In my latest Web Wise feature in the Sunday Times - 'Home in on a better lifestyle' - I look at some of the tools we need to achieve the ultimate flexible working lifestyle.
I've been working from home now for over ten years. The advantages are legion: no tiresome commuting; fewer pointless meetings; freedom to organise your working day as you see fit. This flexibility is fantastic if you have a young family. Of course, there are downsides. If you don't get out enough you can go quite seriously bonkers. Wibble wibble. And it can be difficult to establish a strict division between work time and leisure time, leading to an 'always on' workaholic lifestyle.
But these problems are surmountable. (I find the 'workaholic' pitfall particularly easy to avoid...)
The relentless march of technology - particularly broadband internet connections and wireless home networks - has made working from home or away from the office so much easier. Collaborative software, smartphones and internet telephony are giving even more power and flexibility to the self-employed and other 'teleworkers'. We're getting to the stage where our office can be anywhere in the world that has a broadband internet connection.
I'm seriously thinking of re-locating to the Seychelles....
