When I tell people that I work for myself from home around my kids, I feel like they automatically throw me into an internet scam box and write me off! To some people the thought of working from home is not something they can easily come to terms with. They think the Corporate world is a MUST or that they MUST go to work, but the stats say that the amount of people now running businesses from home is exploding! Some people really struggle to think outside the box, so let me de-mystify some of the myths!
1) You work from home you must have all the time in the world! Nope! Very wrong! I create my own income which means I need to work. I have to set time aside to get my stuff done. I choose to not have coffee dates and friend catch ups on my work days through the week because that is my work time. If I worked for someone else, I wouldn’t be here would I? It just means that I am the master of my week, not my boss (cause I actually am the boss!). It takes more dedication, motivation, and determination to get the $$$ in the door.
2) You wear Jeans and a shirt not a suit? What the! Yep i’ve had people assume that i’m not working because i’ve chosen to work in my jeans and shirt. It all comes down to perspective and target market. If I was working in the Corporate world and they were my target market, hell yes I would be in a suit. But I meet clients on Skype, in coffee shops, at Networking events, and I come across approachable and professional. It suits my business.
3) You must be living the dream Nic! Well yes in many ways I am. I can work from home around my kids, I can work weekends when no-one is here, I can take a day off or go to the shops or the park whenever I want to, I even work in my PJ’s at times and drink way too much coffee! Apart from the ‘living the dream’ side of working from home, there is a side of working for yourself that is challenging. If you don’t work, the bills don’t get paid. All responsibility of your business falls on you. Its hard to close down the inbox and spend time with family and friends (ive gotten better at this but its taken me 4 years!). Its hard to not jump at everyone else’s demands on your time, in the time that you’ve set aside for you. It’s super frustrating when clients take weeks to pay their bills!The good definitely weighs out the bad, and I don’t see these things as bad things at all. Its a balance that needs to be worked through individually for everyone.
Have I thought about throwing it all in and going off to work at Woolies? Where I don’t have to take full responsibility for everything? Where I just turn up, do my thing, and walk away till next time? Yep numerous times! But then I start the think of all the amazing reasons why I chose to work from home, one of them being that I choose where my time is spent, and that I can work around my kids, do dishes in my 10 minute break through the day, washing at lunch, spend time with family when I want to. Not have to take the holidays off to be with my kids. It’s all relative, and totally worth it. What about you?