15 Must Have Tools And Gadgets For Work From Home
Working from home also means the employee has to be equipped with tools that would make tasks execution easy and prompt. While a work-from-home office may not have the same tools and gadgets available in the office, employers still need to provide work-from-home employees with the needed tools and gadgets that would aid the seamless execution of tasks.
A work-from-home office must have relevant work tools that wouldn’t make the employee give excuses for inability not to be efficient or effective in performing the tasks assigned.
The following 15 tools are some of the must-have-tools that a work-from-home staff needs in the home office to boost efficiency and effectiveness:
1. A Power-Generator or Power-Inverter
This may seem a weird tool for work-from-home workers in the developed world, but most African countries still have to contend with the challenge of adequate power supply daily and this means a work-from-home worker in any of these African countries would need constant power-supply, hence a power-generator or solar-power inverter comes in handy as a compulsory tool in performing his tasks effectively as a work-from-home worker.
2. Power Bank
A Power-Bank would also help in powering laptops, phones, or internet facilities whenever the work-from-home employee has to perform assigned tasks that require phone usage.
This would help such employees preserve the battery power of these tools while they complete the tasks assigned to them.
3. External Hard-Drive
An external hard drive is always a life-saver for employees who have to stock, store and keep important files, documents, images, or videos relevant to their work.
Often too much workload on the PC may affect its speed; this is why an external hard drive serves both as a backup and a tool for the safety of these documents.
An experienced work-from-home employee knows that this is a must-have tool in safeguarding his work.
4. Laptop and PC Stand
Work-from-employees would also have to work in the best conditions to perform optimally; this is why a laptop and PC stand must be readily available for such employees to perform effectively.
It also sells the impression of the conventional office to the work-from-home employee and this gets him coordinated.
5. Laptop and PC
Laptops and PCs are essentially important gadgets for work-from-home employees as these are the crucial tools they would need to perform their assigned duties. Like reply mails and sending correspondences; attending online meetings and classes through skype or zoom.
The PC and laptop remain major tools in keeping tabs on the activities of the work-from-home employees and other employees who have to work from the conventional office.
6. Surge Protector and Multi-Plugs
For any work-from-home employee, these should be some of your most prioritized gadgets needed in your work-station to protect your other appliances from unexpected damage and to also avail you the seamlessness of connecting other tools and gadgets to the needed power-supply without having to make your work station clumsy.
In choosing any of these, good brands and proven brands are the best options to opt for to protect your gadgets from damage.
7. Internet Facility
Access to the internet is necessary for research, interactions, learning, and connecting with others in the office. It plays a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of the employee. Such an employee would need the internet to send emails, reply to correspondences, and do many other jobs that have to be online since there isn’t a physical meeting place; the internet becomes the rendezvous for the employee, the employer, and the client.
A very good internet facility becomes an expedient gadget for the work-from-home employee if such would be truly effective.
8. Comfortable Chairs
A comfortable chair isn’t a luxury for a work-from-home employee because it is part of the tools that would keep such alert and help maintain a work frame. No work-from-home employee would be effective and efficient enough if he has to work while using his bed as both the chair and the laptop stand.
Fatigue wouldn’t only set in, but it would breed laziness, and this is why a comfortable office chair must be a prioritized tool for the work-from-home employee, it is by all standards a must-have!
9. Mini Library
The Mini-Library has to be mini because the internet can also serve this role.
However, there are custom-made terminologies that may be solely related to the profession of the work-from-home employee which would be needed whilst working from home. Such employees must therefore create such a mini library.
Equally, he could have other inspiring books on leadership, Harvard Business School Reviews, etc. to also serve as a refresher and as what he can use to unwind and relax while working from home.
10. Work Lamp
One may not know the importance of a Work-Lamp until the work-from-employee needs to work late into the night and doesn’t need too much light, especially if the dedicated work-station also has members of the family sleeping in the room. Too much light may disturb family members who want to sleep, hence the work-lamp.
11. Coffee Maker, Water Bottle and Coffee Cup
Moving around to get water or coffee in the kitchen may be another form of distraction, hence the need for a work-from-home employee to have this tool nearby to avoid too many distractions.
12. Bluetooth Speaker and Earpiece
A Bluetooth earpiece would help you stay away from your phone when you want to avoid being distracted, and you would be able to pick calls without necessarily having to hold the phone.
An alternative is the Bluetooth speaker which can play music, keep the nerves calm, and for relaxation while working.
13. Blue-Light Computer Glass
Working from home means long hours on the screen, either the phone or PC screen. It thus behooves the work-from-home employee to avail himself with a Blue-Light Computer Screen Protective Eye-Glass to protect the eyes from the many hours spent on the screen.
14. Diary
A diary would help in keeping a record of activities, essential information, and most importantly, it can be used as a means of monitoring or evaluating your to-do list for the day, especially when you need to recall information.
15. High-Quality Webcam
Working from home means there will be frequent online meetings and it means visuals must be clear. A good webcam is a needed tool for such purpose as this would make the visual of such skype or zoom meetings lucid and clear.