Working at Home Isn’t All Fun
and Games
by Jan K., The Proofer
I enjoy telling people that I “work at home.” I can see that wistful look
in their eyes, and I can hear it in their voices when they say, “That must
be nice.” And then for about five minutes, they do a little daydreaming
about what it would be like to “work at home.” I never explain to them
about the measure of self-discipline it takes, and how great are the
temptations to take a “break” and reorganize my sock drawer when I find
myself faced with working on a project that is less than interesting (or
worse yet, “not as profitable” as other projects). Why burst their bubble?
Let them daydream awhile….
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Working at home can be all the wonderful things that those people daydream
about. Setting my own hours, working at my own pace (project deadlines
permitting), running to the market at 1 o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon
when there’s nobody there---these are just a few of the plusses of working
at home. For parents (whether it is the mom or dad, or both working at
home), being able to adjust their working schedule to school schedules,
being able to take the kids to the orthodontist or to soccer practice,
working at home is a definite plus. For people who don’t work at home and
who want to work at home, it is probably hard to think of even one minus.
But the fact of the matter is, the minuses do exist---in abundance.
It is not my purpose here to ruin all your hopes or plans to establish
yourself as a work-at-homer. In fact, I do encourage you to follow that
dream and be your own boss. However, I want you to take just a few minutes
to take stock of your situation and once and for all decide if working at
home really is in your best interest.
First, and obviously, you have to have a job skill that is amenable to the
at-home environment. If you trim poodles on the weekend and think you can
turn it into a full-time at-home business, then look around. Do you live
in a two-bedroom apartment on the second floor and just do your neighbor’s
poodle once a month (but you do it really well)? Or do you live a
four-bedroom ranch house with a three-car garage that can be made over
into “Donna’s Clip Joint” and happen to live in an urban neighborhood
where everyone has pets? And even if you do, what about all the permits
that you will need? Will you be able to pursue this type of work at home,
and do so legally?
The most applicable work-at-home job skills involve the use of a computer,
the Internet, phone, fax, and other small business/office machines. You
can hardly drive from home to the grocery store without seeing those signs
nailed to telephone poles: “Got a Computer? Earn up to $2000 at home!” Of
course, you can, but can you?
For the sake of argument, let’s presume then that you have a computer and
an assortment of small business machines, and that you do indeed have some
skill that you believe can be marketed. Let’s focus on you for a minute:
Are you self-disciplined? Are you organized? Do you have the proper
workspace where you can work undisturbed? Are you able to face a workday
where you have no supervision or guidance? Can you work at home, day after
day, without having the people contact that you would typically find “on
the job”? When you have overlapping projects, will you be able to cope
with the necessary prioritizing so that you get the time-critical job done
on time without jeopardizing the next job in line?
The list of questions goes on. And this doesn’t begin to address the “what
ifs” that go hand-in-hand with working at home. What if you don’t have any
work this week? What if work doesn’t come in the week after that? What if
you get sick and can’t finish a project on time? What if your client
doesn’t pay you on time? What if your client doesn’t pay you at all?
Financial gurus recommend that we all should have three months’ wages
tucked away in a “bail out” savings account so that in case of illness or
work stoppage, we can “bail out” our sinking checking accounts and pay the
bills, pay the rent, buy groceries. Let’s face it, how many of us really
have three months’ salary bankrolled? Most of us are lucky if we have one
months’ salary in a demand savings account that’s hooked to our checking
account that gets dipped into on a more regular basis than we’d like to
admit. If that is the case, then are you really in a position where you
can handle the uncertainties of establishing and maintaining a
work-at-home business?
This isn’t to say that even if all these things are true, that you
shouldn’t make the move to be your own boss and work at home. I’m a
perfect example. I did have the fortunate circumstance that I had a
husband working full-time and earning “decent” money (not a fortune, not
more than enough, but “enough”). He believed in me and gave me great
support while I established my business. It took me more than five years
to get to the point where I can count on having work just about every day
(based on a five-day, 50-week “normal” work schedule). During that time, I
had periods when I didn’t work for five weeks or more (and even still, my
primary client goes through a month-long “dry spell” while their
organization holds its annual meetings). It took me over three years just
to finally break the “one client” barrier (I now have five “regular”
clients). The point here is that I did it; I built my own at-home
business, and I now think of myself as “successful.” I don’t earn a
fortune, but I “make a living at it.”
I don’t think that anyone could ever honestly tell you that there is one
no-fail method of how to become your own boss and establish a “successful”
at-home business. The variables are endless and there is no way to provide
you with a formula for how you go about setting yourself up as an
entrepreneur. In the end, becoming successful and realizing your dream of
working at home depends on you, and you alone. You must have a marketable
skill; you need adequate workspace and supporting equipment; you must have
the personal demeanor that lends itself to this type of work environment;
and you must have confidence in yourself. With these things, you can be a
success. You’ll be able to tell people, “I work at home”…then stand back
and watch them daydream.
Jan K., The Proofer is a full-time freelance proofreader and copyeditor.
In business since 1995, she has enjoyed working for a diverse world-wide
clientele, covering subject matter including academic research, medical
law, consumer surveys, and self-help materials. Please visit http://www.janktheproofer.com
for more information.
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