As someone who runs a business out of their home, there are certain things I cannot compromise on.
Working at home takes a lot of preparation, equipment, and patience. You have to prevent as many problems as possible, but also be prepared for things to go wrong. If I’m working on a deadline, I’d hate for the wifi to stop working or the power to go out. I don’t have time for that!
There are 3 things that I could not live without while working at home!
A Workspace
Not every home has the extra space for an office. Ours sure doesn’t! But it is essential to have a designated space to work. This will help you feel more organized, and help you to focus better when it is time to buckle down and get work done.
For us, we made a little office space for me in our upstairs hallway. It sounds silly but it’s one of the only spaces we had room! Plus, the long hallway seemed so empty. We added a very small desk with a printer and a little chair. It’s just big enough for my laptop, a few notebooks, a lamp, etc (read all about it here).
It’s small, but it gets the job done!
A Good Planner
I would be lost without my planner. With everything going on in my life with my job, my blog, my pregnancy, my family, housework, and more, it can be so hard to keep track of everything.
I need to make sure I’m making deadlines, getting photos edited on time, arranging childcare on the correct days for Sawyer, and getting all my housework done. I need my day organized, otherwise my day gets away from me.
Having a good planner where I can write out my business goals, my to-dos, and even my grocery list is a huge help and keeps me on track.
A Strong Internet Connection
As someone who works at home, I cannot stress enough how important a strong internet connection is. The livelihood of my family can very well depend on it. Like I said above, I would hate to be working on a deadline and have my internet be running slow. I have projects to complete and I can’t let technical difficulties slow me down!
That’s where the TP-Link Deco 5 comes in to save the day. I simply place these devices throughout my house to establish a stronger connection. Deco keeps my network strong no matter what room of the house I’m working out of.
As a working at home mom, I cannot explain how valuable this is. I can be working on a blog post while simultaneously editing a video, while Sawyer streams Dinotrux on Netflix and my connection still lightening fast. It helps me keep up with my never ending work to do list, while I’m connected to wifi on my phone, and our streaming accounts. Deco helps me to do it all safely, efficiently, and quickly.
Deco has a lot of other really useful features as well. It comes with parental control capabilities so you can keep your children safe online. Deco also protects every device connected to your network from more than 10,000 security threats a day (another thing I definitely don’t have time for).
See how easy it is to set up:
We plugged in 1 near our TV for better streaming, and 1 on my desk so I can always be connected while working. We noticed a difference right away! Our streaming is flawless and the internet on my laptop runs incredibly fast!
In 2017, internet is such a necessity. A necessity we cannot afford to be without or compromise on. Especially while working at home. I set myself up for success by making sure I have a productive workspace, a good planner, and a flawless internet connection.
What do you use to be successful while working at home? Comment below!
xoxo.