Working From Home Top Tips

There are approximately 4,000 home based businesses in Merton. We asked Merton Chamber of Commerce for their top tips on how to make you and your business thrive when working from home. Here’s what they said…

Working from home can have a huge number of advantages. It allows you to be flexible with your working patterns, it can also help you keep down overheads, which are especially important in those early years. However, there are also some drawbacks that can arise, too. You can feel lonely and isolated, you may need to get understanding of rules and regulations that businesses have to comply by; and how do you share the amazing work you are producing?

Here at Merton Chamber of Commerce we offer a range of support that can help you overcome these challenges.

Networking | Image credit: Merton Chamber of Commerce

Championing

We champion the business voice – fighting to keep Merton as a great borough to base your business.

Find out more about Merton Chamber membership here >

Connecting

We can introduce and connect you to other businesses, either through our range of Networking events or through our personal introductions.

Find out more about Merton Chamber’s networking events and training workshops here >

Celebrating

We love to celebrate the great businesses we have in the borough (and there are many!). As the proud organisers of the Merton Best Business Awards, we are here to shout about these fabulous businesses – whatever the size, or age.

Find out more about Merton Best Business Awards here >

Nurturing

And we nurture and help businesses to grow and develop. Whether through our business development workshops, or organising support with a Business Adviser, we are here to help.

Find out more about Merton Chamber business services here >

Tips From A Merton Chamber Member

But don’t just take our word about it. Here are some wise words from one of our Members; Katie Driver from Thinking Alliance shares some insightful tips:

Katie Driver | Image credit: Merton Chamber of Commerce

“The key to thriving when you’re working from home is to set clear boundaries between your work-life and your home-life. Otherwise, it’s easy to fall into the traps of working all hours at the expense of anything else, or allowing domestic tasks to overwhelm your working time, or multi-tasking across both and not making real progress with either! It particularly helps to think about boundaries in three areas: physical space, time and tech.

You can make a physical boundary by making sure you have a set place for doing your work – whether it’s an office, understairs cupboard or regular spot at the table. Your brain will associate that space with working and move more easily into ‘work mode’ when you’re in it. Just as importantly, when you move away when work is done, your brain is prompted to switch into ‘non-work mode’. Your time boundary is about working hours. Establishing a clear start and end time for each working day helps focus your attention and makes sure there’s space for all the other parts of your life. It’s also important to have at least one full day off each week to refresh body and mind. As for the tech boundary, that’s about making sure you’re not looking at your screen from the moment you wake to the moment you sleep. Being ‘always on’ with tech means your brain is always on alert and doesn’t get the downtime it needs to help you do your best work.”

The Merton Best Business Awards

Now in its seventh year, The Merton Best Business Awards recognises and promotes excellence, innovation and best practice in the borough. Every business in Merton is eligible to apply and you can do so here >