5 Things to Do Now If You Work Remote or On the Road

By: Ashlyn Rochester, Communications Specialist

Remote work and flexible locations for the office are now a nationwide trend. Whether you’re following the trend of living out of a van and working remotely, traveling, or even working from home, there are five crucial steps you should take no matter where you’re located. With these five tips, you’ll protect your work and yourself.

1. Set up an office

A separate area for work makes it easier to separate work and home, especially if you’re living in tight quarters. In addition, you don’t want your business contacts to have your personal contact information. Instead, set up an alternative mailing address and phone number. If you have a Google account, they offer Google Voice for personal use to create a local phone number. Hushed are also options if you’re seeking another cloud-based service.

2. Increase security

Whenever you leave home and log in to public Wi-Fi, like from a coffee shop, you increase your chances of cyber theft. To combat this, use a VPN (a virtual private network) for a layer of protection. You’ll also want to use a password manager to protect your virtual assets and accounts. Some password managers also let you add team members to the accounts without sharing your login information.

3. Back up your backups

Create a backup system for your computer, tablet, and phone so that if one stops working, you can resume on a different device. Cloud servers like One Drive, Google Drive, and Dropbox are all platforms that can be home for your files. In addition to cloud servers, have a portable hard drive to store your data on. It’s a long-term solution and one that doesn’t require internet access.

4. Everything has a home

Keep your space organized by giving every item a home. When you’re done using the item, always return it to its place to avoid losing or misplacing it. This tip takes time as it requires you to make a habit of placing the item in the same place day after day. But it pays off when your workplace is organized, and you know where everything is.

5. Join a community

Working remotely doesn’t have to be lonely and shouldn’t be! Find virtual and in-person opportunities to connect so you don’t lose your sense of belonging. It could even look like going to a coworking space occasionally or joining an online group to network with like-minded people.

Did you know Ag Communicators Network has a special freelancer group? If you’re interested in connecting with other freelancers, contact Executive Director, Samantha, at [email protected].