Top myths about working from home

Many business owners, entrepreneurs and freelancers are choosing to work from home. Finances and convenience are to leading contributing factors for this movement towards running things from home rather than an actual office. However, there are a few common misconceptions that are often only understood by those who enough experience working from home.

Comfort
Yes, it’s great to think that you can lounge around in your home without having to get dressed up or sit at a desk. That said, while you can wear jeans instead of a suit, you might want to rethink where you spend your work hours. Your couch is only comfortable for so long and soon leg, neck and back cramps will set in. A desk and quality office chair is by far the best option even in your home environment.

Meetings
Some professionals insist on face-to-face type meetings. However, given the nature of most businesses today, this is not just impractical but often even impossible. With video conference calls and VOIP, you can still have that personal interaction without having to waste time getting dressed up and making your way to an office or meeting room. You can have perfectly professional meetings online from the comfort of your home office and at a time that suits all parties concerned.

Home only
Your work at home lifestyle need not keep you chained to your house. With mobile technology and the possibility of being connected to the web wherever you go, you can take your office with you! If you want to have a cuppa, free your mind a bit and get some creative work done, you can do that in your favourite coffee shop, for example.

No office hours
You can determine your own office hours to a certain degree but you are not completely exempt from sticking to deadlines. You need to make sure that your clients can reach you during certain hours and that you get your tasks done in time. They depend on you to pull your weight and to do so in a timely manner. Your hours will also largely depend on the nature of your business. Some home workers are able to work ahead of schedule and thereby afford to take time off. Others work on projects as they come in on a first come, first serve basis.

You work harder
It can be difficult for many home workers to draw the line and “close” their office for the day. If there is a huge workload, they will often get an early start, take very little breaks and keep working for as long as they possibly can. Weekends might also be compromised if clients are particularly demanding or if technical difficulties affect productivity during the week. If your daily work routine includes house work and chores, this often blurs the lines further and gives workers the impression that they are working more than people do in office setups.

Too many distractions
Working from home does mean that you will be faced with such distractions as the TV, internet browsing and possibly gaming if you’re that way inclined. With nobody hanging over your shoulder to keep you on track or employees to monitor, it is easy for some to get off track. However, you could quite easily be just as distracted in an office environment. You could access the web on your private phone, personal emails could come through and office noise can become overwhelming too. Distractions are everywhere. It’s up to each person to overcome them on their own.

Anyone can do it
Working from home is most certainly not for everyone! You need to possess enough discipline to push yourself forward and stay on track. You also need to be able to work with little to no supervision and you will certainly benefit from having an independent attitude. Working from home can also mean that you will experience fewer opportunities to socialise. Therefore, you need to make time for social stimulation (NOT social media or emails but rather face to face contact) in your free time.

Virtual office solutions
Running a business often means that you need access to such facilities as meeting rooms, an address to print on your corporate stationery and a location where all your company mail will be directed. You might choose to work from home and hire virtual assistants but, if you want to enjoy the advantages of an actual office without all the expenses that go with it, then the virtual offices from Vizz Business Centre is the best solution. Get the best of both worlds and more!

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