WORK at home is WORK
Updated on: by Miranda Grimm
This post is long past due. I feel it is very important work-at-home wannabes completely understand what it really means to work at home. Sometimes I get the impression the idea of a WAH career is clouded with glitter and music. While working at home has it’s many advantages, it is not always what many expect. The following guide will help anyone thinking of turning down this path of home based work know if it is genuinely for them.
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Working from home means WORK
There have been a number of people approach me to help them get started working from home. As we go through the many options they have, I begin to realize they are becoming more and more dissatisfied by the fact they will actually have to work! Working at home often requires you to work harder than you would in a brick and mortar building! You will read more about this as you continue.
There is no job in cyberspace that will pay you a substantial amount of money while you turn on your computer, in your pajamas and play Farmville. Generally, the more money you expect to make, the more work you will have to do. If you are looking for a get rich quick scheme…please exit this blog now…you will not find one here! And once you find this scheme and are required to have 100 people signed up by the end of the month…DO NOT come to me with your business ‘opportunity’. I am not interested and anyone who is looking for legitimate work should not be interested in any marketing schemes either. Expect to work!
Your Attention is Needed
While there are the random small jobs that allow you to do mindless work (many are listed here in the blog), if you are looking for substantial income, please realize your attention will be needed. You may sometimes need a babysitter, a spouse to watch the children or may have to use every minute of time you have while kids are sleeping to work. Even non phone jobs that do not require background noise generally require you to be able to have some sort of concentration and focus to the task at hand. So either expect the rate at which you work to slow down substantially or choose to work when you are alone. The flexibility of working at home is the best part for most of us! However, it usually means the work I could have completed at a job-site in 8 hours, will now take a complete day in between caring for my children, house and husband.
You MUST Have Motivation
I think any WAHmer can agree with me here. The hardest thing about creating your own schedule is sticking to it! When you have no one to answer to but yourself, it is easy to let work sit or give up the shift you signed up for. Then when bills come due or those shoes you have been wanting go on sale, you feel like an idiot. We all have to work out our own ways of keeping up our motivation.
You Are Accountable For Yourself
Many work at home jobs hire agents as Independent Contractors versus Employees. Which means you are responsible for your equipment (computer, phone, headset…), your quality of work, the amount of time spent and most importantly your TAXES. As an Independent Contractor, you may find yourself owing taxes come April! So be sure to get in touch with a professional accountant who can help you plan for the year and hold back a portion of each check.
Of course there are many upsides to working at home, from the flexibility to not having a boss breathing down your neck. Some people simply need the structure of an on-site job. There is nothing wrong with that. I just hope before making any life changing choices you can look at yourself and decide if you have what it takes to depend solely on yourself!
I genuinely hope that all seasoned work at home agents reading this will be gracious enough to post any additional tips or information with others in the comment section below.
**Disclaimer: I wrote this at 1:30AM, I hope you were able to overlook my many grammatical errors!
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- How to Find Your Work at Home Groove
- Work at Home Job Type Matching is Back!
- Honest Advice From a Work at Home Mom
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emonica
August 26, 2010 at 5:36 am
Very true. You got it 100% right.
Kay
August 26, 2010 at 7:02 am
Some people forget that they need to discipline themselves into actually working. One thing that works for me, is I predetermine how much money I need to earn each month and then adjust my work schedule accordingly by breaking that figure down into how much I need to earn each day I plan to work. I always add an extra day of possible work needed to reach my goal, just incase there are distractions or interruptions.
WAH Adventures!
August 26, 2010 at 9:05 am
Very true Kay! Having an obtainable goal works for me as well! Thanks guys for the input!!
Suz Alicie
August 26, 2010 at 11:13 am
Amen! I'll be sharing this for sure. It is so funny that people believe that working at home is just sitting around eating junk food and watching soaps all day.
Anonymous
August 26, 2010 at 1:25 pm
On those days that you really don't feel like going to a "real" job, you will find it even harder to stick to your schedule with a WAH one. It is way too easy to click out of those scheduled hours and go take a nap, especially in the slow seasons. Also I find that friends and family don't think of this as a "real" job. They call, stop by, etc. when I am in the middle of a shift or in a training session expecting me to drop everything. I'm getting PAID! How can this NOT be REAL? You have to set up a schedule as if you were leaving the house to work. And tell friends and family you are NOT available for chit chats, running to the mall or the movies on a whim. This is your JOB!
Anonymous
August 26, 2010 at 2:07 pm
I have worked at home for a B & M company before. They had a set pre-determined schedule. That job lasted 8 months. I told friends and fam my schedule-not to call me during that time of day.
I worked outside the home for over a year. I'm looking for another B & M job or another WAH job if one comes up. You have to have a set schedule in anything you do-suveys, gptr or any little thing that earns extra money.
This N That
August 26, 2010 at 11:07 pm
First, I want to say I love this page. I think you've done a great job and it has been very valuable to me in my effort to find legitimate work at home. So I say thank you! I do agree that working at home is far different from working outside the home. But it absolutely is work! You do need to have some organization in your day, probably more than most. I try to get up in the morning and act like I am actually going to a workplace, eating, getting dressed, etc. I find that helpful. I am writing and have joined Textbroker, which is a very good site. I have also joined Writer's Access. One problem I run into is the telephone. So now I just shut my ringer off when I'm writing. When I take a break or have lunch I will scroll or check messages at that time. I'm planning on making an actual office instead of having my workspace at my kitchen table. I saw an article of how to work; some tips some time ago. I'll see if I can find it and send it to you or post it, whichever you prefer. Good luck everyone in finding employment you can do at home!
WAH Adventures!
August 26, 2010 at 11:43 pm
That would be great Susan!! Isn't it funny how we all have our own routines and ways to ensure we get our work done. Many of times I too imitate my morning routine of my working outside the home days. It helps get me going in the morning. Before I ever worked at home and was only dreaming of it, I had no idea just how much work it would take just to be motivated to work consistently! Life is funny
Meghan
August 28, 2010 at 3:04 pm
Very true, great piece. Following from the Nestwork
Erica Martin
August 29, 2010 at 3:41 pm
So true!! This is also something that's important for our friends, significant others, etc, to remember…..
Melissa
September 1, 2010 at 5:53 pm
I think another thing that's easy to overlook with working from home is the fact that it can be difficult to separate work time from home time. My office is also my studio and personal space, so I can't just decide "I'm home from work now" as easily as someone who goes away from home, then comes back. That lack of separation is something I wasn't prepared for!