You may have considered working from home at some point in your life. Maybe you wanted to get away from the corporate rat race, maybe you wanted to spend more time with your kids. Whatever the reason may be (and there are all sorts of them!) there are some misconceptions about working from home that you should know. While working from home has its benefits, it is not always roses. Knowing how to deal with these thorns is the best way to be successful at your work from home endeavors. Take a peek below at 7 misconceptions about working from home that you should know before making the jump!
1. You don’t have to answer to anyone else.
Yes when you work from home you are essentially your own boss. You don’t have to ask to use the restroom or run out for lunch. You don’t have a dress code or time clock to punch. But the truth is, you will still have deadlines. No matter what line of work you are in, you will be providing a product or service to a consumer and they will expect it in a reasonable amount of time and according to the terms you have set out. So while you may not have a boss to answer to, you will always need to answer to your customers.
2. You can set your own hours.
Working from home allows you flexibility, but the truth is if you want to get paid you need to put a good 6-8 hours in a day, if not more. If you want to work just two hours a day, working from home is not for you. When working from home you often need to fit work in around the other things happening under your roof, and that can get tricky. You often need to work when you can, and not when you want.
3. You can take a vacation whenever you want.
When you are providing a product or service to a consumer, they want it when they want it. Working from home can actually make it harder to get away for vacation, since you are the command center behind your business. This often means working not only weekends, but holidays as well.
4. There is no reason to get dressed or even put on make up each day.
Do you want to work from home so you can wear pajamas all day? While this is sometimes an option, it isn’t always reality. Many people like to Skype or Facetime these days instead of communicating via email. Your business may also include buying or supply trips as well as post office runs. These reasons aside, getting dressed for the day can lead to higher productivity.
5. You’ll have a cute home office like you see in the movies.
When you work from home, you have to give up cute and instead opt for practical. While you may like the petite French style desk with cute tiny lamp and vase of flowers, a roomy desk with a filing cabinet may be more practical. With kids, pets, and spouses, keeping a home office organized can be hard. Chances are your office will not always be magazine and movie worthy.
6. You will have a better control on your home.
There seems to be this idea that if you work from home, you will take better care of your home, keep it clean, and have dinner on the table at five. This is not the case. You might actually find it more challenging to keep up your home since you never really leave your work space. You will often find yourself faced with the decision of “should I vacuum or get another assignment done?” Chances are, work often wins out.
7. Work will always find you/fall into your lap/be there for the taking.
When you work from home, you often need to go in search of the jobs. They won’t always come to you. This can add some stress to your life as you worry about work running out. While working from home has its perks, it is not exactly a secure way of life. You have to be able to find your own work and keep the income flowing.
So do you think working from home is for you? If so, keep these 7 misconceptions about working from home in mind. You will find that they can help you make an educated decision on what is best for you!