Tag Archives: home office

Feb27

Remote Career Ideas That Are Here To Stay

Posted on by
Standard
Remote Career Ideas That Are Here To Stay

Working from home once felt like a fantasy. But over the last few years, we’ve all realized that not only is remote work possible, it’s more popular than we could have imagined. Here are a few remote career paths that aren’t just trendy fads but are sticking around for the long term:

Virtual Medical Assistants:

If someone had told you ten years ago that you could help patients while wearing your pajamas, you might have laughed. But surprise! Virtual medical assistants are a real thing, provided by companies like My Mountain Mover. These behind-the-screens healthcare heroes handle scheduling, patient inquiries, and follow-ups, all from the comfort of a home office (or, let’s be honest, the kitchen table). Think of it as modern medicine meets the world’s coziest dress code.

Social Media Managers:

Social media managers don’t just lounge around scrolling Instagram all day. Okay, they do scroll a lot, but it’s their job! Whether it’s curating cat memes for a local business or marketing the next must-have gadget, social media managers create content that sparks engagement, conversation, and sometimes viral mayhem. Plus, if anyone asks, you can always say you’re “developing brand synergy,” which sounds fancy enough to silence any skeptic.

Online Tutors:

Remember the days of chalkboards and overhead projectors? (No? Congratulations, you’re officially too young or you’ve blocked out those memories.) These days, you can tutor students from anywhere with a decent WiFi connection. Whether it’s helping kids conquer math or fine-tuning adult language skills, online tutors are bridging educational gaps from their living room or a sunny patio – no chalk dust required.

Content Writers and Copywriters:

Raise your hand if you ever daydreamed about typing away on a beach, sipping something fruity while your keyboard glistens in the sun. Content writing is the perfect gig for wordy folks who prefer to craft witty sentences over dealing with office politics. With countless companies craving fresh blog posts, newsletters, and social media engagement, the demand for remote writers isn’t going anywhere. (Your biggest challenge? Not getting sand in your laptop.)

Virtual Event Planners:

If you thought planning a wedding was stressful, try organizing a virtual conference with attendees spread across five time zones. Yet, for those who adore logistics and throwing confetti (digitally or otherwise), virtual event planning is a golden opportunity. From hosting epic Zoom parties to coordinating global corporate gatherings, you can orchestrate show-stopping events while sipping tea in your pajamas.

Remote Customer Service Representatives:

Customer service is one of the top areas embracing remote work. Why? Because irate phone calls are easier to handle with a favorite pet on your lap or a motivational latte at your side. Customer support reps can troubleshoot everything from cable errors to rogue waffle irons, all without stepping foot in a cubicle. Headsets on, meltdown averted—next caller, please.

What are you waiting for? Time to take your career remote!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Feb27

DIY Home Office Makeover On A Budget

Posted on by
Standard
DIY Home Office Makeover On A Budget

Who says your home office has to cost an arm and a leg to look stylish and work-friendly? Your office space can be lovely and easy on your wallet. No makeovers, no logos, just a bit of creativity, a little budget advice, and some patience. Here are some tips on how to give your office a new face for a fraction of the cost:

Start With What You Have:

Stop for a moment and take a good look around your house. What is it that you currently have that can be used to make your office work? Oftentimes, your best furniture is in your own possession. Paint it a new shade, change its hardware, and make sure your old furniture is new all over. Organize that bookshelf, move a lamp, and see a difference. It’s unbelievable how a fresh perspective can change a room.

Develop A Realistic Budget. Stick To It:

Budgeting isn’t exactly fun. Yet, it’s necessary. You don’t need a ginormous budget in order to have a stylish home office, but you must have a plan. Maybe you’ll budget a little extra for a snuggle-up chair just for the sake of your back’s comfort, and that will be worth it. Or maybe you’ll budget for some awesome lighting since doing your job in the dark is a total downer. Before buying, write down what you need, what you want, and what is optional. This keeps your mind in focus when temptation strikes.

Thrift and Secondhand Stores are Treasures:

The real magic is in thrift stores, garage sales, and online marketplaces. Don’t overlook non-traditional options. For example, a sewing cabinet can be a creative office fixture and double up for your hobbies, adding a splash of personality and functionality. Such an item typically contains inbuilt compartments, perfect for keeping office supplies organized without extra mess.

Adding Personality With DIY Decor:

Personalize your workspace. Add framed prints, a corkboard, or a gallery wall. Consider adding plants for some greenery. Plants can give a room new life, too. Low maintenance options such as pothos, succulents, or snake plants can provide a pop of color for minimal price. Fresh flowers can majorly brighten your day or you could hang a bird feeder outside the office window to appreciate nature’s beauty.

Lighting Makes a World of Difference:

If your screen is giving you a headache, it’s time for a change. Natural light is ideal, so position your desk in a window, if possible. Utilizing natural light can be a game changer in your home office and is a good thing to focus your budget on. Take the time to find a Glass Company in your local area for repairs or installation and let the light shine in. No harsh overhead lights or lamps required! If you don’t have a window, that’s okay because the ideal stylish lamp can make a big difference. Scour thrift stores for vintage lamps in hip designs, or replace your current fixture with a dimmable bulb for malleable moods.

Cushioning is Important:

The throne of your office. Comfort is not an optional commodity here. Ergonomic chairs, though, can be pricey. So, in this case, how do you find a balance between cost and comfort? Try secondhand first. You’d be amazed at all of the great chairs that go on sale on online marketplaces. If you end up being stuck in a not-great chair, however, a seat pillow or lumbar pillow is an excellent investment.

Make The Best of Wall Space:

Walls in an office home are prime real estate. Make the most of them. Floating bookshelves can hold books, plants, or prints. Wall grids can hold reminders, a calendar, or motivational sayings. If you want to be bold, paint a solitary wall a fun color. Accent walls give a room excitement without overwhelming it. Accent walls provide an affordable, potent means of adding personality.

Cables and Technology – Organized and Practical:

Nothing kills a mood faster than a snarled mess of cables. Organization of cables is not a sexy phrase, but it is a lifesaver. Velcro straps, cable organizers, and stick-on clips keep everything organized and in place. Place your router, your printer, and other electronics in inaccessible locations. Consider a cordless keyboard and a cordless mouse to maintain a clutter-free space. An organized workspace is a productive space.

Make Your Space Yours:

Your home office should be an expression of who you are. But there is a fine line between personal and distracting. Be intentional. Add a few personal, thoughtful touches – a treasured family portrait, a book, a piece of art. Make your working space a source of inspiration rather than stress. Simple touches make it personal, though functionality is paramount.

Additional Ways of Uplifting Your Space:

A wonderful, cost-effective solution is multi-purpose furniture. One can have an ottoman as a secondary place for visitors to sit, in addition to a location for supplies. Likewise, a folding desk extension can be inserted when there is a need for more room, perfect for busy days when multitasking is a must. Such convenient extras make your office flexible and cost-friendly.

Your home office can be a place that makes work a little easier, a little cozier, and more productive. With some creativity, time, and smart budgeting, you can create a space for work that you’ll enjoy – without it costing a fortune.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Jan13

Spoil Yourself With These Home Enhancing Projects

Posted on by
Standard
Spoil Yourself With These Home Enhancing Projects

What would your dream home feature? A movie or game room? A swimming pool or sauna? A home office? Spoiling yourself doesn’t always mean spending time at the salon or on a shopping spree – sometimes it means turning the dream features for your house into a reality! Turn 2023 into the year of renovations to make chez vous the ultimate place to be. Let’s explore some dream worthy options to get started on:

Home Office:

Since the pandemic, working from home is no longer just an option for the lucky few. Almost any job can be completed from a distance! If you have been working from home for the past few years and are still doing your job from the kitchen table, then you most definitely deserve your own office. If you don’t have the space for an entire room dedicated to your work, there are still ways to incorporate an office vibe. Set up a spacious home office desk and computer chair by a window and deck it out in adorable office supplies or pictures of your kids. It’s not so much as having an entire room for an office as much as it is having a dedicated place to work every day.

Gazebo Goals:

A gazebo will make a big difference for your backyard and a gorgeous enhancement. Gazebos are the perfect addition to your backyard for family photos, coffee and drinks with friends, and weather and bird watching. From fresh out of a fairy tale with curves and greenery to sleek lines and a strong presence, there is a gazebo for every taste and style. Spring and summer will never be the same!

Entertainment Center:

Turning a finished basement into an entertainment center is an extremely popular project and will provide endless hours of family fun. Whether you’re splurging on plush furnishings for the comfiest movie watching experience or are installing a pool table, it will be so nice to have a space in your home solely dedicated to chilling. Complete your entertainment room with accessories like a mini fridge with drinks, snacks, movie posters, or a record player to keep the good times rolling.

Book Nook:

A book nook is an amazing way to build a space in your home for quiet time for yourself or children. Choose an area of your home that gets a lot of natural lighting, install some shelves, and add a squishy armchair to curl up in. Don’t forget a small table and coasters for your tea and coffee! Stuff your shelves with all of your favorite literature and if you don’t have enough books to fill them – spoil yourself with a trip to the bookstore. 😀

Creating designated spaces in your home for specific purposes is a great project to take on in the new year. By 2024 you will be spoiled in what feels like a brand new home!

Sep29

Having Trouble Focusing While Working From Home?

Posted on by
Standard
Having Trouble Focusing While Working From Home?

Many of us have had to get used to the prospect of working from home over the past few months. While there are undeniable benefits to being able to take care of business in your own space, a lot of people have trouble adjusting to it, as well. If you’re having trouble getting productive, here are a few solutions that might help you get back on top of things:

You’re not making time for it:

With the flexibility that comes with working from home, it might feel tempting to simply do work whenever it suits you and not have any solid plans. However, this tends to end up wrecking your work-life balance. It’s a good idea to find what time you’re more productive and create a daily schedule around that, complete with strict starting and finishing times. This way, your life and work-life don’t start to bleed together to the point that you feel like you have to be half “on” whenever you’re in the home.

You’re surrounded by clutter:

It might sound like the difference would be minimal, but a neat and organized desk actually has a big impact on your mental condition while you’re working. Clutter has been shown to be a more significant cause of stress than we otherwise give it credit for. Maximizing closet space and making use of things like desk trays in the home office can ensure that you’re not surrounded by bits and bobs all day long. You may find that your office space becomes cluttered quickly because you don’t have enough surfaces to work at. If that is the case, then it might be time to check out Office Monster to see if there is any furniture that you could add to your current set up to help better organize your space so you can complete your day’s work free of distractions.

Your office doesn’t give the right vibe:

This point might sound nebulous, but getting yourself in the right headspace to work is vitally important. As such, investing in decor that can help you create a quirky but professional vibe is important. You want to make sure that you’re surrounded by imagery and designs that inspire and energize you while also ensuring that the workplace is subtle enough that it doesn’t serve as an ongoing distraction.

For some people, it might be as simple as hanging a few pieces of art to give the room some life. For others, it could be a total change of scenery to complete a huge deadline. If this is the case, utilizing Hamilton Cabin Hire (or a similar service in your local area) could give you a welcome reprieve from your home office to focus fully. Your best work might just be a long weekend away.

You’re physically uncomfortable:

Of course, even if your office gives the vibe you need and is organized to perfection, you’re going to have a hard time enjoying it if you’re dealing with a sore back. You might not notice the impacts of poor posture immediately, but if you start to feel some aches and pains in your back and joints towards the end of the day, that means it’s time to look at your chair and desk setup. Ergonomic furniture design can help support these achy parts of you, leading to a more comfortable working day while decreasing the chances that you might actually injure yourself.

It isn’t always easy to create a home office that feels right for your working needs. However, it’s worth taking the time to implement fixes and find what works for you rather than letting yourself start to hate the prospect of working at home entirely.

Featured Image By: Pexels

Oct6

How To Create A Chic And Sleek Home Office

Posted on by
Standard
How To Create A Chic And Sleek Home Office

How To Create A Chic And Sleek Home Office:

If you have an extra room in the house that is used just for junk, clear that clutter now and make way for a chic and sleek home office instead. Whether you work from home or not, an office is a great place to hide away when you have extra weekend work or when you want a quiet spot to go through the bills. But there’s no point in just jamming in a desk and chair and calling it an office. If you’re going to do it, you might as well do it with some panache! Here are some ideas to get you started. For more interior design tips follow this click!

desk1

Link to photo

Style: First of all, consider the style of the office you want. Do you want a more masculine, industrial feel? Or perhaps a monochrome palette? Maybe you want a girlie office of pinks and whites or possibly a more vintage/crafting kind of space. It’s important to know what you want before you start laying the floor, painting walls, and buying storage. Use Pinterest to find lots of ideas and don’t be afraid to shop around on multiple different websites or stores if you are looking for an eclectic aesthetic. If you would prefer a more uniform look, it might be a good idea to stick with an option like Vincent and Barn to find everything you need in one place.

Flooring: Once you’ve cleared the room of clutter, you’ll have a clean slate to work with. The first thing to do is invest in new flooring. Carpet just doesn’t feel right for an office. The floor should lend itself to the sound of your snappy heels crossing the boards in a way that screams authority and control! Laminate floors that look and feel like wood are a great and affordable choice for your home office. Light grey authentic oak laminate looks particularly plush when creating a working environment. You’ll find plenty of options to match your style and budget when you shop laminate flooring for designs that suit your space. Plus, if you want to add some warmth or texture you can also invest in a patterned rug to soften the look.

Walls: If you’re going for an industrial look, you’ll want a darker palette of stylish deep grays or navy for the walls. A monochrome palette will look fresh with black and white striped wallpaper. And for a feminine office why not paint the walls white and use a floral motif wallpaper on a feature wall? Designers Guild offers some great choices of wallpaper in all sorts of styles.

Desk Space: Again, what desk you choose will depend on your style. But no matter what your theme, Ikea does some great tables that work with nearly every style. The Ikea Glasholm/Finvard tempered glass table with wooden legs and extra storage is a pretty good bet for most office spaces. It looks light and airy, and the two bottom leg shelves can be used to store a printer or boxes of documents. Choose a chair that you feel most comfortable working from. Make sure the height is correct and that there is enough room to move around. And don’t forget to choose a desk lamp that gives you enough light for when you are working late. Personalize your space with pretty colored folders or utilitarian style products, if minimalism is more your thing. But add a dash of bright color somewhere along the lines to keep you feeling motivated and energized!

For my home decor fans, keep it posted on lifewithlilred for the latest renovations to Chez Red! Who has done some remodeling of their home as of late? What is your home decor style? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Featured Image Provided By: Unsplash