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It seems like a great idea. Short commute, no dress code, be your own boss. Here are a few of the downsides of working at home to consider:
1. At some level, everybody who doesn't work at home has a sneaking suspicion that you're getting away with something. They think that you slop around in your egg-stained jammies and bunny slippers all day.
I've had clients call me at three in the afternoon and ask if they had woken me up.
I have kids.
I gave up sleeping years ago.
2. You are your own boss. Yes, this is a problem. I would never work an employee as hard as I work myself. I love what I do, but I'd quit if an employer expected me to work the hours that I work. If you work for yourself and this isn't a problem, you probably won't work for yourself very long.
You can't fire yourself.
Office politics are pretty dull.
3. My letter carrier thinks I have a crush on him. Working at home, even if you have kids, make that especially if you have kids, can be lonely. Adult human contact is welcome. Checks come in the mail (so do bills, but I'm an optimist). I hate to admit it, but I can tell when the mailtruck or UPS van has pulled up, even if I'm at the back of the house, just by the vibrations in the floor. I try not to watch from the window during the late afternoon when deliveries usually arrive. I was afraid the neighbors thought I was some kind of Rear Window recluse.
E-mail and online services have helped with the loneliness thing. I'm trying to casually stroll out to the mailbox these days, as if it weren't the highlight of my day.
My husband began working at home with me about a year and a half ago. Therein lies another tale of starting your own company, working with AOL, etc. Anyway, since my husband began working at home we found that we now have less time alone together. Thankfully, AOL has a nifty feature that lets you send an instant message (realtime private chat, control+I for AOL users) back and forth. Sometimes it's the only way we can carry on a conversation without the kids butting in: he in one room, typing away, and me in another. I guess this only goes to prove that people will utilize technology in ways that the inventors never imagined. But the kids seem to like having us both around.
4. Interviews. When you work freelance, you are constantly interviewing. It's just a matter of time, even if you have work now, before you have another interview. Nobody likes to be judged, especially if it means your income is on the line. You either get used to (and better at) interviewing, or you get out of the freelance field. I wish I had some magic tricks on how to make this easier. All I can offer is a few things not to do, unfortunately from experience:
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