Many people think working from home is effortless. Today, I'm here to set the record straight with a list of myths about working from home.
Myth #1: Working from home via the Internet is easy. Most of my family and my husband's family as well as friends still assume that we must not work everyday because we are at home everyday. People drop in to chat at all hours, ask us to babysit, or even run errands for them...as if we had nothing else to do! We are constantly being distracted and interrupted. So, no, working from home is NOT easy.
If you have an Internet business then you already know all to well just how busy an Internet business owner really is. I always hear "
It must be nice" and "
You've got it made". Well, it is nice and I do have it made (to an extent) but I still have to do real work. I've worked hard to be where I am. Working from home is just as hard if not harder than a regular job. It requires lots of time, commitment, and strong self-motivation. Often times, if you want to be successful that is, you work many more hours than you would at an average day job.
Myth #2: If you work from home you must be rich. Ha! This is the easiest one to dispel. I've been working from home via the Internet since 2003 and I'm not rich...yet. I'm sure you've seen the "get rich quick schemes" telling you that you can make an insane amount of money overnight by working from home. Stay far away from these ads. Whatever you do, do not buy into them. I make a living plain and simple but rich is not the word I'd use to describe our finances. It is however a word I'd use to describe our life and relationships.
Myth #3: You Can't Work At Home With Kids At Home. Sure, having children around while you are working is going to be challenging. See myth #1 above - working at home is NOT easy. However, for as long as I've worked from home, my children have been at home with me. As they have reached school age, I've started homeschooling them too. Being able to be at home with my two boys is exactly why I chose to start my home-based business in the first place.
Myth #4: You'll Have More Free Time. Working from home is just like any other job. If you want to get paid you are going to have to work. Working from home is more flexible but you won't necessarily have more free time. You'll have time throughout the day to be with your family and to do what you need at home but you will make up for it by either getting up very early or staying up very late at night working while everyone else is asleep. However, when you want to take a day off or take a vacation, no one can tell you no. Every October, we designate 2-3 weeks for a vacation to the beach. It is dreamy.
Myth #5: You Won't Need Any Help At All Since You Work From Home. See Myths #1 & #4. If you think you will be able to do all the household chores, fix gourmet meals everyday, and never need a babysitter THINK AGAIN. You will need the help of your family at some point whether it be to watch your kids for a few hours or to eat a hot meal on a day you don't have time to cook. Last year we moved back to our small hometown to be near my husband's family because we needed help. All in all, don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
By now you should have a clear picture of what working from home is REALLY like. I hope these five myths have helped clear up any misconceptions you've had about working from home. Hopefully it will help you decide whether working at home is right for you or not. Maybe you don't want to be anywhere near a home office now or maybe this is perfect for you!
Feel free to share any other myths you have about working from home. I'd love to hear them!
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