Want to telecommute? Do your homework.

Think you'd work more efficiently from home? Here are some tips for developing a telecommuting proposal:

Dissect your work.

Make sure your job is suited for telecommuting. “Phone-and-a-computer work can usually be done anywhere,” says Debra Schwartz of Honest Tea, a company that employs a 60% telecommuting workforce. “A receptionist for a doctor's office can't telecommute.”

Outline job goals.

By setting milestones, your employer can gauge success or failure. “Try a probationary period,” says Mollie Cartwright-Smith, a software saleswoman who telecommutes.

Get face-to-face time.

But “be professionally positioned,” says Meryl Rosenthal of FlexPaths, a business that helps companies create flexible work cultures. Use Skype; video chat, IM, WebEx, VPN and smartphones also will help keep you connected.

Don't be discouraged.

If the answer is no, remember that “corporate America is changing,” says Stacey McGuire, a lawyer who telecommutes for Paragon Biomedical. “What doesn't make sense today may make sense a year from today.”