1.

Simple Keyboard Shortcuts

I rely so much on keyboard shortcuts that the letters on several of my keyboard’s keys are
starting to wear off. But I still run into people on a regular basis who don’t know some of the
most common computer keyboard shortcuts. So, here they are:

For PC:

 ALT+TAB: switch between open programs and browsers

 CTRL+TAB: switch between tabs within browser or program
 CTRL+F: find text within a page
 CTRL+C: copy
 CTRL+X: cut
 CTRL+V: paste
 CTRL+Z: undo
 CTRL+B or U or I: bold or underline or italicize
 Start Menu+Arrow Up or Arrow Down: maximize, shrink, and minimize windows

For Mac:

 COMMAND+TAB: switch between open programs and browsers

 SHIFT+COMMAND+TAB: switch between tabs within browser or program
 COMMAND+F: find text within a page
 COMMAND+C: copy
 COMMAND+X: cut
 COMMAND+V: paste
 COMMAND+Z: undo
 COMMAND+B or U or I: bold or underline or italicize
 COMMAND+M: minimize the front window

This is only a tiny fraction of the available keyboard shortcuts out there, so if you have other
ones in mind, a quick search of the web will reveal more shortcut options!

2. Opening Much-Used Tabs Simultaneously on Startup

Our team at FlexJobs often discusses remote working hacks, and this is one of our favorites. We
all keep a handful of websites open throughout the day. But when we turn on our computers in
the morning, it’s a pain (albeit a small one) to manually open each website you regularly use.

Instead of waiting for your computer to finally load, and then opening each site individually, set
your browser to automatically open the tabs you’ll need in order to work.

Here are instructions for two common browsers. For most browsers, visit the Settings menu to
set your pages.
  Chrome: Settings > On Startup > Open a specific page or set of pages. Enter all the
pages you want.
 Firefox: First, open a fresh browser with the specific tabs you’d like to have open every
day upon startup. Then, go to Settings > General > Startup > Choose current pages.

But be warned: The more pages you add, the slower your browser startup will be. Choose wisely.

3. Refreshing Pages and Clearing the Cache

If you work from home and visit a lot of the same web pages, clearing your cache and refreshing
your page are probably two tasks you do regularly.

But they’re repetitive point-and-click actions that waste time. As Frank Costanza proclaims
during the “Festivus” episode of Seinfeld, there has to be a better way!

One of the easiest computer tricks to refresh your browser is CTRL+SHIFT+R, which refreshes
your page and clears your cache, no point-and-click necessary. Not all browsers respond to this
command, but CTRL+F5 does the same thing, so it’s worth trying both. On a Mac, it’s
COMMAND+SHIFT+R.

4. Avoiding Internet Speed-Suckers

One of the biggest annoyances of working from home is Internet service that switches between
fast, slow, spotty, and nonexistent.

To make the most of your high-speed Internet package, avoid these speed-suckers during
your work hours:

 Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu

 Keeping 5,432 open tabs and browsers (the more you have open, the slower your speeds)
 Downloading or uploading in the background
 Visitors and family members using their devices on your Wi-Fi
 Having lots of big programs running simultaneously (things like Slack, Sococo, Join.me,
Carbonite, Skype, etc.)
Whenever possible, treat these speed-suckers like pretty much any character on 30 Rock would
and “shut it down!”

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5. Sneaky Copper Thieves

If none of these things do the trick, it might be worth calling your Internet service provider to see
if something is wrong with your connection. Your problems could be caused by excess line noise
or a degraded signal before the services even reach your house.

Earlier this year, I learned that copper thieves had stolen the copper grounding wire used to
provide cable and Internet service to our house. Without that wire, my home Internet speeds
went up and down throughout the day, and eventually the service went out completely.

And I’m not alone, as Becky Waring writes in Entrepreneur’s “Six Steps to a Faster Broadband
Connection“: “Your first task is to determine whether the signal is already degraded when it
reaches your house or whether your own wiring is at fault.” The article offers tips to help figure
this out.

The fix that worked for my service involved coordinating between our Internet service provider
and the local public electric utility organization to install a new wire on the electrical poll in the
alley behind our house. As soon as a new wire was installed (free of charge by the way!), my
Internet speed rocketed back up.

And only a few months later, the line had been stolen yet again. At least I now know how to get
it fixed!

6. Thinking Like a Tech Support Rep

In that moment of panic when your computer freezes, your Internet service disappears, or a
much-used program stops working, it’s tempting to pick up the phone and call someone for help.
And while you may need to resort to hiring a professional down the line, there’s no sense in
wasting your time (and your money) on what might be an easy fix.

Instead, when you experience a computer issue, take a deep breath and start thinking like a tech
support representative.

Go through the basics before calling for help:

 Is everything plugged in properly and connected to a power source?

 Try restarting your computer or device using a manual restart if necessary.
 If you’re trying to connect to something via Bluetooth, make sure it’s enabled on your
computer and the other device.
  If you’re getting error messages, do a quick Internet search to see what others suggest
(and write those error messages down in case you do need to call a pro).
 Does your computer/tablet/phone have a pending update? Installing updates may fix your
problem.

Essentially, you should use a process of elimination to rule out all of the common reasons for
your problem before calling a professional for help.

7. Backup Plans for Internet Access

If, for any reason, your home Internet service decides to go POOF, as a reliable remote worker,
you should have options. After all, just because you can’t work from home doesn’t mean you
can’t work.

Here are some ideas for temporary remote work locations:

 Public library or college library

 Coffee shop
 Coworking space
 Restaurant (Panera Bread and McDonald’s, for example, offer free Wi-Fi)
 A friend or neighbor’s house (offer to walk their dog, feed their cat, water their plants,
etc., in return for using their Wi-Fi during the day)
 Bookstore