working from home?

[Cybix]

does any1 here work from home?

It's been a dream of mine for ages.

I work in IT, as an analyst, I also have a small home business which doesnt make much cash, but it's more a hobby. I guess I'd like to persue it further one day. It's mainly IT consultancy based on Linux stuff...

anyway..

My wife just fell pregnant, it's a very exciting time for us both. The plan is she will take as much mat leave and holiday as she can, we've worked out this will be upto around 8 to 10 months. After this, she will likely go back to work. She has a secure government job which pay's reasonably well.

It's possible that I might quit my job, and look after bubs. This could be my way of presuing my home business and living my dream! The majority of work I do for my home bus'o is remote style administration of systems anyway...

I guess it's question time..

do you work from home? what do you do? is it distracting or more productive working in a quieter and less stressful environment? what is your setup/work environment. got pics?

I'm very curious. it's a bit scary, especially considering you cant really fail or you wont be eating or paying the mortgage... heh

 

[MACDRIVE]

Well as much time as I spend at MacRumors, I could be working from home.

 

[Blue Velvet]

If it's something that you're interested in reading about, there was also this thread which I started over a year ago...

As it turned out there were pros and cons. I'm lucky enough to be able to work from home when I more or less want, if I need to focus on one specific project without the hubbub of the office. Although when I do work at home, I tend to spend more hours on something than I would in the office.

 

[Cybix]

thanks for the old post blue, read the lot, interesting good to see different views and opinions. or perhaps i should say pro's and con's....

I just feel that I'm not cut out for an open-planned office environment. My previous job I had my own office, it was nice. WHY did I change? hah.

I love my home office, shame it never gets used. I think I should maybe concentrate on snagging a few big clients that NEED me, then I'll look at making the move (quit my regular job!) maybe get it to a point where I'm finding it hard to juggle my home business AND my regular job, and make the call.

I've got about 18 months to get things cooking

 

[IJ Reilly]

I missed that last thread, so allow me as home-office worker for the last 15 years to add a few of my thoughts on the subject.

Much of how you adjust to home office work depends on your situation and your attitude. As far as situation is concerned, if you can make a reasonable living from home office working, then you will obviously be happier with it then if you struggle. This much may seem obvious but in fact when I look back over my years working at home, I realize that my periods of greatest dissatisfaction came when the work got a bit thin, as it will from time-to-time, which leads to a subtle kind of anxiety that you can't always recognize as money worries.

Attitude has a direct connection to your personal priorities. For some people, the social experience of working in an office is an essential part of their life experience. I expect everyone who moves from office to home work is going to miss the interpersonal connections at least a little; others may feel totally isolated and perhaps even become depressed not having people around all the time. Know yourself, is my advice.

I'm fortunate in that my wife is also my business partner, so loneliness is not a factor, and we get to spend much more time together than most couples do. This is not an arrangement that will work for everyone, obviously, but it does for us.

One cure for social isolation is to join a service club or to be otherwise involved with community groups or projects as a volunteer. I can't recommend this too highly, whether you work at home or in an office, but especially if you work at home. As a person who lives and works in the same community, you will be highly prized by these groups -- trust me!

The stress level of working from home is far less, as far as I am concerned. Commuting to my job always seemed to take more out of me than the work itself. Some people actually enjoy commuting. I hated it, I hated the expense and resented the amount of time it subtracted from my life. The commute down the hallway, I really like.

Discipline was mentioned already, but this actually works both ways. Having your office in your home can turn you into a workaholic. With your work right in front of you every day, weekends can turn into work days and evenings into work hours. If this becomes an issue, close the door to your home office over the weekend and resolve not to go in. If you have a separate business phone line (and you should), don't answer it.

Home office working is becoming viewed in a progressively more favorable light. When I first began working at home, a certain stigma was attached. I told almost nobody that our office was in our home because it seemed that some people would take our business less seriously if we didn't have a commercial address. I still don't advertise the fact, but now I'm finding that many envy our situation. It turns out I'm not the only one who hates commuting.

Bottom line, home office work may not be for everyone, but for the right person, it's a major lifestyle improvement. I for one hope I never have to work a 9-5 in an office again.

 

[Transeau]

First off. CONGRATS on the kid!!!! I have a two year old here.

I work from home. I'm also in IT. I'm a outsoruced IT manager for small medical groups that are just big enough to need someone to manage there network, but too small to need someone full time.

I was actually laid off from my last job just before my daughter was born. After talking it over with my wife, we figured it was best if I stayed home to raise our daughter while she continued to work. (She's a librarian in a High School) So, After being laid off, I started thinking of what I can do from home... As it turned out, my first client was the med office that delivered my baby girl.

So, now I'm here, raising my daughter and managing 9 medical offices (an average of 45 workstations in each office).

My productivity has changed over the last two years.

The first 12 weeks is pointless to try and work. The baby needs too much attention, and you will not be sleeping.

Months 3~6 aren't bad. The baby isn't very interactive yet and likes to just lay and play with things.

Months 6~12 are fun. The crawling starts and they love to play more. Requires more attention, but good baby-proofing means you can still get about 40 minutes of work in each hour.

Months 12~20 are more interactive. The walking makes things harder in some since, but easier in other. They like to color and read now. They are also better at playing alone.

Months 20~24 are crazy. The climbing is hard to deal with. The baby-proofing is a full time job. Disney Channel and PBS are your best friends now

This WILL BE HARD on you. Don't think for a minute that it's going to be a cake walk. I'm 33 and I sill find myself locked in the bathroom in a nice hot shower thinking "WTF did I do this for!?!?"

But at the same time, it's the greatest feeling in the world. Seeing your baby grow every day. Not missing a single moment. It's incredible.

One more thing. Be ready for some serious depression from the wife. The combo of postpartum depression and feeling like she is missing out on all of the little things will be very hard on her. My secret.... lie... When she sees the baby do something new... IT'S THE FIRST TIME!!! The baby hasn't done that before! That time this morning just after mom went to work... it didn't happen! Trust me on this...



Good luck!
If you want more info, PM me and we can chat.

 

[wimic]

do you work from home? what do you do? is it distracting or more productive working in a quieter and less stressful environment? what is your setup/work environment. got pics?

- yes i work from home from time to time.
- i'm a civil engineer
- it's less distracting if my boyfriend isn't home. i'm not too tempted by things like television when i have more important things to do.
- i use my kitchen table... lots of workspace. no pics.

 

[Cybix]

wow, thanks for the replies.. great info on working from home with a growing child Transeau! Thanks heaps..

I'm thinking as I have around 18 months until I would be working from home (if thats the way I go...) it should give me some time to get a few more clients under my belt, perhaps work on more regular payments from my current clients (get them on some kind of maintenance schedule so I'm garanteed some level of income a month/year)

hrmmm.

A friend of mine quit from his rather high paying job a couple of years ago to persue his home business (internet business).. he runs an online car parts shop, a few online role playing games (web based), and some other random things, he's a coder, he does very very well for himself (radio advertising, etc)

Something to look up to for me I spose.

I might start with defining some of the things that I hope to be working on, see if the business is there, etc.

thanks again for your replies!

I'd love to see some 'home office' pics hehehe

 

[IJ Reilly]

I'd love to see some 'home office' pics hehehe

A bunch of people sitting at their desks wearing bathrobes?

I shall spare you.

 

[novicew]

Thank you Cybix for starting the thread. It is a really interesting topic and looking forward to see more replies. I am still on a 8-4 job and my productivity is nowhere near my expectations. May be in couple of years I might as well consider doing some sort of a home business.