As National Commute Smart Week (8th-14th November) comes to an end, research has re-emphasised the benefits – for employers and employees alike – of homeworking and similar "smart" working practices.

Research commissioned to coincide with Remote Office Day this week (10th November) shows that recession-hit small firms have reservations about the productivity of employees who work from home.

Cost savings and an improved work/life balance for employees are the aims behind one local authority's plans to introduce homeworking, it has emerged.

Introducing flexible working practices or offering employees the opportunity to work from home could go some way towards reducing the billion-pound cost of productivity lost to stress, depression and other mental health problems every year.

A new homeworking project in Scotland aims to create jobs and reduce reliance on limited public transport in the rural seaboard communities of Easter Ross.

The rise of the virtual assistant (VA) has been identified as another outcome of both the recession and the growing trend for flexible, home-based working.

Technologies like video conferencing and instant messaging are prompting an ever-growing number of organisations to facilitate homeworking opportunities for employees.

A new homeworking venture is being launched by Dell in collaboration with a US college that will train technicians to provide support for consumer and corporate computing systems.

Over half of accountants in the UK believe having the option to work from home would "greatly improve" their work-life balance.

Individuals who work from home can find a market for or test the profitability of a product with the help of the online affiliate marketing business model, according to one seasoned internet entrepreneur.