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Telework, or working from home, can be a great employee benefit and it can save your company money on office space. Even teleworking a few days a week can make a big difference in productivity and your bottom line.

As an employee, it’s a great perk. For starters, working from home will save you money on gas and other commuting costs. You can also save hours of time and work more efficiently by walking down a hallway instead of fighting traffic, and settling into a quiet spot in your home rather than a noisy office. How many creative marketing strategies could you think of in a quiet space like that?

If you work a “desk job”, have a laptop, phone, internet and access to your work files, you might be a great candidate to work from home sometimes. Here are some tips to ensure productivity and success.

Define Your Work Space
Choose an area of the house that is quiet, with low traffic and limited distractions. If you have a guest room or basement, turn it into an office space or simply claim a table somewhere in your home. It’s also good to change your surroundings occasionally, so find a great table at a coffee shop or the library and set up there.

Stick with Your Routine
If you take a shower, get dressed and eat breakfast before heading to the office, try to keep that practice up when working from home. If you roll out of bed and start working in your pajamas, you might be less motivated and feel less professional.

Establish Your Hours
Make sure you have a work schedule in mind and stick to it. That way you’ll avoid working way too little or way too long.

Take Breaks
If you would normally take time out of the office to go to lunch, you can still do that. Or, you can use that time to grab a sandwich and throw a load of laundry in the washer.

Stay in Touch
Since your schedule might be more flexible when you work from home, make sure your boss and coworkers are aware if you’ll be out of touch during the day. If you want to use break time to go to the gym, make sure your shared calendar shows that appointment. Communication is key.

Now that you’re ready, grab a cup of coffee, let your dog lie on the floor next to you, and get to work!