Introduction
In May 2004, 20.7 million people regularly worked at home as part of their primary job. This accounts for about 15 percent of total non-agricultural employment. This massive number of people shows the popularity of working from home. So in this article I will briefly summarize the pro and cons. Pros
No need to commute
This can save valuable time and money not to mention the stress of traffic, train delays, overcrowded public transport like busses trains etc. Freedom!
Nobody can tell you how to do your job or how you are doing it wrong. No need to bother with careful, politically correct language in the office in fear of being sacked or sewed. Also, setting and meeting your own deadlines is very satisfying. Dress code
No need to wear cheap polyester suites on the hottest day of the year. Tax benefits
When working from home, you can partially include your home office expenses on your taxes. Family time
Working at home is a good way of watching the kids grow up and bonding with the family better. Cons
Getting no work done
Surprisingly, the most common issue with people working from home is self-discipline and self-motivation. Do you want to start on those boring invoices or do you want another packet of honey roasted cashews with a few cups of coffee and another half hour of Judge Judy? The mess!
It creeps up on you slowly then bang! Suddenly your spare room come home office is buried in a mountain of unwanted and forgotten paperwork because nobody is reminding you to file it. Who wants to file paperwork anyway? All alone
Some people would argue that it isn't healthy to have so little face to face contact with those other bipeds out there. This can lead to loneliness, which can lead to becoming reclusive which can lead to the dark side, ur... I mean depression. Longer hours
It might seem a little peculiar, but most people who work from home in order to work less hours, actually work more hours. One reason for this is that they are so focused to the point of obsession that they will sit from dawn till dusk only breaking for essential survival reasons like eating and using the bathroom. The other reason is that the office is only in the next room and usually when people are into their work, it is what they mostly think about so it is very easy when you have another idea, to walk into the next room to write it down and then maybe phone and tell a colleague about it and then work out a short budget... your working again! Conclusion/Advice
Millions of people earn a successfully living from home so if you think you're up for it, the only thing stopping you, is you. Take your time to view and take in these points. You may have heard these before but now that I have listed a few points about working from home, I can give you cheesy clich s like, 'If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail' and 'The road to success is always under construction'. But seriously, here are a few pointers: - Before you start working, set up a simple filing system so you can file as you work
- It may seem a little eccentric, but if you dress for work, attack your in tray and generally act as if you were working in the office, you will be a lot more productive.
- Keep office hours even though you work at home. If you work in a study or home office, close the door at 6.00 and don't open it until it is time to start work at 9.00 the next day. Try to have time off and don't work on weekends.
- Keep contact with people. Even if you are working at home, there shouldn't be any reason you can't arrange lunch with somebody.
If you are not currently working from home, this is a great work from home opportunities directory: www.homeearned.com |
