Becky McCray comes and hangs out with us today to provide the small town workshifting perspective.  Becky is the co-owner of a retail liquor store and a cattle ranch. She publishes the popular SmallBizSurvival.com about small business and rural issues, based on her own successes and failures. She works with clients in the US and Africa on grant writing, web presence and marketing.  You can find Becky over on Twitter most days.

Once you accept the idea that you can work from anywhere, it isn't too big of a jump to realize you can make your home anywhere, too. So one step beyond workshifting, is what you could call lifeshifting: live where you want, and work worldwide.

For me, that means working from a small town. I'm far from the major tech enclaves, but right where I want to be. For you, it might be moving nearer to family, to a part of the country you love, or really, just about anywhere in the world. That likely means a smaller town, too. You know the tools and tactics that let you work from where ever you like; how can you extend that to living where ever you like? Here are just a few of the practical considerations, especially if you're looking at a smaller town.

If you're thinking of relocating, be sure to check into the availability of high speed internet. Although it may seem universally accessible, once you get more remote than the suburbs, coverage isn't guaranteed. You also have to watch out for coverage gaps, and places where what the provider claims is covered isn't quite what is actually available. You'd rather find out about any access problems before you buy, rather than after. 

Workshifters working from small towns also have to make back up plans for internet access. What will you do when the satellite service goes down, or you have to wait weeks for a repair to your phone line? That means seeking out all your local public wifi and internet sources. Most public libraries, even in small towns, offer either internet terminals or wifi access, or both. Also check around for motels with wifi that will permit you to work in a pinch; make friends with managers before you need their help! And yes, you might even check out the local coffee shops.

Workshifters know the feeling of being isolated by not working in a traditional office. They fight it by working in coffee shops, scheduling in person meetings, and co-working at events like Jelly. Workshifters face an even more intense isolation in small towns. It's hard to hold an effective Jelly in a town of 250 people. Networking online takes on the more serious purpose of replacing that in-person contact. You can also make local connections that are not necessarily tech related. Look for the local chamber of commerce or civic organizations. As a bonus, it's easier to get involved and make a difference in a small town.

Get to know which shipping companies are best for your locale. In my hometown of Alva, Oklahoma, for example, UPS is the primary package service. FedEx is slower to get deliveries here the city folks expect, and there isn't a drop off point, so forget about shipping via FedEx without driving almost an hour. So I have to let people know that before they send me a package, or it will take longer than they expect. 

Those are just a few of the small town workshifting issues. I'd love to hear your own stories and suggestions of how you can live where you want, but work all over the world.

Photo by: StevenM_61

I absolutely love traveling.  Trying new foods.  Experiencing different cultures.  Meeting new people.  Trying new foods...wait, did I already say that?  

Traveling for pleasure is easy, especially for the adventurous type, just make some basic plans, do a bit of research and on you go.  Traveling for business...not so much.  Add to this, international travel, particularly multi-country trips and there are a litany of considerations and variables that one must consider.

Take the business trip that I have been on for the past three weeks.  Now don't get me wrong, I am a planner, meticulous and methodical, of OCD-esque proportions, but this trip got me good.  When working abroad, there are so many additional items to consider.  Take charging your laptop for instance.  Back home in the East Village (NYC) coffee shops I frequent for my workshifting needs, charging my laptop is a regular occurrence.  The freedom to "plug in" where ever I damn well please (one that I now feel should be embedded into the Bill of Rights) has become a fundamental element of my workshifting life.  In fact without that "freedom", I wouldn't be able to carry on as a workshifter for longer than a couple hours at a time.  However, in certain countries in Europe I have found the "Plug in for All" freedom has yet to evolve into the consciousness of coffee shop owners.

Charging laptops is just one example of the woes of the international workshifter, there are also electrical converters to consider, Internet access, tethering ability, data access on mobiles.  As you might imagine, I have now meandered into the land of business travel expert by forgetting to consider pretty much all of these variables.

So, in the spirit of community sharing, I thought I might post a video to help any other workshifter planning an international trip so that you might learn from my many, many mistakes.

What other tips do you have for workshifting internationally?  How do you prepare for traveling internationally for work?

Today Amber Naslund stops by to share her thoughts on developing family balance while being a workshifter.  Amber is the Director of Community at Radian6 which keeps her on the road a lot.  Amber also maintains a blog, Altitude Branding, and can be found hanging out on Twitter.

When you're a workshifter, there's often a perception that you have the ultimate freedom: work from anywhere, control your own schedule, travel to interesting places. Part of that is true, and I'm very grateful for the flexibility that my type of job affords me.

But as other workshifters can attest, it can be demanding, too. Travel isn't always glamorous, and the flexibility that comes with working remotely can also mean that boundaries are hard to set. One of the things that's hardest to balance is family: time with kids, time at home, time for the people that matter most to you.

I'm a single mom of a 2 1/2 year old, a daughter, sister, friend, and pet parent to two dogs and two cats. Finding time for all of that isn't easy, but I've learned a few things along the way.

Have Off Hours

There is no question whatsoever that there have to be times when you're just not on the clock. That also means cutting the remote tethers like the iPhone or the Blackberry that are distractions, even while they're conveniences.

When I'm home, I have hours in the morning and after work where I am not on the clock, because those are the times I have to spend with my daughter. It doesn't mean I can't take a phone call from a friend, but it does mean that my daughter is my first priority. She needs to know without question that she matters more to me than the computer or my phone.

Same goes for making time for family and friends. The weekends can be tempting, uninterrupted time to get loads of work done. But my family and friends live with my crazy schedule all the time, so when I have a weekend home, I make it a point to catch up with folks in person or on the phone, without work getting in the way.

When I travel, I keep "off hours" too, that I can spend recharging, resting, or visiting with people wherever I am. No matter where I am, the work will always be there when I get back to it.

Be Okay with Getting Help

A heavy workshifting schedule often means you can't do it alone, and that's okay. It's not a sign of weakness to ask for help. It means you're aware of your own limits.

For example, my family, my daughter's dad's family, and our regular daycare sitter are enormous and important sources of support that care for her when I can't be there. She's always loved, attended to, and has someone investing time with her (not just keeping half an eye on her). It's critical to me that she never, ever feel like she's an afterthought.

I also have an in-home pet sitter that visits my home and critters several times a day to make sure they're tended to. It's a *huge* relief to me while on the road to know they're cared for in the comfort of their own home. They're family, too. Is it cheap? No. But neither is my sanity.

Tap the people closest to you for support and reassurance, or seek out groups of other parents or professionals that can lend even moral support while you balance priorities. And above all, cut yourself some slack and realize that not everyone is a superhero.

Communicate Often

Little touch-bases really do matter when you don't have the time to connect fully with the people you love. A quick phone call to say hello, or even just a note to say "I'm not there right now, but I'm thinking of you" can go a long way to staying connected to those around you. Perhaps most important is to ASK your friends and family to tell you about what's new in their world. Listening is some of the best attention you can give.

I use phone, email, text message, and even Skype to keep in touch in little snippets. My daughter gets lots of phone calls from the road so she can hear Mommy's voice, and my friends and family get lots of little touch-base moments so they know they're on my mind (and that I'm eternally grateful for their support of my career lifestyle, demanding as it may be).

Demonstrate Your Priorities

How you respond to demands on your time demonstrates a lot to others.

Sometimes that means saying "No" to something that conflicts with other priorities, either professional or personal. Sometimes that means honesty about your bandwidth with the folks asking for your attention; giving them clear timelines about when you CAN respond (even if it's not immediate) can help a lot. Enforcing those off hours can show a great deal, nonverbally; people's feelings really do get hurt when they're sharing your attention with your Twitter DMs or text messages.

It's also important to be in sync with your employer about your family commitments and priorities, and communicating when you need to be off the grid. The key? If you always deliver on your promises, folks won't look sideways at the time you spend in personal places.

Nobody's Perfect

I sure don't always get this balance right. I feel guilt each and every time I get on another airplane, conscious of how fast time flies as my daughter grows up. I'm always seeking balance between my professional ambitions and the security I know I'm providing for my daughter's future, and the time I get to spend with her now - which is the time I can't ever get back.

I have a handful of really close friends that love me unconditionally, and plenty of people that get upset with me because I don't give them the attention they probably deserve. Conversely, I'm sure I frustrate people when it takes me days to respond to an email that's a lower priority to me but perhaps more important to them. I'm human and I have limitations, and I'm doing the best I can with what I've got. But I'll sure never apologize for putting my daughter first, and my family and close friends close behind.  They're what makes all this craziness worth it.

How do you balance family, friends and being a workshifter?

Photo by: doou

The other day as I sat in a Me & Ollie's Cafe enjoying a sandwich and trying to get some writing done on the fly, I had an encounter with a Space Hog. You've seen That Guy. Heck, you may have even been That Guy once or twice. Space Hogs make the concept of workshifting a hard sell when trying to get more places to offer WiFi and outlets for us.

What does a real Space Hog look like in the wild? He's the one sitting at a nice six top or a booth big enough for a family of seven. He brought a portable printer, his iPod, his laptop, his cell phone and bluetooth headset, reams of paper for the printer, and a stack of folders a mile high. His extension cord and laptop bag or suitcase (no, I am not kidding) often are placed in the center of the aisle, impeding traffic.

What is mister oh-so-important doing? He is nursing a cup of $1.50 coffee while sitting there all day, feeling entitled to take up that much space for that many hours because he "ordered something". Generally he is yelling loudly into his cell phone, annoying the nice grandma seated at the two-top next door. He's also uploading his Power Point masterpiece while downloading the entire Michael Jackson discography from his favorite torrent site, because he is so proud to be a "multi-tasker", and oblivious to the impact on the bandwidth for other workshifters trying to get things done.

Are you aware of your impact on other patrons and on businesses while workshifting? Sure, there is argument to be made that workshifters bring in business to otherwise struggling establishments in times of a down economy, but we can also drive business away if we aren't careful. Obnoxious workshifters are the reason some places still refuse to jump on the workshifting-friendly bandwagon.

Things to watch out for:

1. Length Of Stay: Restaurants and coffee houses thrive most with high table turnover. The more rotating butts in the seats, the better the income - the more meals they sell, the more money they make in tips and profits. Be aware of how long you sit. If you know in advance that you may need a 6 hour stay because your home office is being painted - ask. That simple courtesy often gets you the green light from the manager or owner. In general, two hours is a good limit for both getting work done and not imposing.
   
   
2. Table Choice: This one should go without saying, but I see it often enough I must mention it. If there is just one person workshifting, you need to choose a table for one. Period. End of story. If your gear won't fit at a one or two top when you are solo, you need to rethink your gear. Spreading out over a larger table means a larger party can not sit there, and is quite rude.
   
   
3. Volume Control: Another one that should go without saying. If you are on the phone in a public place, lower your voice. Even better, take the call outside. I realize you may not want to leave your expensive laptop unattended, so just be aware of how your call is affecting the people around you. There is no need to shout. If you are someone who has a voice that carries even when you whisper, cupping your hand around your mouth a bit, or sitting around a corner for a little buffer also helps lower the volume.
   
   
4. Don't Be A Bandwidth Hog: Not all cities have public WiFi and WiMax. Some don't even have adequate broadband infrastructure. Not only that, establishments are paying for the bandwidth you use in many cases. Public computer use is not the time to upload several video files to YouTube or download large movie and music files. It makes the bandwidth sluggish for other workshifters and people there to do homework and such as well.
   
   
5. Buy Something: Seriously. Buying one cup of brew coffee for under $2 and not tipping doesn't justify an extended stay. Support the businesses letting you work where you want by making a purchase and tipping well. You don't like it when certain people come stay at your house for weeks on end, freeloading and not contributing, do you? Then don't freeload at your local businesses.
   

If you increase your awareness of how your workshifting interactions affect others around you and the establishments you frequent, workshifting will be a much easier sell to businesses who have yet to jump on the WiFi and accessible bandwagon. Also, you'll just plain be easier to be around, and avoid being That Guy - and we all want that.

Photo by: jaydoubleyougee

I'm a Gen Y'er. I've heard many versions of what my generation wants in the workforce so I thought I'd share my perspective. My perspective is in no way the answer to fulfilling Gen Y in the workforce because one of the staples of my generation is that we're very different from person to person.

Here's what I want when I look at the next 20, 30, 40, 50 or even 60 years of my career:

I want to learn. Learning is at the top of the list. I always want to be in a position where I feel overwhelmed by the potential to learn. I like to surround myself with smart people.

I like flexibility. This one is probably the most relevant to workshifting. I like companies that reward results and don't micromanage the way the work is done. I'm lucky in that our corporate culture at Citrix promotes workplace flexibility. I'm comfortable with technology and like to use it to communicate at a distance. Sometimes I'll have 5 online meetings in a day and that's ok with me. I value the ability to work wherever I want as long as I produce.

I don't necessarily need to know everything, just where to find it. Claire Schooley, Analyst at Forrester Research, likes to say that "unlearning" is a skill of the new generation. I did a podcast interview with her regarding this topic that you can find on iTunes by searching "Claire Schooley." What she means is that with information changing so quickly it's actually an advantage to be able to unlearn something quickly. Growing up with technology I realize how fast things change. With this in mind it's sometimes counter-productive to become an expert in certain areas. For a corporate training department this means "Teach me high level concepts and show me where to find the details if I need them."

I use social media and networking at work. I like companies who can see the value of social media for business. I use tools like Twitter and LinkedIn at the office to develop relationships and have conversations. Sometimes the conversations are with clients or business partners and sometimes with friends. Social media at work can cause some debate between generations. But think of social media at work as the virtual water cooler talk. Some of the conversation will be about business and some will be about the plans for the weekend.

Not all of my conversations need formalities. Most of the time, I prefer twitter-like emails and voicemails. A lot of text is wasted getting to the point in communication. I often get emails where I have to scroll to find the action needed on my end. Twitter requires 140 characters or less and it's amazing how much can be squeezed in there. I like emails, voicemails and people that get to the point. Here's a great article from copyblogger.com by Jennifer Blanchard about "How Twitter Makes You a Better Writer."

We tend to be candid. We're not afraid to jump in with questions and challenge the status quo. This can cause some issues within an organization as more senior employees may feel that Gen Y oversteps their bounds. Donna Nebenzahl wrote up a case study of how L'Oreal dealt with this generational conflict in The Gazette.
 
I want to have constant visibility to the company vision and how I fit in. Gen Y'ers are known for being in it for more than the paycheck. This means we need to understand how our contribution impacts the company and where it's going. Keeping Gen Y workers engaged with the company direction can be as important as compensation at times.

Again, these are just my thoughts. What do you think? Does this match up with your ideas of Gen Y in the workforce?

Photo by: Randy Stewart

Let's Celebrate!

Home Enterprise Day is happening on Friday, November 20th and Enterprise Nation (a resource website I founded in 2006) members are making plans to celebrate.

The Day marks the first national celebration of home business. It's being held as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week and the aim is to encourage more people to start a business from home and support existing home businesses to grow. There are a number of ways you can get involved:

Attend the Enterprise Nation Conference

We're hosting a national conference on the Day with a top line-up of speakers who will inform and inspire. Speakers like Doug Richard (former Dragon & CEO, School for Startups), Louise Campbell (founder, Myehive.com) and, from the world of media Lisa Sykes (Features Editor, Country Living), Jenny Culshaw (Producer, Working Lunch) and Jimmy Leach (head of Digital, The Independent).  The event is being held in London and on the day we'll be launching our 2009 Home Business Report and announcing winners of the 2009 Home Business Awards. Plenty of reasons to come along!

You can register for the Enterprise Nation Conference here: Register now!

Join us on a Roadtrip

In the build-up to Home Enterprise Day, we're going on a roadtrip! Starting in Scotland and traveling south, I'll be interviewing people in their working homes, talking to policy makers and hosting home business meet-ups every night, at each stop-off point. The end result of the week will be a documentary looking at the rise of home business in the UK. This is where we'll be - please come out and say hello!

*Monday 14th September  -Scotland
*Tuesday15th September - North East (Newcastle)
*Wednesday 16th September - London
*Thursday 17th September - South West (Bristol & surrounds)
*Friday 18th September - West Midlands (Herefordshire & Shropshire)

Enter the Home Business Awards

The Awards will be open in early September with winners announced at the Enterprise Nation Conference on Friday, November 20th. We'll have the same categories this year as last which are:

*Home Business of the Year
*Home Business Couple of the Year
*Young Home Business of the Year (under the age of 30)
*Home Office of the Year
 
Entry is free and you're in with a chance of winning plenty of profile and prizes.

Run your own event

If you'd like to celebrate Home Enterprise Day but unable to join us for the conference in London, why not host your own event. We've prepared a basic sheet for anyone looking for tips on how to spend the day.

Whatever you decide to do, and wherever you'll be, I look forward to celebrating the UK's first ever Home Enterprise Day with you!

Today Greg Rollett jumps on the workshifting stage to provide lifestyle design tips that we can learn from rock stars.  Greg is a young entrepreneur that helps 20somethings live untraditional "rock star" lives.  He also helps musicians understand the importance of marketing and social media at Gen-Y Rock Stars.  He loves to meet other open-minded young people who have ambitions to change the world.  You can connect with Greg on Twitter as @g_ro.

There are a few ways you can view the current music business and at this point in time, you would probably be right. From top level executives with inflated paychecks to underperforming new artists and a lack of product development, some might say the major labels look more like Chrysler at a Congress hearing than taste makers who make the world sing and dance.

Just like the corporate shakeup that has caused you guys to be reading a site like workshifting, musicians have looked to using the tools that social media offers to manage their careers, connect with fans, share in content creation and find revenue opportunities in real time.

Working with musicians over the last few years has shown that musicians that take the initiative to make lifestyle design and workshifting-type changes are very similar to the sales rep or consultant on the go.  Here are 4 things that Gen-Y Rock Stars can teach you about workshifting:

Automation Lets You Focus on Your Strengths

Musicians do not like to think of themselves as marketers, they are artists. The problem is that no one is going to do the marketing for you if you don't get it started somewhere. Through automated tools like ArtistData to distribute show listings to over 15 sites as well as shoots out messages to major players like Twitter, MySpace (remember these are musicians) and Facebook. Other tools like TubeMogul make iteasy for musicians to upload a video once and share it on all the video platforms where their fans hang out and come to one place to manage stats and interactions.

What this means is more time to create music, talk to fans and play shows. The same applies to your business. Get the tasks that take away your time and put them on autopilot, into delegation or down on the to-do list so that you can focus on getting more business or delivering better results for the clients you have.

Use Your Fans to Create Revenue Streams

In the music industry there are some great options to create and manage short order products from a single t-shirt to print on demand CD's. Startups like AudioLife allow artists to upload and manage virtual stores that handle on demand printing and direct to fan drop shipping of products, so there is no loss when no one orders.

Amanda Palmer took this to another level on a boring Friday night during a non-touring period. She took to Twitter and started talking to fans. Before the night was over she had designed a tee shirt based off her Twitter conversation, threw it online and sold 200 of them that night at $25/ea. By the end of the weekend the number reached 400 shirts grossing $11,000. Not bad for talking to fans and creating a product on demand.

When you have an opportunity to capitalize through conversations with your fans, look for ways to satisfy them immediately. If you have to take an idea to the boardroom and wait for approval, it's too late. Amanda and other musicians are taking advantages of the instant interaction they have with fans and workshifters can have similar powers if they can create that same level of connection.   

World Tours From Your Bedroom

Workshifting can mean working from a coffee shop, an airplane or the comfort of your own home. Musicians make a sizeable amount of their income from live shows and events. For those musicians not in a financial position to jump in a van and head on a road trip, they are bringing the energy and excitement of a live show to live streaming services and charging covers to get in and creating an environment for fans to feel like the band is right in front of them. What's better is they can take requests right from the chat features on uStream or Justin.tv and give the fans a personalized experience that may not even be possible at a venue.

Digital nomads have an equally stellar opportunity, from having a meeting on Skype to hosting workshops through GoToWebinar. Forget the telephone, give your clients and bosses the opportunity to see the magic you bring to the table via live video calls.

Integrate Media in Live Settings

The convergence of real time media into our real lives has not escaped seeing live music or going to events. Taking a traditional local or indie show and throwing up projects hooked up to TwitterCamp create interaction with the crowd, allowing them to interact with each other and the band through their cell phones and a big screen.

Other musicians are using Google Docs and a laptop to manage mailing list signups for more accurate submissions, much better than the pen and paper.  Live inventory and band management software such as Bandize and PulseAmp are making the roadie and retail aspects more consistent and manageable and helping bands stay legit.

I hope you can see a parallel between the life of indie bands and that of the workshifters in the corporate and freelancing world. Technology, lifestyle design and coffee shops are making things very conducive to growing your business and living a life that you can wake up and be excited about. You may not be rocking guitars and sleeping in campsites on the way to Podunk, USA, but the dream of being a rock star is something we can all strive for in our lives.

Photo by: Sicran

For workshifters, email is, without a doubt, the most dominant form of communication with our colleagues, clients, and associates. In some cases you may have only communicated with some people via email or phone, never having met them in person.

Working while on the road is complicated. Acclimating yourself to new cities or cultures. Getting to meetings. Finding internet access that won't require you fork over the deed to your house. 

Workshifting is a benefit; that fact can't be denied. To be able to work when and where you want, or to get your job done on the road, is one of the best things to happen in the computer age, freeing us from the constraints of the cubicle.

There is a dark side to workshifting, though. People who, like me, have made a career out of working from a home office, or people new to telecommuting and workshifting in general know what that dark side is: bleeding time.

What can happen when you workshift is a tendency to be "always on". Because you take your office with you, it becomes difficult to separate time for you from time for your work. When you toss in the heavy amounts of travel time that come with speaking gigs and client on-site days, it's easy to see your free time dwindle.

If you don't get a handle on this time bleed quickly, it can consume your life. This can have adverse affects on your personal life, not to mention the quality of your work. For me, a sure sign that I need to reevaluate my work schedule and travel time is writer's block. The first time I can't think of something to write, I know it is time to take a day off, even if I think I can't squeeze one in. It's a signal that my workshifting life and my personal life have gotten out of whack, and my brain is letting me know.

Everyone has a different signal. Yours may not be writer's block - that's very particular to me, as I spend half of my time writing about technology and social media and the other half of my time helping companies learn to use it and speaking about it.  Figure out what your signals are. Ask your friends and family to let you know what they see happening when you spend too much time "on" without a little time for yourself.

Down time keeps you fresh. Don't be afraid to unplug once in a while. If you need help scheduling it in, don't be embarrassed - a lot of workshifters do. Consider hiring a secretary part time, or a Virtual Assistant. They can help you with the details like scheduling that can consume you, and keep you focused on the tasks at hand.  A little time for you keeps your mind fresh and agile and makes your work that much better.

Photo by: Dr. Hemmert

When walking down the street the other day, I overheard someone say 'I'm just killing time' to a friend. It's an expression I haven't heard in a while and that's because many of us are trying to expand hours in the day, rather than loose them. Here are some tips on how you can make the most of your day.

 

A whole extra day

Workshifters are fortunate. We earn, on average, one whole extra day each week, by cutting out the daily commute.  We're also more productive.  Research reported in the Mail on Sunday in 2008 said the average employee does just four hours of productive work a day. The research claimed the rest of the working day (outside the 4 hours) is spent on:

 "fielding unnecessary phone calls and emails, or wasting time by surfing the Internet and gossiping."

As workshifters, we don't have the water cooler chat so we can get more done but here are some tips to get you and time in full flow:

• Tidy your desk as you finish for the day/night so you have a fresh start in the morning.
  
  
• Write a 'to do' list the night before (and try to include time slots eg 7-9am: site content, 9-11am: new client proposal etc - this doesn't always go to plan but it does put some structure in the day) - having a 'Things to do' book helps with this task and it's a great feeling to tick off the items you've achieved.
  
  
• Do the things that require most concentration first thing in the morning. That way, you're less likely to be interrupted by calls and emails.
  
  
• Speaking of which, emails and calls can be a great distraction! When you need clear concentration, switch out of the inbox and, once the project's done, download and reply to the mail that's come in. You can also 'switch off' the phone by leaving the voicemail on or diverting it to a call-handling service, if you have one.
  
  
• Outsource tasks that take up lots of your time but earn little return. This frees up your time to spend on activities that deliver income and happy clients.   
  
  
• Make the most of project management tools such as Basecamp or Pelotonics. Why does this save you time? Because you can keep clients updated on what's happening on their projects which means less travel to and from meetings.

As technology editor, San Sharma, once wrote: 'The tools we use enable us to manipulate time. The web, email, instant messaging offer information and communication on our own terms. The news when we want, messages as they come, responses in our own time...'

He's right. We can manipulate time. Just please don't kill it!

What tips do you have for staying productive, either as a workshifter or as someone who works from an office?

Photo by: practicalowl

Usually when we read about the concepts of workshifting, being a digital nomad, a web-worker or any other term related to working from outside of an office building, we usually view it through the lens of the employee.  Articles tend to focus on how the employee benefits from the ability to work from outside of the cubicle.  But, one area that's not always covered are the hurdles that managers of remote workers face as well as strategies to help them adapt to have a mobile workforce.  As the number of employees workshifting continues to grow, it is important that we consider ways in which we can better help managers.

What does business productivity have to do with kettles boiling? Bear with me and you'll find out. 

Less Accounting

Process

Bookkeeping

Price

Free to $24 per Month

Some Cool Features

You can create and send Invoices & Proposals

Handy dandy Mileage Log to record mileage deduction

Perform super easy Bank Reconciliations

Multiple types of Sales Tax

Set up Bank Accounts and import all of your transactions, yes, it's less accounting

One reason they kick SaaS

If Quickbooks and LessAccounting were in a fight, I'm pretty sure Less could pull an old school "Head Lock n' Swirlee" move.

Box

Process

File Sharing & Collaborative Working

Price

Free to $15 per User per Month

Some Cool Features

Store ALL your files online

Create Online Workspaces

Mobile Access to Files

File Commenting, Group Discussions & Online Documents

Within Box edit files online in Zoho, ConceptShare, or Picnik

Create tasks associated with files (ie "to review")

Access files from anywhere in the World with Internet connection

One reason they kick SaaS

They have launched a scrappy campaign to usurp the Goliath Microsoft's file sharing service.

Online spending is growing rapidly in the UK. E-commerce in 2009 will be worth over £20bn and, experts say, by 2013, online spending will make up for 10% of total retail sales. If you have a product to sell, you're in a good position, but how to attract customers to buy?  Today I'll share some of the tips that I've seen be the most successful.Offer to write content and guest posts for blogs and sites where you know your customers are hanging out. Offer discounts to member groups and communities and offer links to other important sites, in exchange for them linking back to you. The more inbound and outbound links, the higher you'll appear in the search results.

2. Make some noise

Why not carry out a poll on your site using a service like Survey Monkey and use the results as the basis for a press release. Another tactic that will have you mentioned in the media is celebrity endorsement. This is what Lyndsey Young has done with her product, Count On It, which has received glowing testimonials from the likes of Amanda Holden and Janey Lee Grace, to profitable effect.   

Today, we have a guest post from Hugh Tonks.  Hugh manages one of the three Citrix Labs research groups, based just outside Cambridge UK.  In coming months Hugh hopes to explore some of the thinking underpinning the work we are doing in Cambridge and elsewhere which is looking at many different aspects of remote working, so that's all to come.  To start though Hugh wanted to examine another excellent reason for teleworking: traffic congestion.

Cambridge is a city with a long and venerable history, dating back to Roman times - nigh on two thousand years. The University is, this year, celebrating its 800^th anniversary, and maps of the city centre from several hundred years ago are still recognisable today - landmarks such as the Round Church, the Market and many of the central Colleges were all in place back then. And, of course, so were the roads connecting them. No eight-lane highways for Cambridge, however; the streets are, in some places, barely wide enough for a bus. This is just as well, because buses are the only vehicles allowed in much of the inner town centre these days.

As the City expanded, its reputation for scientific excellence attracted companies, and business "parks" began appearing on the outskirts. Most of the villages around Cambridge now house people who work in places like the Science Park in the north of the City. The consequence, of course, is that the daily commute into these places is a nightmare. Road building has simply not kept pace; the bus services need drastic redesign; and despite Cambridge being known as Cycle City, roads throughout the city are stuffed to breaking point with cars morning and evening, most containing only one person.

Things are much better during the school holidays; the 10% reduction in the the number of cars due to the lack of a "school run" seems to solve the traffic problems at a stroke. But during term, things are pretty grim. Banning the school run would be a tad draconian as a solution, but to my mind there is a much simpler alternative: promote teleworking.

If everybody working in an office or high-tech company worked elsewhere for one day every two weeks, we would see a reduction in car levels approximately equivalent to that experienced during the school holidays. Problem instantly ameliorated, if not actually solved, at virtually zero cost to the taxpayer.

Naturally, this solution is too easy for many local Councillors, who would prefer to implement a ghastly "congestion charge" - with all the costs of collecting the charge, the disruption of setting it up, the need for car numberplate recognition systems, and the consequential fury of motorists who already feel they get a raw deal.

All I have to say is: come on, chaps, sometimes the answer really is staring you in the face...

Photo by: Wootang01

One of the many things a workshifter may find themselves doing is having a presentation, webinar, client meeting, podcast call or other remote contact with clients and customers. I am continually surprised at a few simple things that people neglect to do to make the experience a good one for all concerned.

Etiquette

If you are conducting a meeting or making a webinar from your home office, the most important thing you can do is respect your listeners.  You are giving them knowledge or help, yes, but they are giving you their time to hear what you have to say.

To that end, making sure that all noise and distraction are removed from the area around you is step one for basic etiquette when recording audio or video (or both) from your home office. The big noisemakers in a home office setting are : kids, spouse, traffic, air conditioner, fan, washer or dryer noises, typing keys on a laptop, and ringing phones.

As much as you love your kids (and we do, too), it's distracting to people listening in to hear them playing in the background (and an upset infant can drown you out completely). In that same vein, your spouse may not understand that you need a short period of quiet unless you tell him or her - communication can solve both of those noise factors as your spouse will most likely be happy to help keep the other noises down to a dull roar.

Even if it hot out, close windows and doors to eliminate traffic noise and appliance noise from other parts of your home, and turn the air conditioner and fan off for the duration of your recording or call. That low hum may not sound like much to you, but depending on the tools you have for conducting your meeting, it can be amplified to a jet engine level roar for your listeners. If you are working on a laptop, either refrain from typing or mute your mic while you type - laptop keystrokes sound like little gunshots to the listener.

Incorporating Multimedia

If you are conducting a presentation or webinar online that will require the use of multi media tools like slides, links, movies or active video feed, make sure you choose current tools! One otherwise smart company recently conducted a weeklong series of classes that were broadcast in Real Player, a service not reliably compatible with many platforms. There were complaints all over the internet of people not being able to use the service or participate in the classes because of the tools that were chosen. Shutting out more than half your audience by not choosing a tool that is universally compatible is a bad move.

Incorporating multimedia can be tricky (and we will go over pointers on how to do so effectively in a later post). If you don't have the equipment or software for creating advanced level presentations from home, that is fine. There are plenty of tools, such as Zoho Show,out there to help you create your presentation on a budget. Look for tools that promote compatibility with both Windows and Mac at a minimum and Linux as well if possible.

Downloads

When people tune in for a seminar, forcing them to download your presentation material to their computer is not ideal. A better way to handle it is to give them the option to download your fabulous slides after the meeting or presentation is over, or directing them to a slide sharing service.

Good Habits

Just like you're told not to say "um" when speaking in person, it helps to get into some good habits for remote speaking also. It's tempting to eat or drink while recording or live casting your podcast, video cast, webinar or remote meeting. It feels like you are alone, or that no can tell if you sneak off camera or mic for a moment. I assure you, we can hear you chewing! It's much better to pause briefly and have that snack later.

The traditional markers of a good in person presentation, like eliminating "um" from your vocabulary, also apply here. Any pointers that will keep your audience awake and focused are great to incorporate here - people's minds tend to wander even more if they aren't listening to something in person.

•••

Wrapping up, your key pointers for a good podcast, webinar, meeting or other in-home presentation while workshifting are:

•Eliminate external noise and distractions

•Refrain from typing if on a laptop

•Follow guidelines for good in person presentations

•Hold off on snacking

•Avoid in-presentation downloads

•Use the best tools you can find for your budget

You don't need the most elaborate gear to record a good podcast or webinar. A little care and attention to detail, coupled with a consideration for the people listening to you, should do the trick and make you shine.

Photo by: cogdog

I'm happy to announce that as of last night workshifting is now on Facebook! 


The goal for the Facebook page is to have another way to connect with all of you.  I invite you to drop by, share interesting links that you may find, post photos, videos, start discussion threads and have fun. 

We'll be consistently sharing links from around the web that we think may be of interest to you and will be looking for more and more ways to connect with you, providing you the most relevant and useful content as well as a community for everyone that lives outside of the cubicle on a regular basis.

Will you come join us for the ride? Become a fan of workshifting.

Don't forget to join the conversation on Twitter and tag your photos on Flickr with "workshifting" so they'll show up in our stream.

As always we want this to be useful for you so let us know what else you want to see either here or elsewhere?