Blogging is a legit job these days and many set up their own business right from home. So what are the pros and cons of working from home versus going in to an office?
What started out as a way for individuals and businesses to share their story has turned into big business. And I do mean B-I-G. Some high profile fashion bloggers are said to be making around $1M per year doing this gig. That is some real money.
Not all of us can claim a seven digit salary by blogging, but it is a way to make money doing what you love. One of the main benefits of blogging is the opportunity to work from home. This can be a boon or bust to your blogging career, depending on your home and, well, you.
Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of working from home versus heading off-site:
1 Flex Time // Possibly the main pro of working from home is flexibility. You can work while doing the laundry, setting up orthodontist appointments, paying bills, and whatever other household chores need to be done. And you can do it all with bed head. The con of this little side benny? It is very easy to get distracted and then *poof* it’s time to pick up the kids from school and your work time has vanished. There are many tools bloggers can enlist to help stay on track and get the most done.
So working at home can be distracting, especially if the family is home. But you can actually catch up on that work you sidelined during daytime hours by doing them at night. Or the weekend. Or whenever fits into your schedule.
2 Communication Skills // You will need to communicate with those you are collaborating or networking with, or writing for. This is most often done by email. How convenient. The downside? Sometimes the message does get lost in translation. Still, once you get your system down between those you work with, communication doesn’t have to suffer. And there are options other than email, like Skype meetings, Facebook chats or Google+ Hangouts, or good old fashioned phone calls.
3 Solo v Group Setting // The internet-only relationship is obviously less distracting than working in a busy office and people tend to get more done when they are alone. Research suggest that for those who are self motivated, privacy and not getting interrupted means greater creativity and productivity. But it can get lonely for the extrorvert. If you love to bounce ideas off of others or are more creative around people, a face-to-face office setting may be better for you. Yahoo Chief Executive, Marissa Mayer, feels working side by side with other employees works better for everyone. Mayer took some major heat over her decision to bring employees who’d been working from home back to the office, citing group communication and collaboration as the reason behind the move.
4 Dress Up or Down // Back to that working with bed head thing. Sounds pretty great, right? It is true, you can wear pajamas, stay in your sweaty workout gear, go make up free…when you work from home. A couple of years ago I was included in a story in a local newspaper about wearing pajamas in public and working in them from home. While I don’t make a practice of going out in public in my PJs (aside from the occasional early morning school drop off), I don’t mind working in them at all. Actually, I consider it a perk of the job. The only real con to this? Unless you are prone to unexpected visitors or take lots of video chat meetings, can’t think of one.
5 Cash Flow // Last but not least, you’ll save some cash working from home. Rent free and you can write off a portion of your home expenses. Talk to your accountant for details.
Whichever you choose, home office or off-site, the state of your desk is key to productivity. Keeping your desk free from clutter and office under control will help to make the most of your time. Happy blogging!
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Image by Craig Garner via Unsplash.com