Working from home tips
If you run your own business or are able to work from home on a permanent or semi-permanent basis, it may be hard to be disciplined. Here are a few tips to make sure you are able to maximise your time at your desk, and not get distracted by some of the things that you may not find in the office.
But firstly, how many people actually work from home?
According to the Office for National Statistics, between January and March 2014:
- There were 30.1 million people in the UK;
- of those, 4.2 million were home workers;
- homeworkers account for 13.9% of the UK workforce;
- the number of homeworkers has grown by 1.3 million and the rate by 2.8 percentage points since 1998.
Dedicated workspace
Working from the kitchen table, or dining room coffee table is not conducive to carrying out your work. If possible, create a dedicated space, even if it is a desk under the stairs or in the spare bedroom.
In this way, you can feel that you are going to the office. At the end of the day, you can shut the office away. It puts it on a professional footing.
Dedicated working hours
One thing that can help keep you focused while working from home is having set office hours and making sure you are working during those times. So cut out any distractions.
If other family members are at home, make sure they try and respect boundaries. The same goes for friends or family who suddenly realise you are at home and think they can stop by for a chat as they feel your time is your own.
And unless you don’t mind being a sub-Post Office, don’t agree to take packages in for neighbours – you may be surprised that some people will start to take advantage of you being around all the time!
Make sure you nip this in the bud early, as this can be one of the biggest distractions.
Make sure you take time out of the office
Believe it or not lots of home workers tend to actually work longer hours than those at the office – with the ONS reporting that nearly a third of home workers work over 45 hours or more each week.
This is because checking mail or working is a lot more accessible at home and people do tend to work outside your dedicated working hours. So the tip here is to make sure you take regular breaks and spend time away from the PC.
Client meetings and other staff
If you do work from home and you have client meetings or you have other staff working with you at your home, you will typically need to look at your home insurance to make sure it is not invalidated, or it could be you need separate insurance for the commercial activities.
Technology
If you are working from home in your own business you may wish to keep business separate from home, so you can easily switch off the office at night. Having a separate phone line, business mobile and a dedicated computer or laptop can mean you are more in control. But it also means you could need to insure these items independently from your home insurance.
Office insurance
With these activities, it might be prudent to check with your current insurer as to what is covered, what isn’t, and how your home insurance may be invalidated if you use part of your home as a business. Or if you feel you need specialist office insurance, why not give us a call? At the Property Insurance Centre, we will be only too happy to help.
Why choose the Property Insurance Centre
Independent advice by approachable staff online or by phone
Access to a wide range of insurers to source suitable insurance cover for your needs
Bespoke Insurance Schemes & Portfolio Policies available
We can tailor your policy to suit your exact needs to give you complete peace of mind
Competitive Premiums
Cover available for the buildings while the property is being converted, renovated or extended
Over 40 years experience working with the best insurers in the UK
Excellent communication so that you understand what risks you are insured against
Why choose the Property Insurance Centre
Independent broker with staff you can speak to by phone or online
Access to a wide range of insurers to source suitable insurance cover for your needs
Bespoke Insurance Schemes & Portfolio Policies available
We can tailor your policy to suit your exact needs to give you complete peace of mind
Competitive Premiums
Cover available for the buildings while the property is being converted, renovated or extended
Over 40 years experience working with the best insurers in the UK
Excellent communication so that you understand what risks you are insured against
Why choose the Property Insurance Centre
Independent broker with staff you can speak to by phone or online
Access to a wide range of insurers to source suitable insurance cover for your needs
Bespoke Insurance Schemes & Portfolio Policies available
We can tailor your policy to suit your exact needs to give you complete peace of mind
Competitive Premiums
Cover available for the buildings while the property is being converted, renovated or extended
Over 40 years experience working with the best insurers in the UK
Excellent communication so that you understand what risks you are insured against
Specialists in Commercial & Residential Insurance
We have over 40 years experience as Residential and Commercial Insurance Brokers. We find the right policy to suit your needs and understand the risks that a property owner can face in the course of ownership. We work closely with our Insurers to get the best rates and our experience and excellent relationships with them mean that we can provide cover for even the most difficult to place risks.
Whether you have an adverse claims history, a high value property or a large portfolio of properties, we can source suitable cover for you. Whatever your requirements, we can tailor a specialist property insurance policy to suit your exact needs and provide you with a range of quotes to choose from. Established in 1976, we are not a call centre but a specialist insurance broker with a traditional office mentality, where the client comes first.
Looking for a quote now? Give us a call on 0800 085 3761 or complete one of our quote request forms.
We are also authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and you can view our registration here.
Get In Touch:
[contact-form-7 id="12585" title="New Callback"]We accept most payment types including:
UK Call Handlers & Dedicated New Business Team
Call Us on 0800 085 3761
Robert Fisher is a company director of the Property Insurance Centre, who specialise in Business and Property Insurance, serving clients throughout the United Kingdom. His expertise and career in insurance spans almost twenty years.
Robert’s background is in Building Surveying, which he studied at Heriot-Watt University, where he was awarded a BSc (Hons) degree. Much of his educational background is in Building Structural Safety from an engineering perspective.
The knowledge that Robert gained at undergraduate level has lent itself well, particularly as it has enabled him to evaluate the risks associated with certain buildings. This means he knows how best to place these risks and ultimately insure the properties against such risks.
His in-depth knowledge of various methods of construction has enabled him to easily identify which insurer’s underwriting criteria would best fit each client’s needs and provide the correct levels of cover.
Additionally, Robert is responsible for training the team and ensuring that they are always kept up to date with the latest industry developments. This is an area that he is naturally drawn to because of his inquisitive mind, diligence and passion for passing on knowledge to others.
He is a member of the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and qualified to Level 3 with the CII.
As part of the Level 3 certification, Robert has undertaken modules in Insurance, Legal & Regulatory (IF1), Insurance Claims Handling (IF4) and Insurance Household Products (IF6).
As a condition of CII membership, Robert continues his professional development by keeping abreast of the latest industry developments.
Contents
- 1 Working from home tips
- 2 But firstly, how many people actually work from home?
- 3
- 4 Insurance under one roof
- 5 We are specialists in many types of insurance
- 6 Dedicated workspace
- 7 Dedicated working hours
- 8 Make sure you take time out of the office
- 9 Client meetings and other staff
- 10 Technology
- 11 Office insurance
- 12 Block of Flats
- 13 Unoccupied
- 14 Home Insurance
- 15 Residential Landlord
- 16 Land Liability
- 17 Commercial Property
- 18 Lockup Garage
- 19 Restaurant
- 20 Takeaway
- 21 Classic Car
- 22 Mixed Use
- 23 Tradesmen
- 24 Why choose the Property Insurance Centre
- 25 Independent advice by approachable staff online or by phone
- 26 Access to a wide range of insurers to source suitable insurance cover for your needs
- 27 Bespoke Insurance Schemes & Portfolio Policies available
- 28 We can tailor your policy to suit your exact needs to give you complete peace of mind
- 29 Competitive Premiums
- 30 Cover available for the buildings while the property is being converted, renovated or extended
- 31 Over 40 years experience working with the best insurers in the UK
- 32 Excellent communication so that you understand what risks you are insured against
- 33 Why choose the Property Insurance Centre
- 34 Independent broker with staff you can speak to by phone or online
- 35 Access to a wide range of insurers to source suitable insurance cover for your needs
- 36 Bespoke Insurance Schemes & Portfolio Policies available
- 37 We can tailor your policy to suit your exact needs to give you complete peace of mind
- 38 Competitive Premiums
- 39 Cover available for the buildings while the property is being converted, renovated or extended
- 40 Over 40 years experience working with the best insurers in the UK
- 41 Excellent communication so that you understand what risks you are insured against
- 42 Why choose the Property Insurance Centre
- 43 Independent broker with staff you can speak to by phone or online
- 44 Access to a wide range of insurers to source suitable insurance cover for your needs
- 45 Bespoke Insurance Schemes & Portfolio Policies available
- 46 We can tailor your policy to suit your exact needs to give you complete peace of mind
- 47 Competitive Premiums
- 48 Cover available for the buildings while the property is being converted, renovated or extended
- 49 Over 40 years experience working with the best insurers in the UK
- 50 Excellent communication so that you understand what risks you are insured against
- 51 Specialists in Commercial & Residential Insurance
- 52 Get In Touch:
- 53 We accept most payment types including:
- 54 UK Call Handlers & Dedicated New Business Team
- 55 Call Us on 0800 085 3761
- 56 Robert Fisher
