Online Work From Home

When people think about working from home, many imagine sleeping in late, lounging around in their pajamas and long leisurely lunches. “But what people need to realize is that even though working from home offers a great amount of flexibility, it is still a professional job and it needs to be treated as such,” says Holly Reisem Hanna, the founder of The Work at Home Woman, an award-winning blog dedicated to helping women and moms fulfill their dreams of working from home or becoming self-employed.

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“Individuals need to learn best work at home practices, like setting office hours, having a dedicated office space, avoiding home-bound distractions, and actually dressing as if you were going to an office,” she says. “This will help keep your mindset sharp and focused.”

I can vouch for that. I’m online work from home today and it’s no easy feat. I woke up, got dressed, powered on my laptop, and got to work—but I’ve found that it’s sometimes difficult to stay focused with so many distractions and temptations around me. I only work from home under special circumstances—maybe five or six times a year—but some do it more frequently, and others work out of their homes permanently. It’s not for everyone, though, and some do it more successfully than others.

“I think it depends almost entirely on the individual,” says Jenny Foss, a recruiter, career coach and founder of the career blog JobJenny.com. “As someone who made the transition–first to working part-time in an office and part-time at home, and then to being at home full time, and now, back to a split schedule–I understand first-hand that working from home is much different than an office environment. Those who are going adjust well to it, and be happy with working from home, will be those who are self-disciplined with their time, don’t rely on face-to-face banter with co-workers throughout the day, and those who are independent when it comes to administrative issues that will invariably crop up throughout any given week.”

In Pictures: How To Successfully Work From Home

Hanna agrees. “It really depends on your personality,” she says. “I’ve found that to be an effective work at home individual, you need to have excellent critical thinking, organizational and communication skills, along with being able to block out distractions.”

As a home-based employee you don’t have the luxury of co-workers sitting right next to you–so you’ll often have to figure out issues for yourself. If you’re the type of person who prefers a lot of guidance or is easily distracted, working at home may not be an ideal situation for you, Hanna adds. “And even if you are motivated and can stay on task in a home office, if you’re a social butterfly that requires a lot of social stimulation, working at home may cause you to go stir crazy or it make even make you socially depressed.” By knowing your personality and skill sets, you can determine if working at home is the right choice for you.

“Working from home provides you great opportunities to connect with some of your core values, like family and community, while still providing quality service to your company,” says Shawn Mason Spence, an entrepreneur mentor, author, and life coach. “It requires discipline, focus and commitment, but the flexibility to define that yourself. You can create a work culture at home that represents you, not just the culture of your organization.”

Three of the biggest benefits of working from home are its flexibility, financial savings and health advantages, Hanna says. Many parents enjoy working from home because it allows them to schedule their day around their family, which allows for better work-life balance and more quality time with their loved ones. Plus, there are the added bonuses of saving money on things like transportation, dry cleaning costs, lunches eaten out and child care costs.

Other reasons employees might want to work from home: there’s no commute, no boss looming over your shoulder, no co-workers to interrupt you, and no dress code, says Lisa Kanarek, a home office expert, author and founder of WorkingNaked.com. But it can be difficult to go from a corporate office to a home office because there are no co-workers around, no support staff and no IT department to help you, she says.

“It is often a challenge in the beginning because of the sudden lack of buzz that typifies a traditional office environment,” says Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant. But once you’re on the phone, engaged in your business, attending meetings, using videoconferencing and making a proactive effort to create your own business community, that isolation is typically overcome, she says.

Hanna believes some of the biggest challenges that home-based workers face are learning how to avoid distractions, dealing with social isolation, and others not taking your work at home status seriously. “Luckily, with a few minor adjustments to your mindset and some honest communication with those around you, these can easily be solved,” she says.

Kanarek says if you’re not taken seriously, it’s important to let friends and family know that although you’re working from home, you’re still working. And if you’re feeling lonely or unmotivated, work from a coffee shop or a restaurant a few hours a week. “While you may not interact with anyone, being around others can motivate you to work,” Kanarek says.

You might also have trouble drawing boundaries between your personal and business life, Taylor adds. You won’t always have control, but by being specific about when you’re available and setting limits as much as possible, you can have the best of both worlds.