Get Updates in your Feed ReaderWorking from Home
December 12, 2006
I’ve been working from home full-time since I joined up with Airbag back in July of this year. While I had previously worked out of my home office in the evenings and weekends doing freelance work, I had never before worked full-time out of my house. I had high expectations and I’m glad to report - almost 5 months later - that those expectations have been exceeded. But there certainly have been a couple of bumps in the road.
Working from home is the holy grail for a lot of office and cubicle farm workers. And it’s easy to see why. You define your environment (and in some cases, your hours), have your peace and quiet and you don’t have to sit in hours of a commuter traffic every week. Who wouldn’t want that? Additionally, it can save you a lot in costs of fuel, food and other transportation costs.
Business Week put out an article last month about the telecommuter and some high-end solutions. But this chunk of detail is most interesting to me:
For the second consecutive year, an American Institute of Architects survey of industry professionals revealed the home office is the most popular special-function room in the house. This should come as no surprise to any of the 9.5 million Americans who, faced with rising commuting costs, more flexible work environments, and more affordable telecommuting technologies, now work from home. Since this population dropped off from 11.4 million in 2000, their numbers have steadily grown by about 2.3% a year.
“There are more self-employed people working out of home as a result of the way the economy has changed,” says Kermit Baker, chief economist for the Washington (D.C.)-based AIA. Indeed, part- and full-time businesses based in the home are forecasted to total about 15.2 million in 2006 and grow at a rate of 2.8% annually, according to infotech research firm IDC.
Working from home is so easy now and as you see above the number of people doing it is growing at an astounding rate. I have three simple requirements for work: a telephone, a computer and an internet connection. I don’t need a fax machine, a copier, a conference room, a room of filing cabinets, a kitchenette or most especially that annoying co-worker who won’t stop barging into my office just when I’ve hit my groove.
So what has my experience been? These are some basic guidelines, but what I’ve learned so far:
Learn to Clock Out
One misconception is that when you work from home the tendenacy is to work less because you’re distracted with home “stuff.” Au contraire! For me it’s been the exact opposite. I’ve found it difficult to clock out in the evenings because I’m already home!
This also includes making your co-workers and clients aware of when you are and are not available. Don’t be shy about letting people know that you close up shop at 5 PM. Just because you work at home doesn’t mean you work every waking minute.
Get Out of the House
I am guilty of not getting out of the house enough. Half of this is because I’m comfortable being alone in a quiet house for several hours at a time and the other half is because I haven’t found a really good working environment where I’m not distracted by music or other loud noises.
Also, be sure to find some gatherings of like-minded people in your area. Blogger meetups, geeky getogethers or maybe a special interest group. Not only does it get you out of the house, but also helps keep the social skills sharp.
The Comfort Zone
I love working at home in comfortable clothes, no shoes (or socks!). While I still make the effort to be presentable, it is nice to not have to worry about dressing up or what you’re going to wear.
The Comfort Zone also is about the space your work in. Be sure to define your space and make it yours. Paint the walls, use good lighting and keep the things that inspire you close by. Even if those things are bright orange walls.
Occassionally, you should change where you work. Don’t always sit at your desk. Try the dining room table or out on the patio or even in the hammock. Not always sitting in your office will keep it fresh and exciting for you when are there.
Whoa! That’s one slap-you-in-the-face orange office! I like it! I’ve been trying to get Jesse to do something fun in his “man space” (that’s what I call his office). I don’t think he’s going for it. I wish I could work from home!
I’ll have a talkin-to with him. :)
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I am php and web desig freelancer. I am doing this for few years. I found your advices to be pretty useful. Here are some advicesfrom my experience as freelance worker