fits into the new economy, one with low overhead that you could start from home and take advantage of outsourcing any of the services you need to launch your new startup.

Today, you do not need a lot of capital to get your new business started and you can take advantage of all the digital and online support services to support your new endeavor.

Where are your passions? What are those things that you love to do more than anything? What are the activities, that when you do them, time just passes by? Next thing you know, hours have passed by, and it seemed like only minutes. That is when you and “in the zone,” when your passion is engaged, and this – if you could manage to find a way to get people to pay you for it – is the sweet spot of your entrepreneurial future.

Business opportunities come and go and markets shift and change over time which causes stress on any business, but if you are engaged in a business that you are extremely passionate about, you will have the wherewithal to sustain any bumps in the road for expanded survivability.

If you are going to get into the marketplace of the new emerging economy, you need to determine to the best of your ability, what would be the best investment for you to consider? Will you launch your new business based on goods or services?

Will you be selling a product that you manufacture or buy wholesale? Can you sell digital information? Can you provide services that can either be performed as labor or be delivered digitally?

Home Manufacture

Current examples include making and selling customized masks would be manufacturing.

Wholesale / Retail

If you buy something to resell, that would be buying at wholesale (low-priced or factory-direct) and selling it retail or for a higher price and you pocket the difference.

Digital Information

Could include anything from sharing your family recipes to how-to manuals in digital format, live-streaming demonstrations, or online training.

Regardless of how you decide to structure your business, try to make sure it is something that excites you, something that you are passionate about.

Your Business Name

Next, you will need a name. Your business name should be about your brand, and people should be able to figure out what you do by just hearing or reading the name of your company. If you are an individual providing a service, you could use your name, especially if you have somewhat of a following where people associate your name with what you do, like John Q. Public Accountant.

Do not decide on a name until you have been able to secure the dot-com for your business name, which you can get for less than $15.00. For example, if you want to call your business AAA Plumbing, and aaaplumbing.com is already taken, keep searching for variations of dot-com names, until you can find one that fits, and name your company that. So, if you were able to get aaasupremeplumbing.com and you felt like that would be a good brand for you, then get the dot-com, then register your business name (AAA Supreme Plumbing) with your local and state agencies.

Web Site

Hooking up a preliminary web site to your domain name would be the next thing you would want to do.  The website need not be extravagant, mostly an online business card which establishes your brand, and gives your potential online clientele a way to find out about you and contact you on the world wide web. A basic web site will run about $20 a month or less.

Physical Products

If you are selling a physical product, one that you package and ship, think about this: You could have Amazon, promote, sell, package, and ship your products for you by participating in their FBA (Fulfillment By Amazon) program. You package and ship your products to one of their warehouses, and they take care of the rest.

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The COVID Work from Home Experiment

There has been a great deal of anticipation about the COVID work from home experiment, and it appears that the upside is the many benefits of remote work which has generally improved the performance of office workers by nearly 30% in productivity with very low overhead costs. A huge win in the workforce in the United States of America.

Even with the overwhelmingly positive results and huge benefits to the bottom lines of companies and organizations who have successfully embraced (and cashed-in on) the telecommute work-from-home model has not without its challenges.

At the very least, Internet connectivity, having the basic electronic devices required, being able to have an effective workspace within the home, and managing family around the home office are the basic requirements to have nailed down in the beginning.

The first real concern to show up was paranoia among management. “How can we be expected to trust employees working from home?” The first wave of response was to attempt to initiate surveillance efforts to micromanage remote workers. The results appear to indicate counterproductivity as initial increases in productivity began to decline.

In the new world of the telecommuter, a reasonable degree of trust must be part of the foundation of the teleworking agreement. Employers must find other ways and means of tracking individual employee productivity over time, besides looking over the shoulder of staff members.

After all, they are working from home, which means they could be doing practically anything from drinking on the job to working naked for all we know (and they are).

Nevertheless, for the companies and organizations who fully embrace the idea of staff working from home, their number are up, and expenses are down.

While all the numbers are looking good, it appears that telecommuters in the $150,000-range (and up) are seeing the greatest increase in productivity and value to the employers during this period of time when we are testing the waters of sending workers home to work.

At the same time, other industries that do not translate as well to the telework atmosphere, are barely staying alive, and some of them are closing their doors forever. Channels such as manufacturing, warehousing, transportation, and hospitality, are experiencing the greatest challenges and struggle for survivability during these unprecedented times.

Telecommuters are facing their own set of challenges, such as a general decline of overall mental health, while family viability in workers’ households is declining at an alarming rate, causing some parents to have to make a choice between work and family.

One of the biggest issues for remote workers to tackle is how to manage work tasks amid the various distractions that might vie for one’s attention in a work from home environment. This is in huge contrast to being secluded in a safe and sane corporate office setting, where very little effort need be exerted to focus on tasks at hand.

Instead of the brief interactions that may distract you briefly at the office, home office interruptions may include anything from doorbells, phones ringing, dishes in the sink, impatient children and/or pets desiring attention, and the list goes on and on.

Kids at home who are attending schools remotely online are also a growing concern for telecommuters.

Being able to set up a home office space that has separations from the rest of the household and establishing boundaries seems to help remote workers manage distractions that might otherwise negatively affect their overall performance.

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Prepare for Post-pandemic Telecommuting

Assembling your post-pandemic work from home team, you can take steps to increase your team’s ability to succeed and shine by proactively taking steps that will enhance your connection and productivity.

Use Common Tools

Remote working is different from working in the office but you can help to create cohesiveness among your members by using common tools to tie them together.

For instance, you will need common communication tools, like WhatsApp, Messenger, or Google Chat.
You will need a common area to share files, such as Google Drive or Dropbox
Decide to agree to use a common video conferencing platform, like Zoom or Skype
Shareable whiteboard, something like Miro or Stormboard
Project management tools, like Trello or Asana
And something to accumulate poll data, like SurveyMonkey.

It is up to you, as the team leader, to set up an effective telecommuting environment that will ensure your team’s success. Focus on results and do not let your attention be sidetracked by obsessing about what your team members might be doing while they are reportedly on-the-clock. For all you know, they could be naked or getting drunk while off-camera. You must let go of worrying about what is happening while they are working from home and focus on the results. But do

Set Boundaries

It is reasonable to set boundaries and expectations. As the leader you can establish what you would like the work from home environment will look like. Make it clear what you expect, and the results that you expect from the remote working staff. Then, just assume that compliance is taking place unless you notice someone’s performance numbers declining, then you can address the situation and see if you and your team can help the faltering team member to increase their performance.

Do Not Spy on Your Employees

These days, we have all the tracking and surveillance software and hardware that we could ever need to monitor employees’ activities while on-the-clock. Just because we can, does not mean we should. Plus, making your employees feel like they are being spied on does not build employee confidence or a sense of loyalty, which reduces Human Resource expenses by increasing employee retention in the long run.

Get Regular Reports

Only you can know what type and frequency of reports would be appropriate for your remote staff. Try not to make it too complicated or drawn-out, and possibly allow for each team member to find their own style of reporting and use whatever is comfortable for them.

Create Your Remote Team Culture

Create online experiences that bring your team members together. Host competitions, virtual talent shows, celebrate birthdays and special occasions, just like you might in the office to build relationships among your team members. Be supportive, and fun. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Additional Support

Think about providing resources for your telecommuters, such as coaching and mental health services. Consider adding a Life Coach to your team who can help support and invigorate the lives of other team members and watch your performance numbers increase with each passing day.

When people are working from home for extended periods of time, it causes stress-related issues they would not otherwise be exposed to. A regular mental health check-in may be appropriate to help avoid complications or loss of performance due to any lurking mental health issues.

 

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Who Will Continue to Work from Home?

Employers are going to be faced with the question and having to decide, “Who stays working from home post-pandemic?” and the answer may not be what you expected. While the average productivity is clearly up by 23% or more for telecommuters working from home during these unprecedented times, if employers are going to have to select only, let us say, 25% of the workforce to continue to work from home, who will it be?

Who Will Continue to Work from Home?

The word on the management street is that the first choices will be the highest-paid employees, those making $150,000 or more per year.

If you are earning under that dividing number, you may find it disconcerting, but remember your employer is looking after his bottom line, the return on his/her investment.

If you are making $150,000 per year, you are earning $75.00 an hour. Think about it. If your employer is paying you $75.00 an hour to stay home, the company or organization is making a $17.25 return on their workforce expenditure on that employee every hour. They only pay $75.00 per hour but receive a $92.25 return on that investment (ROI). That’s $34,500 in their pocket every year.

That is a full-time $17.50 per hour employee free for a year. Though clever management would most likely make far better use of over thirty grand than pick up a free low-wage employee.

If you are making $30.00 per hour ($58,500 per year) $6.90 per hour on your working from home. Still, $13,455-a-year is not chump change.

You can see why those higher-paid employees are going to get first dibs on the telecommuting gigs following the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. It is all a matter of working the numbers. It is also clear that if your performance has only been on an even keel since you have been working from home (that means your performance value has stayed the same and you are not a part of the remote workers who have increased their performance from working from home), you more than likely will be invited to return to work.

On the other hand, many employers will not be forced to make such hard decisions. These are the companies and organizations who are rejoicing at the lockdowns, excited about letting most, if not all, of their staff home, or taking volunteers who may prefer to return to the life of the commuter.

73% of forced pandemic telecommuters are actually hoping to return to work at the office. Many of them will be disappointed when they find out that they are having to stay home to work after the coronavirus debacle.

These employers are already scurrying to get out of their leases, and they not only could not care if you returned to the office, but they don’t even want you to think about coming back. These organizations are the best-positioned to not only survive -but thrive – post-pandemic because they are making the extra 23% in productivity, plus cutting huge overhead costs.

And if you are thinking that you can help to glean a little more take home at the end of the month by cutting your expenses and moving to the country? Be aware that, generally, Silicon Valley is cutting the salaries of employees who are moving away to save on expenses, which splits the difference (savings) roughly in half. Half for the employer and half for the employee.

As unfair as it may sound, it is happening now and is setting the standard for things to come.

Something else to keep in mind.

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Work from Home Naked Pants are Optional

We have exited the traditional workplace, retreated to our homes to carry out our functions for society, and are free to work from home naked, pants are optional, as our state of dress would not be noticed from the waist down, even while conducting or participating in a live videoconference.

Reportedly, 11% of all remote workers work from home naked occasionally while off-camera, while 40% work in comfortable and relaxed clothing, which may include pajamas, or only dressed on the top-half that can be seen on camera (ergo, pants are optional).

This exemplifies how comfortable we as telecommuters are getting with this whole remote-work-thing and learning to truly relax, while still getting the important sh*t (work-related-stuff) done.

How Relaxed Are Telecommuters Getting?

That’s a good question. If 11% of teleworkers are working in the nude (up to 30% of some more progressive organizations), and almost half of them are working in their PJs, how much more relaxed could this new age of remote workers get while working from home?

This is a concern for employers who would like to see their employees less distracted from achieving the goals of the organization while working from home.

So, what exactly is going on while teleworkers are on-the-clock and off-screen?

I had hoped you would not ask that.

Of course, we cannot know everything that goes on behind closed doors, whether it is taking place at the office or at home, but even more so while working from home. But we do know some things, like

90% are drinking (alcohol) on the job

48% are in their pajamas

36% are taking naps during the workday

27% are gardening, working on the deck, in the yard, or on the balcony

23% are watching Netflix

11% are working naked

Telecommuters are testing the boundaries, especially during a time when they had not anticipated being forced to work from home under the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is understandable if these teleworkers might be going a little stir crazy and testing the boundaries while under lockdown.

On the other hand, productivity is up. It’s one thing to be reckless, disrespectful, and falling behind on the performance of your job duties, but even buck naked, productivity is up. So, what’s the big deal?

Granted, watching Netflix at work would be inappropriate, but if remote workers can binge-watch TV shows and get their work done at the same time? Where is the harm in that?

How does high productivity happen? It is the result of performing specific duties in an attitude of joy, not out of duty. Focus on the results, and not whether your employee is working clothing-optional, as long as he looks like he’s dressed for the videoconference call from the waist up, it is all good, even if pants are optional.

Lighten up. The statistics are on your side. Enjoy the increased productivity of your employees as they take advantage of all the freedom and flexibility they can during these unprecedented times, it will take all of us time to acclimatize to the new normal, and things will get better.

If productivity starts to falter, then take notice and action, but until then, there is no harm in allowing your employees to find ways to thrive when the going gets tough.

 

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New Pandemic Businesses are Killing It

You have heard the worst of it; most pre-pandemic businesses are down and out, or on their way out. Some workers were forced to work from home, while others were sent home with little or nothing to look forward to. No doubt, times are tough, but there is good news: New pandemic businesses are killing it.

Whether you are a fan of “when the going gets tough, the tough get going,” “when life gives you lemons make lemonade,” “growth necessitates change,” or “necessity is the mother of invention,” amidst these worst of times, even during the pandemic, millions of new businesses were launched, and they are making a killing while others suffer.

Your first reaction might be to be upset, but there is something invaluable to learn from the crisis, the lockdowns, and shut outs associated with it, and examining how a few Americans, roughly 1 out of 10, are taking advantage of the pandemic.

We were all in the same boat in 2020, but ten percent of us put on our thinking caps, took action, and started something new, new businesses that helped to establish independence and to secure our future well into the future, post-pandemic.

These were not the corporate moguls taking advantage of COVID-19, no, these are everyday citizens, half of whom have dipped their toe into the water of entrepreneurialism before, the other half? No businesses experience whatsoever, and they are satisfyingly successful, equally including telecommuters working from home who used their extra time to develop their new business, while the rest had been laid off, on unemployment, or had no job whatsoever.

Some of them launched new businesses that were hugely successful, others moderately, but successful enough to not have to depend on an employer, handouts, or charity to survive and feed their families.

Of all the 2020 new business startups, you might find something that appeals to you. You might even think of throwing your entrepreneurial hat into the right yourself. Or simply opening your mind to the idea of possibilities that may be waiting for you to launch your own inspired new business that will take you to the next level.

Starting your own business today is the answer to the question,

“If I am going to have to work from home, anyway, why not do it for myself?”

You do not have to be the victim or take the pandemic lying down.

I can be my own boss and not have to kiss anyone else’s arse. I can become the master of my own fate and destiny.

Here are some ideas that might inspire you.

Top 10 New Pandemic Businesses in 2020

1. Handmade Face Masks

Many handy home seamstresses are turning their skills into bank by creating unique facemasks. People are required to wear them anyway, might was well make a statement while you are forced to don PPE out in public, right?

2. Home Product Manufacturing

We are seeing a lot of people carving out their own niche using whatever crafty skills they might have. Artists, woodworkers, craftspeople of all kinds are making homemade products and selling them on eBay, Etsy, and Amazon. Creating new products and brand identity, while others are oblivious that these opportunities exist.

3. Physical Subscription Service

Now is the time to start your anything-you-can-think-of-delivered-to-your-door subscription service. America is forced to stay home, and Jeff Bezos need not be the only one providing everything to the rest of us on lockdown. Sure, you could deliver whatever you want onesie-twosie, but those new companies who are killing it are offering their wares on a recurring subscription basis. Everything from aromatherapy to farm produce and products, so the sky’s the limit.

If you need more help thinking of ideas for subscription service, here are some good ones: meals-in-a-box, family activities in a box, home beauty kits, natural spa-at-home kits, homemade organic products, just let your imagination flow, anything that can help make being on lockdown a little more tolerable.

4. Got a Way with Kids?

This is the time to create youth-focused learning exercises and games for children and young adults who are celled-in for the pandemic. You would be surprised at how many parents who are working from home are taking advantage of online activities that can keep the kids occupied while they are on conference calls or trying to get work done. If you can come up with toys, products, activities, apps, or online webinars that captures the minds of American youths, then now is the time to launch it

5. Online Coaching

You may have spent your life helping others out with their personal problems, and if these people are naturally attracted to you, you may be a Life Coach just waiting to be released into the mainstream. In these tough times, people need other people and they are reaching out online to form associations with life coaches who can help them make the best of these tough times, via phone, Zoom, Skype, Facebook Messenger, however you can connect to your potential clientele. Life Coaching can cover any areas of specialty, such as Business Coaching, Wellness Coaching, Financial Coaching, Spiritual Coaching, etc… Get your FREE Life Coach Certification today and start tomorrow.

6. Virtual Personal Trainer

With gyms shutting down all over America, the trainers are taking to the Internet and are developing online virtual classes for pandemic shut-ins. You could od this. Anyone could do this. Anything from working with free weights to yoga and meditation sessions.

7. Digital Marketing Specialist

As you may have guessed, with all this online activity and rush to the Internet to conduct business in America, there is an increasing demand for digital marketing specialists who can help to fill the promotional gaps in any business’ attempts to profit from online exposure. Services cover the entire spectrum of marketing, but you could specialize in what you are already good at, such as web site design, content creation, Facebook posting, social media management, SEO services, online branding and advertising, or other digital marketing consulting. You could consider becoming a certified digital marketing specialist.

8. Virtual Teacher, Trainer, or Tutor

With all this extra time on their hands, people are taking the time to expand their horizons, and learning new things, so that post-pandemic, they will have a better outlook and increased possibility of living a better life. Help them learn something new, increase their skillset, speak a second language, get ready to take college entrance exams, or help young online students get better grades.

9. Pet Products and Services

With more people being restricted to their homes, the pet companion industry is taking off like a rocket. Pets are making perfect home companions. If you offer a mobile pet washing/grooming service or can come up with special diet delivery, customizable pet treats, or toys, this could be the perfect time to launch your pet company.

10. Virtual Assistant

Long before the pandemic, the Virtual Assistant (VA) industry was a well-established goldmine for people (primarily office workers) who wanted to work from home and they are still dominating the online job market. Thanks to the coronavirus, this is still a huge expanding marketplace, and there is no reason you shouldn’t be doing this, if you have skills, such as data entry, phone skills, or online marketing.

I know, you are wondering what is next? Here are the Top 20.

Top 20 New Pandemic Businesses in 2020

1. Handmade Face Masks
2. Home Product Manufacturing
3. Physical Subscription Service
4. Youth Services
5. Online Coaching and Consulting
6. Virtual Personal Trainer
7. Digital Marketing Specialist
8. Virtual Teacher, Trainer, or Tutor
9. Pet Products and Services
10. Virtual Assistant
11. Commercial Cleaning Services
12. Delivery and Errand Services
13. Landscaping and Lawn Care
14. Telehealth Services
15. Home Improvement
16. Telecommuter Team Support
17. Online Babysitting
18. Graphic Designer
19. App Developer
20. Accounting and Bookkeeping

Of course, the handmade face masks opportunity will fade quickly following the pandemic mandates are alleviated. But the rest of these new businesses are expected to thrive following the pandemic threat.

Shouldn’t your business be one of them?

 

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Now is the Time to Start Your Own Business

Maybe now is the time that you took your own survival into your own hands. At any other time, it might have been too frightening a concept to consider starting your own business, but now may be the best time ever, as more people are starting their own businesses than ever before in history.

If you have been waiting for a sign, here it is:

Now is the Time to Start Your Own Business

And it makes sense, when faced with the growing seriousness of the pandemic, people are either content with telecommuting or not, and others are tired of resigning themselves to unemployment, so they are taking matters into their hands.

If in the new economy, you are going to be working from home, you might as well consider working for yourself, right? Be your own boss. No one else’s arse to kiss. The buck stops with you.

It is time to put yourself in the driver’s seat.

Of course, you are concerned about not knowing how much revenue you will be able to accrue in your own venture, it is uncertain, but you could make far more working for yourself than working for someone else. And think of the advantages of not having someone tell you what to do “or else.”

Almost immediately, if you have never thought about going into business for yourself, you will start to talk yourself out of the idea, thinking thoughts of unworthiness, “but I don’t have an MBA,” or other negative self-talk designed to keep you from exerting your right to independence. Do not let that hold you back.

Millions of Americans are starting new businesses right now, and half of them have no experience whatsoever.

Or you might think that you do not have what it takes, like the investment seed capital to start your business. That should not stop you either, because there are so many businesses that you can start with little or no investment, especially if you take advantage of digital and business support services to help you pick up the slack in running your own venture.

Right now, we are seeing that the businesses that are thriving are those with little or no overhead. Brick and mortar businesses are cashing in their leases and embracing online technologies, and your new business could be one of them.

The key is finding the right marketable product, skill, or service that is something that feels so good to you, that pursuing a self-made career in that thing would not even appear to be like work at all. Ideally, your business venture would be something that you are really passionate about as you share it with others and rake in the cash for doing so.

You came to this planet with a unique set of skills and abilities. Now is the time to embrace the gifts God gave you and let others pay you for doing so. This is the way life was meant to be lived, each one of us fulfilling our own destiny. Industry has tried to make us believe that there is nothing to look forward to other than trying to get a good education and a good job (and they have done a really good job of that over the last 150 years, but we’re not taking it anymore).

 

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Telecommuters Can Work from Anywhere

Telecommuters can work from anywhere and increasingly, they are leaving behind the confines or working at home to enjoy the flexibility that comes from being able to virtually work from any location with an Internet connection.

The next generation of workspace is based on total mobility. To be able to work in your vehicle at other remote locations, and while in transit between here and there. Our society and communities are tackling the issues associated with connectivity and communications. We know where our weak spots are in rural areas, and we are finding ways to bridge the technological gap.

We are adapting to cloud computing, secure online storage, and a variety of platforms that can do the heavy lifting of keeping us connected and secure from any location on our green Earth.

Better Use of Existing Technology

It is not enough to have a basic working knowledge of the new soft technologies that are supporting our higher connection and efficacy. It is important to have extensive knowledge of each tool, to understand its intricacies and all that it is capable of.

An organization could fall into the trap of having so many different tools to utilize for performing particular functions because answering the call of the quick fix,

“We need this, what program can help us do it now?”

When you should be asking the question,

“Is there any program or service that we are currently using that can help us do this?”

Too many tools will cost your organization productivity, which is an unnecessary cost to pay in the digital age.

Brainstorming Online

A problem that still exists for telecommuters who work from anywhere is live online masterminding or brainstorming sessions when separated by geography and time zones. The further the distance, the more inconvenient it might be to participate in live sessions.

By providing an organization and/or department-focused chat-client can help to preserve those precious moments which are the highly creative expression of a hallway drive-by or instantaneous chat at the water cooler, without losing time or having to call a special meeting to get a quick answer or idea.

Not as Good as Live

Even so, there exists a growing concern over live, organic employee interaction is declining, even with the best technological advancements, due to lack of telecommuters’ willingness to participate at the same level.

In a live office situation, employees are much more likely to reach out to others in passing, this spontaneous interaction is what appears to be lacking in the current wave of connectivity among coworkers, and it is not because we don’t have the technology. It appears that workers who are more likely to be supportive, proactive, and willing to express their concerns to other coworkers or ask for help are hesitant and even resistant to reaching out via the Internet.

Social engineers are aware of this social anomaly and they are looking for ways to bridge the gap between the Internet and face-to-face interactivity.

This seems to be the weakest link in the communication chain at this time in the work from home revolution.

 

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What Do We Do with Billions of Hours of Free Time?

With millions of Americans transitioning to telecommuting, working from home, and employers moving jobs online, this is creating a huge amount of extraneous free time for employees to enjoy that they did not have before March 2020.

Billions of hours previously spent having to report to a campus to work and having to manage performance away from home all reclaimed by converted remote workers.

It makes you wonder,

What do we do with billions of hours of free time?

Every teleworker whose position mutated into working from home has gained an extra 54 minutes a day on average.

If you are the lucky recipient of an extra hour a day, what do you think you would do? Would you sleep in an extra hour? You might be surprised to discover what reality is in terms of all those benefits of remote work.

What do you do with your extra 54 minutes per day?

“Rather than enhancing true flexibility in when and where employees work,” write the authors of a new study, “the capacity to work from home mostly extends the workday and encroaches into what was formerly home and family time.”

19 Minutes Working More

It turns out that if you have converted to telecommuting for work, you are spending 19 minutes of your free time bounty in additional work hours for your employer. This could be for a variety of reasons. You could be working more and not noticing it because you are more comfortable in your home working environment. Or you might be working more on purpose to increase your performance for job security. Whatever the case, you are doing it.

4 Minutes on Side Projects

You are using four minutes a day on average working on side projects, which could include, continuing education, researching career expansion, or generating additional income.

13.5 Minutes on Chores

Whether for concern or comfort, you are working on household chores, like laundry, vacuuming, cooking, doing dishes, or other duties around the house.

17 Minutes Leisure Activities

This nets most remote workers seventeen minutes for leisure activities and/or exercise every day. Probably a lot less than you expected.

10 Minutes with Children

In average, work from home parents sacrifice ten of those minutes each day that would otherwise be able to be utilized as leisure time, focusing on spending quality time with their children, leaving parents with a net of seven minutes a day of free time.

Spending $27 per Week More

And all that extra money you are saving while working from Home? It could leave you scratching your head at the end of the month, wondering where all the fruits of your labor is going, because, “I Should Have More Money Working from Home.” And it turns out that you are actually spending $27 per week more than you did when you weren’t telecommuting.

It’s no wonder that you are thinking about needing an additional income source.

8% Moonlighting

Eight percent of all employees who have transitioned to working from home are actively engaged in or pursuing second income opportunities.