Tag Archives: home office

Tips on optimising your professionalism as a freelancer 

When I set up G75 Media in 2007, I’ll admit my working setup wasn’t very professional. I was based in the spare room of my parents’ house, where I’d temporarily returned after a long-term relationship broke down. I was using a glass-topped console table as a desk, with an old personal tower PC underneath and a briefcase of paperwork wedged against the table leg because I had no storage.

Yet to a customer, G75 Media looked professional from day one. Its director (me) arrived punctually for meetings, smartly dressed and fully briefed on the agenda. Emails were sent with full contact details, through a proprietary email account linked to the newly launched (and quite stylish by the standards of the time) website where our services were comprehensively extolled. G75 Media had a dedicated phone number and embossed letterheaded stationery, while my car at the time sported a personalised registration plate and rear window sticker promoting the brand. You wouldn’t have known I spent part of Christmas Day 2007 sat at that drawerless desk in my pants, drafting up social media posts for the coming months.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail

As a small business owner, entrepreneur or sole trader, optimising your professionalism is essential if you want to be taken seriously. Yet many people – often those with the security of salaried employment, and particularly those with union backing – feel little pressure to constantly operate to their best. However, that’s no reason for the rest of us to lower our standards. That’s why I’ve put together a short guide on optimising your professionalism for anyone just starting out in business – graduates, second lifers and people wanting to bring an entrepreneurial idea into existence. It’s not difficult, but it does require common sense and attention to detail.

1. Dress smartly for every occasion.

I recently read a story about a man who attended a video call on his day off, dressed in a shirt and tie…and nothing else. When a cable worked loose behind his computer, he stood up to fix it and revealed far more than his fellow Teams callers had expected. People still judge you by your attire, even when you’re working remotely, so dress smartly – above and below the waist.

2. Ensure your technology is reliable.

I have terrible problems on my laptop with Microsoft Teams, which never works as it should. I now conduct all Teams calls on my phone. However, optimising your professionalism involves – as I do – buying a stand, raising it to a healthy height, ensuring the background looks neat and smart, dialling in before the call to test the camera and microphone. Pre-empt any known issues in advance

3. Always check written communications for accuracy.

I don’t expect you to be a superb writer if you work in engineering or sales or other unrelated disciplines. What I do expect is for you to spell my name correctly, proofread your emails and ensure your contact details are up to date. It’s amazing how often I get emails containing obvious errors. This also applies to social media output, press releases, financial documentation and so on.

4. Don’t be presumptuous.

If I’ve never spoken to you before, contacting me at 3am via WhatsApp doesn’t create a good first impression. Nor does the use of emoji, or unnecessary abbreviations, or loathsome Americanisms like ‘gotten’ or ‘get-go’. Optimising your professionalism means assuming formality is required until you’re familiar/confident/friendly enough with specific people to chat to them like a pal.

5. Get back to people.

If someone asks me to email them/arrange an interview/make a payment, I do it. Yet if I ask them, they often don’t. Few things are more irritating to a pressurised executive than being ghosted, ignored or forgotten about. We’re all busy, but that’s not a good enough excuse to forget appointments, fail to respond to emails or miss deadlines. Which brings me onto…

6. Use a project management app to keep on top of your workload.

I have a Trello board with To Do, To Send and Next Week headings. As work comes in, I make a note of it using a different coloured sticker for each client in the To Do column. When I’ve produced a first draft, it’s dragged into the To Send tab with a note of the due day. If it’s recurring, I move it to Next Week once it’s filed. I never miss a deadline, and all it takes is a few moments of daily organisation.

7. Don’t claim to be an expert if you aren’t.

Freelancing is a fragile profession, where you’re only ever one email or phone call away from gaining or losing a client. However, that’s no reason to fake it. When I last advertised a freelance writing job, I received dozens of applications from people barely able to string a sentence together. Feigning expertise might get you a gig, but you’ll quickly lose it in bad circumstances. Stay in your lane.

8. Invest in good-quality, reliable technology.

I once worked for a magazine publisher who lost her entire history of business records when her laptop failed. Why didn’t she back up her data? Why didn’t she upgrade her old laptop? Buying quality hardware means less downtime and more reliable operations. This extends to computers and printers, phones and website/domain/email hosting, cloud storage – and even your car.

I could have gone on to mention many other points, including diversifying your business’s activities into other markets, but optimising your professionalism generally requires a simple blend of common sense and pragmatism. It means not over-promising and then under-delivering. It means meeting your scheduled deadlines and not allowing personal issues (we’ve all got some going on) to diminish your professionalism. Above all, it means being polite and approachable to everyone, regardless of family pressures or health ailments. And if that’s something you’re struggling to find among the contractors and freelancers you’re currently using, contact G75 Media to find out how a true professional can benefit your brand or business in terms of optimising your professionalism.

Docking stations – every freelancer’s best friend

Any freelancer, entrepreneur or small business owner needs a computer to run their fledgling empire. And while some choose a laptop for its portability and simplicity, many will favour the increased performance and durability of a desktop computer. These are available in many guises (from affordable home workstations to high-end gaming machines) and usually at affordable prices. They offer more processing power and far greater support for peripherals like monitors and external speakers.

Ideally, entrepreneurs and creatives would be able to have the best of both worlds – a computer which can act as the centrepiece of a productive workstation during the working day, yet slip into a rucksack for easy transportation and use on the move. In fact, there is a way to combine laptop flexibility with desktop technology – by installing a docking station.

Plug in baby

A docking station is basically a giant plug adaptor, into which various computing peripherals are plugged. Different docks have varying numbers of ports, but these are some of the devices they typically accept inputs from:

  1. DisplayPort and/or HDMI and/or VGA ports, enabling you to output your laptop’s visual display to a larger external monitor (or two, if you’d like a multi-screen display).
  2. USB-A and/or USB-C ports, ideal for wired peripherals like keyboards and printers.
  3. A 3.5mm audio jack, supporting external speakers.
  4. A power input, ensuring a laptop battery can charge while connected.
  5. An Ethernet port, creating a hardwired broadband link to either a WiFi router or a Powerline adaptor.

A laptop can be connected to the docking station via a single USB cable, at which point every peripheral wired into the station will automatically connect to the laptop. External keyboards will spring into life, monitors will begin displaying visual output, the battery can recharge and sound output is displaced from the weedy speakers found on almost every laptop to external ones – though you may need to adjust your sound settings before this last change takes effect.

Why doesn’t everyone use a docking station?

One barrier to widespread adoption is the issue of technical complexity. Although docking stations aren’t complicated, the profusion of wires sprouting from them may confuse less tech-savvy entrepreneurs. Some docking stations prove to be simpler to set up than others, while it isn’t always desirable to have a box with loads of wires on display (especially if you can’t hide it in a cupboard).

Docking stations occasionally fail or become temperamental, and they don’t increase the performance or processing power of a laptop, which is typically inferior to a comparably priced desktop computer due to the limitations of space and the cost of building a compact machine. No docking station can add multiple fans, water cooling or a second graphics processor unit card to a desktop PC. Meanwhile, Apple users may need a specific type of dock to handle advanced features like multiple monitor displays.

What are the advantages of fitting a docking station?

If you’ve already got – or plan to buy – a laptop, docking stations may be transformative. In daily use, they bring all the benefits of a desktop computer, with the ability to bypass features like fiddly trackpads and small screens in favour of whatever accompanying hardware you want or need. You can hardwire printers and scanners into your computer instead of relying on wireless connections, and if a keyboard or mouse gives up the ghost, it’s easy to replace.

Durability is another factor to consider. Unlike the integrated components in a sealed-unit laptop, freestanding peripherals can be replaced on demand. Also, not using your laptop’s screen/keyboard on a daily basis should ensure these components operate perfectly whenever you’re working on a train or in a conference centre.

Sitting on the dock of the bay

At G75 Media, we’re big fans of docking stations, having used them for many years. Get in touch with us to discuss the award-winning marketing, journalism, proofreading and editing services produced through a docking station every day.

Five things your home office needs (and three it doesn’t)

In February 2010, a decade before many of my contemporaries, I said goodbye to office life and started working from home full-time. It was a decision inspired by ten years of frustrating and time-consuming commutes to unpleasant industrial estates, which in turn followed six years of equally lengthy journeys to and from college/uni. Sixteen years of traffic jams, toilet cubicles and cafeterias came to an end, and fifteen years of WFH began at a time when homeworking was still considered exotic.

A great deal has changed since then, not least in terms of technology. Countless articles, reports and studies have been published about the benefits and drawbacks of working from home. We all have a vague idea about concepts like zoning and the delineation of work life from home life, yet millions of people are still working in home offices which are unsuitable in any number of ways.

If you’re reading this perched at a dining table, or about to start a conference call from the edge of your bed, there are some things your home office needs to function effectively – and a few things it doesn’t. Let’s take a look at the essentials first.

Five things your home office needs…

  • 1. A large desk.

This might seem like an odd place to start a list of things your home office needs, but the chunky oak desk you can see in the photograph above has been my workstation since 2012. It’s still going strong today. In fact, it’ll outlast me. Not only has it swallowed everything from tower PCs and stacks of paperwork to DVDs (remember them?), but it remains an attractive and tactile piece of multifunctional furniture. Without it, there’d be papers everywhere – and I’d be a less efficient freelancer.

  • 2. A laptop docking station.

In 2019, I stopped using desktop computers and switched to laptops. I can now attend meetings with my entire work history on one device, rather than porting things onto a tablet or printing out papers. I can work from Costa, the beach or a jury service waiting room with equal efficiency. Yet when I come home, plugging in one USB-C lead connects my laptop to a full-size keyboard, two 27-inch monitors, Bose speakers, a printer and hardwired broadband. Laptops are a WFH game-changer.

  • 3. An ergonomic chair.

As a middle-aged man, it’s perhaps inevitable that I have a bad back. The chair I’m sitting in while writing this blog has adjustable lumbar controls, neck support and armrests. It’s also heated and massaging, which help to reduce the aches and pains often stemming from long periods being seated. Standing desks aren’t always practical long-term solutions, stools and benches don’t support your back, and cheap or poorly padded chairs quickly become uncomfortable.

  • 4. Shelving.

To match my desk, I purchased an oak bookshelf with drawers underneath. Then I bought another one. Both are now groaning with proof that the paperless office was never going to become a reality. From lever arch box files filled with old invoices and bank paperwork to client brochures, booklets and manuals, shelves are a vital resource. You’ll need lots of it, too – paperwork is unavoidable, and some careers require extensive ancillary storage.

  • 5. Effective lighting.

Since adolescence, I’ve suffered from Seasonal Affective Disorder – a common condition brought about by the lack of sunlight in winter. A crucial element of my annual battle with SAD is full spectrum lighting, which stimulates serotonin production in the body as well as casting a clean white light ideal for working or reading in. Eye strain, headaches, low mood and an increased risk of accidents can all result from inadequate office lighting. All are best avoided.

…And three things it doesn’t

  • 1. Gadgets.

Look closely at the photo above, and you might spot a label writer. In theory, this was a great addition to my canon of home tech. In reality, it was a pain. It jammed, smudged, failed to launch when I opened the software app and cost a fortune in labels. In general, gadgets are distracting and cluttering, causing compatibility issues with other hardware or software. They’re rarely things your home office needs, but they’re often an unnecessary cost – and hard to justify on the balance sheet.   

  • 2. A landline.

Go back to the photo, and what do you see nestled up against the label writer? Yes, a house phone. This business expense added bloat to my telecommunications bill, yet the only time it really came into its own was when conducting phone interviews, so my mobile could run a voice-to-text transcription app. The absence of a landline doesn’t seem unprofessional any more, and it’s increasingly superfluous in terms of broadband. Plus, you’ll get fewer spam calls without one.

  • 3. Clutter.

This is something I’ve never been guilty of, but clutter is the enemy of productivity. I once visited a solicitor’s office, where his desk groaned under three teetering piles of paperwork marked Urgent, Very Urgent and NOW. How he slept at night was a mystery, let alone how he worked during the day. The desk and shelving mentioned above should provide sufficient storage for anything from keys and lanyards to printers and peripherals. When everything’s neatly filed, it’s easy to find.

Much of my expertise in this area has evolved out of personal experience and trial and error, although 22 years spent working as a property writer has also offered up many valuable insights. If you’re looking for property journalism, G75 Media should be your first port of call.

Creating the ultimate home office

Three years ago today, Boris Johnson instructed a fearful nation to stay at home, and the first COVID-19 lockdown began. When history books divide the 21st century into pre- and post-lockdown eras, the last three years will represent a watershed for millions of working-age people. Many jobs have been transformed by the Covid-19 outbreak, and entire industries may never be the same. Yet an even more seismic shock to the jobs market came from the need to socially distance – requiring millions of people to work from home for the first time.

An illustration of the ultimate home office

For the many, not the few

Working from home used to be the preserve of the self-employed, and a few select professions like freelance writers. I started freelancing at home in 2005, organised a dedicated home office in 2009 and became a full-time freelance copywriter in 2010. Meanwhile, millions of people continued to unthinkingly endure ten rush-hour commutes a week, so they could sit in an office and email people at adjacent desks. And while some staff relished the office banter and impromptu brainstorming sessions, many quietly resented the compromises of communal workplaces – toilet queues, endless gossip, other people’s pungent lunches and blaring radios…

Working from home brings compromises of its own. These include a lack of social interaction and blurred boundaries between your work life and private life. However, these drawbacks can be mitigated or even eliminated through an optimal workstation setup. Creating the ultimate home office could improve your mood, your productivity and even your attitude to Monday mornings. It also reduces your reliance on expensive and unreliable public transport. Plus, it removes the need to spend time in office buildings which are increasingly viewed as air-conditioned petri dishes.

These ten components should help you to create the ultimate home office:

  1. Defensible space. We’ve borrowed an architectural term to define a workspace with minimal household clutter or background noise – ideally a dedicated room with a door you can shut.
  2. Noise-cancelling headphones. If you can’t isolate yourself from ambient noise, a pair of these headphones will enable you to concentrate by subduing wider household noise.
  3. A proper desk. Balancing a laptop on a dining table doesn’t work, in any sense. Buy a solid desk with storage, plus an ergonomic office chair with adjustable arms and lumbar support.
  4. A bookcase. It’s amazing how much paperwork you accumulate working from home. Plus, many of us require easy access to reference books, dictionaries and industry publications.
  5. A high-end laptop. This setup combines desktop practicality and laptop portability. It enables you to run your laptop through full-sized monitors and keyboards while charging its battery.
  6. Peripherals. Every home office needs a printer and scanner, but many roles require specific tools like graphics tablets. Compromising on practicality to save money is a false economy.
  7. A landline. Chances are your house phone isn’t used much, but it’s more professional for phone interviews and dial-in meetings than crackly mobiles which occasionally drop calls.
  8. Full spectrum lighting. The crisp white light provided by full spectrum lamps makes reading very easy. It also generates serotonin in winter, minimising Seasonal Affective Disorder.
  9. Adjustable blinds. Unless your office is north-facing and several storeys up, you may need to adjust blinds during the day for privacy/sunlight/a view. Vertical blinds are best for this.
  10. A good backdrop. Project a positive image in the background of virtual meetings and video calls. Paintings and bookcases lend an air of professionalism; clutter and clothes rails don’t.

I spent years developing my ultimate home office, making gradual refinements to achieve an optimal balance between productivity, practicality and presentation. If you’d like to call on the services of a freelance copywriting agency, run with absolute professionalism from a dedicated home office, get in touch with G75 Media. We can offer assistance with freelance copywriting, journalism or editorial projects.