Many people fantasize about what it would be like to leave the daily grind and go to work for themselves.
Unfortunately, most of them think that such a bold move is nothing short of impossible.
In reality, though, thousands of people are hanging out their own shingles every year and are being extremely successful at it, too.
Why should you consider making the switch? 1.
Passion is a great motivator.
Oftentimes when we work for someone else, we're not actually passionate about what we're doing.
Instead, we're sort of biding our time in order to earn a paycheck.
Starting your own business or focusing on an area where your passion lies makes work seem a lot less like, well, work.
2.
Be in control of your schedule.
While some work-at-home jobs certainly require you to be available during specific hours, others don't.
If you're a night-owl, you might find that you are able to create a schedule that works best for your nocturnal ways.
Telecommuting also allows you to work for a company in a completely different time zone, so you can synch up with a part of the world that is in tune with your internal clock.
3.
How much do you want to make? When you work for someone else, you always know how much money you're going to make, whether you're salaried or earn an hourly wage.
While this can be a great thing, it can also be limiting.
After all, working harder isn't really going to result in a bigger paycheck this month, is it? When you have your own work-at-home business, however, you always have the potential to increase your income based on your performance.
4.
Create a schmooze-free zone.
Office politics often play such a big part of the working world (even if you don't work in an office).
Working from home means that you don't have to pretend to get along with your coworkers, and no one is going to eat your yogurt out of the break room fridge.
5.
Implement you own ideas.
Have you ever had a great idea that your boss has either rejected or-even worse-taken credit for? When you work for yourself, you have all the freedom you want to get creative.
When your ideas succeed, no one will be hogging the credit, although, there's also no one to blame if an idea bombs.
6.
Choose your clients.
Sometimes customers can be a nightmare to deal with.
When you work for someone else, you really have little choice but to grin and bear it.
When you work for yourself, however, you have the ability to choose your clientele.
If someone is making you crazy, you simply have to give yourself permission to "fire" him.
7.
Instant gratification.
Of course, not all work-at-home opportunities allow you to get started immediately, but a lot of them do.
That means that with a little hard work, you can help fill in the gap left by losing a job.
After all, you don't have to go through the job-hunt/interview process in order to hire yourself! There are lots of scams out there, so don't get suckered, but do keep in mind that there are reputable companies that hire telecommuters, in addition to the option of starting your own business.
8.
Geography can't stop you.
We've mentioned the flexible hours and flexible pay that are associated with working from home, but your physical location can also be extremely flexible.
In some cases, this may mean that you can work from the local coffee shop while enjoying a hot cuppa and free wi-fi.
In other cases, it means that you can continue your job even when your spouse has been relocated or you have to move from one city (or country) to another for other reasons.
Keep in mind that while some work-at-home opportunities are all about starting your own business, others involve working for others.
In fact, many workers are convincing their bosses to let them do their current jobs from home.
If you think your job has this kind of potential, here are some benefits you can share with your employer.
1.
Free up some space.
If your current workplace is having trouble finding offices and cubicles for employees, then you might use this as a selling point when approaching management about working from home-or "telecommuting.
" 2.
Make the company "greener.
" If your company touts its environmentally conscious ways, then you can help them have an even better record by working from home, even a day or two a week.
You'll be using less fuel and creating less waste.
3.
Increase productivity.
Let your boss know that by avoiding the 2-hour, round-trip commute, you'll actually have more time and energy to focus on the job.
If and when the company does allow you to try working from home, make sure that you prove this to be true by getting more done than you would have at the office.
Working from home doesn't have to be a pipe dream.
If you are unable to get a traditional job due to physical disabilities or are unwilling to join the ranks of wage-slaves instead of being home with your children, then the work-at-home life might just be for you.
While we have covered a lot of the benefits of working from home, it is important to remember that there are some real responsibilities that come along with the good stuff.
People who work from home need to be very self-disciplined, for example.
Not having a boss looking over your shoulder can be a nice experience, but only if you're the kind of person who doesn't NEED a boss looking over your shoulder to keep you on task.
You may also find that you have to take on tasks you wouldn't have otherwise.
Starting your own business? You'll need to keep records and do taxes and invoice customers.
Want to start telecommuting to your current job? Say goodbye to the secretary who normally does your photocopying and runs your packages to the post office.
Like any type of situation, there are pros and cons to working from home.
If you feel that the benefits are worthwhile, however, you may find that you are able to take your life in a much more satisfying direction than ever before.
Unfortunately, most of them think that such a bold move is nothing short of impossible.
In reality, though, thousands of people are hanging out their own shingles every year and are being extremely successful at it, too.
Why should you consider making the switch? 1.
Passion is a great motivator.
Oftentimes when we work for someone else, we're not actually passionate about what we're doing.
Instead, we're sort of biding our time in order to earn a paycheck.
Starting your own business or focusing on an area where your passion lies makes work seem a lot less like, well, work.
2.
Be in control of your schedule.
While some work-at-home jobs certainly require you to be available during specific hours, others don't.
If you're a night-owl, you might find that you are able to create a schedule that works best for your nocturnal ways.
Telecommuting also allows you to work for a company in a completely different time zone, so you can synch up with a part of the world that is in tune with your internal clock.
3.
How much do you want to make? When you work for someone else, you always know how much money you're going to make, whether you're salaried or earn an hourly wage.
While this can be a great thing, it can also be limiting.
After all, working harder isn't really going to result in a bigger paycheck this month, is it? When you have your own work-at-home business, however, you always have the potential to increase your income based on your performance.
4.
Create a schmooze-free zone.
Office politics often play such a big part of the working world (even if you don't work in an office).
Working from home means that you don't have to pretend to get along with your coworkers, and no one is going to eat your yogurt out of the break room fridge.
5.
Implement you own ideas.
Have you ever had a great idea that your boss has either rejected or-even worse-taken credit for? When you work for yourself, you have all the freedom you want to get creative.
When your ideas succeed, no one will be hogging the credit, although, there's also no one to blame if an idea bombs.
6.
Choose your clients.
Sometimes customers can be a nightmare to deal with.
When you work for someone else, you really have little choice but to grin and bear it.
When you work for yourself, however, you have the ability to choose your clientele.
If someone is making you crazy, you simply have to give yourself permission to "fire" him.
7.
Instant gratification.
Of course, not all work-at-home opportunities allow you to get started immediately, but a lot of them do.
That means that with a little hard work, you can help fill in the gap left by losing a job.
After all, you don't have to go through the job-hunt/interview process in order to hire yourself! There are lots of scams out there, so don't get suckered, but do keep in mind that there are reputable companies that hire telecommuters, in addition to the option of starting your own business.
8.
Geography can't stop you.
We've mentioned the flexible hours and flexible pay that are associated with working from home, but your physical location can also be extremely flexible.
In some cases, this may mean that you can work from the local coffee shop while enjoying a hot cuppa and free wi-fi.
In other cases, it means that you can continue your job even when your spouse has been relocated or you have to move from one city (or country) to another for other reasons.
Keep in mind that while some work-at-home opportunities are all about starting your own business, others involve working for others.
In fact, many workers are convincing their bosses to let them do their current jobs from home.
If you think your job has this kind of potential, here are some benefits you can share with your employer.
1.
Free up some space.
If your current workplace is having trouble finding offices and cubicles for employees, then you might use this as a selling point when approaching management about working from home-or "telecommuting.
" 2.
Make the company "greener.
" If your company touts its environmentally conscious ways, then you can help them have an even better record by working from home, even a day or two a week.
You'll be using less fuel and creating less waste.
3.
Increase productivity.
Let your boss know that by avoiding the 2-hour, round-trip commute, you'll actually have more time and energy to focus on the job.
If and when the company does allow you to try working from home, make sure that you prove this to be true by getting more done than you would have at the office.
Working from home doesn't have to be a pipe dream.
If you are unable to get a traditional job due to physical disabilities or are unwilling to join the ranks of wage-slaves instead of being home with your children, then the work-at-home life might just be for you.
While we have covered a lot of the benefits of working from home, it is important to remember that there are some real responsibilities that come along with the good stuff.
People who work from home need to be very self-disciplined, for example.
Not having a boss looking over your shoulder can be a nice experience, but only if you're the kind of person who doesn't NEED a boss looking over your shoulder to keep you on task.
You may also find that you have to take on tasks you wouldn't have otherwise.
Starting your own business? You'll need to keep records and do taxes and invoice customers.
Want to start telecommuting to your current job? Say goodbye to the secretary who normally does your photocopying and runs your packages to the post office.
Like any type of situation, there are pros and cons to working from home.
If you feel that the benefits are worthwhile, however, you may find that you are able to take your life in a much more satisfying direction than ever before.
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