Working from home as part of your crisis management solution
Advances in technology and the availability of high-speed Internet mean that some people are now choosing to work from home, either on a full-time basis or a couple of days a week, to reduce operating costs and carbon emissions, and improve lifestyles.
However, working from home is more than a trend. It can be part of your short-term contingency planning to get your business back up and running if your premises are affected by a crisis or natural disaster.
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Working from home as a contingency plan
While working from home might not be an option for some businesses, such as those in the hospitality and retail industries, in can be a good back-up option for office-based businesses in information service industries.
For example, if vital equipment is stolen from your business premises, or your premises are affected by a fire, your office could become obsolete, out-of-action until repairs are carried out – or, in a worst-case scenario, maybe even non-existent. After a natural disaster such as an earthquake, severe storm or flood, your office could be left without power, telecommunications, and water for weeks, or it could be severely damaged and unsafe to enter, or even destroyed.
In the aftermath of these types of crises, working from home can minimise business disruption, and enable you to carry on working and keep the cash flowing in.
The advantages of cloud computing
If you use an in-house server for company email accounts and to store payroll, accounting records, and files and documents that you rely heavily on for day-to-day work, you might want to set up a computing system 'in the cloud'. Cloud computing is where your business's files are hosted by another party that has data centres with extensive storage and back-up systems in place, and you access and use your files via the Internet. In other words, cloud computing enables you to access your business’s email accounts and electronic files and use them from any computer, anywhere, provided you know the passwords.
Perhaps the greatest advantage of cloud computing is this: if your premises is damaged, loses power and telecommunications for an extended period, is inaccessible, or your computers or in-house server are stolen, you and your employees can still access your files and carry on working from home with little disruption.
All this relies on the assumption that all your staff already have computers and broadband Internet at home. While this is likely the case for many people nowadays, you should check what computing systems your staff have access to from home, and plan accordingly. In addition, you might want to consider that staff will expect to have a portion of their power and Internet bills paid for them, should they end up working from home after a crisis.
The pros and cons of working from home
In the event of a natural disaster, it's possible that not every staff member's home will have been affected to the same extent, depending on how their suburb or area was impacted. While some staff might be without power and telecommunications, or be forced to leave their home because of extensive damage, there should be at least one person who can access the Internet and let suppliers and customers know what's happening with your business.
There's a lot to be said for working from home. You're surrounded by your creature comforts and there’s no lost time in commuting and a possible increase in productivity. In addition, in the wake of a natural disaster, it enables you and your staff to remain close to your families and pets at a stressful time.
But there can be downsides too. With your office in your home, it's hard to draw the line between being at home and being at work. If you have family at home, or tradesmen coming in to do repairs, you’ll need to learn to manage these distractions to ensure they don’t erode work time. Maintaining a routine with your work space and work hours is important.
If you don't have a communications system in place for working from home, you can feel left out of the loop and your staff can become frustrated with a lack of feedback or adequate information to do their jobs. Useful software to have when working from home is Skype, which allows you to both chat and make voice calls over the Internet, including conference calls. In addition, it's free to download Skype, and free for one Skype user to call another Skype user in the same country.
Tips for working from home
Start the day properly – eat breakfast, shower, and get comfortable in your work space.
Make lists of daily and weekly tasks to help you stay on track.
Have a good chair and give yourself breaks.
Set boundaries for those around you – schedule your work time and make sure your kids and partner know when you'll be available (within reason) to help with chores, for play time, etc.
Regular communication with your staff will be vital. Use technology like email and Skype to keep in touch on a regular basis.
Establish a work routine that works for you and communicate this. Staff need to know when you’re available to answer questions and discuss projects.
Arrange real get-togethers once in a while for face-to-face meetings, or a catch-up over coffee.
