60-Second Commute, The: A Guide to Your 24/7 Home Office Life

by Orloff, Erica; Levinson, Kathy

• ISBN13: 9780130477286
• ISBN10: 0130477281
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Ft Pr

Summary

More than 60,000,000 people work at home at least some of the time -- and many more are considering it. Now, there's a start-to-finish sourcebook for overcoming every challenge associated with working at home -- from choosing the right technology to balancing work with your personal life. Erica Orloff and Dr. Kathy Levinson start by assessing the pluses and minuses of working at home, and helping you realistically evaluate whether you're cut out to do so. They systematically review meat-and-potatoes issues like insurance and taxation, deciding whether to incorporate, and setting up a comfortable and productive home office. Equally important, they offer extensive practical advice on the personal side of working at home -- from time management to "mental health days," avoiding isolation to setting house "rules" that help you get the job done without disregarding your family, friends, and neighbors.

Table of Contents

Introduction.
1. Next Stop—Home.

Is Working On Your Own Right For You? Do You Have the Right Stuff? Get On Board.

2. Creating Space for Your 60-Second Commute.

A Room With a View of the—Laundry. A Room With a Door. The Kid Zone. Honey, Stop Talking to Me. Work and Play. Equipment Concerns. Ergonomics: Keeping Comfortable in the Home Office. The 60-Second Office: Your Style.

3. Technology: 60-Second Commute Essentials.

Equipment and Gadgets. Communication Lines: The 'Net and Phones.

4. The 24/7 Lifestyle: Time Management in the Home Office.

Time…Where Does It Go? Organized from the Start. Body Clock Blues: Beating Them through Time Management. Java Jolts. Quiet Time. Shutting the Door, Even if You Don't Have One. Time Management in Your Personal Life. “Plan B” : When a Good Day Goes Bad—Very Bad. Bargaining in the Home Office Boardroom. Time Management and Productivity. Only 24 Hours in a Day: Overbooking Time. Procrastination: We Saved the Best for Last.

5. Organization: How to Get Your Act Together.

How Organized Are You (Really)? Building a System of Organization in Five Quick Steps. Invasion of the Little People in Your Home Office. The Rhythm of the Household.

6. Professionalism in the Home Office.

You Can Fool Some of the People Some of the Time. Letterhead, Business Cards, & Brochures: Make Them “Sing” .

7. Get the Ball Rolling: Business & Budget Plans.

Start-up Options. Getting the Paperwork Right the First Time. Commonly Asked Questions About Articles of Incorporation. Your Business Plan. Three Ways to Write a Business Plan. Giving Your Business a Name. Employer Identification Number (EIN). Registering a Website. Disaster Plans for Your Business. Have Map Will Travel.

8. Taxes: Don't Get Caught Asleep at the Wheel.

Your Accountant. Jumping Off Point. Deciding on Your Tax Year. Which Accounting Method Should You Use? Keeping It Simple. Taking a Look at Your Track Record. Home Office Deductions. Determining Your Partial Deductions. Business Deductions. Explanation of Typical Business Deductions and Expenses. Erase These Items Off Your Deductions List. Self-Employment Tax. Child Care Tax Credit. When to File Your Tax Return and What Forms to Use. Who Pays Quarterly Taxes? An Independent Contractor or an Employee? The Important Month of January. Flying Below the Radar. Do Sole Proprietors Run a Higher Risk of Being Audited by the IRS? Commonly Asked Tax Questions.

9. Legal Eagles: Understanding Your Business and the Law.

Hiring Your Lawyer. Making Sure You're in the Zone. Business Licenses and Permits. Intellectual Properties. Trademarks. Patents. Trade Secrets. Copyrights. Public Domain. Nondisclosure Agreements. e-Commerce. Commonly Asked Legal Questions. Keeping Your Eye on the Prize.

10. Insurance in the Home Office.

Health Insurance. Long-Term Disability. Home and Renters' Insurance. Life Insurance. Finding an Agent/Insurance.

11. Pink Slip Blues.

The Party's Over. Trouble in Paradise. What to do BEFORE You Lose Your Job. Your First Steps After Losing Your Job. Don't Be Bamboozled. Red Flags for a Possible Scam. Turning Lemons into Lemonade.

12. Child Care: Life on the High Wire.

Can You Go it Alone? The My Time, Your Time, Our Time Rule. How Do You Know What You Need? The Menu of Child Care Options. The Difference Between a Nanny and an Au Pair. Taxable Nanny. The Difference Between Family Day Care and Day Care Centers. Tot Drops and Mother's Day Out. Babysitting Co-Op. Who's Watching the Kids?—The ABC's of Background Checks. Coming Face-to-Face. Crib Sheets. Making Your Best Choice.

13. Strategies for Hanging In When the Going Gets Tough.

Pep-Talking Yourself When You Only Hear an Echo. Ten Things to Do When Hard Times Happen. Remember These Guys?

14. Telecommuting Proposals: Getting into the Home Office.

Getting Your Boss to Let You Do the 60-Second Slide to the Office. Flex Your Flexibility. Beware of Backlash. Overdoing It.

15. Marketing Yourself and Your Small Business.

Networking Is the Name of the Game. PR Tips. The Success Monster.

Appendix A. Government Resources.
Appendix B. Organizations and Associations.
Appendix C. Start-Up Assistance.
Appendix D. Web Hot Spots.
Glossary.
References.