Top 10 reasons to work at home with me!

Ten Great Reasons to Work from Home

Do you dream of working from home? Are you considering making that change and having the flexibility to spend more time doing the things you love? It's becoming more and more common as people explore options like telecommuting and starting their own home-based businesses. Here are the reasons I started building my business at home!

1—The rising cost of fuel!  This can be a huge expense, not only in dollars but also in your time and the wear and tear to your car!  To put into plain terms: assume you commute 30 minutes per day, that saves you eleven hours per month, or 132 hours per year not to mention the cost of gas and miles you would put onto your vehicle.

2—If you have a phone and a computer with internet access you have it all!  You can be almost as connected from your house as you can from any office. Also you have a portable office so if you want to get work done, say while your child is playing at a great play cafe you can bring your work with you! 

3—Decreased clothing costs. You really can get away with one good outfit of your choice and a few separates since you’ll only be “dressing up” for meetings. The typical work from home outfit: sweats (shorts in summer) and a t-shirt. A week’s worth of work from home outfits at any good discount store: $60 USD. Some people profess to get professionally dressed just as if they were going to the office, but that just seems silly to me.

4—Increased productivity. There are no co-workers dropping by to gossip about dating, dieting or drinking dilemmas. Of course, you need to refrain from too much facebook, myspace, twitter etc but it is easier to ignore an email or a status update than it is to dodge an obnoxious co worker.  Another bonus is that there are no pointless meetings where you have to wait for late comers or for the presenter to prepare at the last minute! With online meetings, email and the phone, you may find you don’t need meetings at all.

5—Childcare is cheaper. Depending on the age of your children and the nature of your work, you may still need a babysitter, but probably not full-time.

6—Lunch is cheaper and healthier! Leftovers make great, easy lunches. You save money and even if you’re not a great cook, it’s usually better than fast food or snack machine offerings.

7—Tax Benefits.  You can write off many things from traveling expenses to everyday home bills like utilities, internet, phone, etc. Your Home Office is within your home, which allows you to have these Tax Benefits. You will want to make sure you consult with a Tax Expert for more details on how this works.

8—Chores can be done! During work breaks you can throw in a load of laundry, unload the dishwasher, water the garden. Of course, you have to avoid the impulse to clean and cook and wander around the house aimlessly, but usually after week one, you learn to separate work duties from home duties pretty easily.

9—Sodas or waters don’t cost an obscene amount. Your refrigerator never takes your money or gives you Mountain Dew when you wanted Water. Coffee is your special flavor and does not taste like mud.

10—FREEDOM!  In most cases you get to set your own hours and work when you want to work. You can work when you are most energetic, whether that’s 10 am or 10 pm. You can take off to run errands or go see your kid’s school play.

Of course there are disadvantages to working at home as well.  Some people are simply not motivated enough and just cannot do it. Some require much more socialization than working from home allows. Some people don’t have the space or equipment to create a work area in their homes. It all depends on the individual circumstances. But, if you long to work from home, explore your options. Small business ownership is great but not the only way to work from home anymore. You may even be able to create a work from home opportunity with your current job. Do your research and present a great plan to the powers that be and see what happens.

Work at Home Now: The No-nonsense Guide to Finding Your Perfect Home-based Job, Avoiding Scams, and Making a Great Living