Homeworking: Free yourself from the office03 April 2006
Most bosses and senior managers of small to medium sized businesses understand that it takes a lot of time and effort to make their business success. But a new report has found that UK bosses are taking the work ethic to extremes, sometimes spending up to 100 hours at the office.
Research from the Employment Law Advisory Service (Elas) found that a third of SME senior managers frequently exceeded the 48-hour working week set by the European Working Time Directive. Elas has warned that working such long hours could have an effect on health, both in terms of stress and health and safety.
In addition, another survey has found that one in ten small business owners admits to being more passionate about their business than their relationship. The YouGov poll found that half of small business bosses gave their spouse a little more credit, saying they are as passionate about their business as they are about their partner.
The advantages of running your own business or working for a small company such as greater freedom and independence often come at a price - someone has to do the legwork to grow the business.
In order to keep on top of work without causing any damage either to health or to relationships, it is worth looking into the range of options available to SMEs for working remotely or from home.
- Network - using a product such as BT's Remote Access Pack, working from your home PC or a laptop is just the same as being in the office, as access to email, shared files and databases is provided.
- Video conferencing - using technology such as video conferencing you can "meet" with clients whether you are at home or on the move.
- VoIP - using this telephony technology means you can keep in contact with the office without running up huge phone bills as making calls over a broadband connection is significantly cheaper than using a fixed line.
- Support - arranging an IT support package such as BT's IT Support Manager means that you have access to immediate remote assistance in the event of a disruption of the IT that is essential for working from home.
Having the technology in place to work remotely or from home could actually end up making you more productive as stress is reduced and no doubt sleep increased. In addition, 65 per cent of small business owners say that having freedom from and at work was the main motivation for starting up a company - by utilising homeworking technology at least freedom from the office can be achieved!
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