Pro's and Con's of Working From Home
There are advantages and disadvantages to working at home. Knowwhat they are before you start so you can avoid pitfalls lateron.It's important to know you can handle all the different aspectsof working at home. Although there are wonderful benefits tobeing self-employed, there is a negative side to everything.Make sure you know the difference and the benefits outweight thepotential problems. Pros:Lower startup costs - Working from home greatly reducesthe initial expense of st...
...arting a business.Less stress - Fewer irritants such as florescent lights,coworker gossip and hawk-eye bosses. As stress decreases,productivity will increase.Tax benefits - There are many important tax breaks inhaving a home based business. Be sure to check with your taxadvisor to make sure you get the most deductions you can withoutsetting off IRS flags.No commuting - Freedom from driving to the office eachday and getting stuck in traffic, not to mention the gassavings. Lifestyle flexibility - Working from home allows you moretime to spend with your family. No daycare costs and freedom towork when it is convenient for you are a definite plus.Flexible work hours - You control when you work, how youwork, what you wear to work and how long you work. This is anice benefit, especially if you are well disciplined to getthings done. Increased income - Unlimited income possibilities.Cons:Isolation - Many people can not deal with the isolationthat accompanies working at home. Make sure to have socialactivities along with your work schedule. Space limitations - The obvious, having to make enoughspace for you to comfortably run your business and still keepyour business/personal finances separate. Using a spare bedroom,is a good option if you have the space available, if not, justmake sure you have an area that is at least semi-private toenable you to work comfortably.Security concerns - Working from home can cause concernwhen business meetings are scheduled. Make appropriate plans formeeting clients and customers in a public place if you areconcerned about having them in your home.Household interference - This can be a problem for thosewho are raising small children. The distractions throughout theday can make it difficult to concentrate at a task at hand. Makesure your family knows that when you're working, interruptionsshould be kept to a minimum.Overworking yourself - Often when working from home, wedon't quit at the end of the day, but rather try to "finish up"a project, thus we end up working into the wee hours of thenight. This can quickly lead to "burnout" which can causeproblems with your business, your family and your own health.There will be changes required in your personal habits tosuccessfully work from home. You will have to disciplineyourself to not watch the television when you have work to getdone. You and only you will have to practice diligence andwillpower to get your work done in a timely fashion. Since youare not punching a time clock, you will have to make sure thatyou set obtainable goals for yourself and then make sure thatyou meet those daily goals.
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