Working from home: the pros and cons

For various reasons, more and more people are choosing to be their own boss and work from home. For years, I had this dream of one day being the boss of my own company. It turned out that the company I was building and investing in was my own family. After being the CEO of a house for sixteen years with perks and benefits that paid me in hugs and kisses, I decided it was time to supplement the warm fluffs with another opportunity that would pay me in dollars and cents. I am now a stay at home mom who also has a home business.

During the time I’ve been in business on my own, I’ve been woken up by some work-from-home details; and those tell-tale details I’ve compiled into my own delicious list of pros and cons. So here they are:

1. Family. If you’re a stay-at-home parent or have always wanted to be, working from home is more than the ideal situation. Being at home not only eliminates the need for daycare, but also allows you to contribute financially while you are available for your children. However, if your children are not in school all day and are no longer taking naps, working in the next room while they wait for their time can create some added pressure as you realize how much time is spent . just watching tv. Therefore, there must be a balance between work and family. This is where I really appreciate the freedom of the next point.

2. You set your work hours. Gone are the days when your morning ritual is to hit Snooze five times on your alarm clock before getting out of bed. Now you can wait for your kids, dog or cat to wake you from your peaceful slumber, or if you are one of the lucky few, wake up in your own sweet moment. Being able to set your own work hours is especially appreciated if you are a parent. With taking the kids to and from school, activities and appointments, there is nothing to be missed. However, there is a risk of overworking yourself, as hard as it may be to believe. “Just five more minutes,” you told yourself an hour ago, and even realizing how long you’ve been working, you STILL end up requiring five more minutes to get the job done.

3. Reduced costs. Working outside the home requires a lot of expenses, but by working from home, these costs can be significantly reduced or eliminated entirely. You will no longer have to pay for child care, or the additional expenses of fuel and maintenance of your vehicle. You don’t need to wear expensive business clothes that require dry cleaning, and you can save on those lunches with coworkers.

4. Entertainment. Having worked outside the home part-time, there was nothing more frustrating than being assigned to a project all the time having to man the phones and the counter. Being his own boss means she can regulate those pesky interruptions and finish the tasks she set out to do. However, this requires the skill of self-discipline, without which you will find yourself in worse chaos than before. Personal phone calls, outside appointments, online chat, TV, kids, and social networking sites like Facebook—they all have a way of diverting your attention from the tasks you’ve set out to accomplish. To minimize those distractions, you can: let your calls go to voicemail, turn off your chat programs, schedule appointments for the start or end of your workday, make rules with your kids, and stay offline from your favorite social sites until let more time pass appropriate time.

5. So of course this leads to Discipline. The beauty of owning your business is that you make the rules; You run the show; You say how it goes: YOU are in charge. How cool is that! However, if you thought kids were hard to train, think again. You have just come face to face with the beast. You have just chosen to boss yourself around and take yourself seriously at the same time. Have fun with that one. Now you not only make the rules, but you can also break them without much more than a quick little justification on your part. Working from home requires self-discipline. What was once the role of your employer is now your responsibility, and that is to ensure the productivity of the business.

The honorable mentions are as follows:

No dress code. Wear whatever you want, whether it’s your pajamas, sweatpants with your favorite holey t-shirt, boxer shorts, jeans, or a full suit and tie. You can wear anything that makes you feel comfortable. Nobody will be watching you.

Portability. You can work from anywhere. Whether you’re at home, at the beach, or on the go, you can take your work with you. However, mere convenience usually means you’re taking your job everywhere you go. As if he didn’t have enough baggage, his business also finds a way to accompany him. So be sure to create a balance in your schedule. Work alone when it’s time to work and play when it’s time to play.

Face to face interaction. You are extrovert? Working from home will be a challenge for those with social requirements. Being at home can feel isolating at times, making many people want to leave the house for work every day. Working from home will create many virtual relationships that may happily satisfy introverts, but make life miserable for those who need face-to-face interaction.

More tips to create harmony working from home.

• Design a separate office space if you can.
• Create a handy schedule that fits work, family, and household chores.
• Get out of your house when you can clear your mind. A brisk walk in the fresh air or coffee with a friend may be all it takes to regain focus and motivation.
• If necessary, delegate tasks to the other members of your family.
• Hire a babysitter from time to time to watch your young children while you’re stuck in the office.
• Take weekends off to enjoy with your family. They deserve your free time as much as you do.
• You work hard! So enjoy the benefits of working from home.

If working from home makes sense for you and you think it will suit your personality and lifestyle, consider the above. Take the ups and downs and accept them with gratitude and appreciation. Believe that you deserve to be rewarded with the best that your home business has to offer, and your efforts to create them will come true.

smile and shine

tina vanderbil

http://ManifestingYourDreamLife.com