I wouldn’t trade working from home for anything. There’s no dress code, it’s easier to stay focused, and if I want to work late at night I have a three-second commute. But working from home isn’t for everyone.
If you’re thinking about working from home or questioning your decision to work from home, consider these pros and cons.
Pro: Your overhead is low and you can furnish your office however you wish.
Con: You’ll need to carve an office out of living space in your home.
Pro: You can set your own hours.
Con: You have to be disciplined and keep some type of schedule. By disciplining yourself and getting on a regular schedule, you can still be productive while enjoying the benefits of working from home.
Pro: Associates or other business professionals won’t be nearby to bother you.
Con: You risk feeling isolated, “out of the loop,” and even lonely. Consider meeting regularly with other small business owners for coffee or lunch.
Pro: You don’t have to waste time traveling to meet with clients or waiting for clients to arrive.
Con: Clients will see how you live and work, unless you find a way to set your office apart from the rest of your home. French doors, a folding screen or even room-dividing bookcases can help.
Pro: No commute so you save time, energy, and money.
Con: You can’t escape your work, especially if your home office is in your bedroom.
Pro: You can merge your personal and professional lives.
Con: Trying to juggle both personal and professional obligations at the same time can be a challenge.
What made you decide to work from home or what’s keeping you from working from home?
The other issue (depending upon your target client base) is that many clients are leery of retaining the services of someone who works from home. It is amazing that many of those clients are the ones who miss having their physician come to THEIR homes…
Roy A. Ackerman, PhD, EA recently posted..Tribute
That’s so true! They don’t realize that they’re missing out on incredible talent. BTW, I remember making house calls with my dad when I was a kid.
Lisa recently posted..How to Decide Whether or Not You Should Work From Home
Hi Lisa,
great wrap-up of pros and cons of working from home. I found out one thing: Lazy people tend to become more lazy when working from home and people who tend to work too much anyway work even more which can be an issue.
I woudn’t trade it for anything either.
Thanks for sharing your insights.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend recently posted..Color To Success In Pictures – How To Talk Correctly To People
I hadn’t really thought about that, but you’re right. Sometimes there’s no one around to make you work and to keep you from working. And I wouidn’t trade working from home for anything, either.
Lisa recently posted..How to Decide Whether or Not You Should Work From Home
This is a really good checklist Lisa! And I have to say, ever since I got my smartphone, about 3 weeks ago, I pretty much am on notice 24/7 when I recv a tweet, comment or text msg. I finally learned how to set up an automatic ‘silent mode’ from 10p.m. to 8a.m.
But nothing beats being able to work from home. Understanding the discipline is key. I find the quiet time a wonderful time to gain my creativity and planning.
Lynn Brown recently posted..Best Practices For A Successful Facebook Fan Page
I couldn’t run my business without my smartphone and I did the same thing with mine. After receiving alerts and texts in the middle of the night, I was happy to be able to silence my iPhone. Having discipline while working from home is tough, but definitely necessary.
Lisa recently posted..How to Decide Whether or Not You Should Work From Home
Hey Lisa,
I wouldn’t trade working at home for anything! Of course I would like my home to be on a piece of beach front property, but that will come.
Seriously though, there is nothing like working from yourself, from home. Sure it can be stressful and there is no income certainty, but one has to deal with this stuff when working for the man.
If you don’t have clients that you physically meet with, then you are set – you don’t have to worry about what people think about your working quarters. Reminds me of our CPA. When we first started using him, he worked from home. I didn’t have a problem with going to his house when I needed to meet with him, though his barking dogs were a bit obnoxious. I guess he felt he needed a location for his business that wasn’t his house. He ended up buying a piece of commercial real estate and now has a ‘real’ office. Works for him, I guess, but my wife and I are truly blessed to be able to work from home and we LOVE IT!
Marshall Davis recently posted..Small Business Insurance Quotes
It’s tough to go back to a corporate setting after working from home, and many of us couldn’t go back to a corporate setting for anything. If you don’t meet with clients, there’s no need to rent outside space, but as your CPA found out, barking dogs (and screaming children) can take the professionalism out of any business.
I’ve worked with subcontactors who work from home, but they have a separate space and they’re able to keep distractions and noise out. That makes a big difference for any business.
Lisa recently posted..Ways to Work From Home When the Kids Are There, Too
The main difference working at home and at the office is, you don’t have and office mates to share you thoughts, and laugh with it which I miss it most.
Deborah Harris recently posted..find beach chairs
It can get lonely when you work from home. Getting out often, whether it’s working from a coffee shop or networking with other small business owners, can help.
Lisa recently posted..More Tips For Working From Home With Kids Around