We Like Homework

Want to Work From Home? Only Self-Starters Need Apply

It is one thing to dream of earning a living from home. It is an entirely different matter to live it. Working from home requires a mindset and discipline that not everyone possesses. When you work from home, there is no boss to answer to and no threat of disciplinary action if you decide not to show up. Likewise, you don’t have a set number of sick days to cash in on, so when you’re feeling low, it is more difficult to get up and get to work.

If you wait to be told what to do at work, you are probably not going to cut it as a work from home businessperson. If you use up all of your paid leave and sick days as soon as they come available, you may not have the drive to see a home business through.

To work from home, you have to be willing and able to get up every day and work, even when you don’t feel like it. You can’t be casual about working when there is nothing else to do, unless you want to be limited in money and let down your clients, should you have any.

Working from home is hugely rewarding, but it can also be devastating if you don’t have what it takes. If you are considering quitting your job to work from home, sit yourself down and be very realistic about how willing you are to get up and work without someone else telling you to. Knowing your limitations ahead of time can save you heartache and money issues later on.

The True Freedom of Working from Home

I am frequently finding blessings in this newfound ability to work from home. Almost daily, I wake up with the joy of my freedom ringing in my ears. Perhaps that is simply a result of screaming kids at 6 o’clock in the morning, but I like my romantic version better. In any case, it recently occurred to me that one of the best things about working from home is that I can define “home” any way I want it. That makes me really excited about the future.

If we choose to – and can afford it – home can be in the Bahamas on a sunny beach with a margarita. For the more conservative, home can be a homestead on a back 40 with solar power and Internet access. The point is, if we work hard enough and set goals, we who work from home can do just about anything we want to, and that’s something to write home about!

As if being free from the bondage of employment isn’t enough already, we get the added bonus of being free from the confines of wherever it is we’re at now. Home doesn’t even have to be a single place, so long as you can do what you need. For me, the idea of traveling around in a motorhome is incredibly appealing. My family could see the world while I type away from the passenger seat.

If you set your mind to it, you can make home be anywhere on Earth you desire. That, if you ask me, is one of the biggest benefits of working from home. I can’t imagine having it any other way now.

Google Voice Can Save You Money

I finally took the time to get to know Google Voice the other day, and I really like what I see. If you have a business, Google Voice is a free way to have a dedicated business phone number without the hassle of getting another physical phone. With Google Voice, you can get a new number, or use some of the features of Voice with your existing number.

If you have an existing number you want to use, you can port it or go with Google Lite, which allows you to use the cool feature of voicemail transcription and have your voicemails sent straight to your email, which is handy when you are out and about without your business phone.

If you select a new number, you can utilize all the great features of Google Voice, such as having your business phone number ring to every other phone you own, freeing you up to be completely mobile with no fear of missing important phone calls.

You can also call out using your Google Voice number from any phone, a feature that is especially handy for businesses, because you don’t risk your personal number getting out there. You can even make calls from your computer if you prefer.

All in all, Google Voice is an incredibly useful free tool for any business looking to expand their mobility and accessibility, which is perfect for us who work from home and don’t necessarily have a formal business but want to stay in touch while doing other things.

Make it Count

It is a blessing to work from home, or at least that’s the way I look at it most of the time. Of course, when the kids won’t leave my office and I can’t get a moment to myself even when I’m at work, I start to think otherwise, but for the most part I love working from home. Despite my enjoyment, it is so easy to get caught up in needing to work, work, work to bring home that pay, and I often forget my reason and motivation to work from home – my family.

Working from home gives us the flexibility of choosing our own hours, but also the temptation to be a strict boss and force ourselves to work too much overtime. Getting caught up in the work cycle can be detrimental to our families, perhaps even more so than if we had a regular 9-5 job.

If working from home requires that you work so long you don’t spend time with your family, isn’t it defeating the whole purpose of a work from home job? Don’t let your work swallow you whole, and make sure to make this wonderful opportunity count.

At least one day a week, shut off everything to do with your work. Don’t check email, look at websites for work, or do anything about your job. Instead, spend time with your family, doing relaxing things you can all enjoy. After all, that’s why we work from home, and if we don’t make it count, we’re losing out on a wonderful opportunity to spend time while we can.

I Ate Lunch Out with My Family

"What little ways does working at home suit you? "

Last week, something happened that was so mundane, so ordinary, I bet many of you think it isn’t worth writing about. Last week, I ate a spur of the moment lunch out with my entire family. Sure, sure, people do it all the time. But it really struck me then, as I enjoyed a meal with my husband and kids, that this working from home thing is really, really cool.

My husband has been home before due to layoffs and lengthy unemployment, but always that time was tinted with worry about our future and a need to horde the money we did have. Now, since I am working from home, we get to be together as much as we like, and with the knowledge that at least compared to unemployment, my business is pretty secure. Nothing beats the satisfaction of this line of work, either.

We don’t make enough to live rich, and eating out is definitely an occasional luxury, but that day was so relaxed and enjoyable. We went shopping, and after lunch took the kids to look for baby chicks at the feed store. Such a simple thing, really, but for me, it embodies everything I work so hard to provide my family. I am so grateful that I can take the time to enjoy such a mundane activity, and have never been so pleased with the choice to work from home.

What about you? What little ways does working at home suit you? What is the single biggest benefit to having a work from home business?

Treat it Like a Day Job

If you have spent all of your adult life in a regular job, the transition to working from home can be full of challenges. One of the hardest things is maintaining your motivation when it is so easy to just put off getting to work for just a few minutes longer while you check Facebook or look at email. Setting concrete boundaries and treating your work from home venture more like a day job can be all the difference between success and a day well wasted.

Not only will having boundaries help you get started, but also it will help you to be able to let go when you are “off duty.” Before I started giving myself clear working hours, I could never detach myself completely when I wasn’t actively working. I would still be thinking about clients or writing projects, and I had trouble enjoying my time off.

Once I implemented working hours, which are of course flexible because we work at home, I found that I was able to relax after I was done working for the day. I can’t tell you how much of a difference that made. My shoulders stopped being as tense and I was able to actually pay attention to my family, without the million worries of work clouding my head.

So treating your work more like a day job will help you to get more done and enjoy the time you are not working much more. Knowing my work day will be done at a certain time helps me to stay focused when I am working, so I am getting much more done than before.

Home Office Dress Code

There are many motivational speakers and websites that talk about how you should act when you are at home. I don’t intend to do that, but I do think you might benefit from paying attention to how you dress when you work from home. Many people will say that one of the perks of working at home is the casual dress code. Yes, you can work in your pajamas or even in the nude if that floats your boat, but what impact does that have on your productivity?

I have found a dramatic difference in how well I work when I dress up instead of lounging in my sweats. Something about taking that extra step to make sure I am dressed and ready to face the day makes me feel more focused and definitely more productive.

I don’t go as far as to wear jewelry or makeup, but just putting on day clothes, especially ones that I think look good, makes me feel a little more authentic about my job.

On the contrary, when I wear sweats to work, I have the hardest time staying focused and motivated. I guess there is some boundary in my head about work and home clothes. I find myself procrastinating more by checking Facebook, playing with the kids or any number of things to put off getting to work.

So if your motivation is slumping and you have trouble finding your focus, consider what you are wearing and see if you can’t change your frame of mind by changing your attire.

Frugal Home Office Supplies

When you are running a home office, every expense is noticeable. You really start to notice how much ink you go through or how fast pens seem to disappear when it comes from a limited home business budget. For that reason, saving money on home office supplies can be a really important part of staying afloat, especially when you are first starting out.

Hit the Thrift Store
You might be surprised at how many things you can find in a thrift store for your home office. In addition to the obvious desks and desk chairs, you can find bundles of office supplies, computer equipment, desk lamps and even filing cabinets.

Get Creative
You don’t need to buy a brand new set of office organizing tools. Have the kids decorate a cleaned and empty tin can to use as a pencil cup. Find a unique rock to use as a paper weight, if you feel you need one. Old crates can be stacked to make unique and functional shelving units to store all kinds of things.

Don’t Buy What You Don’t Need
It is easy to get things just because they seem like they should go in a home office, but if you can get by without it, why not leave it at the store? Not only will that save you money, but it will also free up your office space and save you the hassle of dealing with clutter.

Setting up a home office does not have to be expensive, but it can definitely be fun and you can create a unique and thrifty space you will enjoy spending time in.

Pad Your Savings Account for Work Shortages

When you are first getting started, it seems like there is not enough money to go around, but no matter how much you are making, it is critical to keep some back to account for dry times. Most veteran freelancers will tell you that freelance writing is a feast or famine business – you will either be flooded with work or have very little at all.

Because of that, you should take advantage of the good times and put as much as you can afford to in a savings account. When you work in self-employment, you don’t have the safety net of unemployment insurance, so a time of no income will really mean no income. While saving money is tough when you first start freelancing, losing your home because you can’t pay the mortgage will be even harder to deal with.

If you have already begun an emergency savings account, keep focusing on getting that built up to a minimum of six months’ worth of living expenses. If you haven’t already started one, get to work on it now by figuring out how much money you need to live each month. This should include all necessary expenses, and some extra for things like clothes and even a little bit of entertainment.

If you are opening a new account, make sure it is completely liquid – you don’t want to lose money to early withdrawal fees on a certificate of deposit, so make sure you have free access to your emergency fund at all times.

Having an emergency savings account will help keep you going in lean times and provide you with the peace of mind that comes from planning ahead.

Putting Aside Money for Taxes

If you are even marginally successful in your work from home endeavors, uncle Sam is sure to be putting his hand out to get a piece of your pie. That can come as a major shock to some at tax time, turning an expected refund into a hefty bill.

If you have employment income in your household, you can adjust your federal withholding to account for the additional work from home income, but if not, you will need to begin putting aside some of your income to pay your tax bill.

The suggested amount is 15 percent of your income. While this can seem like a lot to hold back, you will thank yourself at tax time when you can pay the bill without any scrambling to find the money. If your year isn’t as successful, you will have a nice bonus at tax time with the money you have saved. It is much easier to save it gradually throughout the year than it is to try to come up with the full amount when you weren’t expecting it.

If you set it aside in an interest-bearing savings account, you can earn a little bit extra on the balance as well. While it may not amount to much, it will still be another small bonus at the end of the year.

So if you are making any money at all in your work from home job, it makes sound financial sense to set aside a portion for taxes, even when you don’t anticipate having to pay any.

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