When you decide that you would like to work from home, you have 3 basic options. You can work as a telecommuter, you create a home based business or you can work in the freelance industry.
When you understand what each of these different work at home opportunities entail, both good and bad, you will be able to decide which option fits your desires and plans for the future.
Telecommuting Positions
Telecommuting or remote employment is a type of position where you are an actual employee of a business, but you work from home. Telecommuting positions are gradually becoming more popular as businesses both large and small see the many benefits of using remote employees.
Pros:
- Telecommuting allows you to work from home and avoid many of the expenses associated with travelling to work.
- Telecommuters often receive the same benefits as office-based employees
- Guaranteed income
- Sick days are allowable
- Work hours that are the same each week
Cons:
- You will not have the flexibility with your personal time like you would with a home based business
- You must be “on-time” for work each day
- You cannot allow family members to interrupt your schedule
- You do not have the ability to increase your income potential on your own terms, you must wait for company evaluations
Home Based Businesses
Home based businesses can include anything from a dog walking service to drop shipping mass merchandise as an online auction seller. Having your own business provides you a freedom that no other opportunity can.
Pros:
- You are in charge, and everything you want to accomplish is possible
- You control your company growth
- You control your income
- You can express your ideas and opinions
- You can expand to include employees
- Time can be flexible
Cons:
- Home based businesses need start-up capital
- No guarantee of income when the business first starts
- Income levels can fluctuate
- If you enter into an established business model you risk market saturation in your area making it harder to sell the product(s)
- You may have to work long hours periodically to meet deadlines
Freelance Services
Freelancing is very similar to owning a home based business. You are in business, and you do offer a service and sell a product. However, most freelance work is considered intellectual work, meaning that you do not have to invest into a product because your product and service stems from your creativity.
Freelance services are expanding at exponential rates as large and small corporations are realising the importance this type of service provides. Freelance work includes everything from virtual assistant positions to graphic design. Consultants, writers, and programmers are also predominate fields in this type of work.
Pros:
- You can take your talent and use it to earn money
- Freelancing is a broad industry and anyone can become a freelance service provider
- There is little cost to start a freelance business
- You determine the type of work you wish to do, and the amount
- You set your prices for your work
- Your time is flexible
Cons:
- Some areas of freelancing can be very competitive
- You must aggressively market your skills on and off line to generate clients
- You must be very familiar with social networking for business purposes
- No income guarantees
Working from home in any position requires some risk and a lot of faith. You must be willing to succeed at this type of profession, either as a business owner or home based employee, to see the results you desire.
Understanding the differences in each of these work-at-home positions should only be used as a guideline and not as a form of discouragement. If you have already made up your mind that you want to work from home, look at the bad points and use them to your advantage.
