Using my home office as a smarthome experiment

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had a chance to rearrange my office and set up a reading nook to create a productivity and relaxation haven. But I can’t help injecting a little bit of tech into all that so I’ve also used this as an opportunity to create a microcosm of a smart home in this one room. That lets me play with some neat gear without disturbing the rest of the home. Here’s what I’m using and the lessons I’m learning.

Adapting your business in the pandemic era

If the last few weeks have taught business anything it’s that disruption, that overused term that’s been flung about the business world for the last few years, can cone from anywhere. And it’s the most unexpected things – like a global pandemic – that can destroy even the most detailed and well-intentioned plans. I was recently interviewed for Computer Daily about the tech my media training company, Media-Wize, uses to keep working during the CoVID-19 lockdown.

The CoVID-19 Great Pause is an opportunity to assess what’s important

The CoVID-19 pandemic has put a halt on a lot of activities. Understandably, many of us are feeling shut in and frustrated that many of the things we take for granted are no longer allowable. But some advice from my accountant has resonated and I think it has broader application than financial matters. We have a unique opportunity in front of us.

CoVID-19 ‘work From home’ needs to be ‘work AT home’

I’ve spent over a decade working from home. I stopped calling it ‘working from home’ a long time ago. For me, it’s just work. But for millions of workers, this is the first time they’ve had to commit to spending weeks on end in their home office. And many CFOs and other senior company leasers are seeing this moment of ‘reset’ as an opportunity to slash rental costs. But this period isn’t the time to make those decisions.

The COVID-19 pandemic home office transition

The ‘new normal‘ thrust upon us as a result of the coronavirus pandemic means working from home has moved from a novelty or privilege to the normal way of doing business. And that’s meant many people have rushed to convert spare rooms and corner nooks into home offices. A Facebook group I’m a member of has been sharing home office set ups and I thought I’d go into a little more detail about my set up. Although I have it in a room, most of it can fit comfortably into a small nook.