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More people are ending commutes and leaving their boss behind to fulfill their dreams of working for themselves from home. Before handing in your resignation, it’s important to weigh the pros and the cons.
Ending the Morning Commute
Getting up and working at a time that’s beneficial to you is one of the advantages of working at home for you. The long commute, traffic, and racing to clock in on time are all a thing of the past. Your morning begins with a freshly brewed cup of coffee in your robe and signing in to your computer. You can literally remain in your PJs, however, to achieve the mindset that you are at work, dressing is wise. If you’re a morning person, you can begin your workday at 7:00 a.m. If, on the other hand, you’re not, you can start at 10:00 a.m. or later.
Finding a Home
Working for yourself can have some disadvantages when it comes to looking for a home. One of the reasons is the tendency for a fluctuating salary from year to year. It’s not impossible to find a home. However, you may have to lower the purchase price to reflect an average of your income for the past three years. If you’re looking to buy a home in California in the Fallbrook area, go online to find a reputable Fallbrook Realtor and discuss the type of home you want and what you can afford.
Improving Your Work/Life Balance
Working from home affords you the ability to work when you want and live life too. If you have children you can get them ready for school, drive them and pick them up. You no longer have to miss their school trips or functions and when your child is sick you can remain home and get them to a doctor quickly. Additionally, doctor appointments and vacations are now on your timetable. A planned reunion or event is now something you simply mark on your calendar.
The Pitfalls of Working From Home
There are a few things that can prevent you from making enough money to remain at home. When you begin as a freelancer the jobs are few and often unreliable for repeat business. This means that you need to have funds in reserve for these times in order to survive. You may also have a large family where there are people at home around the clock creating distractions. The television, talking and dogs barking are a few examples. Unless you are able to block them out of your mind or have a room away from the common living space, this can cause a problem.
Creating an Office
In many aspects. working from home is just like any other job. You need a large desk, a computer, filing cabinet, and general office supplies. Ideally, you should have a room with a door for your office. Unfortunately, people who make the switch from the office to home don’t have a spare room to convert. As a temporary fix, you can petition off part of a larger room. But ultimately, if you want to make more money, you’ll need complete privacy.
Self-Care
Leaving your current employment also means leaving behind your health insurance. Having to find your own insurance can end up costing several hundred or even more than a thousand monthly if you need to insure a spouse and children. Self-care is something that often takes a back seat for freelancers due to the high costs. Before you exit your job, have a plan in place to acquire health insurance.
You can work from home and enjoy planning functions at your convenience. Just make sure to carefully weigh the pros and cons ahead of time.