If given a choice between the working at the corporate office or working at home on the living room couch, most people would choose the latter. No bumper-to-bumper traffic, no overbearing bosses, and no office politics – it seems like a dream life.
But while the dream of working at home has worked for some people, for others it has presented a range of challenges including financing, self-discipline, and personal contentment.
Self-Employed versus Working at Home
While they are often used interchangeably, the terms self-employed and working at home are a bit different.
Self-employed means the person is the owner of a small business or is otherwise a sole proprietor. The business may or may not necessarily be located inside the home.
Working at home means the person is performing work in a home office, but the person may not necessarily be the owner of a small business. The person could be writing content on the web, working as a virtual agent, or perhaps employed by a major corporation under a telecommuting agreement.
Work at Home Opportunities
Probably everyone has heard of those "work from home stuffing envelopes" and "work from home data entry" jobs. While these work at home opportunities are often reported as scams, other job opportunities afford at-home workers with legitimate pay for legitimate work.
Revenue sharing paid content websites including Suite101, Helium, and eHow allow members to write articles and collect a cut of the advertising revenue generated by the site. Associated Content and Bukisa allow members to get paid for a range of content including text, audio, video, and pictures.
Other work at home opportunities include becoming a virtual agent with LiveOps or Alpine Access; a virtual office assistant with Virtual Assistant.org; or a virtual concierge with VIPdesk.com.
In terns of telecommuting, some companies allow their workers to telecommute part time or even full time.
Companies who offer employees full-time telecommuting save enormous amounts of money on leased office space. They also save money on equipment and manpower; and employees are shown to be even happier and more productive than if they were working in the office.
Benefits of Working at Home
Working at home provides significant benefits including:
- no micromanaging bosses
- no long commutes
- save money on food and gas
- no office politics
- more freedom to manage time
- work at any time of day or night
But while these benefits seem alluring, the person must also consider the challenges as well.
Challenges of Working at Home
At-home workers must consider whether they are suited for work where they are more isolated and disconnected. Working at home, the person may miss the office camaraderie and special events such as birthdays and group lunches.
At-home workers must have a high degree of self-discipline to get their work done in a timely manner. They must avoid distractions of children, spouses, pets, friends, and televisions. They must also be willing to purchase and maintain basic office equipment such as computers, printers, fax machines, and office furniture.
The most successful at-home workers are able to maintain a balance between these positives and negatives of working at home. While working at home may not be for everyone, it can be a very fulfilling way to make a living.
See related articles,"4 Websites that Offer Work At Home Virtual Jobs," "14 Websites that Pay People to Write,"and "6 Websites that Pay People to Watch Video."
Daniel Gansle - Daniel J. Gansle is the author of 2012: Day of Reckoning, graduate of Anthropological Studies and expert in ancient Mayan culture.
