Many people want to work at home, but not all of them want the freedom and flexibility of a home-based career for the same reasons. We asked these experts what motivated them to make the leap to work from home.
It takes many things to work from home, but the fuel that keeps people doing the work, even when it gets hard, is the “why” they got started in the first place. What is it you hope working at home will help you attain? Here’s what our experts had to say was their “why.”
Syed Irfan Ajmal
1) No need to spend time, money, and energy on committing to an external office.
2) More time to spend with family and be of support to them due to the flexibility offered by working at home.
3) No time to spend on office gossip, or waste time around the coffee machine etc; only focused, fast-paced, productive work stints.
Ahmed Khalifa
Khalifa Media
@iamahmedkhalifa
1) Not having to commute is a common reason, but as a result of that, it also allows me to look after myself better by using that time to do some home workout and yoga. It’s a great way to start a busy day ahead rather than being crammed into a bus or train.
2) The ability to be able to customize your working space however way you want it is a great way to make it as comfortable and efficient as possible when you get to work. There is something to be said about being able to hang whatever you want, get whatever desk you, play whatever background music you want, as messy/tidy as you want, etc. By making it yours, you are able to feel comfortable.
3) Having the option of setting your own schedule means that you are able to adapt and be flexible for those times when you really need to make some adjustments. For example, if you have a dentist appointment, or you need to wait for an important delivery, or you have a plumber coming to fix your leaking tap, you are able to fit those in much easier if you are at home, as you don’t have the headache of booking time off with an employer to do that.
Caroline Vencil
Caroline Vencil
@carolinevencil
1) I get to spend time with my family. My husband works second shift, so we’d never see each other if I had a 9-5 job. This way, I get t spend time, not just with my kids, but with my whole family.
2) I don’t have to pay for expensive childcare for my 3 kids (which would’ve basically taken up all of my income a few years ago). Not to mention, when one of my kids gets sick, I then don’t have to miss work because they can’t be back in daycare yet. (And, of course, I get to take care of them at home too. That’s a bonus!)
3) Honestly, the thing that I love most about working from home is being able to be my own boss. I control my income, my hours, what I write about, what my day looks like, everything!
Daniella Flores
iliketodabble.com
@iliketodabble
1)You are able to get more done and be more productive with less distractions like the office has with sometimes overly social colleagues and meetings that kill productivity.
2) Save money on transportation and parking
3) You are able to use time more effectively as you aren’t spending 2 hours in traffic day after day when you work in an office.
Eric Nagel
Type-A Parent Conference
@ericnagel
1) My top reason for working from home is flexibility. While I typically stick to an 8-5 schedule I do have the flexibility to handle personal chores and errands during the day.
2) My second reason for working from home is to be around my family. I started working from home 13 years ago, right after my youngest daughter was born. While I have a dedicated work-space (with a locking door!), working from home lets me see my family throughout the day. Whether my wife needs to run out and I need to keep an eye on the kids or I just want to have lunch with the family, working from home gives me this flexibility.
3) Finally, working from home makes my commute a breeze! I get my coffee in the morning and tell my dog, let’s go to work! and she runs up to my office and waits for me. While the typical commute in the Buffalo, NY region is only 20 minutes by working from home and avoiding the commute, I save over 150 hours per year!
Name: Garrett Ball
1) Working from home saves me time. Even if I had an office close to my home, the travel time and everything associated with it would be at least
30-45 minutes a day. That’s very valuable for a small business owner. I can
use that time to be more productive and efficient.
2) I have a great deal more flexibility working at home. I am not tied to my desk in an office somewhere. I can move around working from home, spend some time working in a coffee shop or restaurant, work while on vacation and lots of other options that don’t involve me sitting in one spot in an office somewhere.
3) Working from home saves me money. From the office rent perspective alone, I save about $300-500 by not renting a small office. Plus, I save on utilities at the office – probably an additional $200/month. Then, lastly, I save about $100/month on gas. All in all, working from home adds up to a substantial savings, likely approaching $1000/month.
Bonnielee Cuevas
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Beautiful-lee Free
@bonnieleecuevas
1) It allows me to home school and support my son’s competitive sports.
2) It frees me from a schedule, constraints, and rules. I don’t have to abide by anyone’s demands, and can have the flexibility to choose the work and what types of clients I want to work with.
3) It allows me to have a fuller life. I have time for the things that uplift my body, mind, and soul. This includes, but isn’t limited to things like traveling and seeing the world, something that would be more difficult to do with a traditional, work outside the home job.
Note from Leslie
When I first started my work-at-home journey, my goal was to be an at-home mom. Today, my kids are all grown up, so my “why” has changed. Working at home lets me do what I want, when I want, and how I want. My husband likes to joke that I don’t like having a boss. That isn’t necessarily true, but I do like being able to make the decisions about the work I do, as opposed to having a boss.
I like the flexibility to organize my day in a way that suits my energy level, or to be able to deal with issues without having to ask for time off.
Finally, I don’t have to adhere to a schedule. While I do have a routine, I can start it at 7 am or 9 am, whenever I decide to get up. I don’t have to be up, dressed, and commuting to an office at a set time. If I want to take a nap in the afternoon, I can. If I want to take a long lunch, I can. That doesn’t mean I don’t work. I put a lot of effort into the hours I do work, which is another perk. I can get more done in less time at home than at an office.
What is your “why” for working at home? Let us know in the comments below.
[click_to_tweet tweet=”Work-at-home experts share their motivating reason for deciding to work at home, including to home school their kids, avoid commuting, and more. #workathome ” quote=”Work-at-home experts share their motivating reason for deciding to work at home, including to home school their kids, avoid commuting, and more. #workathome “]
can relate to them! working from home or at a coffee shop saves you from the office setting toxicness
Yes, sometimes getting out of the office and working elsewhere is needed. Thank you!