For so long, people have found the concept of working from home quite appealing. Who can blame them? Prior to the Internet, which took telecommuting careers to a whole new level, the set-up used to be associated only with positions high enough the corporate ladder that they merit a flexible work schedule. Today, whether you are a blogger, data processor, freelance writer, graphic artist, or an online entrepreneur, you can enjoy the benefits of working from home:
Increased savings
Working from home cuts your transport and meal expenses. Since you don't have to leave home to earn income, you get to save on gas--think of what you're doing for energy efficiency and the environment! And especially if you work in one of those posh corporate offices, the required power lunches and after-office drinks can be quite hazardous to your finances.
Work even in your pyjamas
Home-based jobs liberate you from constricting office clothes. In addition, no more dress codes to cramp your style!
No more wet shoes and stilettos slipping off the pavement
Ever got caught in 7:00 AM rain? If you're working from home, you couldn't care less even if it doesn't stop raining until it's 9:00 AM (in fact, you could still be asleep then). I'd say this is one of the best things that happened ever since I made a career shift. Add this to saying goodbye to runs in my pantyhose, which of course resulted from squishing myself into crammed train rides.
No more chasing cabs and getting caught in traffic jams
The reason why I used to get down and dirty just to catch my train is that at rush hour, cabbies become instant superstars, and the streets are their red carpets! And what jammed red carpets they are! Remember how the soles of your shoes almost bore a hole on the floor of one-too-many cabs--or your own car--when you were running late for work, and it looked like hell was emptied out onto the highway?
No bundy clocks or bioscans
The reason of that agitation is, of course, the perennial race against time. When you're a home-based worker, the job is usually on a flexible schedule, or flexi-time. This means that your performance is measured based on output and not so much on actual time spent at work. So unless you have a fixed schedule, you can do your job at your own pace and time. If you're most productive at midnight, you can work then--just make sure that you don't miss your deadline, if your home-based job requires one.
No boss literally breathing down your neck.
Should I even explain?
No office politics
No coworkers gossiping about whose fault it was that the presentation bombed. No coworkers gossiping in the cubes. No coworkers gossiping. No coworkers. Period. Sometimes, that is enough benefit.
Work-life balance
With home-based work, pursuing a career no longer has to mean compromising family time and other areas of your life. Especially in families with both parents working, quality time with their kids is often a concern. For stay-at-home moms, a home-based job provides financial independence and boosts self-esteem.
Happy worker
I should know. I'm a home-based writer. I provide text content for clients running search engines and what-have-yous. I'm doing what I love to do, and I get paid per word. This May, I shall have been working from home for a year already. I must admit that I'm still a long way off from the Internet success stories--people earning $4,000 per month without leaving the comforts of their homes. But I sure am not complaining. :)
