Making the leap to a full time work from home lifestyle can feel a little intimidating at first. At times you might even feel like a bit of an imposter. I did for a while. I kept asking myself — is it really work if I’m doing it from home?
The truth is working from home can take some getting used to, but it is a legitimate way to earn a living. It can improve your overall quality of life both financially and mentally.
As I sit here typing this article I’m enjoying the sunshine in my backyard with a gentle breeze drying me off from the quick dip in the pool I just took to cool off. There’s no denying that working from home in your backyard has its perks.
If you approach it the right way you can leave the traditional office life behind and have tons of success as a true Backyardpreneur.
With a few years under my belt now I’ve learned a lot about how to stay productive, how to succeed and how to find the right balance when working from home.
In this ultimate guide to working from home I’m going to share everything I’ve learned through a lot of trial and error. Hopefully it will help you avoid some of the pitfalls as you start your own journey.
I’ve also created a free checklist you can download that sums up the key points. I’ve included a link below. On to the guide!
Ultimate Guide Work from Home Checklist.PDF
1| Decide What Remote Work Looks Like for You
Working from home comes in a lot of different flavors. I’m not talking mint chocolate chip ice cream here, but rather the countless different things you can do if you want to work from home full time. Here are our ultimate guide to working from home best examples and links to help you start the ball rolling:
- Translation work
- Virtual assistants
- Freelancing
- Blogging and Building Niche Sites
- Transcriptionists
- Data entry clerks
- Entrepreneurs
- Customer service
The above isn’t an exhaustive list, but it’s a great starting point to give you some idea where to begin your search.
Always make sure when working remotely that you’re choosing a legitimate partner with a strong track record. Unfortunately, there are plenty of scams out there.
If someone’s asking you for money before they can hire you, that’s a good indication that it’s not a trustworthy option for you.
My own remote work journey began as a freelancer. That was the inspiration for my article Can You Work as a Freelancer from Your Backyard? If that’s a route you’re thinking about taking yourself check it out for some helpful tips to get started.
If you have your heart set on going into business for yourself things can be a bit more complicated. There isn’t one site that can provide you with all of the answers you need.
You’ll want to avoid some of the common hiccups that happen along the way. I discuss these in detail in my article 7 Mistakes People Make When Starting a Business from Home and How to Fix Them, so I encourage you to check that one out for some great tips.
First you have to decide what it is you want to do. My article 100 BACKYARD BUSINESS IDEAS THAT WILL MAKE YOU MONEY IN 2023 breaks down some great options you might want to consider and it’s one of our must reads in our ultimate guide to working from home.
2| Create Your Space
After you’re finished with your soul searching and decided what work at home path you’ll take, it’s time to start creating a space you can work out of. Working at the dining room table or in the bedroom might be okay for a short while, but it doesn’t work long term.
When I first started working at home I tried a bunch of different set ups. I started at our kitchen island, then I retreated to the bedroom and for a while I worked in the basement. None of them were the right solution for me — there were always too many distractions.
That’s why I eventually decided to create my workspace in the backyard. If there’s one outside the box idea you can take away from our ultimate guide to working from home this would be it.
I’m a big supporter of separating your office from all those daily in-home distractions. I’ve linked to some of my articles below that offer some helpful tips and tricks for setting up your own private home office in the home or in your backyard:
- 6 Reasons People are Building Backyard Office Sheds for Remote Work
- 14 Benefits of a Backyard Office
- Why a Backyard Office Is the Secret to Better Success at Home
- How Do You Make Your Backyard Office More Comfortable
- 11 Benefits of Standing Desks and Why You Need One Today
- What You Need to Know Before Building a Shed Office Next to a Neighbors Fence
- How to Turn Your Sunroom into an Office
- How to Turn Your Garage into a Home Office
- How to Eliminate Noise Distractions When Working in a Backyard Office
- How to Make a Small Backyard Office Feel Bigger
- 7 Reasons to Switch to a Treadmill Desk for Your Backyard Office Today
- 6 New Tips You Need To Know To Make Your Work From Home Experience Better
One quick note of caution — if you do decide you want to build a backyard office from scratch, make sure you check into local rules and permit requirements in your area. In most places you won’t need a permit for a small backyard office the size of a shed, but it’s better to be safe.
There are some other questions you’ll want to think about before setting up your office in the backyard. We explore those below.
How Much Will it Cost Me to Build a Backyard Office?
There are Several different ways you can go about setting up an office in your backyard. Some possibilities are setting up shop in your gazebo, building a backyard office as a DIY project, hiring a professional to build you an office, or you could transform your own existing shed.
Before you can determine how much your project will cost you have to decide if you’re taking on a brand new build or using a structure that’s already in place. The importance of Creating and staying on budget should be one of your key takeaways from this ultimate guide to working from home.
Turning your shed into an office isn’t as hard as you may think and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
In my article Can I Convert a Shed Into a Home Office? I take a look at the benefits of using your existing shed as an office and some other alternatives that can work as well.
If you’re seriously considering a shed conversion, but you want to keep the costs down I recommend reading How to Create a Backyard Office Shed on a Tight Budget for some ideas.
You can probably convert an existing shed to a home office for under $5000, but building one can cost much more — in some cases $30,000 isn’t an unrealistic sum.
The key is to get creative with cost saving ideas. For some great budget friendly ideas for keeping your office warm in the cold months check out this post 11 Cheapest Ways to Insulate a Shed Office and Save Money.
What are Some of the Biggest Challenges When Moving to a Backyard Office?
At first glance it may seem like a backyard office is the perfect solution for working from home that’s both productive and comfortable, but there are challenges.
This may seem like we’re backtracking on what we said earlier in this ultimate guide to working from home, but we’re not – we’re just saying that there are challenges.
None of them are overwhelming if you approach it the right way. My article 21 Tips for Creating an Outdoor Office at Home has some great pointers for how to tackle some of the most common issues you’ll encounter.
The challenges you’ll deal with will be unique to your situation. Are you setting up your office in the shed or just working outside in your backyard?
Common issues include finding shade, staying cool, deciding on a desk or table and of course making sure you have a reliable internet connection to work with.
How Do I Get Power in My Shed Office?
In putting together this ultimate guide to working from home we’ve found a couple of different approaches you can take if you want to have power in your new backyard shed office. One option is to just run a heavy duty outdoor extension cord from the house.
If you want a more permanent setup it will add to your costs as you’ll have to do some digging to bury the cables. You’ll also need to tap into your home’s powerbox.
It’s best to hire a professional electrician unless you have expertise in this area. You may need a permit for the digging as well.
Can I Have HVAC in a Garden Office?
When you work year round in a backyard office you’re going to need to think about heating and cooling your workspace at some point. Insulation can help, but it may not be enough in cooler climates.
Once you’ve run power to your shed there’s no reason you can’t add some climate control options. For heating, a small portable space heater should work and they don’t require any major renovations to your shed office.
Air conditioning may be a little more complicated, but it’s not a major hurdle if you have a window available. You can either choose a window unit or a portable air conditioner. Both are fairly easy to set up, even if you’re not a DIYer.
When creating this ultimate guide to working from home we tried to include ideas that any determined homeowner could tackle on their own with a bit of extra effort.
3| Setup to Succeed
When working remotely from home you need to have the right setup to succeed. That includes a good desk, a comfortable chair and a quiet space to be productive. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
I cover some helpful tips for how to succeed while working at home in my article How Do You Stay Productive While Working in a Backyard Office.
It’s not always easy, but it is possible with the right tools. Keep in mind, a physical backyard office is ideal, but you can still work successfully outside in your garden if you don’t have a shed and it’s not in the budget at the moment. Some of the world’s most successful companies started in backyard sheds, garages, bedrooms and dorm rooms.
I still sometimes like to work outside in the open air on nice days. All you need is a simple foldable desk and a comfortable patio chair.
4| Maintain a Schedule, but Be Flexible
Want another big ultimate guide to working from home tip?
Just because you’re working at home it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a schedule or a game plan. You don’t have to stick with the same hours every day, but you should have a plan for your day.
Start with a shower in the morning and dress for the day. I’m not suggesting you have to break out the business suit, but you should at least throw on a pair of jeans and a shirt.
While it may seem like a great idea to stay in your pajamas all day, it’s usually not the best choice for a productive day.
It just doesn’t feel like a work day if you’re not dressed. I’ve tried starting my work day right after rolling out of bed, but I never seemed to be at my productive best. Stats back this up as well.
A recent study found that 80% of respondents felt more productive working at home when they dressed professionally and only 50% of those that left their pajamas on felt the same way.
Getting dressed is just one step. Working on a schedule is equally important. You can be flexible with your work hours, but you still have to put in a full day if you want to accomplish your daily goals.
5| Find Your Apps and Tools
We couldn’t write an ultimate guide to working from home and not add in a section for apps and tools.
In 2023, there’s a goode chance ChatGPT will become the most popular tool for anyone working from home, but it’s not the only game in town.
For the best chance at success when working from home you need to use all of the tools at your disposal and have a decent understanding of SEO.
I’ve organized the other apps you’ll need into 6 different categories and provided links to some different options below.
These are all great tools so which one you choose really comes down to a personal choice.
- Video Conferencing & Screen Sharing
- Productivity Software
- Office Suites
- Team Collaboration
- File Sharing
6| Collaborate and Connect
No matter which video conferencing, team collaboration and communication tools you choose, it’s important to stay connected. Working at home can be lonely even for an introvert like me.
In my article 11 Tips to Overcome Loneliness When Working from Home I take a close look at the many different things you can do to stay in touch with the outside world. It’s essential for your mental health.
Study after study has shown that people that work at home often feel loneliness. According to ScienceDirect, more than 60% or respondents in a recent study said they felt isolated while working remotely.
7| Make time for Breaks and Exercise
One other key to working at home successfully is to make time for scheduled breaks and exercise.
If you try to stay glued to your seat for your entire work day, you’ll find your productivity sagging. On the other hand, even small breaks throughout the day have been shown to improve your productivity and focus considerably.
If you can just take a break to walk the dog for a few minutes it can help to refocus your thoughts for the next set of tasks.
Another option is to switch to a standing desk or even a treadmill desk so you can walk and work at the same time. For those that already own a treadmill, you may want to consider a treadmill desk attachment like the Walk-i-Task to save money.
That few minutes spent away from your home office allows your brain to recharge. It’s a must if you want to be a success while working remotely and one of our most important tips in this ultimate guide to working from home.
The Biggest tip from Our ultimate guide to working from home is to Find Time to Recharge and Refresh
At the end of the day it’s important to disconnect completely. Lock up your backyard office and shut down the laptop.
I can tell you it’s hard to separate work life from home life when you work remotely. The lines tend to blur and it’s tempting to keep the laptop open while you sit on the couch with family after supper.
Resist the temptation to keep working after your daily schedule is complete.
Switch off and enjoy your family time. You’ll accomplish more overall when you achieve a good work-life balance and get 7 to 8 hours sleep each night.
We hope you’ve found this ultimate guide to working from home helpful and feel free to browse the links in this article to get the most out of our guide.
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