work from home

Almost everyone seems to want to work from home. Matching people with work at home jobs is, in fact, a thriving industry. Ads for such jobs are found all across the Internet. The idea of working from home is extremely pleasant. You get to make your own schedule, you don’t have a boss looking over your shoulder, and you call the shots. You can arrange your time so you can have quality togetherness with family and friends. You can get to know your kids again. You don’t even have to listen to the blare of the alarm clock, because you can sleep as late as you like. When you DO get up, you can work in your PJs if you choose. What could be better than that?

Plenty of work at home jobs exist and pay very well. Some are telecommuting jobs with real companies, while others are business opportunities you carve out for yourself. The opportunities to work at home are plentiful, but don’t jump right in just yet. It takes a certain type of personality to be very successful with working from home. Before starting any home-based employment venture, you need to ask yourself a few important questions and be honest with your answers.

1. Are you self-disciplined? While work at home jobs are great, they are still jobs, and there’s still work to be done.. You can make your own schedule, but the tasks need to be completed so you can get paid. You can’t allow yourself to be distracted by daytime television, screaming kids, or the phone ringing (unless it’s a business call). Many people start to work at home, only to find they never get any work done. To be successful, you’ve got to minimize your distractions and stay on task. Make sure that people in your house know when you go in your office, you are not to be disturbed unless it’s an emergency. Turn off your cell phone and keep the TV out of the room. Remember, you’ve got to do the work to get paid, and since no one’s forcing you to do it, it’s all on you to get it done.

2. Can you manage your finances effectively? When you work from home, you’re typically paid directly by clients (unless you’re telecommuting with a company that pays you). You MUST keep track of who pays you, when they pay, and how much they pay. You’ll need to be aware of outstanding invoices and people who have made partial payments. You’ll also need the fortitude to call and ask for payment if necessary, and to take non-paying clients to court if it comes to that. If you can’t do this yourself, then you need to hire a book keeper, which will cut into your profits. It’s a necessity, though, so don’t ignore it, or your business could end up in a financial mess.

3. Are you a good record keeper? You’ve got to keep good business records for tax and liability purposes. Self-employed people must file quarterly taxes, so having copies of all invoices and receipts is essential. You should also keep records of what work you did, who you did it for, and how much you were paid. This is also for taxes, as well as to protect yourself if anyone ever accuses you of not doing the work you were paid for. A strong filing system is a must, whether it is in an actual filing cabinet or online. Know where your records are and update them regularly. If you can do these things, then the work at home lifestyle could be a match made in heaven for you.

This is the sixth installment in our jobs & careers series. Be sure to check back for updates…

Filed under: Jobs & Careers

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