Chapter 2

There are many things to consider when making a decision to work from home. I have been self employed sense 1994 and it has been a roller coaster ride. Sometimes a downright love-hate relationship. We all have our own reasons for wanting to work for ourselves. Mine was two fold. I was having trouble finding work in the local economy and I wanted to stay in the small town I was living in. I also had young children at home and it was cheaper and I felt better to keep my kids home then paying strangers to watch them.

Here is my quick list of the things home business enthusiasts fail to announce when trying to sell you the next work at home business or idea. I’m not trying to be negative .. I’m trying to be realistic. Knowledge is power and knowing the obstacles can give you power to overcome.

What they do not tell you about working from home …

• Working for yourself means you are always on call for your business needs.
• You do not get any benefits and must pay for your own insurance and retirement plans.
• You will have a harder time getting credit.
• You will get taxed heavier then anyone else in your income bracket.
• You won’t have all the extra time you thought you would have - I promise.
• You will do 10 times more paperwork then you ever imagined.
• Your friends and family will not think of your work .. as work.
• Your friends and family will innocently expect you to give them free services.
• Everyone will assume your schedule is flexible and expect you to bend to theirs.
• Others will expect you to do all domestic chores because your home all day.
• You will soon realize clients can be more demanding then that ex boss.
• Hiring employees is a whole new headache.
• Your potential to run into legal problems will quadruple.
• You home life and work life become entangled, balance becomes a battle.
• You put on weight from being on your computer more.
• You begin to loose energy from the weight gained.
• You must continue to learn so that you can manage all aspects of your business.
• There is a constant stress of trying to calculate the “next” payday.
• Clients don’t always pay on time but the bill collectors are always on time.
• Progress is often slow, setbacks are often major (and expensive).
• If your not balanced - your family will feel neglected and your social life will go down the tubes.

Some of the positives from working at home.

• You have the freedom to create your own schedule.
• You can save a bundle on transportation costs without the daily commute.
• You can take random vacation days.
• You can spend much more time with family and save on day care costs.
• There are some tax deductions and an increase in write offs available. (but often not enough to compensate for SE taxes)
• You can work in whatever attire you wish. No dress codes.
• You will get out of the office gossip drama.
• You can be as creative as you desire and utilize your skills in more ways then most jobs allow.
• Your earning potential is much more then working for someone else.

With all that said there are schemes and scams out there that are directed at those who want to be work-at-home moms, those who are looking for an additional income source and those who are retirees looking for part-time work to supplement their incomes. In the next few posts we will be looking at some of the ways to spot and avoid these schemes.