There's no place like home!

With Britain’s roads more congested than ever, and the delights of winter upon us once again, the attraction of working from home has never seemed greater.

In fact, there are some 650,000 people in the UK who have opted out of the rat race and have joined the ranks of home workers. However, working alone from home is not as easy as it may seem with feelings of isolation increasingly common.

Leading business finance firm Bibby Financial Services has developed a series of top tips designed to help workers keen to find out for themselves that there’s no place like home.

(1) Plan ahead effectively – get organised by setting goals and building a routine. Review priorities at the beginning of each day to ensure that business plans stay on track.

(2) Define your workspace – Avoid distractions by separating your home life from work life as much as possible by having a dedicated workspace.

(3) Maintain good office practices – Ensure your workspace is comfortable with a source of natural light and a door to shut out the noises and distractions of the outside world.

(4) Opt out of the “9 to 5” – Structure your day the way that you want to, if you work better first thing in the morning, then use that time effectively and finish early.

(5) Keep up appearances – Consider having a dedicated telephone line and a PO box for the business to portray a professional image.

(6) Harness Technology – Include internet, email and a quality printer in your start up costs to give you the same leverage as a larger organisation.

(7) Mix with others – Attend networking events such as breakfast meetings or conferences to maintain and build business contacts.

(8) Develop a support network – Get supportive friends, colleagues or trusted business associates to act as a sounding board for testing new ideas and plans.

(9) Foster effective daily habits – Get into a routine of taking out quality time for lunch, a walk or to read a newspaper on a daily basis.

(10) Get the balance right – Be careful that the “office” doesn’t impede on your home life and you end up working longer hours.