People who have NEVER worked from home promote it as a solution. People who HAVE worked from home will tell you it is not what it is cracked up to be...
a) The human mind needs to separate work from relaxation. Often the solution to this is to create a distinct and separate office space within the home. However, the proximity of it means that usually it is far too easy to keep popping back and forth. This is especially true in the early stages of running a business when people tend to have to work far longer hours than they would as an employee.
b) Don't be fooled into thinking that working from home will allow you to spend more quality time with your family....at first you might appreciate them, but pretty soon they will begin to interfere with your work and strict rules will need to be set to keep them out of the office area. Partners may think that being at home means you can also double up on domestic chores.
c) This idea that the Internet has allowed millions of people to start making fortunes online is a myth. Most people who make money from the Internet make very small amounts - certainly not enough to give up conventional employment. Those people who do make fortunes do so in rented office space where employees feel comfortable and stock, computers etc make up a classical office environment.
some reasons NOT to work from home....
d) Humans are gregarious and we need the company of others. Working from home (alone) is often a solitary and soul destroying experience.
e) You may think that when you begin working from home that you will be able to set your own hours, but in reality you will have to keep traditional office hours because these are the times when your clients will expect you to be around. If you do not have clients (an online store for example), you will yearn to stick to the discipline of the 9-5 simply because otherwise you will end up working all hours of the day.
f) You cannot employ people working from home. They just won't take you seriously. You will find people to work with you but retention rates will be low...unless your organisation can thrive on utilising mothers, the retired and so on.
g) Working in a home environment reduces efficiency. Work is work, even at home.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com/
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