Is Working at Home for You?

The idea of working at home can fuel great fantasies. Before you do it, however, you should decide whether you can work effectively outside an office, wear all the hats you'll need to wear to be successful, and weather the inevitable distractions.

Want to work at home? Just sit back and let your imagination soar for a moment: You forever ditch the high heels for whatever work attire suits your fancy—even bunny slippers. You can throw in a load of laundry between calls. Garden during your lunch break. Stay in bed if you're sick—without feeling guilty.

Fantasy Versus Reality
Okay, like most things in life, fantasy is often rudely tempered by reality. An important client calls at the moment your kid is howling with strep throat. You helplessly watch the weeds overtake your vegetables while making your 54th phone call of the day. You're so busy you forget to wash your hair—or even care—because you haven't left the house in three days except to stick your head out the door to sign a UPS slip.

Still, unlike some of the things I've fantasized about in my life, my work-at-home flight of fancy—a reality now for the last five years—is one of the best decisions I've ever made. Having worked for other companies for more than ten years before starting my own business, I can vouch for the unfettered freedom that comes from calling my own shots in the privacy of my own home.

Yet, having an office under the same roof where you eat and sleep is quite different from getting up, getting dressed, and leaving it all behind during your commute to an office. It took me almost three years before I got the balance just right.

So what does it take to join the ranks of the 24 million Americans working from their homes? Before you make the leap from a corporate cubicle to a home office, here are some tips on how to do it successfully:

Make Sure You Have What It Takes
An entrepreneurial spirit is key, says Beverly Williams, founder and president of the American Association of Home-Based Businesses. Williams has been counseling other home-based businesspeople and working out of her home for more than ten years.

"You need to have that 'I can do it myself' attitude," says Williams. Many people start a home-based business with a lot of knowledge in one area, she says, but what you really need is the ability to wear all hats.

"You need to know finance, marketing, record keeping, and have some secretarial skills. That comes a big shocker to a lot of people. Not having those skills can sink a business."

You also need a good idea of what kind of business you will run, and that has to be based on solid experience or know-how. Make sure you have financial backing to get you through rocky times. A spouse working full time with benefits always helps. So does some money in the bank.

"Most people have unrealistic expectations on how much money they will make and how fast," Williams says. "It's wise to have a cushion."

You're On Your Own
Running a business out of your home is a lonely proposition. Forget the water cooler gossip and sauntering to another office for a chat when you need a break.

When Deb Haggerty, an author and professional speaker, started her home-based business in 1985, isolation was her biggest obstacle. "I missed the camaraderie of the office," says Haggerty.

One solution she found was to network. "I joined a women's business group, the local Chamber of Commerce. These activities forced me to get out. I put them on my work schedule."

Once you've made connections in your neighborhood or community with other home-based businesses, the sense of isolation you may feel in the beginning should begin to dissipate.

Get Some Respect
Probably the hardest thing about working at home is getting respect from your family, spouse, and neighbors.

"You need to get family and friends to understand that this isn't 'a little thing you do from home,'" says Jeff Zbar. As a freelance journalist and author, Zbar has been working out of his home for 11 years.

Explain your new work arrangement to your friends and family, advises Zbar. "They need to know when the office is off-limits, when not to bug daddy or mommy, when not to call for some impromptu afternoon plans." An office space with a door that closes can't hurt, either.

When business forces you to confront the outside world—your clients and customers—it's important to make yourself presentable, with good equipment and tools.

"You need to have the attitude that this is not some slipshod operation you run on the side," says Zbar. "You need Caller ID, fax, headsets, e-mail, whatever it takes to make yourself thoroughly professional so you can go out and kick butt."