Myths about Working from Home
There are several misconceptions people have about working from home. From one side, you have people who work the dreaded 9-6 cubicle job who are envious of the fact that your office is only 15 steps away in another room; On the other hand, you have people who think that since you are at home, you don’t really work.
Myth #1: Running a home-based business is easy. Anyone can do it.
Okay. I admit that when I first jumped into this business I thought it would be easy. What I soon came to realize in the first couple of months, while going through my business plan and incorporating Tek-uniQue Graphics, was that I would have to handle everything from bookkeeping to sales. As a sole proprietor, you will find yourself wearing most (if not all) of the “hats” required to run your business until you’re able to hire specialists to help alleviate your workload (i.e. – accountant/bookkeeper, personal assistant, marketing, legal, etc…).
Myth #2 – You have the freedom to work when you want and for how long.
Sure. I am my own boss and I get to declare when I have a day off or how long I work, but what many fail to understand is that while I have that “freedom” I am also a slave to my company. If I take the day off, who’s going to take over while I’m gone? Unlike a 9-to-5, I don’t have the luxury of paid vacations, sick days, or personal days.
Don’t get me wrong. Occasionally, I’ll have my lazy days where I’ll only work a few hours (this is a perk that I enjoy when I can), but I must accept the consequences of my actions. Taking a day off means loss of potential income for me. Marketing does not get done, articles aren’t written, phone calls won’t get answered, projects won’t be worked on…
However, there are days where I’m working 15-16 hours straight to ensure that I’m making my deadlines, fielding phone calls and emails, chasing down invoices, testing out website code, readying designs for print, or reading up on the latest news in the industry.
Myth #3: Home-based businesses are cheap to run.
I somewhat agree with this one, but again, there are several things that must not go overlooked. When starting a business you have to worry about the legal issues (trademarks, copyrights, etc…), establishing a business entity (which is recommended in order to protect personal assets), health/dental insurance, taxes and social security, equipment, supplies, travel expenses, marketing materials, telecommunications, etc…
Personally, my overhead isn’t much on a monthly basis, but the initial investment required was still a considerable amount. Plus, realize that even though I can “expense” or write-off several items during tax time, I am still responsible for everything upfront.
Myth #4: You’re at home, you must not really be working.
This is similar to myth #2, but more for the family and friends of home-based business owners. Just because someone is working from home, and not in an office setting or store, it doesn’t mean that they are not working. I sometimes get a call from a friend or family member asking me to run an errand or perform some kind of favor. Funny, I never received these calls when I was actually in an office (unless in an emergency), so why now?
Not that it’s a lack of respect, but I’m betting that people who leave the house to go to work have a hard time seeing someone who is at home as someone who is working. Because if you’re like me, once I left the office I refused to do anything work related.
Myth #5: Working from home is like working at an onsite job.
Wrong. See myths 1 through 4.
Myth #6: You’ll be stuck at home all day and every day.
I guess this depends on the type of business you run, but for me, I’m able to leave the house and bring my business along with me. That’s one of the many perks and is an obvious benefit to my clients. I can go where they need me to, allowing me to accommodate their schedules as best as possible.
I’m sure you may have heard many of these myths and probably share the same sentiments. However, regardless of what you may believe, the fact-of-the-matter is that there are a countless number of home-based businesses that are successful and working just as hard as some company stationed in a nice comfy office building. Just because we are working from home, doesn’t mean we have it any easier than those stuck in a corporate or retail environment.
What myths have you heard? Share your thoughts with the tek community!
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Agreed on all points, especially Myth #3. I invested heavily and applied for loans in the startup of my business, and technically, we didn’t really make money until our third year. I had to take other jobs to pay the bills. Starting up a business is never easy. Though working from home does eliminate the costs of renting office space, it takes effort to effectively separate enough space, time, willpower, and energy to really build your business. When you work out of your home office, it’s way too easy to say, “I’ll do it later.” The production work piles up, deadlines approach more quickly, and you spend so much more worktime at home. There have been times when I’ve spent days working nonstop without leaving the house, and it really takes a toll on you. It’s no longer a 9-to-5 job. It’s 24-7.
Yes… it does take a great amount of willpower and dedication to stay driven while in the comforts of your own home. I know that when my energy is low, it’s so much easier to become lazy. And like you said, there are those times when “I’ll do it later” seems like an acceptable option… If we’re not careful, we can find ourselves working ridiculous hours to keep up with deadlines.
you should get a virtual assistant from india. i hear they are a huge help with time management and inexpensive.
I’ve heard good things about virtual assistants, but if I were to bring one on I think I’d rather stay local than outsource overseas. I previously worked with some designers from there and while their work was relatively good, there’s a large disconnect due to language barriers and many things can be misinterpreted. Also, even though they appear to be inexpensive at first, the time taken to manage them requires more effort and I feel is a waste of resources.