Working for Home – Is it Right For You?
From here on out, I plan on posting one blog post per week on working from home. I’m not making promises, but that’s my goal, so if you have a question or an idea for a blog post, please feel free to contact me at [email protected]
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So the question for today is whether or not working from home is the right choice for you.
I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that working from home is easy because it’s not. There are many factors and questions to take into consideration before you start your work-at-home journey. You don’t want to go into it unprepared. Knowledge is power.
First, are you in need of instant money? The truth is, when you start looking for a job, whether it be as an employee or as an independent contractor, it can take a lot of time and submission of resumes before you hear anything back. I know people that have waited a good six months before landing their first work-at-home job. It’s those long wait times that can discourage a person, but you have to be diligent and keep at it and eventually it will pay off.
If you’re looking for instant money, you’re going to have a hard time. There are some money-making opportunities online, but you won’t see money from them instantly. They still require some time, so if you do need a steady income right away, you may want to rethink working from home. Or, at the very last, try finding parttime work outside of the house to help compensate.
Second, are you willing to research jobs that are right for you? There are two great work-at-home sites/forums that I have frequented over the years: Work Place Like Home and WAHM.
Of those two, my personal favorite is WPLH because of the wealth of information that can be found there if you’re willing to read through it all and take notes, which I strongly recommend.
There is nothing more irritating to those who have done their research and found jobs on their own than to have a newbie come in and say “I don’t have time to look at all the information, so just tell me what jobs are hiring.” Big no no!
Let me tell you a little secret. We are ALL busy. Many of us are moms and dads that stay home with our children, with some of us even homeschooling. There are some of us who work outside jobs in addition to our work-at-home ones. And some of us have other responsibilities that keep us busy, so don’t come in and say you are too busy. We are too, and we found time, as should you.
On the otherhand, if you do your research and read through the forums, and you still have questions, you won’t find a better group of people willing to help you because we understand what you’re going through. We’ve been there, and we’re proof that hardwork and dedication does pay off in the long run.
Third, do you have self-discipline? If not, you’re going to have a very hard time making a work-at-home job work for you. In most cases, save for a few exceptions, you’ll be an independent contractor, which means you’re your own boss. You are responsibility for keeping yourself motivated and focused. No one else is.
Fourth, are you willing to get up early and work later hours? While working from home affords you more flexibility in terms of scheduling, many of us start work early or end up working very late because we have families to take care of. But since we can work our hours around our schedules, we’re willing to make those sacrifices when needed.
Now that you’ve had a chance to think about the above, do you still think working from home is right for you? If so, then go get ’em! You can do this. Have faith in yourself and believe in your abilities. Good luck!
Remember, if you have any questions, I’m more than happy to try and answer them, so please drop me an email or leave a comment below.
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vange says:
So what jobs are hiring?
Nikki says:
You know, as I was posting this, I thought to myself, “Either Acadia or Vange is going to ask what’s hiring. I just know it.” And lo and behold, you did. LOL!!
vange says:
I just don’t have time to read through all that.
James Melzer says:
I recently quit my job after 13 years in retail management to pursue working from home as a freelance writer/author. So far so good. While I was a bit concerned as to whether or not the usual distractions would be too much (Facebook/Twitter/etc.), I found myself overcoming them knowing that this was my only source of income now, and I had to either buckle down and work, or not pay the rent. Keeping a roof over your head is a good motivator.
Nikki says:
I completely agree, James. You’re tackling it exactly the way you should.
Unfortunately, though, I’ve seen people gripe about how little they’re making, but then say they spent the day playing Farmville on Facebook. HELLO! Money is going to just fall in your lap. You have to work. It’s those same people that sometimes I don’t have time to look for a job. Well, if you have time to play games then you have time to look for a job. But that’s just my two cents.
Patrick says:
Working from home, something I always thought of but never really pursued. After being in the unemployment line for 3 months, it looks better and better. However, you are spot on about the discipline thing and the fact that you have to do tons of research. I don’t even know if I can do work from home. Good article, thanks for the tips!
Nikki says:
You know, Patrick, I’d think you’d be great at it. There’s so many different things you can do, but you love to write, so why not try to write for Demand Studios, Break Studios, etc?
If you ever decide to check out your options, definitely visit WPLH. Their writing folder is awesome.
Morgan Elektra says:
More power to you people! I could never do it. I have a serious lack of discipline.If I can sleep and goof off, I tend to do just that. I’m generally the one who has to keep other people in my household goal oriented, and I think that’s why I hate doing that same for myself lol.
Jenny Beans says:
I have been working at home for almost four years now, and it takes a lot of discipline. This is good info, Nikki, and I am so glad you’re putting your thoughts and experience out there for others who might be interested in looking into the work at home model.
Nikki says:
It’s definitely not easy. There are days I want to do nothing but sleep, but I know that I’m in a place right now that I have to work. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, so I have to always be prepared.
Nikki says:
You know me, I’ve always said that I want to make a difference, so that’s what I’m doing. I figure by sharing my knowledge, I’m helping others avoid frustration, stress, heartache, etc.
I also want to help dispel rumors that all work-at-home jobs are scams because too many people think they are. Most people that I talk to have no clue that you can legitimately work from home while making decent money.
Acadia
Twitter: acadia
says:
IS THAT YOUR OFFICE?
Nikki says:
I wish!
vange says:
Since I know now that pic isn’t of your office, I have to say it is a bleak room. Messy and plain, I can’t imagine working there.
Nikki says:
I like that the office is in its on little corner. I don’t have that, and I wish I did. If I did, I’d have some nice artwork on the walls and a killer stereo system to keep my ears entertained.
And I must admit, my desk isn’t that neat. I have mountains of paperwork everywhere. No matter what I do, it never diminishes.
Julie From Momspective says:
I was going to write a post similar to this with more swear words but you summed it up just right.
vange says:
If you consider that desk neat, you have to take a pic of your actual desk because I can’t imagine! Yes, I am a neat freak and clutter causes me anxiety.
Nikki says:
LOL! It would cause you anxiety to look at my pictures.
Mine wouldn’t be so bad, but I don’t have a lot of room for my all of my work stuff since my house is fairly small. One of my current projects involves about fifteen different binders with information in them, so I have some of them stacked on the desk and in a box beside it. Plus I have my printer set on top of my desk since there’s nowhere else for it. Then there’s the two huge stacks of paperwork. One is writing-related stuff and the other is all my safety/health-related paperwork from my main job. It’s crazy. I hate it, but since there’s no other options at this point, I make due.
I would love a huge office one day with three filing cabinets, several bookshelves, posters/wall art, etc. I have one all laid out in my head. I just need to win the lottery to make it a reality. LOL!
vange says:
Skip taking the pic; your description stressed me out enough. LOL
Nikki says:
I told you, Vange! LOL!