Advantages and disadvantages of working at home

When we consider working at home everything sounds wonderful in our head; I will have the possibility to manage my time according to my needs, I don't have to worry about office clothes, I don't have to spend on transportation, I can go wherever I want, whenever I want and work in front of the beach, etc. But many times the reality is different...

Below, we'll outline the mainpros and cons of working from homeand also suggest somesolutions.

"Disadvantages

We start with the disadvantages of working at home:

1. Loneliness

Yes, loneliness, that thing that at first you think you are going to enjoy like a dwarf, but that little by little becomes heavier. Being alone at home is no longer the perfect time to meditate and work, it becomes a nightmare. You start using social networks to interact with other people instead of for your business and you discover that talking to the walls does not give the results you expected.

That's why it's important to make time to go out, socialize and also to disconnect. It's easy to spend all your time working when you don't have a schedule, but if you organize yourself well you can make time to have a few beers with real people.

2. Discipline

You get out of bed a little later than you had thought, but that's okay, that's what happens when you don't have a date with anyone. After breakfast, making your bed -if you make it-, taking a shower -if you feel like it- and getting dressed -if you decide to take off your pajamas that day- you finally get to work: you sit down, turn on your computer and while it is loading you remember that you have to put a washing machine on, you put it on and when you come back the computer is already idle. You turn it on, start working, but the letter carrier knocks on your door, and when it's not that, it's your mother calling you on the phone or sometimes it's the TV calling you. No matter what it is, there is always something to do at home except work.

It would be good if you set yourself some schedules and, above all, some rules. It is essential to establish some hours in which you will only and exclusively focus on your work without distractions, although you can (and should) always leave short periods of time to rest and disconnect.

3. Find customers

And what about customers, where do you get them from? We know that the Internet is a tool that gives you the possibility to find clients in many ways but, let's be honest, there is nothing like word of mouth and face to face. If you are so much time at home it will be difficult for you to open your circles and meet other professionals, whether they are in your sector or another, and it will also be difficult to meet people who may need your services.

Move in environments where your target audience is, tell everyone what your activity consists of or try to get together with other professionals, it is very possible that collaborations may arise.

4. Home office cleaning, organization and expenses

If you have a home office you have to think about many things such as cleaning, electricity costs, a powerful internet connection that doesn't fail, etc. In the end the expenses and complications add up. A very recurrent problem, in which many freelancers working from home agree, is the internet connection. If you are an IT specialist, this is not a problem for you. But for the rest of us mortals who solve any problem by resetting the router or the computer, this can mean losing from a few hours to several days of work.

When you work in an office, in a business center or in a coworking, this problem is solved by other people. But if you work alone and you are not computer literate you have to call the operator, waste your valuable time trying to get the problem solved remotely or, in many cases, wait for the technician to come and fix it. When this happens to you you have few options, either you take the day off with good humor and no regrets or you go to your neighborhood coffee shop to ration all the wifi that allows you a latte.

5. Customer reception

Many freelancers who work at home agree on this problem. You work from home to save money, among other things, but when you meet a client you find yourself in the situation that meeting them in your living room is not professional and if you have children, they might answer the phone for you... and it is hard to convince them that they were your secretary. The solution you find is to meet in a restaurant, which costs you to invite them to eat and at the end of the day you realize that you do not save as much as you thought.

If you have a home office (a room fully equipped as an office) this problem may not be so serious, but if it is not your case, you can rent a meeting room that can be cheaper than two McDonalds menus.

"Advantages

But there are also some advantages:

Saving time and money

When you work at home you have to forget about the extra time you spend every day commuting to work by public transport or car, and this, when you live in a big city like Madrid, is often appreciated.

Flexible scheduling

By having your office at home you have the advantage that you can work at any time of the day and any day of the week, you work when you want, where you want, you take vacations when you feel like it, because you can always take your work to the beach. Although it is true that you have to be a very organized person to manage your time well when these situations arise and not make the mistake of working until 3 in the morning to get up at 3 in the afternoon.

ºWho said working from home was easy? Tell us about your experience—whether you can relate to these challenges and if we’ve left anything out.

AUTHOR: CARLOS LLERENA

IT executive, entrepreneur, communicator and academic with international trajectory, expert in technology, marketing, project management and complex problem solving.