[daviesjv]

Five minutes ago I was hanging washing on the line, and now I’m sitting in my office writing this blog. That’s the beauty of working from home!

Mind you, it’s pouring rain outside so hanging the washing was an exercise in futility, but I take the view that eventually it will stop raining and eventually the washing will dry. Even if it’s 5 days later, it will happen.

Anyway, that’s beside the point. The fact remains that working from home has fantastic benefits in terms of flexibility. I love it! It also has a downside though, in terms of, well, I just never leave work. I’m always here, and there is always something that I could be doing: an article that needs to be written, some book revisions that are (oooops) at the moment overdue, a blog, paperwork – there’s always something.

Currently I work 2 days at home and 2 days in an office. The office-based work is my financial planning; the at-home is my writing. A foot in both camps, so to speak, and it works well for me. But would it work well for you? How can you know if you would be suited to running an at-home business?

There are a couple of great books on the market that deal with exactly that, both written by Mums who have made the transition from office to home and both packed with fantastic information.

The first one is ‘Show Mummy The Money’, written by Sonia Williams. I’ve previously mentioned Sonia in conjunction with her new magazine (also called “Show Mummy the Money”). You can read my interview with Sonia in my blog of the same name. The book is more specific, dealing with how to find a home-based business that is right for you, how to set it up and how to run it successfully. Being a former accountant, Sonia has lots of information on paperwork trails and bookkeeping. It’s a great resource for anyone thinking of setting up a business and you can find more information on it on her website; www.showmummythemoney.com.au.

The other book I’ve read recently was released last year an is called ‘No Workplace Like Home’, by Jane Shelton. It’s excellent and deals with everything from making the decision, planning the business, taking on staff, marketing, growing the business and runs through all the legal, financial and family issues that you need to think about. To quote from the book:

"The nine to five 'man in the grey flannel suit' who stayed in one career in one company for a lifetime, has long been pronounced extinct. In this post-industrial era, we live a fast-changing world with increasingly rich textured lifestyles, and in which work functions are continually altering. We combine roles and responsibilities as parents, executives, consultants, students, carers, volunteers, friends, personal and business partners. For most of us it's no longer possible to divide the world into three neat domains: work, home and play."

I think she is right on the money there, and there are both good and bad points to that. The main advantages to working from home that Jane lists are:

• Freedom
• Lifestyle
• Choices
• Being in charge
• Time for other things

Certainly, I find that working from home gives me the freedom to do other things (such as hanging out washing). I can also catch up with friends for a coffee if I want to (although realistically I rarely do). Being freelance, I can also choose what work I will accept and what I would rather not do, and yes I am in charge. The buck stops with me.

Other advantages are avoiding peak-hour commutes, savings on petrol costs, being able to wear jeans all day and not having to worry about make-up.

The main disadvantages that Jane lists are:

• Loneliness and isolation
• Time management difficulties
• Cashflow management
• Uncertainty
• The office never goes away.

For me personally, loneliness isn’t an issue. The nature of my work means that I’m always talking to people – interviewing them, being interviewed or just talking. Time management is definitely an issue, especially on a day like this when one of the kiddies is home sick (she’s currently watching Play School – it finishes in 5 minutes, I need to type fast!). Cashflow management is possibly the biggest hurdle, depending on the type of work you choose: Sonia Williams has some great advice about that in her book and yes, the office never goes away. I am often writing at 5am, and again at 11pm!

Bottom line (Play School is almost finished now) is that if you are currently working from home, are thinking about working from home or would like to even remotely consider the possibility, I really recommend these two books. ‘No Workplace Like Home’ even has a list of 101 different working from home careers that you could consider! A lot of small businesses fail in the first 12 months, but a bit of prior research could help ensure that your isn’t one of them.

I’d love to hear about your experiences of working from home, some of the problems you have encountered, as well as what is fantastic about it and what works for you.

Play School is finished now – I must go. Have a great week!

Justine.

This post has been edited by daviesjv: 30/05/2008, 10:05 AM

[freddo75]

I work from home and I love it.

I do about 4 hours a day at our new business. And when I am sick of it, I close the door and leave the room.

I am here for the kids, but the housework is put on hold.
I can still help out at school and I can play basket ball on wednesday mornings. And I get the spend time with my son while my daughter is at school.

Love it

If you are questioning it, maybe it is not for you, and you may want to go back to working in an office.

We know a lady who has her own conveyancing business, instead of working from home she rents a shop front.

[Tofu Puff]

Thank you so much for those book titles. I will be seeking out the magazine this afternoon.

What is your opinion on doing a course such as the Tafe Small Business Management course or the government funded NEIS programme concurrent with establishing a new home based small business?

[daviesjv]

I think it's a great idea to do a course. The more knowledge you have and more preparation you do the more relaistic your expectations are likely to be and the greater liklihood that your business will be successful. Go for it!

[karen76]

I love working from home. I was able to come back full time to my job which I loved after 3 months maternity leave. I have been back at work now for just over a year.

I work for IBM which has programs for advancement of women as well as work/life balance.

My work day is flexible. As long as I get my projects completed, I can work what ever hours are needed. So I tend to mix my day with work and playing with and looking after Abrielle. Then in the evenings, when my husband gets home, he takes over looking after her for a while so I can get what ever I need to finished off.

It works really well for us. It allows me to continue my career and keep stimulated as well as maximise our income.

But a word of warning - you need to work as a team with your partner. Both of us work full time so we share all the housework, the cooking, etc. This is the way it can only work. If one partner is expecting the other to carry more than they can, it becomes too stressful. Also, you have to have a dedicated place for the "office". You shouldn't turn the whole house into the office with bits and pieces scattered around everywhere - if you do this you will never get away from work.

Hope this helps )