Homebased entrepreneurs and telecommuters often work in solitude
surrounded by expensive computer equipment, facing new clients with
unknown intentions. If you work late hours, the telling glow of
technology can attract unsavory characters . . . unless you take
precautions.
When you survey the home office for areas in need of protection,
Worthy recommends you start outside and work your way in, asking
yourself: Is the property open and clear, and is it well lit at
night to dissuade prowlers? If the home has an alarm, is each
entrance wired-as opposed to just the front and rear doors? With a
modern alarm system, it's possible to arm just the home
office's zone, especially if it has a dedicated entrance from
the outside. This allows you or your family members to enter the
home freely from other entrances while keeping the home office
secure.
The first sign greeting visitors and passersby to Michael
Dziak's home office is that of his alarm company. Other than
that, there's little indication the president of InteleWorks
Inc. works from home. "I operate on a stealth basis,"
says the telework consultant, whose own neighbors don't even
know he runs a homebased business.
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Dziak prefers it that way. In fact, first impressions go a long
way in securing his home office, Dziak says. If people do manage to
look through the thorny holly bushes that grow outside his
ground-floor windows, they'll notice Dziak has removed the
cover to one of his computers (can't resell a computer without
the shell, he surmises). They'll also see the sign on his
17-inch monitor boasting "Monitor Defective."
"It's a lot easier to prevent theft than to try to
recover after it's occurred," he says. "It's my
contention that the possibility is always there . . . and everyone
should have a contingency plan in place." Dziak backs up
computer data daily between his desktop computers and his laptop; a
monthly backup on tape is stored in a remote location of his
home.
Rhonda Taylor, owner of The Confident Resume, situated her home
office in a second-floor bedroom so she and her equipment would be
hidden from plain view. But she takes additional precautions
nonetheless.
Outside, no signage tells of her business, and her
community's electronic gates keep would-be prowlers from
cruising the neighborhood, she says. She gave up her P.O. box as an
inconvenience, and instead receives all business checks through
direct deposit "to eliminate 'business-looking' checks
in the mail," she says.
While Taylor actively markets her business, only her family and
closest friends know she works from home. No customers visit and
all correspondence is done via phone, e-mail, snail mail and fax.
None of her five e-mail accounts bears any personal contact info
that could steer someone back to her office.
And while Taylor works alone, she's rarely by herself.
"My husband comes home for lunch every day to check on me. And
since his schedule is a bit hectic, it's never at the same
time," she says. "Plus, we have a big dog."
Like Taylor, April Spring works from an office on the second
floor of her home. From there, she can survey her yard and walkway.
That way, the president of Spring & Associates, an investor
relations and corporate administration firm, can see whether a
knock at the door is a delivery person, a friend-or a stranger. Her
neighbor knows Spring works from home and would notice if something
unusual happened.
Spring uses Caller ID to screen incoming calls and, as part of
her "security blanket," keeps her combination cellular
phone/pager/ two-way radio nearby. With the touch of the
radio's button, she's immediately connected with her
husband, Alex Emmermann, or his 50-person group at Motorola.
Although Spring's home has a back room ideal for a home
office, she opted for the peace of mind of the upstairs bedroom.
"I felt so unsafe [in the back room], like I was waiting for
someone to come. I want to be in the front [of the house] and up
high so I can look down and see everything," she says. "I
take security very seriously. Precautions give me peace of mind and
allow me to concentrate on my work."
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