The first day of summer officially kicked off June 21st and for a lot of us our schedules will change just a bit—children are out of school and parents are working from home and more time is being spent travelling and visiting the summer cottage. With the joys of summer now here, working efficiently has become a challenge. We’ve put together some helpful communication tips to stay productive while working from home or on-the-go.

When working remotely from the office it is important to have the proper communication tools so your colleagues, partners and customers can contact you easily. Here are a few suggestions:

• Sync your Outlook to each device used for work – your iPhone, work PC, laptop.
• Enable file sharing on these machines, as well.
• Ensure proper internet access – either through DSL, cable or satellite.
• Consider using instant messaging or Skype.
• Forward your desk phone to your mobile or home phone.
• Share your contact details with those who need to reach you – email, mobile number, screen names, etc.

While you’re working inside and teased by the beautiful sunshine, keep these five tips in mind to stay focused:

• Establish regular hours—as if you are ‘at your desk’.
• Prepare for the following day
• Try to limit any distractions
• Take breaks
• Focus on goals and objectives