Considering Work at Home?

Many people are now struggling with work-life balance. Too much work load, plus the associated commute to and from the workplace, and office politics – all of these are causes of stress that more and more individuals are trying to get away from.

That is why it is no surprise that working at home is fast becoming a popular alternative to income earning.

The independence, freedom, flexibility and convenience of this practice is truly appealing to those who are wanting to leave and are tired from the typical nine to five job.

Some can even claim tax advantages from this practice including utility costs and office equipment.

Be Warned…

But before you send your resignation letter, it is best to determine beforehand whether this style of work is for you. Ask yourself if you are fine without any physical social interactions that you may have enjoyed while working at an office setting. Be reminded that those working from home may find the isolation and loneliness of not having anyone to talk with or discuss ideas with, a difficulty. Also, reflect honestly whether you have enough discipline and organizational skills to meet deadlines and work goals despite the distractions of home. Can you perform tasks by yourself and without any help of a team or technical support? Besides, for some time (at least until everything gets settled), you’ll have to forget about rest, vacation, retirement or mini retirement.

Get Started…

Should you believe that you are capable of dealing with the disadvantages of working from home then you may begin finding actual work-at-home jobs. The internet is a great source of online work but be wary of dodgy companies and always read the fine prints before accepting any offers. Do your research very well and try to find reputable and legit groups to work with. Clarify what the job entails, your deadlines and how you will be paid. Then have a sit and think about it before signing up. It is also vital that you have your family’s support as you may still have to  require babysitting services to be able to manage work at home.

It is also best to have a designated work area at your home where you can do your tasks with no distractions. Keep in mind that it is still WORK and requires your utmost focus. Make sure you have everything you need working well and properly including a reliable internet connection, a working computer and a phone. Set a daily schedule and be organized to be more productive and efficient. Stick to your goals and keep away from any disturbances such as the television or noisy children. Give yourself a scheduled break as well as you must be allowed to have at least enough time to eat your lunch and rejuvenate.

Learn from Examples

Successful online business owners seldom keep their career advancement secret. Most of them have very detailed and inspirational pieces on how they started earning online. Reading through their stories, always focus on the following:

• Which niches did they started in (Can I do that);
• What was the breaking point? (When and Why did they actually started earning?);
• What’s their monetization model (Which of their activities actually bring money).

Here are just a couple of examples:

Kyle James, Owner of Rather Be Shopping, an established coupon codes directory

This site was started in December 2000, and after a HUGE learning curve, we have the coupon website that you see today. Kyle has grown the site into a business that generates over 6 million a year in sales for the stores listed on the site. Rather-Be-Shopping.com has been mentioned on MSNBC.com, The Detroit Free Press, Washington Post Holiday Shopping Guide (2001), Reader’s Digest, and L.A. Daily News to name a few publications

Onibalusi Bamidele, the owner of Young Pre Pro

Onibalusi is a 17 year old entrepreneur, from Oyo State in Nigeria, who did an exciting journey from a poor fatherless kid to a successful web entrepreneur.

So yes, working at home can definitely be the solution to your work-life balance dilemma. You can get more control of your day this way and still have the time to spend with the family and manage the home. Yet like any other work commitments, it demands a great deal  of motivation and organization on your part as you are likely to work independently. Keep in mind that someone who works at home must still maintain a degree of professionalism expected from an employee. Work must be five star at all time. And should you think you can do that with no problems at all at the comfort of your home, then give it a go!

cc licensed flickr photo shared by Kelly Sue