Many think the idea of working from home is awesome, but not always true. There are benefits, of course, like no commute and savings on gas and time. There are also challenges to deal with before making the decision to launch a home business.
Social Isolation – working on a business from home reduces or eliminates human contact and that isn’t always healthy. Zoom and Teams are ways to interact, but remotely, not in person.
Productivity levels – research is somewhat mixed on this subject. Studies find that many home-based workers are more productive, but not all of them. Distractions are numerous and true discipline is required.
Physical Discomfort – working at home seems great. Wear shorts, sweats, nothing and take breaks to go outside or out for lunch. The risk is that people tend to get comfortable and don’t get exercise needed to stay healthy. Chairs aren’t always helpful either. Refer to this list of ergonomic ideas.
Is this your home office?
Teamwork/collaboration – sure, Zoom is great and so is Microsoft Teams, but both are virtual, and a more silent person might not speak up or volunteer input. Meeting in-person as a group is often helpful for generating ideas and getting feedback.
Limited access to hardware and software – in the office, there are copiers, printers, and a standard software load for the company. At home, resources are limited, and one must often spend money or do without.
Support – working in the office means the help desk is close by or a phone call away, and a technician can show up and diagnose and fix problems or replace equipment quickly. Not so at home.
Security/cybersecurity – while the office environment has a network and is protected against malicious actors, home does not have a firewall or the latest anti-malware update. That link you just clicked on leads to ransomware at home and there is no easy solution.
Work/life balance – one of the best things about working on a home business is being able to take care of pressing family issues like elderly parents or young children. While that’s great – those family members will demand more of your time. The home business worker must set boundaries: I am working here.
Dealing with new challenges – in a typical office environment, someone can help to solve a problem. At home, you are the boss and chief cook and bottle washer. There is no one to brainstorm a solution with.
Becoming too sedentary – it is easy to get up at the office and go to the bathroom or to the lunchroom for a bite to eat. When running a home business, it is very easy to fall into a trap of when this client is done or this project is finished, I’ll take a walk.
There are many benefits to working from home – tangible benefits. There are challenges too and a home business worker must be aware of and address those issues.
For home business layouts, here are a couple links:
75 Hone Office IdeasHome Depot has some ideasWayfair does too
