Your Smart(er) Home Office

Running a small business or working from home definitely has its perks – no dress code, a flexible schedule, and (usually) fewer interruptions. But pajamas aside, it’s not without its challenges, including having to tune out distractions as well as all of the administrative and side-tasks that go along with running any business. Without the right environment and technology supporting you, you can easily become unproductive and stressed.Thankfully, there are many solutions available to minimize these burdens and maximize efficiently, from smart technology to IT bundles that automate backups and provide peace of mind. Let’s look at each in more detail for optimal comfort and productivity.

 

Thankfully, you don’t have to worry about an office that’s kept too cold (or hot) or loud co-workers interrupting your flow, and have control over your environment and comfort. What’s better than that? A smart home solution that can automate temperature, lighting, even music to your personal taste (we regret it cannot do the dishes). Apple TV with HomeKit accessories, as a part of your home office environment, can make your surroundings work perfectly for you, saving you time to focus on what matters. With the Home app, you can even set up a hub to control your accessories remotely, like turning off lights when you leave. You can also use Apple TV to make your television work for you, as a second screen or to watch videos (when you sync your Apple devices).

Working from home can also mean the ability to run errands during the day. If you’re just popping out, you can save time by using an automated security system that controls the locks, lights, and alarms. This is also incredibly useful for the peskiest distractions – knocks on the door from salespeople, neighbours, even friends that just don’t get that at home does not mean not working. Use video cameras to see who’s outside and save yourself the trouble during a conference call. If you set up a home hub, you even can manage remote access and grant access to the people you trust, perfect if you won’t make it back from the post office or meeting in time.

 

Get Peace of Mind

Along with your Internet service (preferably one with unlimited data transfer and 24/7 local support), your computer or laptop is critical to your business, managing and storing hundreds of megabytes of important, even sensitive, information. Backups and security are critical – but often we forget to do it, or run out of space on drives that always seem to need upgrading. A lot of people don’t bother because, frankly, data backup feels like a daunting task. What platform should I be backing up to? How secure is my info? How much time will I spend doing this instead of running my business?

With a Transit Starter or Transit Lite bundle from Uniserve, you get virus protection, vulnerability scanning and reporting, and a managed data backup to the cloud right from your desktop. All automated, and off site, which means less worry if you forget or if something happens to your home (you don’t like to think about something catastrophic happening, like a fire or flood, but it can happen. Where would it leave you?) The packages are affordable, and the antivirus and intrusion scanners include access to Uniserve’s world-class support team. It’s like insurance – you’ll rest easy knowing your data is safe, so you can focus on other things. And if something does happen, you’re covered.

 

Combined with a comfortable space to do your work, implementing technology solutions like these will reduce stress and boost your work-from-home efficiency. Contact our local support team to discuss options specifically suited to your small business.