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Home based: To
be or not to be
Whether
it’s for your own business or to telecommute from a
job, working from home may seem quite appealing.
But is it really?
More and more people
have home based businesses and more and more corporations
are allowing employees the flexibility of
working from home either on a part-time or full-time basis.
With the right equipment and today’s technology, the
possibilities are endless.
Sound wonderful? It
can be. To those on the outside looking in, the thought of
the one-minute office commute, free personal
time, and little to no distractions, the
idea probably seems quite appealing.
Working from home can
be wonderful once you’ve established some ground
rules. There’s nothing like working from the
comfort of your own home, but what the outside world does
not realize is that most people who work from home work
round the clock. They are always on call. They tend
to try to make themselves more accessible in an effort to
prove that although they work from home,
they are even more productive than if they
were in an office.
Don’t get me wrong
- you definitely have more flexibility when you work from
home, more time to spend with your family. Your day starts
when you want it to, whether it’s at 3am or 10am, it’s
up to you. But there are some negatives.
First of all, until
you have trained your family and friends, you will probably
experience quite a few distractions. People
tend to think of you as home just kicking back and relaxing
and will want to call to just chat. Once you explain to them
that you really are working and prefer not to be disturbed,
you will find that there will be much less distraction in
your day.
You also need to be
very organized and disciplined. Productivity
is key and in order to be productive you must have a good
organizational system. Keep your filing up to date and have
a daily “to do” list that you stick to.
One other problem is
seclusion. Sometimes the seclusion of working
from home is more than one can handle, which is why a growing
trend over the last several years has been for the home based
worker to sometimes pack up the office and
head to Borders Books, Barnes and Noble or Starbucks to set
up shop and meet clients over a cup of coffee.
Working from
home is not for everyone, but if you can balance
out your days, train family and friends as to the best time
to call, unless it’s an emergency, get out to network
meetings and head to the book store when you feel the need
to be around others, you’ll find working from home may
be just the fit that you need.
A few more tips to
insure success:
| Do
schedule clients to meet you at another location other
than your home, such as a local bookstore or coffee shop.
These places have revolutionized the traditional conference
rooms. |
|
Don’t
allow clients to drop by unannounced. |
| Do
get a P.O. Box or a mailbox at Mail Boxes etc. |
|
Don’t
advertise your business at your home - no signs that state
your business in the window. Don’t allow the phone
company to publish your home address as your place of
business. |
| Do
try to get in little workouts through out the day. Take
a five minute walking break, exercise bike or treadmill
or even just stretch and jog in place. |
|
Don’t
avoid exercising. |
One of
the things I find most rewarding about working at
home is being able to create an atmosphere that is relaxing
and stress free. My office space is designed with my
comfort in mind. No longer do I have to worry about
office politics and work related stress.
There are a few things
that will be missed about working in an office, such as socializing,
medical benefits, and a steady paycheck. But personally I
prefer working right out of my home. I make up for
the things that I miss. I socialize when I’m out networking
with local organizations. My benefits are not as good as what
I had with corporate America, but I actually plan better meals
and can find more time in my day to exercise.
And
I wouldn’t trade those benefits for anything.
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Odetta
Taylor is the owner of Alternate Office Solutions, an office support service
that has been in business for 9 years in the Triangle providing a variety
of administrative services to companies both large and small.
