7 Benefits of Working From Home

(Source: Barry Redfearn)

Times have changed, and technology has changed to give people the opportunity to work at home. People are fed up with the weekly routine of pressing that alarm clock at 7am, 6am or even earlier, dragging themselves out of bed. Trying to find a place to sit in the already over crowed public transport and wary not to be late having to explain to their boss why they were late. Here are some of the benefits of working at home.

1. Cut Out The commute Time.

According to a recent survey the average person in the U.S. spends 51 minutes a day commuting to work. That’s 221 hours a year, or 9.2 days. According to the US Census Bureau, the average commute time varies from state to state. The longest commute time are in the largest cities. New York City residents take an average of 38.4 minutes to get to work each day. Unless you are lucky enough to live in Lancaster County, Nebraska your one way commute is only 15 minutes. This ads up to a lot of time over the space of a year. Working at home cuts out this major headache of that dreary commute to work everyday.

2. Be The Boss. How many times have you complained about your boss behind their back. This is a common occurrence with many people in full time employment. At times you can clash with your boss, and no matter what you do, your boss is never pleased. No more having to meet up to other people’s expectations and deadlines. You set the targets you want to achieve.

3. Spend More Time With Your Family.

With the ever increased pressure in today’s work place. Parents are spending more time at work at less time with their family. This puts pressure on you, the employee and more pressure on the family unit. It is increasingly difficult to get the Work-Life balance correct. Working at home gives you the opportunity to get that balance correct so as it does not interfere with your family life.

4. Get Rewarded For The Work You Do.

When you work at home you determine the financial reward you receive in relation to the effort you put in. As an employee you make money for your employer. When you work for some else the money you make goes into someone else’s pocket. You can change this when working at home.

5. Tax Benefits. Working at home turns your normal family home into an office. This means that you can deduct normal house expenses. You can also deduct travel and local transportation expenses. Other deductions include software, books, subscriptions, telephone services, insurance and retirement plans. You can even deduct against the depreciation of your home.

6. Hours Are Flexible.

The traditional 9-5 daily routine restricts what you would really like to do. Many employers stand quite firm over working hours and often if working hours are breached, can often end in disciplinary action. Working at home lifts this constraint and gives you the option of living the life you want to live, the way you want to live it.

7. Less Stress.

25% of employees view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives and 75% of employees believe the worker has more on-the-job stress than a generation ago. Working at home reduces the amount of stress that is normally associated with working for someone else. Stress can make you feel physically sick, that is why so many working days are lost to stress in today’s environment.

Home Based Career Discussion Board

So You Want to Work From Home?

It is important when working for yourself that you have ability to multi task; in a home based career you have to do all of the work yourself. Unlike working for a company or in a corporate setting, there is usually a team or staff that work together to achieve common tasks. When you work from home, there are things that take a lot longer to do on your own which is why the ability to multi task is so important. At the same time, considerable time is saved that is otherwise spent on commuting between home and work which makes working from home so great.

More and more women prefer to have home-based careers; it is a good option to use their skills and make a decent income. This being said, men are not far behind in opting for working from home because of the great benefits it brings such as setting your own schedule and you decide your paycheck.

There are a number of businesses you can tap into from the comfort of your home with little or no investment: writing, editing photographs and entering data to name a few. These businesses can be set up with very little investment. Like these businesses, Karen’s Cards has very little investment and requires little to no overhead.

Like any business opportunity, you will need to honestly assess and analyze your skill sets before deciding to attempt to set up such a business.

Why Work From Home?

There are many reasons individuals work from home. One major reason being you get to spend more time with your family and are still able to work and generate a good income. You don't face housework after a tiring day at work and an even more tiring commute. If you have young children or even elderly or sick parents, you have the opportunity to attend to them as well as work and complement your income.

More and more people everyday are moving to the suburbs leaving the distance to travel considerably long. Individuals who work from home save money commuting and if the right person, the time saved can by utilized much better.

Follow the Rules

If you are going to have a home based career, you should have a separate area for work such as a room with a desk, computer, phone, printer, scanner, and other office equipment. Keep your workplace as clean as you would want your office to be if it was outside of your home. Discourage your children and other family members from visiting you when you are working. Another tip would be to start your day early so that your work is completed by early evening, giving you more time for other chores and leisure. Self-discipline is a must and finishing your assigned work should get top priority. Do not procrastinate.

A home based career can be fun and a viable financial option, provided you identify the right business to be in. It is as important as any other business venture and you need to put your heart and soul into it.

There are many books written by people who have been successful in running very profitable home businesses; you should read at least one of them before starting off on your own.

A home based career will give you the chance to have control over your life and time to pursue other interests and activities. If you are a self motivated individual who has the ability to multi task, working from home might just be the perfect job for you.

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