Useful Tips for Business Owners Working From Home

Even though parts of Ontario are slowly starting to open amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some business owners are choosing to continue working from home. If that’s you, we have helpful tips regarding home office safety and security.

Whether you have a home-based business or you’re working from home, there are several important things to remember when it comes to safety and security. And we have shared insightful reminders to help.

Four Tips for Home Businesses & Working from Home

#1 Ensure You Have the Right Insurance Policy

Typically, home insurance doesn’t provide protection for home businesses. It is imperative you advise your insurance broker about your home-based business or whether you are currently working from home to ensure you have adequate coverage.

#2 Develop a Safety Plan

Ensure you have a safety plan in the event of an emergency – this can coincide with your family emergency plan. You should also confirm that your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working order and do regular tests to ensure.

#3 Upgrade Your Online Security

If you haven’t done so yet, we recommend taking the time to change your passwords and do not ever use the same password twice. You should also ensure you review your anti-virus and firewall software.

#4 Keep Doors Locked

This may seem like a strange reminder, but it’s vital you keep all the doors in your home locked. You may even want to invest in security cameras at entry points so you’re aware of who is on your property. Also, considering you may have private information in your office, we suggest keeping that door locked when you are not working.

#5 Have Separate Personal and Work Devices

It’s important to have boundaries between your work life and personal life, especially if you work from home. Having separate devices for work and personal reduces the amount of sensitive data exposed if any of the devices become compromised. You may also want to enable automatic locking on your devices so that information is further protected.

Without a doubt we are more comfortable when we work from home, however, we cannot forget about safety and security. If you currently have employees who are also working from home, we recommend you read: 5 Great Cyber Security Tips While Working from Home.