Working from Home
Working from home – The good, The Bad and The Ugly!
Depending on your situation there are so many different elements that will influence and challenge your ability to work from home.
I have worked from a home office for the last 4-6 years and in the last 12-18 months the time in the office has increased as a result of the technology that has become available to my line of work.
Working from home has amazing benefits and advantages for both the employee, if you work for someone, the employer.
If you’re looking to work for yourself from home then this will create another hurdle relating to being able to self-motivate, organised and disciplined. There are many platform where you can make money online.
Below I have a complete overview on – how it affects productivity, what costs are involves, what are the pros and cons, what working from home is really like – in my experience and tips when working from home.
What is Working from home?
I know it may be an obvious answer but working from home is ability for an employee to complete their work from the comfort of their home. It is having to set up a work area (zone) where you can perform your duties that are required. If you are planning to work for yourself then this may be a little more flexible, but you still need to separate your work and home life.
Why working from home is more productive!
- You do not have the commute to work,
- You have less person interruptions as you would in an office set up,
- You can organise and work when you are most productive,
- You can work outside of normal hours to get things completed,
Biggest challenge working from home
- Being able to separate yourself and work from your home life. You will need to fight the urge to check an email or just respond to a request that comes through in after hours time,
- Feeling of cabin fever, being locked up at home all day,
- If you have a young family then it can be challenging to help them understand that even though your home, you are actually working.
This is the Biggest Challenge Working from Home.
Benefits working from home
- You can care for a child who may have to stay home sick,
- You can work into your day to do the school drop off and pick up,
- There are possible tax benefits,
- You can eat healthier and save money by making your lunches,
- Work when you are at your most productive,
- Decrease is commute costs like petrol, tolls and parking to name a few,
- Less need to purchase office attire.
Best part about working from home
- Being able to spend more with your family due to not having to commute to work.
This is truly one of the greatest advantages for working from home. This is time you can’t get back and is priceless.
Benefits of working from home for employers
- Lower overheads,
- Reduces the sick days taken by employees,
- Increase in individual and collective productivity,
- Increases employee work satisfaction and happiness which decreases absent day.
The Benefits of working from home for employers may need to be highlighted to them. You will need to demonstrate the benefits and the value it brings to the company for you to work from home.
Working from home expenses
- Internet connection/service – most people have this anyway,
- Office equipment – Monitor, computer, printer, headphones and stationery,
- There will be a slight increase in electricity consumption, particularly if you run heating or cooling throughout the working week,
- Costs associated with the setup of the office space – table and furnishings.
These are just some of the main expenses you have when you set up and work from home.
Can working from home be tax deductible?
Work expenses can be deductible only if it is related to your work. You can also claim some casts for having your office at home.
If you work for someone then they may provide an allowance to work from home which will need to be offset from the expenses.
Depending on where you are located will depend on what you can claim. You will need to seek professional advice on what you can and can’t claim from.
Working from home jobs
- Work for your current employer
- Work online and provide a service like being a virtual assistant, give reviews for a review company,
- Affiliate marketing – this is where you promote a product for a small commission,
- Start a blog and monetise it,
- Freelance writer,
- Data entry,
- Software developer,
- Website designer,
- Managing social media,
- Transcriptionist – transcribe audio into text
- Sell what you make (Hobbies) on platforms like Etsy.
If you are not working for an employer that provides an option to work from home or remotely there are plenty of other from working from home jobs.
Working from home tips
- Prepare the day before what you need to do the following day,
- Have a routine in the morning,
- Prepare and get dressed as though you are going to work – this will trigger your mind into work mode and also, if you have kids, let them know you have a job and your are working,
- Plan and structure your day,
- Take regular breaks and even a short walk outside,
- Prepare and eat healthy food,
- Take a lunch break, away from the office,
- Keep open communication with other employees,
- Switch off social media notifications on your mobile or set it to silent, and
- Have a regular exercise routine, away from the home.
What working from home is really like, in my experience
In my experience and to be honest it can be extremely challenging, and this is why.
I have a young family with two kids that are attending school and my wife works full time with flexibility to be able to flexible hours.
Our home is a small three bedroom house with single bathroom. The area I have set up for my office space is an open area off the entrance that can’t be closed off so the time before and after school can be testing. It is also unfair to have to demand that the kids are quiet and don’t have fun during these hours. Having said that they are very understanding and explaining to them what it is that I do, sometimes getting them involved and trying to be there when needed during this time has been supper beneficial.
I have moved my office set up three time inside our place to try and get the best outcome for me and my family. I think it can be more of a challenge for them than it is for me.
One of the hardest things you will find is self motivation. If you are someone who thrives in an office environment or finds their energy from being around others, then you may find it hard not to be detracted by the notifications on your phone, the parcels being delivered to your door (after you searched the internet for the item you wanted) and the temptation to make that 5 coffee of the day. (I generally have at least four by 9am).
You may also find it hard to switch into work mode when you don’t get up and have that routine of getting ready and heading into work where generally that mental transition takes place from home life into work life. Something I try and do, but does not always happen, is to get ready as you would going into work even if it just getting changed into some clothes that represent that it is now time to work.
Now, not everyone will have a set up like mine and if you have an area that can be a dedicated office, and can also be closed off to the rest of the house will improve your working space, environment, productivity and your family experience. (That’s assuming you have a family). If you live alone then this will not apply to you but you should still try and create a space where you can separate your work and home time.
Another thing you may find is that you may get a sense that the employer thinks that you are at home doing nothing, this is something you will have to overcome and becomes easier as time goes on.
But let me tell you that most of the time, in my experience you are likely to be out of site out of mind and left to your own devises as long as your work gets done.
As I mentioned before I have a young family that attend school and working from home allows me to have the flexibility to be able to do the school drop off and pick up as required depending on my schedule.
Final Thought
Working from home is not for everyone and not for every industry.
There are so many benefits and challenges that come with working from home. Be aware of the get rich quick schemes and do your due diligence.
Regards
Ben @ Beka Products
