OK So What are the Pros and Cons of Working at Home

[heartsee1]

You have a decided that you will now work from home. Great, no more
problems, no more boss, no more traffic, no more office Gossip…BUT

If you’re thinking of starting a home business, you’ve got to realise
something about life. Life has a certain balance: there is no pleasure
without pain, and there are no pros without cons. Here’s a look at the
upsides and downsides of home businesses.

Pro: Independence. You do what you want, when you want. No-one else
can screw up your hard work, and you don’t need to depend on anyone
but yourself. Your days of being told what to do are over. And there’s
no dress code, either! Many people who work from home admit to sitting
around in their pyjamas all day, or even working in the nude.

Con: No Security. With independence, though, comes responsibility.
There’s nobody to carry you if you do badly one day – if you don’t
make any money for the business, then you don’t get paid. People like
certainty in their lives (that’s why they spend big bucks on
insurance) – it can be hard to live with this ultimate step into
performance-related pay. You might find yourself quickly wishing you
had a regular paycheque again.

Pro: Flexible Working. You decide your hours. If you want to take
Wednesday off and work Saturday instead, then no-one’s stopping you.
If you’d like to get up early and cram all your work into the mornings
so you can have the afternoons off, then hey, you’re the boss. Such
flexibility can be a massive relief after years of working nine to
five.

Con: Work Never Ends. When you work from home, it can be tempting to
be constantly monitoring things, even when you’ve decided you’re not
working. The only person who can handle a crisis is you – and crises
have a tendency to happen in the middle of the night, or on your day
off.

Pro: Keeping All the Money. Everything you earn is yours to keep. It
can be truly disheartening to work somewhere where cash is being
handled, and realising that the takings for the day add up to a
hundred times more than you got paid. You know that someone’s getting
rich off your back, but it’s not you – working from home makes you the
fatcat at the top.

Con: Doing Everything. Not all that money was profit, you know. It
goes on things like marketing, management, stock control, deliveries,
and so on. Suddenly you have to manage everything that goes on in your
business – you deal with suppliers on one end and customers on the
other, you have to do all the budgeting and spending, and you become
your own marketing department. You get to deal with all the fun tax
issues, too.

Pro: No More Commuting. Commuting is expensive, painful, and can feel
like a complete waste of time – just think of all the time and money
most people spend travelling to and from work. When you have a home
business, you just get up and you’re right next to your workplace –
isn’t that convenient?

Con: One Less Room. Your house can feel a lot smaller when you’ve had
to set one room aside as your ‘home office’. When you’re not working,
it just sits there, useless, and meanwhile your kids are getting upset
at how small their bedrooms are.

Pro: A Healthier Lifestyle. When you only have an hour’s lunch break
to do everything you need to do, you can end up running yourself into
the ground and not eating properly. Working from home lets you do your
errands when you want, and eat good food every day.

Con: The Loneliness. If you’re the only one around in your house
during the day, it avoids distractions – but it can also feel very
lonely. If you’re the kind of person who likes being around other
people, you can start to get quite depressed.

Having said all this I will admit to you right now that if you talk to
anyone who works from home, they’ll probably say to you that, for
them, the pros far outweigh the cons. Once you’re doing your own thing
and feeling great, it’s hard to go back to a salaried existence – and
remember, it’s far easier to work around your problems in a home
business than it is to deal with any problems you might have at work.

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[Alex Hillman]

Interesting! I think you're preaching to the choir here, but I wanted to come back with a few thoughts nonetheless.

Pro: Independence. You do what you want, when you want. No-one else
can screw up your hard work, and you don’t need to depend on anyone
but yourself. Your days of being told what to do are over. And there’s
no dress code, either! Many people who work from home admit to sitting
around in their pyjamas all day, or even working in the nude.

Con: No Security. With independence, though, comes responsibility.
There’s nobody to carry you if you do badly one day – if you don’t
make any money for the business, then you don’t get paid. People like
certainty in their lives (that’s why they spend big bucks on
insurance) – it can be hard to live with this ultimate step into
performance-related pay. You might find yourself quickly wishing you
had a regular paycheque again.

Working from home and calling your own shots aren't necessarily the same thing. The most effective freelancers I've met are the ones that collaborate...and hard. They may be their own boss, but they still support a team. 

I also don't believe that having a full time job means security, nor does being independent mean a lack of security. My approach over the last year has been to break my cost of living down into smaller chunks, and find more sustainable ways to support those individual living needs. Client work isn't the only path to income, and when you can get out of that headspace, your world opens up.

 

Pro: Flexible Working. You decide your hours. If you want to take
Wednesday off and work Saturday instead, then no-one’s stopping you.
If you’d like to get up early and cram all your work into the mornings
so you can have the afternoons off, then hey, you’re the boss. Such
flexibility can be a massive relief after years of working nine to
five.

Con: Work Never Ends. When you work from home, it can be tempting to
be constantly monitoring things, even when you’ve decided you’re not
working. The only person who can handle a crisis is you – and crises
have a tendency to happen in the middle of the night, or on your day
off.

I think this is something that coworking combats, and one of my primary reasons to start coworking. More often than not, my laptop stays at the office now. I choose when I leave the office and when I come in, if at all. But I've finally broken the habit of "finding work to do" when I should be balancing my life.

Also, learning to delegate to other collaborators...who aren't necessarily your boss...can save your sanity.

 

Pro: Keeping All the Money. Everything you earn is yours to keep. It
can be truly disheartening to work somewhere where cash is being
handled, and realising that the takings for the day add up to a
hundred times more than you got paid. You know that someone’s getting
rich off your back, but it’s not you – working from home makes you the
fatcat at the top.

Con: Doing Everything. Not all that money was profit, you know. It
goes on things like marketing, management, stock control, deliveries,
and so on. Suddenly you have to manage everything that goes on in your
business – you deal with suppliers on one end and customers on the
other, you have to do all the budgeting and spending, and you become
your own marketing department. You get to deal with all the fun tax
issues, too.

You're presupposition is that you're working in solitude, with no team or collaborators. I firmly believe that if you're independent and not collaborating, you're likely to fail.

Pro: No More Commuting. Commuting is expensive, painful, and can feel
like a complete waste of time – just think of all the time and money
most people spend travelling to and from work. When you have a home
business, you just get up and you’re right next to your workplace –
isn’t that convenient?

Con: One Less Room. Your house can feel a lot smaller when you’ve had
to set one room aside as your ‘home office’. When you’re not working,
it just sits there, useless, and meanwhile your kids are getting upset
at how small their bedrooms are.

Not much to argue with here...except that maybe you should check out a coworking space near you ;)

 

Pro: A Healthier Lifestyle. When you only have an hour’s lunch break
to do everything you need to do, you can end up running yourself into
the ground and not eating properly. Working from home lets you do your
errands when you want, and eat good food every day.

Con: The Loneliness. If you’re the only one around in your house
during the day, it avoids distractions – but it can also feel very
lonely. If you’re the kind of person who likes being around other
people, you can start to get quite depressed.

This one's up for debate. I know I've gained a lot of weight and am much less healthy...but that's my fault, not my "jobs'" 

And that loneliness...well...I don't want to repeat myself :)

 

Having said all this I will admit to you right now that if you talk to
anyone who works from home, they’ll probably say to you that, for
them, the pros far outweigh the cons. Once you’re doing your own thing
and feeling great, it’s hard to go back to a salaried existence – and
remember, it’s far easier to work around your problems in a home
business than it is to deal with any problems you might have at work.

I think the point here is that like retail and food service, working independently is something that everyone should try once, even if its just to see if it works for you.

-Alex

 

/ah
indyhall.org
coworking in philadelphia

[eric marden]

Not that I'll add too much more to the discussion, but I felt compelled to chime in. See below.

On Sat, Mar 20, 2010 at 9:40 AM, Alex Hillman <dangerous...@gmail.com> wrote:

Interesting! I think you're preaching to the choir here, but I wanted to come back with a few thoughts nonetheless.

Pro: Independence. You do what you want, when you want. 

Con: No Security. 

Working from home and calling your own shots aren't necessarily the same thing. The most effective freelancers I've met are the ones that collaborate...and hard. They may be their own boss, but they still support a team. 

I want to collaborate so hard! :)

 

I also don't believe that having a full time job means security, nor does being independent mean a lack of security. My approach over the last year has been to break my cost of living down into smaller chunks, and find more sustainable ways to support those individual living needs. Client work isn't the only path to income, and when you can get out of that headspace, your world opens up. 

Indeed it does. Going through that transition now myself.

 

Pro: Flexible Working. 

Con: Work Never Ends. 

I think this is something that coworking combats, and one of my primary reasons to start coworking. More often than not, my laptop stays at the office now. I choose when I leave the office and when I come in, if at all. But I've finally broken the habit of "finding work to do" when I should be balancing my life.

Also, learning to delegate to other collaborators...who aren't necessarily your boss...can save your sanity.

Work/Life blending is a skill most independents have to learn, generally the hard way. Those that are willing to go out on a limb and generate their own income are generally go-getters and work harder then their corporate counter parts (sweeping generalization, I know). This means that Work-aholism is more prevalent in these types of people and is an issue to combat. Then again, when I worked for someone else - I also put in the crazy hours to get the job done. This doesn't *always* work for me and generally is unsustainable and should be avoided.

 

 

Pro: Keeping All the Money. 

Con: Doing Everything. 

You're presupposition is that you're working in solitude, with no team or collaborators. I firmly believe that if you're independent and not collaborating, you're likely to fail.

I started making more money when I brought on a collaborator. We split revenues in half, after cost. We both bring on clients and do biz dev, but our skills complement each other and we do higher quality work together than we do apart. Its fantastic and I wouldn't change it for the world.

 

Pro: No More Commuting. 

Con: One Less Room.

Not much to argue with here...except that maybe you should check out a coworking space near you ;)

I had a home office before I was an independent. I mean, its were the computers live! :)

I've almost always lived near my jobs, so commuting has only been an issue a couple of times in my life. Now I just look forward to getting out of the house, so traveling to a cafe, or coworking space is kind of an adventure and a nice change of scenery. I live in Chicago now, so my commutes are by public transit and I get to brainstorm and catch up on my audio books while traveling so I feel productive while traveling.

 

 

Pro: A Healthier Lifestyle. 

Con: The Loneliness.

This one's up for debate. I know I've gained a lot of weight and am much less healthy...but that's my fault, not my "jobs'" 

And that loneliness...well...I don't want to repeat myself :)

I'd have to agree here. Health depends on a lot more than the work you're doing, and collaboration and coworking is the antithesis to being lonely.

I think the point here is that like retail and food service, working independently is something that everyone should try once, even if its just to see if it works for you. - Alex

 Life's too short to stay at a job you hate, even if that job is working for yourself. I've known the joy of being independent for 6+ years, and while you have to learn a whole new set skills and its not always been fun, but personally I can't imagine living any other way. Freedom is choosing your own obligations.

~ Eric Marden

@xentek

[peter blair]

Eric,
Thank you for the words of wisdom. Recently I embarked on a new life journey leaving a salary paying position behind. I learned something new today called coworking. Along in my discovery I found you.

Apparently the google gmail dictionary does not recognize "coworking". Wonder why?

Peter

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[Alex Hillman]

Coworking isn't in the dictionary, sadly. Should be. :)

/ah
indyhall.org
coworking in philadelphia

[eric marden]

On Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 2:18 PM, peter blair <pbla...@gmail.com> wrote:

Eric,
Thank you for the words of wisdom. Recently I embarked on a new life journey leaving a salary paying position behind. I learned something new today called coworking. Along in my discovery I found you.

Apparently the google gmail dictionary does not recognize "coworking". Wonder why?

Peter

Peter, 

My pleasure. Good luck on the path. Its one you won't regret. Where do you hail from and what kind of work do you do? I'm sure there is a coworking space near you. If there isn't, I'm sure there are groups of likeminded folks for you to connect with. Getting plugged into your local community will not only give you more visibility as you build your new business but I'm sure you'll also meet some folks that you can collaborate with too.

Welcome to the fold!

~e

[eric marden]

On Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 2:38 PM, Alex Hillman <dangerous...@gmail.com> wrote:

Coworking isn't in the dictionary, sadly. Should be. :)

Of course that means we'd have to agree on the definition first. :)

~e 

[peter blair]

Eric,

I am from Seattle and my work pursuits were generally in management of large and small scale paid parking facilities located in downtown retail/business core environments such as office towers, colleges, malls, etc.

Nowadays I am planning to transition away from the 9-5 downtown type job and pursue my dreams a little bit more.  I have some ideas that I think will generate income if nurtured and developed.

Coworking might be useful in helping me not to give up on chasing my dreams. It seems like a very positive community of forward thinkers and, possibly, dreamers like me.

Tell me more about this place. It all seems so new to me. How long have you been coming here?

P

--

[Jacob Sayles]

Peter,

Welcome!  It's an exciting place to be in where you are at.  I actually am in a similar spot.  I have had a software salary for all of my adult life and I just gave it up to focus on Office Nomads full time.  We are a coworking space on Capitol Hill and we are hoping there will be many more spaces in the coming years (see http://coworkingseattle.org).  Come on in and look around.  The official home listing the coworking options around town is on the wiki (http://coworking.pbworks.com/CoworkingSeattle).  

Please responding off list since we are straying from the topic a bit.

Jacob

---
Office Nomads - Individuality without Isolation
http://www.officenomads.com -  (206) 323-6500

[eric marden]

> Tell me more about this place. It all seems so new to me. How long have you been coming here?

I've been championing coworking in Orlando since 2004, and helped get a couple of things moving in the right direction there. We had a regular informal meet-up every Tuesday that has grown to about 20 people strong, and helped nurture the coworking space they do have grow early on. 

I've recently moved to Chicago and now that I'm settled in I'll be searching for my new coworking home here now that the weather is warming. The Seattle folks will have to chime in on this thread about what's popping in your neck of the woods coworking wise, but this may be a good place to start: http://wiki.coworking.info/CoworkingSeattle (some info on the wiki may not be current)

With that said, you sound like you're in a really good position, and coworking can help you realize your dreams. There is something really special about surrounding yourself with other motivated individuals that makes you dig deep into yourself and pull out pocketfuls of awesome.

~e

[peter blair]

e, thank you for the nice thoughts, lets stay in touch. p

[eric marden]

On Tue, Mar 23, 2010 at 12:02 AM, peter blair <pbla...@gmail.com> wrote:

e, thank you for the nice thoughts, lets stay in touch. p

My pleasure. I'm here, and on twitter: @xentek

cheers,

~e

[gerard]

On Mar 20, 10:40 am, Alex Hillman <dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> I also don't believe that having a full time job means security, nor does
> being independent mean a lack of security. My approach over the last year
> has been to break my cost of living down into smaller chunks, and find more
> sustainable ways to support those individual living needs. Client work isn't
> the only path to income, and when you can get out of that headspace, your
> world opens up.

Hi Alex,

Care to elaborate on this point a bit further? I understand the part
about having a full-time job not meaning security - I tell my risk-
averse wife this all the time. Could you elaborate a bit more on what
you mean by breaking down other costs of living?

Thanks,
Gerard

[Sarah at LifeSize Communications]

There was an interesting debate about this at the SXSW talk on
coworking that I attended. Gary Swart discussed coworking as NOT
necessitating co-location. (You can see the video of his talk on the
LifeSize Communications Facebook page: http://bit.ly/dhRXR7 ) One guy
went up to the mic during question/answer time and basically accused
Swart of hijacking the term "coworking," that the definition of
coworking IS being in the same location. The next video (click
"Next") addresses this too, especially the 3rd question. I wish I had
captured the guy that got angry at Swart, though!

Sarah

On Mar 22, 2:57 pm, eric marden <eric.mar...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Mar 22, 2010 at 2:38 PM, Alex Hillman

> <dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com>wrote:

[Alex Hillman]

Sure.

A simple ledger analysis, or even a quick glance at your checkbook, tells you where your money is going. Big chunks like rent. Smaller chunks like dining and drinking out. Maybe they're inverted depending on your lifestyle. Fixed amounts like cell phone bills. 

One at a time, I look at pieces of my lifestyle and see if I can't find a way to cover them with a project that generates recurring income. Most recently, I set the goal of our latest iPhone app (http://usemailroom.com) covering my rent for ~6 months. It's not forever, but if I don't have to worry about where my rent is coming from for 6 months, that frees me up to work on something else that might let me pay my rent for a year.

Small, iterative goals working towards larger iterative goals.

Does this help?

Shameless self promotion: my good friend Amy Hoy and I are running a class right now (~50 students from around the world) to help them towards identifying their first business-viable project, and actually getting it to market. It's paid members only while in session, but it's being conducted 100% online at http://yearofhustle.com. You can sign up on the mailing list if you're interested in participating in the next session and possibly teaser content as the course progresses.

There's also a bit of "why" I'm excited about this class up at http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2010/03/launch-university/

-Alex

/ah
indyhall.org
coworking in philadelphia