Same-day delivery service startup RaRa raises over US$800K in seed funding from 500 Startups

RaRa Delivery, a last-mile, same-day delivery service for e-commerce businesses in Southeast Asia, has secured US$834,000 in a seed funding round, led by 500 Startups, with angel investment from Angel Central led by Der Shing Lim.

Other investors in the round are GK-Plug n Play; Royston Tay, Co-founder and former CEO at Zopim (acquired by Zendesk); Yang Bin Kwok, Co-Founder and ex-CTO at Zopim; Vidit Agarwal, Head of BD at Stripe; Neelesh Suryavanshee, VP Marketing, Unilever Indonesia; and Vishal Gupta, VP Digital Transformation, Unilever.

Also Read: Indonesia is ripe for further disruption by tech-enabled firms: Adrian Li of AC Ventures

Karan Bhardwaj, Founder and CEO of RaRa Delivery, said that the funds will be used to acquire talent in Business Development, Operations, and Technology to further expand RaRa’s business in Indonesia.

With e-commerce GMV in Indonesia expected to reach around US$97 billion by 2025, consumers are now looking for faster and convenient delivery options, preferably a one-day delivery.

E-commerce giants such as Lazada, Shopee, and Bukalapak have already leveraged RaRa’s express same-day delivery services. RaRa is a graduate of GK-Play and Play Indonesia Batch 4 in April 2019.

Indonesian genomic startup Nusantics completes a COVID-19 qPCR test kit design prototype

Nusantics, an East Ventures-backed genomic startup, has finished a design prototype of qPCR diagnostic that can specifically detect SARS-CoV-2 virus on Friday.

The design process and laboratory testing of the test kit, named NUSANTARA TFRIC-19, was carried out by Nusantics as a member of COVID-19 Research and Technology Innovation Task Force (TFRIC19) formed by Indonesia Technology Assessment and Application Agency (BPPT).

CTO of Nusantics Revata Utama explained that Nusantics designed the NUSANTARA TFRIC-19 using genomic data from the SARS-CoV-2 Asia strain. Nusantics conducted a bioinformatics analysis of aligning the genetic sequences of the SARS-CoV-2 strains to specify target genes.

Based on the result, Nusantics decided to target two SARS-CoV-2 genes called as RDRP gene (that the virus uses to self-replicate after infecting a human cell) and N gene (which protects its nucleus).

It then tested the sensitivity and specificity of the prototype using RNA isolates acquired from abroad. Isolates from other countries are used to accelerate development while waiting for local RNA isolates to be available.

The test showed that NUSANTARA TFRIC-19 can specifically detect the SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19, and not sensitive to the genome of SARS-CoV-1 or other Coronaviruses.

Also Read: BIT, parent of Myanmar’s e-book store Wun Zinn, nets “7-figure USD” Series B funding

As the next step, Nusantics will validate the kit using samples from local COVID-19 cases. The BPPT Task Force for COVID-19 is currently still waiting for samples from the Indonesia Agency of Health Research and Development (Litbangkes). After the local sample is available, the validation process will take two to three days.

Indian omnichannel beauty retailer Nykaa raises US$13M funding from Steadview Capital

India-based online beauty and skincare retailer Nykaa has raised US$13 million in funding from Steadview Capital, just a year after it closed a Series E financing round led by TPG Growth.

According to EconomicTimes, the company was founded in 2012 by former merchant banker Falguni Nayar. So far, it has expanded into newer categories such as the men’s grooming segment, and launching Nykaa Pro, and also stepped into an offline retail business.

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Image Credit: Nusantics

The post News Roundup: RaRa Delivery raises over US$800K funding; Nusantics completes COVID-19 test kit prototype appeared first on e27.

 

Updates: The article has been updated on how users will be contacted 

Singapore-headquartered Madison Technologies has launched an independent contact-tracing website, called CovCT, to control and limit the spread of the virus globally.

The platform requires users to scan a QR code at different locations or visit the URL on the browser, where they can check in with their details. This will allow them to remember the places they have been to and help local authorities trace and isolate cases of the virus with the information.

Building management, business owners and community leaders can get the QR Code poster by registering their venue on the CovCT website. After this, a CovCT kit will be provided along with instructions.

If a positive case has been detected at a location, it will be highlighted in the user’s history. Authorities can request for the data and choose to notify the users in the event of an outbreak in certain locations.

According to the company CovCT will never reach out to users with the personal details collected.

Also Read: [Updated] Singapore develops contact tracing app to limit COVID-19 spread

While governments around the world have directed for a lockdown, there is still some room for the virus to spread as asymptomatic carriers come into contact with others when they go out to buy essential items.

“Currently, our platform requires users to scan a QR code or visit a URL on a browser. However, we are working on solutions where this can be rolled out in a “kiosk mode” where visitors can check in the absence of a smartphone or working internet connectivity,” an employee of the company told e27.

According to the firm, this is not a money-generating project but is an initiative that aims to contribute to the collective war against COVID-19. ” CovCT was built to provide authorities from different countries a solution to gather information on the movement and spread of the virus,” said CEO Praburaajan Selvarajan.

Many people worldwide have expressed their concern about data privacy when using contact tracing apps. However, CovCT ensures that data remains anonymous for users, claims the CEO.

“The CovCT platform will protect all personal data. The data collected will be stored privately and anonymised on the platform and will not be shared with any individuals, businesses or the locations where the users have checked in. Instead, the data will be held in trust until requested by relevant local authorities who will, with their respective contact tracing protocols, choose to contact these users,” he added.

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Image Credit: CovCT

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I have been having really dramatic dreams lately that including falling, crying and waking up with regrets. But when I read a similar NYT article on how this is not uncommon, I felt comforted.

The COVID-19 pandemic has promulgated a sense of uncertainty amongst all of us that is not letting us sleep very peacefully on most nights.

From work to eating and especially to social interaction; all aspects of your lives are undergoing a massive shift. While the hope is that the situation will improve soon, and we all will go back to ‘life as usual’, managing the ensuing anxiety and stress are necessary.

Instagram influencers, hustlers, VCs, and governments cannot stress enough on the need to remain calm and focus on the positive. In India, PM Modi even organised a nation-wide ‘light a candle’ movement to reinforce a sense of unity and calm in the mind of the billions in India struggling with the lockdown.

But how can one do it at an individual level? MindFi founder, Bjorn Lee said it only takes 100 seconds for our mind and body to calm down. I almost didn’t believe it until the e27 webinar last week.

Not only did Lee, share his 100-second mindfulness technique, but he also helped us all experience a sweet sense of calm in the middle of a busy day and week for most of us.

From calming our nerves to checking in with every part of our body (even the often ignored wiggly toes), he guided us to shirk off any stress hidden anywhere inside our body, such that our minds could feel lighter.

If you missed it, here’s the session recap. Find a quiet spot, sit in a comfortable position and slowly follow his lead. I bet you will feel refreshed.

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Register for our next webinar: Best practices for communications during the COVID-19 crisis

Image credit: Victor Garcia on Unsplash

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Lifetrack Medical Systems partners with Philippines government to identity COVID-19 patients

Lifetrack Medical Systems, a health-tech company based in Singapore, is partnering with the provincial government of Antique to identify and prioritise molecular testing for potential COVID-19 patients using CT scans.

The company will be providing its software platform for free so that hospitals can perform the tests easily.

“The CT tests will determine the patients who have a high probability of having COVID-19, giving them a basis for isolating and further testing themselves, given the current situation of  limited test kits being available,” said Carl Nicholas Ng, COO of Lifetrack.

Prior to this initiative, the company had launched a secure, anonymised COVID-19 image repository on March 6 to aid radiologists and researchers identify potential COVID-19 cases quicker via chest CT scans. A method which was proven to be useful for screening in China.

“With the COVID-19 cases in the Philippines rising exponentially over time, additional measures should be taken to contain the spread of the disease,” said Antique Governor Rhodora Cadiao.

“We partnered with Lifetrack Medical Systems to provide Antique with remote reading capabilities for chest CT scans as well as the added assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to support the triage of potential COVID-19 patients. With this partnership, we can assure each of our Kasimanwa (citizens) we are covering all fronts to battle COVID-19,” aded the Governor.

UiPath appoints Andrew McBean As Director of Thailand

UiPath, an American Robotic Process Automation (RPA) software provider, has appointed Andrew McBean as its Director of Thailand, according to a company statement.

McBean’s new role will include managing all operations in Thailand, including recruitment, client servicing, and business development.

Also Read: News Roundup: RaRa Delivery raises over US$800K funding; Nusantics completes COVID-19 test kit prototype

McBean brings in experience from large corporates like Microsoft and IBM but more recently he was appointed as the CEO of PKF, business accountancy and advisory firm in Thailand.

“RPA is a catalyst for helping human workers exceed their own expectations by taking away the mundane and repetitive tasks and allowing them to focus on what matters most. I’m a strong believer in UiPath’s vision of a robot to assist every worker, to unleash value and performance within today’s enterprises,” he said.

India’s healthtech startup Akna Medical raises US$7M funding

Akna, which aims to streamline healthcare equipment delivery in India, has raised a new round of US$7 million from LGT Lightstone Aspada, according to EconomicTimes.

The company will be investing the money in scaling operations across the region within two years. A portion of the capital will also be used to enhance the technology and analytics offering.

“The healthcare value chain in India is primed for intervention through systemic changes and technological innovation…Our strategy is to back high-growth platforms like Akna Medical, which have the ability to leverage technology, transform supply chains and support delivery of healthcare outcomes at scale,” said Kartik Srivatsa, Managing Partner of LGT Lightstone Aspada.

Popular hospitals such as Fortis, Max Healthcare, Medanta and Cloudmine are some of the company clients.

Zenius, gojek support students with free lessons amid virus outbreak

Edtech startup Zenius has partnered with ride-hailing super app gojek to offer free lessons to students on the gojek app as Indonesian schools suspend classes amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

Zenius will offer direct services such as live teaching and study planning through the app. The edtech company claims to offer more than 80,000 learning videos and practise questions for elementary- to high-school students.

Also Read: Afternoon News: gojeks senior management donates 25 per cent of annual salary to COVID-19 affected partners

“Since the start of this pandemic in Indonesia, Zenius Education has not stopped exploring various innovations to give students the easiest access to independent study at home,” said Zenius CEO Rohan Monga in a statement.

Singaore’s Grab to temporarily suspend GrabHitch from April 7

As Singapore announced partial lockdown many businesses participate to reduce the risk of exposure. Grab, a ride-hailing super app based in Singapore has announced that it will be temporarily suspending its service from April 7th onwards.

However, other services such as transport, food delivery, and parcel delivery services will continue to operate.

Grab has also suspended GrabShare service during the virus outbreak in February.

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Image Credit: Markus Spiske

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In the wake of a two-week lockdown announced by the government, some 30 million Malaysians are now restricted to leave the comfort of their house unless necessary (P.S. going for a walk at the park does not count).

Alarmed by the government’s drastic measure to combat the COVID-19 outbreak, citizens have begun to practice social distancing. For many, this means not using cash for shopping or ordering from delivery services such as GrabFood and Foodpanda to avoid physical contact altogether.

This brings a new light on the perks of having an e-wallet installed on your smartphone. Being an avid debit card user for years, never did the writer foresee that he would one day face the need to sign up for a mobile wallet – and he is not alone in this.

In fact, Nielsen revealed that only eight per cent of Malaysians use mobile wallets for payments. Granted, there are a plethora of e-wallets in Malaysia, each offering different promotions and cashback, but they have not been able to spur widespread adoption as what we see in China, a country acclaimed for its e-wallet success.

So, why is that?

Higher bank account penetration

Historically, China has a larger unbanked population compared to Malaysia (16 per cent in China vs seven per cent in Malaysia). Accustomed to making payments with their cards, Malaysians are simply not incentivised to desert the banking system for mobile payment.

Also Read: Today’s top tech news: Ant Financial invests in Vietnamese e-wallet, Facebook acquired a five-person startup

Au contraire, due to its massive unbanked population and insufficient banking infrastructures, e-wallets offered unprecedented convenience to China’s cash-based economy.

Fragmented industry

Quite evidently, Malaysia’s e-wallet market is extremely fragmented, with more than 10 players battling for market share. This is in stark juxtaposition with China’s consolidated industry where WeChat Pay and Alipay account for more than 90 per cent of the market.

Tencent and Alibaba have been successful in creating an all-embracing ecosystem in which users pay for their food, utilities, insurance and more. Meanwhile, e-wallets in Malaysia lack usability as merchants and users alike have to choose from a dozen platforms.

Notwithstanding that, the government recognises the benefits of a digital economy – i.e. traceability of money, elimination of corruption, and effective monetary policy formulation, etc. It has also taken an active stance in encouraging Malaysians to go cashless, showcased through the introduction of e-wallet regulations as well as the central bank’s commitment to deploy a system that unifies all e-wallets under a single system.

More recently, the government launched an MYR450 million (US$104 million) programme (e-Tunai Rakyat initiative) to promote the use of Grab, Boost, and Touch ‘n Go’s e-wallet. However, up until now, policymakers’ endeavour has been lacklustre, to say the least, as the uptake of mobile wallets remains tepid. In that case, what can be done to foster the adoption of e-wallets?

Also read: The case of e-wallets: which e-payment apps do Singaporeans use the most?

Educating Malaysians

In this day and age where money laundering and pilferage are ubiquitous, the primary hurdle for e-wallet adoption remains that users associate them with debit and credit card fraud. However, the truth is all local e-wallet players are governed by the BNM and subject to data protection and security regulations.

In response, the government and market players first need to address the misconception. The population should be informed of the multi-factor authentication process, and money-back guarantee offered by e-wallet providers to ease the adoption.

Targeting the right audience

The disappointing attempt by the government to stimulate e-wallet usage could be that they failed to target the right group of people. To elaborate, under the recent e-Tunai Rakyat initiative, only Malaysians above 18 years of age who earn less than MYR100,000 (US$23,000) annually are eligible to receive the RM30 (US$6.9) in an e-wallet of their choice.

By doing so, the government has essentially omitted individuals earning more than MYR100,000 annually. Ironically, these are the people with higher disposable income, who are far more likely to be regular shoppers or spenders. They should, therefore, be part of the audience for subsequent programmes in the future.

Reaching out to the rural community

Looking at China as a reference, it is obvious that the unbanked population in rural areas have the biggest incentive to adopt e-wallets. Unfortunately, the majority of merchants and residents in Malaysia’s underdeveloped areas are unfamiliar with such technology.

To encourage the use of e-wallets, the government needs to introduce the concept to rural dwellers through workshops, billboards, word of mouth, and other forms of marketing.

 As an integral building block of a digital economy, e-wallets present a remedy to the daunting corruption issues in Malaysia. Needless to say, the country has a long road ahead in its journey towards cashlessness.

Hence, the government and citizens share equal responsibility in building a cash-free nation where business transactions are facilitated, and money laundering can be curtailed.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. Become a thought leader in the community and share your opinions or ideas and earn a byline by submitting a post. We are discussing inclusivity at work and women all of March. Share your thoughts, tips and best practices on how we can make the startup ecosystem more inclusive, gender and culture diverse.

Join our e27 Telegram group, or like the e27 Facebook page.

Image Credit: RHL Ventures

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COVID-19: It’s here. It’s real. And it’s threatening the survival of startups. In this ICE71 Mentor Series webcast, Thibaut Briere, founder of Growth Marketing Studio, shares three actionable tips for cybersecurity startups to survive the coronavirus pandemic.

Work on your brand

Tell the world what you stand for by sharing the “why” of the work you are doing. This is especially important for startups. “It links back to the values of the founders,” said Thibaut.

Be very human as a brand. Reach out to people even if it wasn’t for business. Engage your customers, partners, suppliers, and employees. Thibaut said, “You could ask how the coronavirus situation has affected your contacts.”

Communication builds trust and top of mind recall that will pay dividends later. So get on the phone or connect with people through different channels like Slack and WhatsApp.

The post 3 things cybersecurity startups can do to reinvent business amid COVID-19 appeared first on e27.

Globally, the banking and financial services industry is undergoing a dramatic transformation, as more and more countries adopt digital banking practices and new players in the market launch a range of exciting, cloud-based banking products.

Somewhat surprisingly Japan, renowned for a lifestyle that revolves around high-tech innovation, has to date not joined the digital banking revolution that is occurring in many other countries across the Asia-Pacific region and Europe.

The reason for this is twofold: firstly, Japan remains a largely cash-based society, and secondly, traditional legacy Japanese banking systems are relatively antiquated. 

Change is on the horizon however, with the Japanese regulator looking to offer digital banking licenses‘ sometime in the future’.

While there is no specified timeline for this as yet, the Japanese market is poised to capitalise on these regulatory changes that will open up the market to attract new entrants and allow existing banks to offer innovative new digital products.

This puts the Japanese financial services industry in an exciting position, with regulatory changes around the corner which will see the market completely transformed.

Also Read: Digital banking in Asia Pacific: What we can expect to happen in 2020

At Mambu, we expect to see Japan do something of a ‘fast follow’ based on the aggressive approach taken by Hong Kong, where the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) was quick to approve and issue digital banking licenses to a range of incumbent banks as well as more ‘disruptive’ fintech.

With Japan’s track record in digital innovation in other areas, we anticipate the transition to a more cloud-based, digital banking industry will be an enormous success.

While traditionally the journey to launching new financial services products or entering new markets has been a long one, the days of lengthy and expensive core implementations are numbered, with new cloud-based banking services offering a speedy and cost-effective solution.

Rather than having to purchase, develop and maintain a collection of poorly connected systems or components, an API-enabled composable banking architecture lets institutions leverage solutions built on a flexible cloud infrastructure, completely managed and provided as a service by a trusted provider.

The right technology can give institutions the agility to constantly enhance the customer experience, streamline operations and create opportunities to diversify and differentiate. This could range from launching a digital banking spinoff to quickly launching products and testing new markets, all with the built-in ability to scale and grow.

The technology also provides a quicker time to market and the ability to create and illustrate the business value in months instead of years.

Also Read: Think like a fintech company: How banks can capitalise on the digital banking revolution

These could lead to alternative revenue streams, particularly for institutions that have achieved success utilising in-house technology but have reached a point where their ability to grow and scale is now critically limited by that same technology and internal capacity for development.   

On a global scale, financial technology has evolved to provide a vehicle that quickly responds to changing customer demands and market pressures, helping institutions navigate an ever-evolving market.

Once Japanese regulators give the green light for digital banking to proceed in Japan, those organisations that remain reluctant to change will quickly find themselves left behind by competitors and customers.

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Editor’s note: e27 aims to foster thought leadership by publishing contributions from the community. Become a thought leader in the community and share your opinions or ideas and earn a byline by submitting a post. We are discussing inclusivity at work and women all of March. Share your thoughts, tips and best practices on how we can make the startup ecosystem more inclusive, gender and culture diverse.

Join our e27 Telegram group, or like the e27 Facebook page.

Image credit: Tianshu Liu on Unsplash

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Too often, entrepreneurs–especially inexperienced ones–take the “luxury” approach to funding, incorporating every bell and whistle into their expansion plan by trying to accomplish all goals at one time. That’s nice, but it’s usually not reality and often forces businesses to be cash strapped because of high debt repayments.

That’s why I suggest entrepreneurs take a three-pronged approach to their expansion planning. This exercise helps business people ruthlessly prioritise their needs and determine what is a must and what is frivolous.

A, and then B, and then C

Let’s say an entrepreneur believes he or she needs US$1 million to make their expansion plans a reality.

Now, write up a plan for that amount. What are the specific investments you will make? What will your cash flow look like afterward? What does your business, in general, look like?

Now do the same exercise with US$500,000. Ask yourself the same questions, as well as anything else that’s pertinent. Can you primarily accomplish the same goals with half the cash?

Finally, do the exercise one more time, this time with a loan of only US$250,000. What are the answers to the questions now? Might it be possible to do what you want to do with only a quarter of the original loan?

Also Read: 3 things cybersecurity startups can do to reinvent business amid COVID-19

And the answer is …

 

No set answer will be correct.

Perhaps your initial inclination that you need US$1 million was correct. And there’s a good chance that US$250,000 simply won’t get the job done.

But there is a decent probability that the middle option might be feasible, especially if it makes you realise that some of the more frivolous “wish list” things you’d like to do are best set aside for now. Remember, you don’t have to accomplish everything at once, and a scaled-down plan might allow you to better focus on more important things, preventing you from overextending yourself.

Of course, don’t get too stuck on exact numbers. Maybe this exercise will have you realise your plan can go ahead effectively for US$790,000 or US$615,000 or US$485,000 or any other number.

The purpose is to gain some clarity and sharpen your focus–not to mention to allow you to decide what makes you most comfortable and enables you to sleep at night. Don’t underestimate the value of that.

Also, keep in mind the time factor. The larger the loan you seek, the longer it likely will take to receive approval from a lender. The saying “time is money” always rings true, especially in this scenario. You might miss opportunities waiting for lender approval.

Remember, business tends to be more of a marathon than a sprint. You need to pace yourself in all aspects, including financing, to better your odds of finishing the race. Hopefully, this exercise helps you accomplish that.

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The article was first published on nfinitiv.

Image Credit: Austin Distel on Unsplash

Register for our next webinar: Best practices for communications during the COVID-19 crisis

The post How to determine exactly how much you need to push your business to the next level appeared first on e27.

Agaeti Ventures and Convergence Ventures, two early-stage venture capital firms in Indonesia, has formally announced their merger.

Named AC Ventures, the new entity will be managed by its partners Adrian Li, Michael Soerijadji, Donald Wihardja and Pandu Sjahrir, who represents Indies Capital.

AC Ventures’s Limited Partners include leading regional digital corporates, local Indonesian conglomerates, founders of China and US venture funds, and technology entrepreneurs, who have scaled billion dollar businesses.

Also Read: Report says COVID-19 might result in US$28B missing startup investment this year

The new VC firm will continue to invest in early-stage technology companies, with a great focus on e-commerce, digital content-enabled services, fintech, and MSME enabling technology. It plans to invest in 35 businesses in the archipelago over the next three years.

AC Ventures has a strategic alliance with Indies Capital, an alternative asset manager focusing on private credit and equity in Southeast Asia, to assist portfolio companies with later-stage capital as they scale.

Li and Sjahrir had been discussing opportunities to work closely together since 2018 when Agaeti was launched. The discussions on the merger started last year.

AC Ventures was formally established in Q3 2019 and over the course of the last six months, it completed several investments through Partners’ (LPs as well as the partners of the fund) capital.

The Jakarta-based VC firm said the prior funds will remain separate and are fully deployed. Their portfolio firms will now have access to the combined partnership to support their growth. The two VC firms have together invested in 70 startups.

“Our objective was to consolidate our resources to create a platform of exponential value that can provide significant support to our portfolio founders as they build and scale successful businesses across Indonesia, the largest market in Southeast Asia,” said Li.

“In addition, AC Ventures’s close partnership with Indies Capital enables support for the portfolio with later stage capital as the companies scale,” he added.

Sjahrir, who sits on the Board of gojek, is Chairman of Shopee Indonesia. He also represents Indies Capital in the Partnership.

He sees strong future potential for high-value creation in the country’s tech sector. “Indonesia already has an established track record of creating billion-dollar valuations for tech-enabled businesses. Given that Indonesia is forecast to be the fourth largest country in terms of GDP by 2030, we are still only at the early stages of potential future value creation through technology.”

Also Read: The global financial crisis gave birth to fintech. What will COVID-19 recession bring?

Alongside the formal merger announcement, ACV has also launched an initiative, called Leadership Talks. It is a series of talks by invitation to portfolio founders, featuring local leaders sharing their guidance on how to navigate the economic and business impact of COVID-19.

The first talk, scheduled for today, will feature Andre Soelistyo, Co-CEO of gojek, sharing his advice on how startups should be navigating the challenging times ahead.

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Disclaimer: Convergence Ventures is an investor in Optimatic Pte Ltd, the owner of e27.

The post Indonesian VC firms Convergence and Agaeti merge to form AC Ventures appeared first on e27.

Social distancing regulations to combat the coronavirus outbreak are forcing millions of people around the world to work remotely. 

Now that more offices are sending more workers home for the foreseeable future, what are some of the ways that you can make working from homework for you? Below are those five ways to improve your productivity when you are working from home:

Physical demarcation of workspace

The first thing that you should do is to give yourself a dedicated workspace away from distraction. Choose a separate space for work and home that might be your drawing room, your living room where you work or if you do not have that much space then just choose a space in your room.

Have a dedicated workspace, a place where you can organise all of your work materials and a place where you go consistently to do your work.

It is important from an organisational standpoint as all of your work stuff is in the same place but also from a mental standpoint as having a dedicated workspace draws a boundary between your personal life and your work life working from home.

Thus, physical demarcation of workspace is quite important, mentally and physically. In addition, it makes things more easily accessible in the workplace making you much more productive.  

Also Read: e27 Community shares their proven tools and tricks to work from home

Stick to regular working hours

A lot of people struggle to keep regular working hours because of the fact that they are working at home and can fundamentally work whenever they want.

But the bottom line is if you keep regular working hours, it will help you not only keep your schedule in good health but will also enable you to know when there are start time and stop time each day.  

A strict routine is essential when you are working from home as the lack of physical boundaries makes it hard to be able to switch between home and office mode.

Make sure that you start, pause and finish working at the same routine you would in regular office hours. 

Hit pause

Taking a break may feel a little counterintuitive in terms of being productive or being motivated but in reality, it is not.

Ensure that you take a break whenever you need a breather or want to get away from what you are doing and you will notice that you always come back with an added level of motivation and energy to solving the problem.

Take short breaks, go to the window, look outside, take a walk, take a pad of paper over to a different chair, give yourself five minutes, doodle.

Also Read: e27 Webinar: Work-from-home or work-from-office, which is better?

Take a long 30 to 40 minutes break too; you can watch your favourite shows or movies online. In fact, by using a VPN for Netflix, you can bypass the country restrictions and watch movies of other countries as well. 

This is important to give your brain a rest and what happens when you do take a break is your brain actually keeps working on the problem that you were just working on many times. 

If you are looking for inspiration, if you are looking for an idea then, just by resting your brain, it will go into those machinations and a lot of times it solves the problem on its own.

Therefore, when you come back to it you may be sparked with a new idea or a new approach or added energy for how to deal with what you are working on. 

Clock out on time

Clock-out is the time when you are going to end your day, don’t let it drag. Don’t be that person who says, “I will finish this work after dinner” and then it is eight, you will panic and say, “well, I really need to finish this project” and then you stretch it till 10PM, guess what?

It will be 10:30PM and would still be left with a lot of work uncompleted. You will again push yourself to finish the project no matter what and the next thing you know, it is 1 in the morning.

So, to avoid such situations make sure that your start time and your end time look like bookends. Make sure that you have got two bookends to your day.

Communication is key

When you are working from home, it is essential to have efficient communication with your team to be more productive.

Also Read: Work-from-home: Watch out for cyberthreats amid COVID-19 pandemic

While email might seem like the practical way to stay connected to team members but utilising services such as Skype, Google Hangout, Zoom, and FaceTime is also important as they allow for face to face conversations and allow you to see facial expressions of other team members of your team. 

If you are in an office and you are sitting back to back with someone, then you might feel free to ask him or her any questions you have but it is much harder baseline when you are in a virtual setting, you have to open Slack, you have to send an email making it even harder.

Remote work requires transparency, thus, making over-communication an important factor to convey what is considered traditional workplace emotion and conversations.

Try to check-in with your team members on a regular basis. Create a list of the work on a daily basis and share the sheet with your team members so that they are informed well about the status of your workload and to ensure that they know you are on top of your work.

While working from home does come with many perks, it also does have some real challenges because there is less structure, you may actually work too much and focus too hard and get burned out. The opposite of it is equally possible that it might just be hard for you to focus and get as much done as you really want to do.

The key to overcoming both of these challenges and to be productive while working from home is to set boundaries around your time and space. So when you are working, you are working and when you are not working, you are not.

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