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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….
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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