Working From Home- Is it For You? (Part Two)

(This post is part of a continuing series focusing on home-based business startups.)

So after reading our last post in this series, you might be all set to quit your day job and start working from home, right? Hold on just a minute though, because it might be best to look at the other side of the coin before deciding, because working from home offers its fair share of disadvantages as well. .

Here's a few of them- (in no particular order)

1) Lack of Discipline- Ask anyone who works from home what the biggest advantage to doing so is, and 9 times out of ten, they'll tell you that it's the amount of freedom they have, having nobody to answer to but yourself. This freedom is actually a double-edged sword though, as it also presents what can potentially be one of the biggest drawbacks of working from home. Believe it or not, some folks have a hard time adjusting to having no boss breathing down their back. It certainly can be tempting to start surfing the Web, listening to music, watching TV, or anything else you can think of to keep from working. (I've heard some folks are even distracted by doing housework, but NOT ME!) At home, you can always 'get it done later', which can end up being never. It takes a great amount of self-discipline to realize your full potential when working from home and some never take the time to learn how to manage themselves and their work effectively.

2) Distractions- Though discipline is very important, you can have the discipline of a Buddhist monk and still not get as much work done as you want to, due to outside distractions. Sadly, many of your friends and family will simply not understand, or will have trouble respecting the fact that although you are home, you are not at their beck and call. This can be particularly difficult if your office is set up in the mainstream of the house, like the dining room or the den.

3) Loneliness- Even though most people have a few co-workers that they wouldn't mind doing without, you may find you miss the social aspects of working away from home. Having a laugh with the girls or going out to lunch with friends may be something you miss, more than you ever would have imagined. Working at home cuts all of this out and will not be for everyone. If you want to work from home, you have to not mind being alone... a lot.

4) Computer and Internet Problems- Chances are you will be using your computer and the Internet to receive and send work in some fashion. While this is certainly convenient when it goes smoothly, it won't always. As you know, computers are not perfect and a fast and stable Internet connection is never a guarantee. If your computer crashes or your Internet goes down, you will not have an Technical Services department to call. You could find yourself with no way of making a living until you get the situation sorted out.

5) Working Longer hours- You may find that working from home means that you lose all sense of time and start working longer hours than usual. Actually, this happens to me all the time, but I don't find it to be a bad thing. But you might. You could find that work could increasingly encroach on your life, even on weekends when you really should have another outlet.

6) No Paid leave time- This means no paid holidays, sick leave or vacation. This is not a big deal for me, since I have a retirement income to fall back on, but you may need to plan for this or it could be a serious problem.

7) You'll be Wearing ALL the Hats- Sure it's nice not having a boss, but this also means that the buck stops with you. Business expenses, income tax, health insurance, bookkeeping and everything else that comes along will all be your responsibility to either do, or pay to have done by someone else.

8) Unpredictable Income- Unless you're working at home under contract, the amount of income you receive each could vary widely from week to week, month to month and year to year. In fact, your income could almost disappear at times. It's wise to have some cash squirreled away for a 'rainy day'.

9) Encroachment on Living Areas- Unless you live in a huge house, even a small office may take up valuable floor space that your family may need. This was especially true for me. My 3-bedroom house with a finished basement had been reduced to a 1 bedroom apartment on 1 floor. The business had seemingly sprawled into every corner. We no longer had a spare room for guests. We solved this problem by building a studio/office under the porch, which got us our house back, but, with a significant pricetag. I was glad we had planned ahead for the expansion eventuality.

So, think carefully before you committing fully to working from home. But as for me, I have found that the advantages FAR outweigh the disadvantages. Heck, it's not even close!