Working from home can sound like an impossible dream, getting up when you want, working when you want, having time to watch a couple of hours of Jeremy Kyle before you knuckle down, it must be heaven right? Well it can be, it can deliver the balance between home and work that you have always known was possible but have never managed to achieve. It could allow you to look after young ones, or older ones at home, while still earning a living. But there are some very important things to consider before you throw in that job and work from home.
The first is that your home is now your work place. You need somewhere that you can devote to your work, that you can keep your work in and that you can leave at the end of a working day without fear that young Johnny will have coloured in all the ‘o’s on that tax return you were preparing for an important client. If you are going to work on the phone the area you work from needs to be quiet, no one is going to be impressed if your efficient businesslike manner is drowned out by the baby having a tantrum! So make sure that you choose work that suits your lifestyle. If there is a lot of background noise then it’s probably best to steer clear of the adult chat line jobs. You’re unlikely to sound so alluring with an insistent voice shouting mummy! mummy! at your elbow. If you are undertaking telephone answering work for clients remember that to all intents and purposes you are supposed to be in the office of your client, so extraneous noise from children, washing machines, pets etc. is not giving the right impression.
The other thing is that you will now have to heat your home and light it during the day, which you may not have had to do before. The expense of this needs to be taken into consideration.
Getting into a routine is important. You really cannot afford to get sidetracked by Jeremy Kyle or anything else if you are working from home. This aspect of home working can be the most difficult for people to adjust to. But it is vital that you discipline yourself, especially if there are going to be other calls on your time at different times of the day. Work out a timetable that allows you to work at times when the children are at school or an elderly parent is out at a day club, and stick to it. It is all to easy to think that you can just flick the vacuum around while the house is quiet which leads to a bit of dusting or tinkering in the garden and before you know it you are up against a deadline with the house full of children and other demands on your time.
So before you take the plunge, think it through.
How much time do you have?
What work would suit you best?
Where will you work?
Will you have enough work to pay the bills?
We can help you with the last bit.
No comments:
Post a Comment