The Virtual Office Survival Handbook: What Telecommuters and Entrepreneurs Need to Succeed in Today's Nontraditional Workplace / Edition 1

by Alice Bredin

Overview

Whether you're working at home, on the road, or in any othernontraditional work arrangement, here's what you'll need to set up,survive, and thrive in the virtual office. Alice Bredin, theleading authority on the virtual office, gives you expert adviceon:
* Getting there—choosing the right business idea, negotiating fortelecommuting, and selling your family on your new workstyle
* Organizing yourself—structuring your environment, setting up avirtual office in your home or car, dealing with a satellite officesituation, choosing and finding the best technology
* Maintaining your virtual office—staying in the loop when you'renot in an office, keeping in touch when you're on the road,generating business, finding free publicity, adopting the habits ofhighly successful virtual office workers, maintaining contact withthe office or customers, communicating effectively via technology
* Surviving—creating and maintaining work/life balance, working athome with kids, avoiding overwork, making sure your accomplishmentsare recognized, learning to take vacations, staying away from thefridge, being a good boss to yourself

Whether you are contemplating this new work arrangement, activelyin transition, or firmly entrenched in this workplace revolution,this comprehensive guide is your key to success in your new workingenvironment.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780471120599
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	04/02/1996
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	7.01(w) x 9.49(h) x 0.61(d)

About the Author

ALICE BREDIN writes the nationally syndicated column "Working AtHome" and broadcasts her home-office and virtual-office advice onpublic radio's Marketplace program. Bredin's popular onlineforums—The ExpressNet Small Business Forum and The Home Business& Telecommuting Forum—can be found on America Online and theMicrosoft Network. Her home-based business, WorkAnywhere, Inc.,conducts research and advises companies who provide products andservices to the small business, home-office, or telecommutingmarket. Ms. Bredin lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Partial table of contents:

THE EVOLUTION OF THE VIRTUAL OFFICE.

What Is a Virtual Office?

Is the Virtual Office Right for You?: Assessing Your Skills andWork Habits.

BECOMING PART OF THE VIRTUAL OFFICE.

Working for a Corporation.

Working for Yourself: Evaluating the Options.

Managing Your Family and Other Personal Relationships.

SETTING UP YOUR VIRTUAL OFFICE.

Customizing Your Workplace for Efficiency and Comfort.

Nuts and Bolts.

LIFE IN THE VIRTUAL OFFICE.

Structuring Your Unstructured Work Environment.

Maintaining Visibility.

Communicating Effectively Through Technology.

Resources.

Index.

Editorial Reviews

Bredin, who writes the syndicated newspaper column "Working at Home," offers a step-by-step guide to setting up a home office or a virtual office. With an estimated 40% of all U.S. employees expected to work in nontraditional offices by the year 2000, even the cubicle-bound might want to know about these new arrangements and how to make them work best for employers as well as workers. A major reason for resisting these novel work settings is the difficulty of effective interaction between employees and their colleagues or supervisors. Bredin starts by describing the professions and industries most suited to virtual or home offices and the employee personality and temperament that will thrive in the situation. Then she offers first-rate nitty-gritty advice on setting up an office, from choosing computer systems, legal and tax requirements for home business, time management and more. Especially helpful are her strategies for coping with real life-handling rejection, managing child-care crises, keeping up with office gossip and how to avoid nonstop eating. This is an excellent guide for freelancers, small business owners and employees of large corporations who want a flexible work situation. (May)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Working from home is like the legendary curse: may you get what you wish for. Bredin, who is a commentator for National Public Radio's "Marketplace" and manages two online forums for home-office users, addresses the pitfalls of working at home for either the telecommuter or home-based businessperson. She addresses distractions, isolation, and time management as well as the not-so-obvious headaches like technology support and types of office equipment. Bredin knows the territory and offers assistance on a wide range of concerns from zoning and taxes to when to take a nap. She offers self-assessment tools and problem-solving checklists for coping with whatever challenges might arise. Considering the growth in home offices, this is an essential purchase for libraries. Highly recommended.-Joshua Cohen, Mid-Hudson Lib. System, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Library Journal