How to Work From Home (What You Need)

It doesn’t matter if you are forced to be at home because of the current climate, or you choose to begin a new life working from home or run a small business.

You quickly find there are certain things you need, and a certain way to go about things, so your endeavour will be a success.

You can quickly learn in our guide. What it means to work remotely and how to set yourself up in your home-based office.

Best VPNs for Freelancers and Remote Workers

A VPN service protects your data and maintains your privacy especially important when working from home.

  1. ExpressVPNOur #1 Recommended VPN Service for Speed, Privacy and Ease of Use (SAVE 49%)
  2. IPVanish – This service ticks all the boxes and has great security and privacy.
  3. Surfshark – Cheap and fast, a good choice for the budget-conscious
  4. NordVPN – Strong encryption and security, protect your work data and privacy.

You can find out all you need to know. No matter if, you just need something to do to fill in the time, or you are going at it full time.

What is Working from Home?

You find a few things fall under the ‘work from home’ umbrella. Some individuals have a permanent job where they have the flexibility to conduct some of their work at home.

What Does Work Remotely Mean?

In comparison, you may wonder what it means to be one of the many remote workers because it sounds much the same. Although often used to indicate the same, there is a difference.

Working remotely means you are always in another location, and there is no need for you to visit any company office.

Many freelance workers end up being a remote worker where an employer tasks them with specific duties.

Managing social media accounts can be done remotely, and it can be a part-time, work from home position. Therefore, it is easy to see why they are often confused with each other.

Pros and Cons of Working from Home

Regardless of whether or not you are taking on remote work for an employer. Alternatively, you are working from your home to offer either products and services.

You do need to adjust, and you will find there are pros and cons to working from home jobs.

Pros to Working from Home

  • You can save money
  • You have no commuting
  • There are fewer distractions
  • You can care for your children, family members, and pets
  • You have a flexible schedule (within reason)

Cons of Home Working

  • You can feel lonely
  • You can find more distractions (self-induced)
  • It is hard to separate work and personal life
  • You may end up with an ‘always on’ mentality

Work at Home Jobs

It can be easier than you think to find work at home jobs online. It doesn’t matter if you are freelancing, it is your own business, or you are undertaking remote work.

The majority of positions can fall under each kind of work. Many are entry-level so that you can begin almost immediately without the need for too many personal skills.

  • Social Platform Managers: As we saw, these are in high demand where individuals need someone to tend to their social accounts.
  • Data Entry: You can find countless opportunities for data entry remote positions. You may find these tasks include web research, surveys, proofreading, and many more. Much of the variation depends on the company.
  • Transcription: If you are good at listening and typing, there are many transcription positions around, and the skills are not that technical.
  • Customer Care: One of the largest markets around is that of customer service. Depending on the company, you may find many of these positions require customer care over the telephone; yet, the latest trend is by individuals handling email response and live chat response.

On occasions, you may see call centre positions from home, yet these do depend on your location.

How to Work Remotely

There are specific things you need when taking on remote jobs or these freelance positions. Here is a rundown of what you need to begin.

  • Good laptop or computer
  • Reliable internet connection
  • Webcam and noise-canceling headphones for face to face video conferencing (depends on the employer)
  • Messaging apps
  • Desk area
  • Remote desktop software (dependent on the employer)

These are just the basics, yet there is one area often overlooked by home and remote workers. Privacy and security are vital. Because of this, every person taking on a job at home ought to use a good quality VPN service for several reasons.

If you are remote and need a connection in another region, you may find some services not working.

The other end of the stick is when doing online banking or using credit cards online. Avoiding hackers can safeguard your connection and your data.

Recommended VPN for Working from Home

Best Work from Home VPN’s

Here are three recommendations for VPN’s. The list does run in order of preference.

1. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN offers over 3,000 servers in 94 countries. You can have five simultaneous connections on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, routers, and many more.

ExpressVPN delivers the fastest speeds for home working, Skype, etc. and streaming for the family. It offers unlimited bandwidth, server switching, kill switch, and leak protection. Customer support is 24/7 with live chat.

The Fastest and Most Reliable VPN Service for working from home

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It is also based outside any governing jurisdiction and has a zero-logging policy.


2. IPVanish

IPVanish has 1,300 servers in 75 countries. Users can use up to ten devices, which includes Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. Some features are missing in the iOS app, such as a kill switch.

IPVanish offers good speeds for work and play. The VPN is based in the USA, which may be a downside though it has good customer support. You can test its features using the minimal 7-day money-back guarantee.

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3. Surfshark

Last in this quick list is Surfshark. It is new and may be small with just 1,000 servers in 60 countries, yet it delivers good speeds for working and playing. Users have unlimited device connections on the most common devices.

You have a 30-day money-back guarantee, to see how well the VPN performs and how secure it keeps all your information. No matter where your remote working position, this VPN is a good option for many users.

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And Finally

Any individual who finds themselves at home and pondering over their work situation can be up and running with the minimum of investment and technical know-how.

While a VPN (virtual private network) may seem daunting, the top one in the list makes things straightforward, even for a complete novice.

For the premier VPN solution, be it for working or for your enjoyment and wanting to stop ISP’s retaining your data. You can check out all the features and performance using the industry leading 30-day money-back guarantee.

By the end, you can cancel easily, but you will find you are using the best VPN to work or play from any location. (Save 49% off our recommended VPN service is ExpressVPN

How to Work From Home (What You Need)

Best Work from Home VPN:                                                     Our Top VPN Pick