If you’re thinking about working from home, you should know first the pros and cons of working from home before asking yourself “Am I ready for this?” I’ve been a freelancer since 2015 so allow me to shed some light on what I think is good and bad about working from home.
Pros of Working from Home
- Flexible Working Hours. If you are a freelancer, you will most likely get to choose your own working hours. You make your own work schedule and you can work when you feel most productive. So you can wake up late, you can take breaks at any moment and you can even have time to hang up on your family members when they call with no rush.
- Own Working Environment. When you say you work from home, it doesn’t mean that you can just really work from home and can’t leave the house. Well, the best thing of working as a freelancer, you can create your own working environment that works best for you. And you don’t even need to work from home if you don’t feel like it. You can just grab your laptop and work anywhere you feel to work like your favorite café or even going out of town.
- You will set your rates. As a freelancer, you have control over how much you charge and when you raise your rates. It’s not like the usual setup that when you apply for a job, your employer will set your rate and you have to work so hard or wait for years before you get a raise.
- Comfortable clothes. No need to wear your corporate clothes and high heels. You can work even you just wearing your pajamas and slipper.
- Zero commuting. You don’t have to commute everyday to go to work which eats your time. So forget crowds and traffic. When you’re working from home, that time can be invested in your kids, or preparing a family meal.
- You may be more productive. If you are an introvert and you feel more focused in a quiet environment with few distractions, then this could be soothing for you. This may give you the opportunity to be more productive.
- Save Money. Unless you are disciplined enough to pack your own food everyday, you don’t need to buy expensive foods in the cafeteria anymore. You can just prepare your food and eat with your family which will save you from additional everyday expenses. Additionally, you save money because you won’t need to buy business attire anymore or go outside to commute everyday.
Cons of Working from Home
- Potential Distractions. When you’re working from home, you will get distracted with all the stuff going on in your house. It is so hard that to resist temptations like when you hear your favorite show is on air while you are working, your baby is crying or your kids keep asking you something. It really takes a lot of discipline to focus on your job and actually get things done, or your productivity and income will suffer.
- Willpower. Sometimes laziness strikes. You wake up late and you still don’t like to work, but you have tasks to accomplish and meet some deadlines. Because you are working from home, no one will push you to start working. Who in your house knows what time you will start to work, or if you have deadlines?
- Stay Motivated. You have got to stay motivated in order to get yourself through the day’s tasks. It takes a lot of self-discipline to get yourself to start working because there is no pressure to be busy when you are working from home.
- Lack of Social Interaction. Working from home will require you to work independently. If you are the type of person who enjoys social interaction at work, it could be your dilemma in deciding on working from home. Maybe working from home may not be the best option for you. So, think twice before applying for a home-based job.
- Lack of Productivity. When you work from, no one will see how hard you work because no one will see it. But some people won’t be able to get much work done without that bit of pressure – productivity can be a huge issue when you’re working from home.
- Time Management. Putting in more hours than what is required is a common scenario when you work from home. It doesn’t mean that when you work from home, you should be available 24/7. You should still have time for yourself and for your family.
- No paid vacations. It is No Work, No Pay Policy when you work from home.
- No other Benefits. Health insurance and government benefits are important benefits that an employee gets from the company. There are some agency and companies are giving these benefits to their remote employees. But if you are working from home as a freelancer, you will not get these.
As you can see, there are plenty of pros and cons of working from home. Do you think that remote work is the right thing for you? It’s up to you to decide if you really want to start working from home and ready for it.
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