There’s never been a better time to work from home. The world has adapted to accommodate remote workplaces, which benefits employees who choose to take advantage. Creating a healthy work-life balance is easier if you work from a home office. Your hours are likely to be more flexible, and you’ll save a lot of time without the need for commuting. If all the rooms in your home are spoken for, consider turning your garden shed into the perfect backyard office. Have a functional space to get the job done and all the privacy you need to stay focused.

Planning is key

Before you turn your work shed into your home office, figure out what you’ll need the space to accomplish. Plan your renovation within your budget, and keep in mind that you can always build upon it in the future.

A backyard office from scratch

If you’re building a new shed from scratch, consider the size of the office you need before all else. If your office requires a simple desk and a computer, then something small is probably going to suit your needs. If you want some extras, plan for those in advance. Maybe you want room for others to sit or even a couch along one wall. No office is complete without a coffee station. Do you need a filing cabinet, storage, or a whiteboard? What size of desk do you require?

Use some graphing paper to sketch out the dimensions of your backyard office before you build. Add the furniture so you can examine your potential floor plan and ensure you love your layout. Have ample room to move around without feeling crowded and without wasting space you don’t need.

Purchase a pre-built office

Opt for pre-built garden sheds, backyard offices, and cabins if building from scratch isn’t your cup of tea. Small wooden sheds offer plenty of space to store office essentials, such as desks and cabinets. Corner sheds are designed to fit snugly into the corner of a backyard or garden in an effort to maximize space.

You can get medium to large offices if you need to scale up your space or set up multiple desks and workstations. Large cabins often come as units with multiple rooms, so you can still have privacy while accommodating multiple people. Large cabins are the ideal way to go if you have a hybrid work model and want your space to serve several functions.

Remodel your current work shed

If you have an existing shed that can accommodate your needs, remodel it into your home office. To do this, empty it out and give its previous contents a home elsewhere, then thoroughly clean the shed’s inside and outside. Treat the outside of the shed to make it waterproof. Treating the wood has the added benefit of extending its average lifespan.

Check out the roof and ensure it’s in good condition, then move on to the walls – both inside and out. If there’s any rot, chipping or cracking paint, or other defects, repair them first. Your home office should stand up against the worst weather so you and your important electronics remain dry.

Renovate for comfort and function

It’s time to transform your old shed into a proper backyard office. Begin with a proper HVAC system that can heat your office when it’s cold and cool it when it’s warm. You’ll want to be comfortable when you work. Your HVAC system won’t have to work very hard if you properly insulate the office. Insulate the floors, the walls, and especially the roof. Ensure any windows and doors are weather treated, so your workspace stays at the appropriate temperature with ease.

You’ll also need electricity. Consider how many outlets you’ll require and where you want to put them. Hire an electrician to install the lights and outlets for you to ensure they’re safe. While you’re thinking about electricity, consider what you want for lighting. Lamps are cheap and easy to maneuver around the space, but you may prefer overhead or track lighting for a more classic office feel.

Backyard office furnishing

Your shed is now a functional building where you can work in comfort. To truly be comfortable in your new work environment, think one step above the basics and consider the furniture’s functionality.

Equipment and furniture

An office desk should accommodate your needs and be a useful storage space. Your desk should be large enough to hold all the equipment for your trade (if you require dual monitors, you’ll want a unit that can handle this). Folding desks and corner desks are great for small spaces, and a credenza is often a great choice if you have a lot of storage needs.

Office chairs are extremely important when it comes to comfort in an office. Your chair should be fully adjustable, from the height to the lumbar, armrests, and headrest. A great office chair has a seat depth that gives the back of your knees roughly two inches of space. Choose a chair with breathable material and wheels to help you move around without a second thought.

Ergonomics matter

The desk you choose should be appropriate for your height. Place your keyboard at elbow level so your body isn’t straining to reach it. Your monitor should be roughly 20 inches away from you and on a slight decline from your line of sight. If you’re sitting for long periods of time, consider a standing desk mechanism so you can occasionally stretch your legs without losing productivity.

Your chair is an investment when it comes to ergonomics. A great chair will lean, swivel, and roll as you require. It’ll have strong lumbar support and adjust to your ideal height. Investing in a proper desk and chair prevents strain on your body in the long run.

Lights transform the space

Bright computer lights can be a strain on the eyes, but with proper lighting, you can minimize that strain and even help separate your work and relaxation spaces. If you also plan to add a place to relax in your office, consider having two different hues of lighting. White lights will help your brain signify it’s time to work, while colored lights or warm hues signify that you’re in a relaxing or home environment.

Try creating bias lighting to avoid strain on your eyes, especially while using an LED monitor at night. These are LED lights for the backside of your monitor, which accomplish two things at once. First, it increases the amount of LED light levels without shining more light into your eyes or into the monitor itself, which would cause glare. Second, since you don’t see the source of the light, your eyes adjust to the ambiance of the lighting with far less strain. Televisions are made with this concept in mind, using lighting that adjusts the color based on what’s on the screen.

Home office decor

When considering extra home office décor, it’s best practice to avoid sharp, vibrant colors. These tend to catch the eye and offer a distraction. Go with pastels and neutral colors instead, which blend into the space rather than stand out.

Avoid overcrowding your office with too much furniture, as that may provide unnecessary chaos. Excellent home office décor will come in the form of open-access shelving, potted plants, and decorations that don’t steal your attention.

Productivity at work

Working from home has a lot of perks, but it also comes with a few potential problems. If you want to make the most of working from home, you’ll need to consistently do your best work without sacrificing your free time.

Time management

The best way to stay productive and achieve your goals is through proper time management. Having a solid morning routine puts you in your office, ready to go, at the same time each morning. If you have clear goals for the day and the entire week, you’ll work harder to achieve them.

Incorporate small, scheduled breaks throughout the day to keep fresh and lessen fatigue. Have clear times when you work and when you take breaks. It also helps to practice wellness by getting exercise throughout the workday.

One of the best ways to stay productive when you work from home is by utilizing productivity apps. These apps help you manage your time effectively, communicate with online teams, and keep you on task. Apps that help you track the time spent on specific products or challenge you to maintain work sprints can help you reach specific goals.

Work-life balance

A well-defined schedule dictating when you work and when you stop is a great tool for creating work-life balance. To double down on this concept, set your work notifications to only ping during your work hours.

Working from home can feel isolating, but there are ways to take advantage of the freedom it gives you. Break up your workday with personal errands, especially ones that involve interacting with people. Plan activities, like workout classes or the occasional coffee with friends after work, so you don’t feel shut off from your network.

When you get up on a workday, follow the same routine you would if leaving home for a day of work. Have a shower, eat some breakfast, and make your coffee. Keep your workspace dedicated to productive work, and only visit it when you intend to be productive.

Manage distractions

Using your workspace strictly for productivity is ideal, and there are ways to further manage your distractions. When you step through your office door, set your phone to “do not disturb” and don’t bring other distracting media into your space. Use your regularly scheduled breaks to catch up on anything you missed. You’re going to get distracted once in a while and that’s okay. Sometimes things need your attention and there’s no avoiding it. Do your best, but don’t let this become a habit.

Working from home with pets

When you switch to working at home, your pet will likely be very excited. They don’t understand work, so they’re going to assume it’s like all the other times you’re at home. Teach your pet that you aren’t there to play with them when you work. Give them some quality one-on-one time at specific intervals in the day. Since you’re utilizing a backyard office, consider not allowing your pet inside your workspace. Use toys and activities to keep your pets busy throughout the day.

Working from home with children

When you work at home and have children, communication is your best friend and ally. Teach your children that you shouldn’t be disturbed when you’re at work. Let your kids know when you’ll take a break and how long the break will be. If your child’s needs interrupt your schedule, communicate with coworkers about how you’ll still complete your goals. You’re not alone – many parents work from home and share your difficulties.

Converting your garden shed into a backyard office has several benefits. You get to create the space that’s right for you and set it up with functionality and comfort in mind. Working from home provides a lot of flexibility, saves you travel time, and can help create an excellent work-life balance. Some challenges come with working from home, such as optimizing your productivity with all those extra distractions. However, if you stick to a schedule and set yourself boundaries and goals, you can come out ahead.

Remote work culture is becoming more popular than ever before. It’s great for companies and employees but can also be challenging. Communication is key in teamwork and collaboration, and particular tools make it easier for remote workers than others. This article will discuss apps/tools to help you stay connected with your team while working from home or anywhere else!

Zoom

Zoom is a video conferencing app that allows you to connect with others. It’s used by over 100 million people, meaning there are many opportunities for you to find clients.

Zoom is excellent for remote team collaboration because it enables employees from different locations to work together in real-time. The app also offers screen-sharing capabilities to share files and documents during meetings. You can even record your sessions to review them later or send them as recordings via email or other messaging apps like Slack or WhatsApp.

Gsuite

Gsuite is an online office suite that’s perfect for remote team collaboration. It integrates with other apps, has a generous free plan and is ideal for small businesses.

In Gsuite, you can create documents, spreadsheets, slideshows, and presentations using the tools you’re familiar with (like Microsoft Word). You can also easily share these files with your coworkers or clients by inviting them to collaborate on the same project in real-time.

Google Drive

Google Drive is a great tool for storing and sharing files. You can share with anyone, and they will have access to the document. You can also use it to store your documents, which will be accessible from any device you use. If you want to share with a group of people, Google Drive allows you to use “share links” or a private link that only the recipient can access.

Google Drive lets you share directly with individuals not part of your organization or company. This feature works similarly: send an email with the attached file for them to view it in their inboxes!

Slack

Slack is a messaging app that many companies use to help them with remote team collaboration. Slack is also free and easy to use, so it’s one of the most popular work-from-home apps.

Slack has many features, including a shared calendar, file-sharing capabilities, and the ability for users to create private groups within channels. It also has built-in search functionality to find what you need when working from home easily.

Todoist

Todoist is a task management app that lets you manage your personal and work tasks in one place. It’s available on the web, mobile, and desktop platforms, so it syncs with Google Calendar to keep you organized. With Todoist, you can create tasks, subtasks and projects for each project or task you need to complete.

The mobile app lets you view your lists from anywhere so that even if you’re not near a computer or tablet (or have access to Wi-Fi), there will still be an easy way for you to stay up to date on all of your upcoming events or due dates.

Trello

Trello is a project management tool that lets you create boards to organize projects. You can use cards to create tasks and define due dates, add checklists, attach files, and comment on them. You can share boards with others so they can see what needs to be done or provide feedback on your progress. Trello supports collaboration in real-time and has a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices and a web app that works on any device with an internet connection.

LastPass

LastPass is a password manager allowing you to store your passwords and login credentials securely. It also has a “password generator” feature, which helps you create unique and secure passwords for every account. With LastPass, syncing across all devices becomes easy as it automatically logs in when you open the app on any device. You can also set up two-factor authentication for an added layer of security or use its secure notes feature to share sensitive information with others, such as bank account details, credit card numbers, etcetera.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft teams is a communication platform that allows you to connect with your team and collaborate on projects. Its features include group chat, voice and video calls, and shared files. It’s available on mobile devices and desktops.

You can join the Microsoft Teams app by clicking on “Join Now” or searching for it in the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Once you’re signed up for an account, you’ll be able to access all your team members’ information from any device registered with your work email address (if they’re using their work email address).

Conclusion

This is a great list of tools for remote team collaboration. If you’re looking to work from home, these apps will help you stay organized and productive while still being able to communicate with coworkers easily!

Author Bio

Hi, I am Nikhil Singh. I am a passionate content marketer working with Chegg. I love to write about different domains like education, travel, fashion, food etc.

Given its accessibility, place in popular culture, and focus on communication, social media understandably grew in importance as the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent — and when companies everywhere started working remotely, it helped with everything from distributing the details to sourcing advice from those with remote-working experience.

But that’s not all social media brings to the table: we need to consider its immense value as a marketing tool. Businesses still getting accustomed to being away from their offices won’t have any issues using Facebook as regular members, but what about doing all the promotional work they usually invest in? Maintaining a social strategy remotely is different, and can be tricky.

In this post, we’re going to set out some tips for not only maintaining but also optimizing a social strategy away from the comfort and advantages of conventional office life, learning heavily on virtual collaboration. Here we go:

Audit your lineup of SaaS tools

The SaaS industry is single-handedly responsible for the continued operation of so many businesses (essential or otherwise). While there were some businesses that were already capable of operating remotely with no issues, most were still clinging to the old-fashioned office model, and adapting was a major struggle for them.

Imagine if this pandemic had struck back before the modern SaaS industry existed — back before internet infrastructure could handle the traffic, and before cloud technology was sufficiently advanced to support the level of activity. It would surely have been so much worse. Companies would have struggled to deploy software installations using physical media, before struggling further to get them working adequately well on underpowered hardware.

Today, it’s easy to take the SaaS world for granted, but it’s also easy to fall into a rut of using the same old tools and never thinking about what else is out there. Now that circumstances have forced change, you should take the opportunity to look for alternative social strategy tools, taking advantage of sites that review all types of software and list best-in-category options.

You most likely use a SaaS tool to compose and schedule your social media posts in advance (if you don’t, then that’s a change you should have made a long time ago). If so, consider whether you might save some time and effort by changing that tool. And then there’s something key like sharing URLs: instead of trying to rely on social platforms shortening them for you, you can use your own URL shortening tool to save a lot of time while maintaining consistency.

You can even think about the platform you use for your site, because not all platforms are equal. Some, like WordPress, have myriad free social integrations that you can draw upon. Others, particularly in the ecommerce world, aren’t so convenient. Those running Shopify can use native Facebook functions, for instance, while those running PrestaShop (as PrestaShop reviews note) must purchase modules to use social features.

You do need to factor in the time needed to make a change, of course. Swapping between tools will present something of a learning curve, possibly requiring you to struggle with changed options for weeks or even months — and changing your site platform will be even tougher, needing a complex site migration. But if you really want to achieve total optimization, the short-term inconvenience may be a necessary sacrifice.

Commit time to general social media research

It’s always vital to be aware of the zeitgeist when executing a social media strategy, because a hashtag that drives a lot of traffic one day can be considered outdated the next — but the need has risen even higher since the pandemic started. Social media users are always reactionary, but now they’re reactionary and understandably sensitive.

Working remotely means saving time on commuting and having more flexibility, and employees can put some of that saved time into keeping up with social media trends and events. Which brands are faring well? What are the obvious mistakes being made? Consider the importance of corporate ethics in modern business, then factor in how companies are being judged for their actions during a time of crisis.

No one wants to be seen as overly self-promotional while so many people are suffering, getting fired, or even losing their lives. Smart brands are going for easy win-wins like temporarily offering their services or products at reduced rates (or even for free). Within the ceaseless torrent of social media updates lies incredible insight into what people are looking for.

Invest in ergonomic home office equipment

Regular social media activity chiefly goes through smartphones, as noted, but marketing work shouldn’t. Yes, some social channels have character limits, and all of them call for brevity, but consider the impracticality of tapping out (and editing) numerous posts via a smartphone keyboard. It’s a fast way to establish or exacerbate repetitive strain injuries.

It’s faster, easier and better to route everything through computers. Even mobile-only apps like Snapchat feature APIs that allow third-party tools to hook into them (more on this later) — but moving to regular keyboards doesn’t eliminate the risk. It merely ameliorates the situation by making things significantly more comfortable. It’s still perfectly possible to sustain an injury typing on a PC or laptop keyboard.

There are two significant takeaways from this. Firstly, you mustn’t allow anyone (even yourself) to carry out a lot of social marketing or outreach from a mobile device. It might sound like a nice idea — you can sit more comfortably while holding a smartphone — but it’s a recipe for disaster. Secondly, simply ensuring that every employee has a functional computer isn’t enough. Provide the funding for every worker to establish an ergonomic home office.

Don’t just sign off on anything, though, or else you’ll end up paying for luxuries. Consider everything that could confer serious benefits. Multi-monitor setups can help with reviewing large amounts of data. Different keyboard types — using various layouts, formats and switches — can suit different people, making typing faster and more comfortable (numerous efforts have been made to develop ergonomic keyboards over the years: Rtings has a great roundup). Then there are all the necessary accessories: USB hubs, audio cables, and anything else required.

Expensive? Perhaps, yes, particularly if you go for high-end monitors. But it’ll be worth it, not only for your social strategy but also for business in general. There’s no saying when lockdown measures will be fully lifted — and if there’s even a possibility that you might continue to work remotely due to saving money on office rental, surely you stand to save far more in a few months than you could spend on a large number of home office setups.

Hold ideation sessions using video conferencing

High-level social media work requires a lot of ideation because it’s so creatively broad, and it’s key to get input from as many people as possible at that stage. It’s all too easy to come up with an idea that sounds great in the moment but would never actually achieve anything if deployed. What you need is a group of creatives bouncing ideas off one another, so how should you do it?

At a distance, you could use something as simple as a Slack thread, and that approach could work somewhat well — but what are you losing? Relative to the standard office meeting, you’re losing the valuable context of both audio tone and body language. An idea presented in text might not be interpreted in the manner intended, but in audio it could be much clearer.

This is why you should get into the habit of holding video conferences for ideation. Being able to hear one another’s voices will help team members to focus and get creatively inspired, and will ensure that flawed ideas are either redeemed or scrapped entirely before too much time is put into working on them. (It’s all too easy to waste time on ultimately-unused ideas.)

Handle the conferences the same way you’d handle in-person meetings and generally try to imagine that you’re all together and business is operating as usual — though always keep the reality of remote working in mind, if only because it’s a useful prompt for relevant social media content.

To enhance your remote social media strategy, consider exploring online tools that facilitate collaboration and creativity. One noteworthy area is video editing. Platforms offering the ability to edit videos online can streamline your content creation process. These tools provide a user-friendly interface, allowing team members to collaborate on video projects from different locations. You can seamlessly integrate edited videos into your social media posts, making your content more engaging and dynamic. As remote work becomes the norm, embracing such digital solutions ensures your social media strategy remains adaptable and effective in the ever-evolving landscape of online communication.

Provide comprehensive brand guidelines

When you have everyone in the same office, it’s easy to get social media drafts fully reviewed. Anyone unsure about whether their post is fitting for the brand can quickly consult their nearest colleague, and even bring in their superior without proving too disruptive. It isn’t so easy to do this when everyone is working remotely. Scheduling can start to diverge, and pressure to be productive can push employees to be proactive by posting without proper permission.

This isn’t inherently a bad thing. Requiring everything to be approved by a manager (or even one person in particular) ensures quality, but it also slows things down, often unnecessarily. If you trust your employees to do what they’re supposed to, then you should leave them to get on with things — but only if they have access to comprehensive brand guidelines.

Great brand guidelines detail not just elements like logos and slogans but also tone and suitable topics. Having a consistent brand voice is essential for developing a memorable identity: muddy the waters with some ill-fitting posts and you’ll cause a lot of confusion. If part of your brand identity is going the extra mile to help customers, check that everyone on the team understands how important that is.

Having guidelines will also make it so much easier to onboard new employees. Due to mass layoffs, there’s a lot of talent on the market at the moment, and enduring companies would do well to select the best — but even the best social media professionals need time to get up to speed. Having access to a full range of brand elements will greatly speed up their development.

Proactively engage with prospects and customers

Sitting back and letting people come to you can be a viable strategy in the event that you’ve done the necessary work to make your company accessible. If you’ve put a lot of time and effort into SEO, earning some prominent rankings for relevant terms, then you’d normally be able to rely on a consistent stream of organic visits — and if you’d picked up a large number of social media followers, you’d get to post as usual and see decent results.

The problem with passivity at the moment is that people have bigger things to worry about than consumerism, and it’s pushing many purchasing thoughts aside. Ecommerce in general is flourishing because of what people need (or think they need), but plenty of product types are seeing decreased interest because people aren’t feeling like spending money.

Unless whatever you bring to the table is commonly considered essential, those rankings and follower counts might not be helping you as much as you’d expect them to. That’s where being proactive becomes so valuable. Reaching out to social media followers (and relevant prospects who aren’t currenting following you) provides two major benefits:

1. It helps you to stand out from comparable businesses. When attention is otherwise going elsewhere, you can step in and remind people that your company is still in operation and still capable of providing them with something useful and worth their time.
2. It gives you the chance to show humanity. People increasingly choose to get their products and services from companies they consider laudable and worthy of their support. By engaging with them, you can show some personality and help your brand to come across as something other than a faceless profit machine.

Whenever you notice a relevant thread on a social media platform, step in and get involved. If you spot a post from someone you think might appreciate your assistance, make the first move to initiate conversation. Provided you don’t push too hard, they’ll appreciate the effort.

Wrapping up, it’s entirely possible to maintain and improve your social strategy while working remotely. Much of the process will be essentially unchanged, and those elements that have changed can still be handled very effectively. Use these tips to help you achieve better social outreach and marketing results.