On September 13, she’s presenting a free webinar called Telecommute Now! How to Get Fast Approval to Work from Home where she will be sharing secrets for the easiest way to ask for a flexible work arrangement and get your managers to say YES.

In our short interview Pat and I talk about:

• the importance of knowing how to negotiate the flexible work arrangement you want and how to ask with confidence.
• the different shapes and sizes of flexible work: including telecommuting, compressed workweek, part-time, and job sharing.
• the three-ingredient formula that gets managers to agree to a telework request — even where there are barriers. She also reveals a preview of two barriers that keep people from asking for a flexible work arrangement.

Listen to this 15 minute interview to learn more:

Pat’s expert advice on flexible work has been featured in several national publications including The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, and also on NBC Nightly News. I’ve been following Pat’s work in this space for the last 15 years and we first spoke many years ago when I was working on my book – Lose Your Commute.

Pat’s story, and why helping people find legitimate flexible work has become her passion, is very interesting.  I suggest checking out the about page on her site to learn more.

Like Pat, it has always been my mission to help people achieve their flexible or virtual work goals. What frustrates me is that there is plenty of information available on how to start a “flexible,” work from home business, but not everyone wants to be a small business owner or an entrepreneur. A lot of people want to work a job or develop a career with a company – but also want to take advantage of the flexibility of an alternative work arrangement. Finding legitimate flexible work is made even more challenging due to the scammers and fakes who prey on honest people; taking their money and giving little or nothing in return. One way to transition to a more flexible work schedule while avoiding scams is to approach the manager at your current job about work-shifting or working from home a few days out of the workweek.

Unfortunately, there’s not much information available on how to approach your current employer about telework or other flexible work arrangements. That’s why I was excited to hear about Pat’s Flexible Work Proposal Packages and the upcoming free webinar she is offering.

FREE WEBINAR
Pat’s Telecommute Now!  webinar is being held on Tuesday, September 13th. She always provides the kind of reliable, trusted information that so many people have been looking for but don’t know where to get. In this webinar she’ll reveal the three key ingredients for getting your boss to say ‘yes’ to your request to work from home. This is based on 18 years of experience with thousands of professionals, she can tell you what changes managers’ minds. If you want to know how to get your manager to say YES, register now.

All webinar registrants are eligible to win a free copy of the Telecommuting Proposal Package. You’re entered to win automatically when you register for the free Telecommute Now! webinar.

Don’t put your dreams of a flexible work schedule on hold another minute. Cut the commute and free up time for your family, your side hustle, your life. There are only 100 slots available so click here and sign up now before it fills up.

NEXT STEPS:

• Sign up for the Free Telecommute NOW Webinar (Sept. 13th)
• Get more info Pat’s Flexible Work Proposal Packages (Templates & Strategy)
• Follow WorkOptions.com on Facebook

This post contains some affiliate links, click here to read our full affiliate disclosure.

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Not quite there yet?  That’s OK – you’re not alone – and we’ve got you covered!

Below are some useful disaster preparedness resources including websites, an episode of our radio show, a free business continuity teleseminar,  and some recommended tools to help you weather any storm.

AUDIO (Radio Show Archive):

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail (Business Continuity in the Changing World of Work)
There are many potential obstacles that can interrupt a company’s ability to do business as usual: inclement weather, natural disasters, special events, transit strikes, and skyrocketing transportation costs just to name a few. In this episode from our radio show archive we took a look at the differences between business continuity and disaster recovery as well as some strategies and technology to help you and your organization prepare. Jason and I talk with Brian Donahoo of Citrix Online, makers of GoToMyPC and GoToMeeting, to explore how aspects of the digital lifestyle can address and overcome these obstacles. As the Zen proverb says . . . The obstacle is the path.

FREE TELESEMINAR:

Riding the Storm Out (Tips to develop a business continuity plan)
Consider this, almost 40% of small businesses that close due to a disaster event never re-open.

What would you do if the building your business is located within was damaged or destroyed in a disaster? Where would you go to continue providing your business services? Would you have the resources, databases, contact information and other necessary items to adapt to these changes?

The best time to respond to any disaster is before it happens. A well thought out business continuity or disaster recovery plan can ensure that you are prepared for any contingency. Our panel of South Florida experts discuss best practices, strategies, and tools to ensure your business can weather any storm or business interruption.

CLICK HERE for the Downloadable Audio and Handouts

WEBSITES:

Ready.gov
The website for The Department of Homeland Security’s Ready Campaign. This site has comprehensive information about all aspects of Disaster Planning, Business Continuity, and Continuity of Operations planning. It is broken down into 3 main areas Ready America, Ready Business, and Ready Kids.

National Hurricane Survival Initiative
A coalition of a number of organizations including National Hurricane Center, National Emergency Management Association, The Salvation Army, and others. This is an exceptional site – well designed and full of resources.

Office Depot’s Disaster Preparedness Strategy
An excellent collection of articles and resources on how small business owners can prepare for unplanned interruptions. This site will get you up to speed and help prevent a crisis from becoming a full-fledged disaster.

Hurricane Preparedness
The official site of Hurricane Preparedness Week. Hosted by the NOAA and The National Weather Service.

FloridaDisaster.org
Florida Division of Emergency Management website about Business Disaster Planning. They have an online tool that walks you through creating a Business Disaster Plan in about 15 minutes.

MOBILE WORK AND VIRTUAL OFFICE SERVICES I RECOMMEND:

GoToMyPC Remote Access Service
Even if something prevents you from making it to the office, you can use your office PC just as if you were sitting in front of it. For a free trial CLICK HERE.

GoToMeeting Web Meeting and Conferencing
Web conferencing can be used for team meetings, webinars, sales demos, training, consulting, brainstorming, and much more. No worries if the office is closed due to storms or inclement weather. You and your clients and co-workers can even collaborate on documents in real time.

Skype (Audio and Video Conferencing/Screen Sharing):
One of the best tools for web-based video and audio conferencing.  Even has simple screen sharing and it’s Free!. If a disaster or storm prevents travel or anytime you work with others across distance – add this to your toolbox! To learn more about the power of skype check out my article “How to Embrace Skype to be a True-Blue Mobile Entrepreneur” over at VirtualBusinessLifestyle.com.

Regus BusinessWorld Gold Card (6 months free)
Having to evacuate, or losing access to your office or workplace are only a couple of the scenarios where a virtual office or touch down space can be an invaluable resource. Regus is the world’s largest provider of outsourced workplaces for businesses of any size.  A Regus businessworld Gold card gives you many privileges, including complimentary access any of their 1,100+ global business lounges and cafés, with complimentary internet and refreshments.
CLICK HERE to get a FREE 6 Month Regus Businessworld Gold Card

Wi-Fi Center and Hotspot Locator
If you’ve lost internet service at home or the office use our Wi-Fi center to find hotspots so you can get online from coffee shops, airports, bookstores, cafes, and other public locations. Quickly find a place to use your laptop, tablet, or mobile device and get online.

I hope this collection of disaster preparedness and business continuity resources and tips helps you develop a more flexible business approach so you can deal with whatever emergencies or business interruptions might come your way.  With some forethought and a strategy you can ensure that you are prepared.

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After talking with Phil about the book it sounds fascinating and it’s obvious he is passionate about the topic. I can’t wait to read it!

What’s really interesting is the way he’s publishing the book. Rather than go the traditional publishing route his is going it on his own (with his own publishing company he started when writing his last book The New Small).

In the video interview below we talk about the book and how he’s using crowdsourcing and Kickstarter.com to fund this project. You can also win a free signed copy of the book – just read on below:

Here are a few links to info we mention in this video: Phil talks about a Korean Movie Director who shot an entire movie on his iPhone. He also mentions the Nano Watch as one of the most successful Kickstarter projects ever.

If you haven’t heard about Kickstarter it is a funding platform focused on a broad spectrum of creative projects. Through it you can offer rewards such as copies of the work, limited editions, fun experiences in exchange for different amounts of money that people donate to fund or back a project.

If you are an aspiring author, or have any great idea for a project but need funding for it you’ll be very interested to hear Phil talk about Kickstarter in this video.

This is how Phil brought his last book The New Small to life and he’s doing it again with The Age of the Platform. I was happy to back him on this project as I think he has a great angle for exploring the success of these 4 successful companies and the lessons that small businesses can take from their strategy.

You can help fund The Age of the Platform through Kickstarter

Please visit http://kck.st/philsimon and help fund the book. Phil is offering some great rewards such as your name in the acknowledgements, signed copies, Kindle copies, all the way up to speaking at your company and proving 100 copies of the book! I hope you will join me as we all the get the joy of not only reading it but knowing we took part in making it happen!

Our Contest

To help spread the word we’re running a contest and giving away a signed copies of the book! Just CLICK HERE to tweet about this video (make sure it includes the hashtag #fundphil and you’ll be eligible to win a signed copy when the book is released! I’ll pick a winner at random from those that use the hashtag to spread the word on twitter. Just click this link and the tweet and hashtag will already be in place for you.

Have questions for Phil about The Age of the Platform, about self publishing a book, or about Kickstarter? Ask away in the comments below!

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And this doesn’t even touch on all the useless meetings and other time sucks of office life – one more feather in the cap of working from The Anywhere Office!  It’s a wonder anything gets done at all. With a more flexible work schedule it’s easier to schedule some of these “distractions” into your day and still get solid work time in – but when you are in the cube farm from 9 – 5 it’s a different story.

What do you think are you surprised by any of these statistics?  Post a comment below and let us know!

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In this initial broadcast I chatted with some folks about mobile work technology – we discussed online musical collaboration, co-working and coffee shops, why it makes sense to create your website in WordPress, CRM software, Windows vs Mac, Skype and Tokbox, multi-person video chats, the Blue Yeti microphone, Twitter Apps, and I even jammed a little harmonica!I’m thinking of doing these either weekly (or bi-weekly) to make myself available to answer any burning questions you may have about mobile work technology, cloud computing, setting up an effective home office, using social media, automating common business processes, internet marketing, and anything else about working from anywhere or growing your business online.

Let me know what you think of the idea and what time/day might work best for you.

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This was the topic of discussion a few weeks ago when I joined Bloomberg Businessweek in their New York Studios for a live Video Webcast called “Video Breaks Out of the Boardroom”.  The show was hosted by Jim Ellis, Assistant Managing Editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, and I was delighted that they invited me to join Marc  Beattie from Wainhouse Research to be part of this episode.  Here is a photo from our broadcast:

The Bloomberg building was amazing and everyone I met there was extremely friendly and helpful.  We had a wonderful discussion and looked at what’s involved with implementing video conferencing including how much technical know-how it takes, how and why companies using it, what it costs, and what are some of the stumbling blocks. We also took some great questions from those that were viewing the live broadcast.

In case you missed it you can now view the entire Video Webcast live.  Just register here and you can watch the whole show.  We discussed the topic for about 20 minutes and then had about 10 minutes of Q&A.  If you’re currently using video conferencing, or thinking about it, you definitely want to catch this.

A big thanks to everyone at Bloomberg Businessweek for having me be a part of this event. I hope to join them again for future shows!

Please post a comment below and let me know what you thought of the webcast and feel free to ask me any questions you might have about using video to connect with your virtual teams and remote workers.

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Video Breaks Out of the Boardroom
Thursday, June 10 at
10am PT | 1pm ET | 6pm GMT

Video is changing how companies interact with employees, suppliers, partners and customers. It’s an important area for growth and an essential tool for global businesses.

Join us as we speak to executives and thought leaders in the video collaboration space about emerging technologies and how these tools offer so much promise for business.

• Build & sustain business relationships
• Broaden the scope of your markets
• Strengthen customer relations and loyalty

Our expert panel, moderated by Jim Ellis of Bloomberg Businessweek, includes Marc Beattie, co-founder, Managing Partner, and Co-Manager ofUnified Collaboration Practice at Wainhouse Research and a recognized expert on the collaboration services market and Phil Montero, CEO of Montero Consulting, Founder of YouCanWorkFromAnywhere.com, and the spearhead of the remote work movement for more than a decade.

You will be able to participate in this live discussion through interactive questions and answers with our industry experts – all from the comfort of your desktop.

Click here to register today!

I’m looking forward to a great discussion. I’m also excited to see what the Bloomberg news studio looks like – it should be lots of fun! I hope you’ll join us and be sure to submit some questions.

If you can’t catch it live I will be posting the video here at The Anywhere Office after the event.

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The biggest problem is that most organizations take an ad-hoc approach to workshifing, which has been thrust upon them. The business landscape began to change; they increasingly found themselves working across time and distance with team mates, remote offices, clients, vendors, and other outsourced professionals. And they mostly left individual employees, project teams, and offices to decide for themselves how best to conduct business. Virtual teamwork was not deliberate, and not undertaken with any real strategy.

If you’re in this boat – what are you to do? You can’t just stop the flow of business and start over with a brand new plan. But you also can’t just lumber forward and say to your people, ‘Work virtually better.’ What you CAN do is take a step back to get a perspective on your process and workflow in order to isolate and highlight areas for improvement and adjustment. One way to accomplish this is by conducting  my ICC Workflow Audit™ which helps you take a look at your needs for Information, Communication, and Collaboration in order to guide you in choosing and throughtfully apply the right technology and guidelines for your organization or team.

I recently partnered with Citrix Online to discuss this topic in a free webinar – Work Unchained: The Competitive Edge of the Anywhere Office®. We had a great turnout for the event and some interesting discussions.  If you missed it you can watch it on-demand.

For more information on how to implement the ICC Workflow Audit™, read my white paper or my guest post on their blog Workshifting.com

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you or your organization have adopted to virtual teamwork.  Please post a comment below and share your stories and feedback!

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You only have a couple of days, on Friday afternoon I will select 2 names at random from the contributors to each receive a free pass. I will not choose based on the ‘best’ quotes, and you only have 2 days, so don’t be shy. Just a fun way to get some food for thought and give away the tickets.

To get the wheel turning I am going to offer a great quote that I believe relates to virtual teams, and in managing virtual workers in particular:

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”
~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

and Jason wants to share one of his favorites and a classic mobile work/telework quote:

“Work is something you do, not some place you go.” ~ Unknown

Now it’s your turn. Learn more about the vpanel below and contribute a quote in the comments section of this post.

Here is some info about the event:

Building and Managing Effective Virtual Teams

Monday, March 22, 2010 – 3:00 PM ET / 12:00 Pm PT

Virtual company. Mobile workforce. Home-based business.

Whatever you call it, more managers are leading employees outside of the traditional office setting. In fact, by 2013, 75.5% of the U.S. workforce will be made up of mobile workers, according to IDC.

Today’s technology makes it easier for businesses regardless of size and across all services and industries, to benefit from being virtual. But how do you know if you’re recruiting the right people for a virtual environment? And how do you keep those people engaged and productive when your team is geographically dispersed?

If you manage or recruit employees for a virtual company, or are a remote worker yourself, please join me and other expert panelists to learn how today’s effective virtual companies are building cohesive teams and becoming more profitable during Shift Worldwide’s interactive, 90-minute March 22 vPanel on Building and Managing Effective Virtual Teams.

http://www.shiftworldwide.com/vpanels/virtualteams.htm

Now just enter your favorite quote about any aspect of virtual work in the comment section below for a chance to win!

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The discussion centered around some of the findings from One Drum’s recent flexible work study.

We discussed a number of topics including:

• How can flexible/remote working can make you more productive?
• What are some of barriers to productive remote working?
• What should businesses consider when choosing tools to facilitate remote working?

View this post on the One Drum blog for a summary of some of the key points and a full transcription is available in PDF form here (Thanks Chip!).

It was fun, exciting, and informative and we are planning to make this a fairly regular event.  It looks like we will be doing one again next Wednesday so I hope you will join us!

What is a tweet chat?
For those of you unfamiliar with this online discussion format, a tweetchat is simply an organized group chat that takes place using the Twitter platform. Participants use an assigned hashtag (in our case #flexworkchat) for their tweets during the discussion. For more information on Tweet chats check out this short article.

You can follow along, or participate, by visiting http://tweetchat.com/room/flexworkchat or simply following the #flexworkchat hashtag on twitter.

If you want to know about upcoming chats (and other events) please subscribe to our email newsletter (on the right hand side of any page of this blog) or follow me on Twitter!

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