We all seek a better work-life balance and technology today allows many professions to be independent of the location or office. That's exactly what happened to me, I am the owner of small video production firm specialized in creating promotional and corporate videos.
In the current schedule, I spend about 10% of the time on the field recording and 90% of the time on the computer editing the material that I shoot and there is no need for clients to come to my office/studio because I send them the final version of videos via email.
Working with just a computer screen to keep you company is vastly different from the hustle and bustle of an office :)
Most of us, at some point, have fantasized about quitting that 8-to-5 office job to work from the comfort of a couch.I certainly did.
But, working from home proved to be way more challenging than I imagined.
When I started to work from home, I missed talking to people, missed face-to-face communication but I got one big bonus from it, it gets you away from the petty office politics and never-ending gossips.
I'm sure you know what I'm talking about :)
It's been five years since I worked in the system, (I've been working for fifteen years on television) and I think I'm competent now to talk about advantages and disadvantages of working from home.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Working from Home
One of the first things I need to point out is Self-Motivation
Without the fear that your boss could walk in on you writing a post for Steemit, your motivation can get foggy when you work from home ;)
It takes a phenomenal amount of self-discipline to start work when you know you don't have to be at the office by 8 a.m
Advantages
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- saving you money (These include costs of commuting, fuel, road taxes, parking as well as indirect costs such as expensive professional wardrobes and the dry-cleaning of those.)
- saving you time/ Flexibility (determine your own work hours)
- no difficult colleagues (often you get stuck all day with individuals that you really cannot stand)
- family commitments ( For parents it can be especially pacifying to know that they are very near to their children )
- minimise travelling time - (Traveling to and from work is never much fun. It can be a nightmare getting from A to B at rush hour)
Disadvantages
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- difficulty separating home and work life ( nothing to explain here, it is just difficult :) )
- no input and ideas from others (having input from others can be useful, as well as stimulating and shouldn’t be underestimated)
- the initial expense of setting up your business at home ( depends on your profession but this can be significant)
- domestic distractions and interruptions (you can get distracted from your neighbors, kids or other family members. You need to make sure that they know you are actually working) - isolation/loneliness (very often, working from home can mean working alone, and the lack of social contact)
Here is one funny illustration how it looks like to work from home :)
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I still find working from home worthwhile despite all drawbacks and here is my tip to you if you ever decide to work at home.
- Get dressed as you would for work and be consistent with your hours. Act like you are at the office and not at home, and you stand a good chance of actually being productive.
Nice
Thank you :)
I used to rent a beautiful cottage in the country, and I worked from home. It was bliss. I loved my work. I had the same "uniform" as the one in your cartoon, and my "co-workers" were dogs, birds and wild animals.
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But I disciplined myself to always start work at 9.30am and I took a proper break for lunch. I did worry that my social skills might fade away, but they didn't, and eventually I managed to get a "proper job" (big mistake, but that's another story!)
Looks like you find the perfect way to balance your work, with nature and I am glad that you managed to have discipline, I am still struggling with that :)
If you were happy with this arrangement it is pity that you got "proper job" :)
Yes - I thought I was lucky getting a full-time job at the time, but it ended up with me being bullied and exploited. I'd have been better off staying freelance.
I have taken a step back from my office and spend 50% of my time working from home also, but I still dress as if I am going to work, to remind myself not to get too comfortable at home
That's the way to go:) it seems to me that you have perfect balance now. Happy for you!
Thanks man, you too :-)
good one
Thank you :)
Great article. Working from home is tough. At least when you have to go to work you know your hours and you get outside. But I wouldn't trade it for anything!! Thanks!
I agree that is tough and everybody who tried that I know, never wish to go back to "proper job" :)
I used to work from home for six months. My verdict: there are more disadvantages than advantages, specialy the lack of social inteactions. But, if you have no choice, if it is cheaper... Keep working from home, make a lot of money and you can quit working oat all (if your girls agree!)
I know that you are a social being and that it was tough for you :)
I explained in the article the general advantages and disadvantages but it really depends on personality too.
Thank you for your reply!
Odličan post o snu mnogih, razumem sve prednosti i mane...i dalje su prednosti jače tako da ću ja i dalje sanjati dan kada ću uraditi isto što i ti :D
Navijam za to da ti se želje ostvare :)
hvala :D
I have been working from home since December 2011, and I would never trade it! Your article is spot on, tho, (and yes, my "co-workers" have 4 legs and sometimes sabatage my work efforts, lol!)
Well done- love the cartoon, lol!
"co-workers" with 4 legs are always better than the ones with two :)
Glad that you are happy with your working from home arrangement and that you still enjoying it.
Thank you for the reply, always nice to hear personal experiences and thoughts.
Odličan post. Kao student, imam jedan poslić koji radim od kuće, tačno si sve napisao što se tiče prednosti i mana, ništa ne bih dodao.
Hvala ti na komentaru :)
poslednje recenice su zapravo jedini nacin da se upravo ista moze odradi inace ode dan u propast i klasicno ono radnicki "radim po ceo dan " :)
hahaha, da, radi se po cijeli dan a mala produktivnost:) i to mi je poznato:)
Haha I can totally relate to this, having worked from home since the beginning of my career 14 years ago.
The most difficult problem for me was separating work and family, something I am still struggling with, especially when my workstation is like 5 meters from my bedroom.
I've thought of renting a small office, but decided it will just add to the overhead unnecessarily.
In fact I wrote a blogspot about my daily life as a freelancer
https://steemit.com/life/@dxn/a-work-day-in-the-life-of-a-freelancer
Thank you for your comment, looks like we have the same problems, I am a video producer and editor and sometimes I really need to be loud. And of course my family is not very happy about that:)
Hahahaha, that last photo looks about right :D I have been working from home for about 3 years now and I agree with all that you wrote, those domestic distractions can be a pain but there are so many benefits that make it worth wild.
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Woow, thank you :)
Working from home has been a blessing and a challenge in the same time because of the "interruptions". It's hard to focus on your work when you have kids in and out of your working space.
I know exactly what you are talking about ;)
Fortunately, my wife and children are absent until 16h so I try to complete most of my work by then.