Working from Home: Take Me Back to the Office!!

Sometimes, working from home just isn't for everybody. The following is a list of the most common complaints about working from home:

Missing human interaction. Don't forget—where you work is where you live and vice versa. For some people, it's just too much.

A need for more structure. Whether it's 9 to 5 or 5 to 9, some people simply need a fixed beginning and end to their workday.

Having inadequate office space or furniture in their home office. Since most homes are built for living, office space can sometimes end up being anything from a corner in the basement to the dining room table.  

Inadequate office supplies and costly equipment. When working remotely for a company, things such as internet, internet upgrades, copiers, headsets and other necessary equipment are typically afforded by the company. Sometimes… they're not.

People asking or expecting you to do favors just because you're home. Your job is still your job and that report is still due by the end of the day. But the kids want you to come pick them up from band practice, your neighbor wants to you to check on her dog and your spouse wants you to call the bank because the check card was denied at the gas pump. 

The thing about working from home is that some people are going to love it and some people are going to hate it. There is no one-size-fits-all job situation that suits all people. But for those who have made it work, congratulations! You are on the leading edge of a new transition in the work force!

What that Guy Who Works from Home is Really Doing

So that weird guy across the street who says he works from home... what's he really doing during the day? Is he really... working?

According to a Fort Lauderdale, Florida company called Citrix that designs technology for employees to work remotely, the answer is yes. And no. A survey conducted in June by Wakefield Research of just over 1000 home-based American office employees showed the percentages  of non-work related activities workers take part in during the average workweek:

·         20% play video games

·         43% watch TV or a movie

·         26% take naps

·         28% cook dinner

·         35% do household chores

·         24% have had a drink

Home-based workers with children are more likely to turn on the TV. Another commonality of home-based workers was slipping out to exercise or get their hair done.

All this may have some wondering if working from home is the reliable option for companies and workers it's touted to be. Yet, study after study like this one show that telecommuters are still more productive than onsite office workers. 

So if you get a home-based job, does that mean you'll get to work in your pajamas while keeping up with last night's DVR'd episodes of "Breaking Bad"? 

Well, that will all depend on the arrangement with your employer. Some companies offer complete autonomy to home-based employees to get their work done. In other words, as long as your work is completed, of quality and in on time, you can work from the toilet for all they care. Other employers are not so flexible. Many times, it simply depends on what kind of home-based employment it is. Call center jobs, for instance, require their home-based employees to have a quiet space in which to work in as distracting background noises such as children, TV, etc. can lead to being dismissed.

The important thing for home-based employees is to know how to balance and manage home and work without either getting in the way. However, from the looks of things, there are many home-based employees who do seem to be managing quite well.

The Three Little Things That Make a Work from Home Business Last Longer

If you're going to be self-employed and work from home, you're going to have to be the type that deals with stress rather well. Not like this morning, when I was ten minutes away from launching a client's blog and my internet went down. Poof. Gone. Vanished. I was not the bastion of serenity I should have been.  Far from it. 

Whatever they say about losing your cool and how it affects your physical and mental well-being for the worse, every once in a while you're bound to blow your top. As far as I see it, life is balance and never is just as bad as always. Or maybe ''everything in moderation'' is a better way to put things.

But if you're going to work from home, you're likely going to have that added pressure every once in a while because everything is riding on your shoulders. Your best bet is to be in the practice of dissolving stress on a regular basis. You'll not only improve your health, your work from home venture is more likely to last longer.

Tips for making your business last longer:

Have an exercise routine. Every day, thirty minutes at least. More is better. You'll say you don't have time and there may be days when you don't. The rest of the time, make time. And I don't mean thirty minutes of strolling down to the end of the block. Get on the exercise bike and break a sweat. You need to be huffing and puffing. 

Take breaks in the right place. It's easy to push yourself to the limit when you work from home. The general advice is to take ten to fifteen minute breaks but don't do it at the desk where you work. Step outside for few moments. Walk down to the end of your drive and check the mail. When it's time to eat, don't eat at your desk, either. Keep your work area for work and only work.

Laugh. A lot. Laughter truly is the best medicine. I highly recommend renting stupid, silly movies that crack you up (or at least leave you light-hearted), watching comedy routines or a box set of your favorite comedy show. Sit down and really watch them. Do nothing else. 

Most tips for making your small business last longer have to do with cash flow and taking advantage of tax write-offs-- and those are good tips. But if you're health isn't where it should be, those types of things just aren't going to matter all that much, now are they?

Your Kick Ass Home Office Awaits

What makes for a kick ass home office? That depends. What works for one work-from-home employee may not work for another but the basics are pretty much the same. Follow these basics, give them a tweak and you'll have a kick ass spot all your own for getting your work done.

•Location. Obviously you need to pick a spot-- but where? The best spot is going to be a room with a door away from the traffic and noise of your home. However, when space is limited, you may have to claim a corner in the least busy room/area of your home.

If at all possible, avoid using the bedroom as an office space. As informal as working from home can be, studies have shown that working from a bedroom may be too relaxing and distracting. Not that there's anything wrong with occasionally taking a nap before, during or after lunch or working from bed; that's one of the perks of working from home! However, one of the biggest challenges of this type of work environment is keeping up on productivity. Lead not into temptation…
                                  

•Supplies. Regardless of what line of work you're in, you're going to need those office supplies. You know what you need: computer, chair, file cabinet, etc. However, before heading off to the nearest office supply store, take an inventory of what you do have, what you can pick up on the cheap at a second hand store or what you can borrow from someone else. It can get awfully tempting (and expensive!) to buy shiny new gadgets that end up collecting dust after being used only once or twice.

•Good lighting. Most who work from home overlook this very important detail. Never underestimate the value of having good lighting in your home office. It's not only about reducing the strain on your eyes. Good lighting also promotes productivity.

•Add your own signature. Make your office yours. Throw up your Channing Tatum/Bar Refaeli poster, add a plant or better yet-- your own mini-fridge filled with lo-fat yogurt. Kick ass! Keep your office area clutter-free or at least move non-essential items out of your line of sight. Make your space tidy and efficient and official and don't forget to post your office hours on the door or wherever they can be seen prominently.

The whole point of laying out a home office is to give your informal work environment a more formal feel. That way, work feels more legitimate. But don't let that scare you- you can still wear pajamas to the office if you want to.

The 5 Reasons You Can't Work from Home

Article first published as The 5 Reasons You Can't Work from Home on Technorati.


These days, plenty of people either hate their job or don't have one at all which creates a steady interest in the idea of working from home. These are usually the folks that search the internet with a discerning eye, wary of scams and feeling unsure if working from home could be their own reality.

Though the number is only somewhere around 3 million according to the latest data, it shows there is a segment out there working from home and making the bills each month. However, working from home definitely has its realities-- and even with a can-do attitude, working from home isn't always for everybody.
These are 5 reasons you should consider passing up working from home.

#1-You're a waitress. Unfortunately, there are some vocations you just can't do from home. Though the amount varies, work from home jobs (or, telecommuting jobs) have the element of the internet connected to them. Common work from home jobs include freelance writing/editing, data entry, medical or legal transcription, virtual interpreter/translator, customer service representative, virtual/administrative assistant, consulting, online tutoring, accounting/bookkeeping, online marketing and e-commerce.

#2-You don't have the discipline. If you're easily distracted, are prone to procrastination, aren't very good at meeting goals or any combination thereof, your work from home endeavors will likely go down in flames. Many people like the idea of not having a boss breathe down their neck until there's no boss to breathe down their neck.

#3-You flip out at the smallest setback. When you work from home, it is up to you to be on the ball and deal with problems as they arise. Don't forget- when you work at home, you are not only your own boss; you're also your own tech support, bookkeeper, legal department and human resources manager.

#4- You don't know when to quit. One of the benefits of working from home is the chance to have flexible hours and an easier time balancing your work life with your home life. It can be quite easy to end up working more hours if you can't set boundaries and stick to them.

#5- You're not good at planning ahead financially. Obviously, getting paid is the reason we all work; but having the ability to cover expenses in case a client skips out on you or you don't get paid on time is paramount. If you're in the habit of living paycheck to paycheck and aren't very good at planning ahead financially, you could land yourself in serious trouble.

If you are still not discouraged by the end of this list, then you may just have what it takes to launch your own successful work from home career.

Five Work from Home Articles You Don't Want to Miss

Even Grandma Can Work from Home Online

What Smart People Know About Legitimate Work from Home Jobs

Work from Home Data Entry is Here to Stay


Wise Things to Do With the Quick Money You Made Online

Happiness Is Telecommuting

Which Work from Home Benefit Can You Afford to Miss?

It's good to weigh the pro's and cons of any job so here is a work from home benefit list to consider when weighing such an opportunity:

Work from home benefit #1: no more commutes. No more long commutes, spending money on insane gas prices or even carpooling for hours stuck in a small space with people you don't even like. For some, the expense of just getting to work eats most of their paycheck; especially with gas hovering at $4 a gallon. It is the small things required of everyday life that are putting a big squeeze on the average Joe and Jane. 

Work from home benefit #2: informal work environment. It's not just about tossing the shirts and ties and pantsuits in the trash and moseying into your office in your PJ's. It's about having a work environment that is familiar and allows you to really concentrate on your work. No more gossip, rumor mills or that annoying guy in the next cubicle over that does that funny thing with his throat all day. And unless you like breathing down your own neck, your boss is less likely to nag, bother or interrupt you with mindless demands that interrupt the new schedule you've set up just for your very self. 

Work from home benefit #3: decrease or total drop in childcare costs. This more or less fits up there with work from home benefit number one but when mom or dad works from home, the need for childcare tends to go way down, if not disappear altogether. Working from home offers a better chance to balance one's home and family life- something that is common challenge and stressor in this modern age. As people work harder to afford less, family is often the first thing to suffer. This benefit is often of great influence for two income families desperately trying to hold it all together. 

Work from home benefit #4: less stress all the way around. Those who work from home are often found to be more energetic and optimistic about their work life. By feeling more in control of their career path, their self-esteem rises. When self-esteem starts rising, people finally feel it is okay to look on the bright side of things. Best of all, it means they are willing to take their work from home career or online job opportunity to the max. There is no dread of being stuck in a dead end job with all hopes for advancement blocked by those silly things known as upper management.

There are of course many other work from home benefits that arise for people along the way. There are plenty of examples of work from home endeavors that started out as small but became a much loved way of life. So much so, that many never look back at being employed by a brick and mortar business ever again. So once again- which work from home benefit can you afford to miss?

The Best Mentality for Understanding How to Make Money Online

Just about everyone wants to know how to make money online. When it comes to the issue of doing so, one is bound to find there is a wide array of options. While some individuals are perfectly happy to fill out a few questionnaires here and there to earn an extra twenty bucks, there are those who are looking to pay the bills and even create a whole new lifestyle for themselves. What is unfortunate is there are those who are searching out how to make money online with no real interest in anything other than making a fast buck. Those are the individuals that tend to get burned or lose interest when they find out they cannot simply push a few buttons and collect a paycheck. 

With the internet being so widespread there's a lot of chances to make money online. In fact, you don't even have to be all that computer savvy to do it. People from all walks of life have set up their eBay accounts to sell everything from computers to cars and everything in between.  Some simply dally with blogging or online tutoring while other go at it full force. While there are many different ways to make money online, there are actually no surefire ways for how to make money online. If that were the case, there would be plenty of people making their money online and very few people out of a job.

Even if a person follows all the instructions of how to make money online, there are many factors that go into the success of making money on the internet such as:

• ·         is it a long term or short term endeavor?
• ·         is the individual truly interested in how to make money online and are his or her expectations in line with reality?
• ·         if it is a long term goal to work from home online, is the individual set up and prepared for this type of business venture?

These are all things to consider when looking into how to make money online.

The truth is, working from home on the internet or trying to make fast money online will only be what a person makes of it. Those who put time and effort into their online efforts are the ones who become the posterchildren for how to make money online. They enjoy the spoil of their efforts just like any other individual who takes the time to make something important to them grow. When people toy around with how to make money online, they often come away negative or unimpressed- leading many to believe that working or making money from home is just a pipe dream. 

The internet is bound to be around for a very long time. It has reshaped the way we do a vast number of things these days. This includes how we make an income. While there will always be many ways to make money online, the best advice for how to make money online is to go into it positively and with realistic expectations.  

Even Grandma Can Work from Home Online

Just about every wants to work from home online- and with the number of people financially limping along these days, many are giving work from home jobs serious consideration. In all reality, when it comes to a full time job, kids, marriage and other responsibilities, a second job at the Burger Shack just isn’t all that appealing. Life these days is about convenience and there is a true convenience to making money online. Working from the comfort of home early in the morning, after work or simply on the weekends has helped many keep themselves from completely going under when trying to make it to the end of the month.

Of course there are many ads on the internet offering opportunities to work from home online. So many that it can be very confusing as to which are legitimate work from home jobs and which are not. Depending on what your interest, skills and experience are, there are options to go into anything from work from home data entry to freelance writing. The rule of thumb is to stay away from those listings that only offer information for an upfront fee. If you think about it, when you answer an ad for a job listing, you do not pay a fee before going into an interview, do you?

While there are those that manage to work from home online and do quite well at it, the reality is most work from home opportunities begin very slowly and grow over time. Those that stick with it will obviously reap the most benefit. For a lucky few, things simply take off and grow. Not everyone will have the same results but in all reality there is no one way of telling who will and who won’t. The most important thing is to be consistent in your efforts to get the ball rolling. Once it does, many find themselves branching out into ways to make money online that are more creative and even more profitable.

Aside from convenience, many like the opportunity to work from home online because it does give them a little freedom on where they want to take things. After working forty or more hours a week under the direction of an employer, it can be quite freeing to sit down and do your own thing- and make money at it! It is a great way to keep things from getting into too much of a rut- something that tends to happen easily for a good number of adults in the world. Even if it takes consistent time and effort, when that effort is related to something that gets the brain stimulated, a legitimate work from home job can seem less like work in the long run.

There are a vast number of work from home ideas to choose from ranging from the technical to not so very technical at all. That is why the internet has become such a useful tool because individuals from all walks of life can now work from home online.