The Challenges of Working from Home

We’ve all seen those work at home business ads which are posted on social media sites. They promise the dream-working lifestyle and the fantastic income, all this whilst working when you want in your own environment. The reality of being your own boss is not like the adverts and it is challenging to ‘earn what you want, when you want.’

However, more people are now working from home, they have become tired of the workplace policies and the hours that don’t fit in with the childcare arrangements. Though, what people don’t realise from the promotional advertisements, is that to work from home is both challenging and highly rewarding.

The Challenges of Working from Home

Managing your workload – We’re all used to the work commute, but now that you’re working from home you no longer have to set the alarm for 6am to make it to your desk for 8am! Working from home sounds like a big plus when thinking of that scenario, but it’s easy to sit in your office area only to allow yourself to be distracted for hours on end. No longer are you working for 8 hours a day but instead you’re now working a flexible schedule and you can shift your work schedule until tomorrow. Eventually, you’ll come to realise that you don’t manage time well!

You can prevent this nightmare non-productive scenario by setting your own business hours and ensuring that you stick to them. Not only will a schedule make you more productive but it will also fulfil the reasons why you wanted to work at home in the first place – flexible hours for example.

Set Your Goals – It is easy to get into the trap of setting short-term goals where you work the bare minimum to meet the revenue you want. When working from home try to set ambitious targets as you should be seeking to earn as much as you can within a reasonable work schedule. Working the bare minimum could potentially lead to financial disaster, so earn more and save for those rainy days when you’re ill or most of your clients are taking holidays.

The mundane jobs still exist – We’ve all had those jobs where we sit for hours on end doing tedious administrative work. If you think that working for yourself means you can disregard these tasks then think again! In fact, you’ll probably end up doing more administrative work than you ever did at your old job. So don’t forget the basics, the tax returns, the invoices to clients and paying your bills. You have to be earning to outsource some of the grunt work so the sooner you set your default position to maximum earning potential the better.

Avoid the nightmare ‘overload week of admin’ scenario and schedule a certain amount of time each day for the mundane administrative roles. Complete it every day and make it part of your routine.

Remember……

There is nothing quite like being your own boss! Working from home has many benefits but just as many pitfalls. So don’t be suckered into the adverts without planning and thinking this is right for you. Becoming self-employed means your job role expands, so get your planner out and remember you’re no longer working from 9 till 5 and, if you struggle with time management in a salaried job, it will be ten times worse when working at home.