Imagine lounging in your most comfortable outfit, sipping on home-made chicken soup and enjoying the sounds of your favorite CD... all while managing national accounts, answering inquiries from curious clients and preparing to send out a detailed report for your upcoming company meeting. When email in your employees' home offices is secured, telecommuting can be a valuable resource for your business without the risk of compromising crucial information.

Millions of Americans are already taking advantage of the benefits that come with telecommuting and the trend is only expected to grow in the coming years. High-speed internet connections, laptop computers and email make working outside of the conventional office setting convenient; productivity can be improved while reducing travel time and the ever-increasing cost of transportation. The telecommuting population is predicted to reach 9.9 million by 2009! (1)

Many benefits can come from allowing your employees to telecommute, but let's not forget about making it safe for all parties involved. You can take every precaution to make certain that sensitive data regarding your company and clients is secured when it's kept at company headquarters, but these defenses become much harder to implement at a worker's home office. Loss of intellectual property can do much to damage the potential for revenue, as well as brand reputation, for any size company.

Employees who work from home may use their company machines to do non-work tasks like: