Working at Home on the Internet Webpage Archive

Originally posted on the Working at Home on the Internet (Blogger) Blog on March 13, 2006

Just imagine… No more crowded buses, No more traffic jams, No more suits and ties, high heels, dull meetings or office politics. Just you and your computer. Alone, all day.

If this sounds idyllic, read this before you rush out and quit your job. I hope this dispels a few myths about working at home.

The Dream:Extra time to spend with family, exercising, or recreation.

The Reality:While you won’t spend time commuting, you probably will spend more time working all hours of the day and night. Be sure to set regular hours. Separate work time from home time.

The Dream:You are invisible to clients over the phone and on the computer.

The Reality:It is true that you can’t be seen and can lounge around in the buff if you want. The fact remains, you need to maintain a professional demeanor, that is difficult if you are in your bathrobe.

The Dream:No more office politics.

The Reality:It gets lonely home all day by yourself. You may have a pet to talk to, but that probably isn’t very rewarding. Try to set a certain time of the day to get out. Go get a coffee, meet clients, go to the gym.

The Dream:Quiet time, so you can get some work done.

The Reality:Sometimes, it gets too quiet( see previous entry), and other times the phone keeps ringing with sales calls, or someone knocks on the door trying to convince you to change your cable provider.

The Dream:You don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder all day.

The Reality:Look in the Mirror. You are the Boss. It takes a lot of intestinal fortitude to push yourself to make sure the work at hand gets done. Being the boss means taking on all the responsibility.

The Dream:No more sharing office supplies.

The Reality:No more sharing office supplies, printers, copiers, fax machines, not to mention a computer. There is no IT guy to fall back on, it’s up to you if your system crashes. Make sure you have good equipment, with a good support system.

The Dream:Tax write-off’s.

The Reality:This isn’t too far fetched. You will get to deduct some office space, equipment and services. This depends on the area in which you live. In this area, we need to pay an Estimated Tax on what we feel we should earn, and the deductions go against your next filing (which still has to be paid in advance).

Don’t let any of this dissuade you from starting your own Work at Home Business, these are just a few things to let you know what you may be up against in your quest. I, personally, feel the rewards far outweigh the drawbacks in owning your own business.

Procrastination Doesn’t Work at Home

Don’t let procrastination get in the way. When you are faced with something you may not feel like doing, it is easy to put it by the wayside.

Rice Lake High School in Rice Lake,Wisconsin is considering expelling a student after the discovery of a “hate list” naming 19 fellow students on his blog. The list was just that, a hate list, posted from the students home which made no threats against others. Now the high school student is also subject to a police investigation.

WQOW, a Wisconsin radio station, quotes Dr. David Gordon, a professor who deals with free speech issues, who said that a student’s First Amendment rights end at the school gates, as long as the school can prove the speech is a disruption to the smooth operation of the facility.
“There are very clear Supreme Court decisions that say the school can, in fact, restrict First Amendment rights if it’s necessary to maintain proper order in the school” he said.

“If the student is making vulgar comments about classmates, I think we probably agree that he shouldn’t be doing it, but he probably does have a legal right to be irresponsible”.

The only thing the kid did was write a post on his blog saying that he hated some other students, and he did so from the privacy of his own home, on his own time. He didn’t threaten anyone, or suggest that he was seeking to hurt anyone.

What we have here is an interesting case involving freedom of speech for students inside or outside of school.

Working at Home seems the ideal situation for just about anyone.The independent personality, work at home moms, recently unemployed, hate my boss, et cetera, all have a reason to work at home. Everyone who has tried a Home Business of any sort, all have good intentions when they start out.

I’ll be my own boss, I can spend time with the kids, or whatever reason you start your own business, can also be the same reason your business could fail. Whatever your intentions in the beginning, don’t let your Reasons become Excuses.

When I find myself with no ideas or subjects to write about, I call it writers block. What it is really, is a lack of concentration on my part. If I look a little further, maybe after a short break from the computer, I can usually come up with something.

Being your own boss sounds ideal. However, not everyone can push themselves to do what has to be done, they need an outside influence. Make sure you form a game plan and stick to it. Be your own boss, set deadlines and keep them. Otherwise you may be better off just getting a “regular” job.

If you started working at home to have more time with your children, don’t be disillusioned when it’s not the quality time you expected. You need to work at working. You can have that time with the kids, just make sure you allocate time for the business. Prioritize your day and make sure the kids know that while working, you are not to be disturbed, unless it is really important.

Starting a Home Business after being laid-off, fired, downsized, or otherwise unemployed, is all well and good. But you should realize that just because you could do something while working for an established company, you may need to learn a lot more than your old job required.

I would not suggest even starting a business of any sort if your sole reason is “I hate my boss”. Chances are you won’t like your new boss (you) any more than the last one.

The above pitfalls are far from the only ones you may encounter. You have to be scheduler, shipper & receiver, accountant, credit manager, mechanic, supplier… and on, and on…

Don’t be put off by all the work you have to do, working for yourself at home does have it’s rewards. You Can be independent, you Can spend more time with the kids, you Can show your old boss.

As long as you are prepared for all the pitfalls, you can enjoy all the rewards.

For your convience:E-Mail Questions