Working from home has its benefits, but it can also have pitfalls if you don’t approach it in the right way. Here’s a simple guide on how you can make it work.
Finding a job that enables you to make good money working from home is the perfect solution for many parents who want to earn a living while still balancing their family commitments.
Here’s our guide to everything you need to know about working from home.
Types of home-based work
There are a number of work-from-home scenarios:
- Starting your own business – you see a gap in the market and have the drive to meet that commercial opportunity. This could be anything from providing consultancy and training services to starting an Etsy store selling handcrafted baby beanies.
- Telecommuting - this is where you work from home either on a full time, part time or on a casual basis and you communicate with your office via email, phone, instant messaging, etc. If you’re on maternity leave and thinking about returning to work, or you’re a mum-to-be about to go on maternity leave, you are in a good position to talk to your manger about a working-from-home arrangement. And if you’re a dad with a flexible workplace, there’s never a better time to ask for a more family-friendly working arrangement.
- Self employed contractor/freelancer - as a contractor you generate your own income from hiring out your services, profession or trade. For example a music tutor, builder, massage therapist, consultant or writer will charge by the hour for their services.
- Home-based business - this is most commonly associated with ‘work from home’ advertisements found in your local rag and unfortunately, get-rich-quick scams. But there are legitimate work-from-home businesses out there, you just have to be savvy and research them thoroughly before signing up.
Working from home can be difficult but also rewarding. Image: iStock.
Is working from home what it’s cracked up to be?
For a lot of parents, working from home is the equilibrium of the work-life balance seesaw. Being able to drop the kids off at kindy or school, work for the few hours in between and spend quality time with them in the afternoon is more than perfect.
But before you quit your job, or sign up for a home-based business opportunity, think about the kind of person you are. If you love the everyday social interaction you get at work, or enjoy working in a team, then solitude and working from home is probably not for you.
Working from home also requires self-discipline, motivation and a level of organisation that not everyone has. Also, don’t be fooled into thinking working from home is a childcare solution. If you’re expected to be on call during the day and work specific, uninterrupted, hours, you will require childcare. Children don’t stop asking for food and seeking a play partner just because you have an important meeting on Skype.
Working from home pros
- Independence and control in your workday with the ability to structure work hours around your own schedule and family commitments
- Possibility to enjoy more family time
- Tax advantages - you may be entitled to claim office equipment and utility costs
- Save time and money on commuting costs
- No office politics or distractions
- Greater flexibility in your working hours
- Work in your pjs!
Working from home cons
- Household distractions and family interruptions
- Having to secure childcare for when you’re working
- Can be isolating and lonely
- Lack of IT support
- You may find it difficult to separate work from home life
- Must be self motivated and organised everyday
Working from home can work with the right planning and realistic expectations. Image: iStock.
Work-from-home jobs
Employment relations adviser, office administrator, writer, consultant, IT specialist, artist, book keeper, telemarketer, outsourced payroll officer, customer service officer, marketing coordinator and data entry officer are just a few of the work-from-home jobs advertised on various job websites over the past couple of weeks.
Basically, any job that doesn’t require a high degree of supervision, face-to-face client contact, or office-based systems and procedures can be done from home with a speedy internet connection and the right set up.
What you need to work from home
- A computer
- A fast internet connection
- Email access
- A mobile phone
- Fax and scanner facilities
- A comfortable chair and desk
- An accounting program
Where do I find these jobs?
Work-from-home listings on recruitment websites and in the employment section of the paper are a dime a dozen. However, finding legitimate employment opportunities in the sea of scams and dodgy listings can be tiresome.
Check out Work At Home Mums for genuine work-from-home opportunities just for mums as well as the niche flexible job board Lifestyle Careers for flexible job listings. Kidspot’s Extra Income and Employment section also lists job opportunities for parents.
Business opportunity must-knows
Finding the right business opportunity can be a job in itself. You need to consider your lifestyle, your family’s needs and exactly how much time you have to dedicate to your business per week. Make sure you do your research, ask questions and get the facts before signing up to anything.
You can keep up to date with the latest scams by visiting SCAMwatch, the ACCC and MoneySmart. Remember, there are no real get-rich-quick schemes so be wary of opportunities where you have a to pay money to make money, or that promise high returns with no guarantees.
- Technology makes remote work possible: You must invest in up-to-date communication devices – a laptop (which you can take to and from the office and for work travel if required), a mobile phone, printer/scanner/fax machine and any other devices specific to your job. And remember to keep receipts for tax purposes.
- Talk to an accountant: Before you start working from home it’s important to talk to an accountant to get the low-down on GST, book keeping, what services and goods are tax deductible, income protection insurance and business banking arrangements. Also make sure you register for an ABN. If you are organised and educated on what you need to do financially, it will be a whole lot easier come tax time.
- Balancing work and home: Organisation is the key to juggling work and home life. You will always be tempted to quickly pop on a load of washing or run to the shops or perhaps sit down with a cuppa and watch some daytime TV. All of this is fine as long as you time it to coincide with prearranged working hours and break times. Set up a structured routine and stick to it. Write daily lists with all your most pressing commitments and do them first. Housework can wait if you have too much work on your plate. Or if you find you’re struggling to get everything done, put aside some time later at night or early in the morning to work.
- Working when kids are at home: It can be really tricky to get work done when you still have a baby or toddler at home. You will need to have some flexibility to deal with their constant needs and working around sleep times and feeding times will often help. Every woman who has worked from home would have a horror story to tell of being on a work call and having to breastfeed or deal with a screaming child at the same time. Bribery, extra snacks, television and craft activities will help.
- Get a babysitter or childcare: Sometimes it will just not be possible for you to work efficiently while still caring for kids, so with this in mind perhaps organising for childcare or occasional care will help you immensely. Or perhaps you just need someone to help for a few hours to get a big project done – never be ashamed to reach out for help when you need it.
- Share the load: If you are married or have a partner, then try and share the load with them. If you can afford it, get a cleaner or a gardener or have takeaway nights. If your kids are big enough, then it’s time for them to step up and help more around the house. Give them more responsibility – it’ll be good for everyone. Perhaps you could all spend a few hours each weekend cleaning the house and batch cooking meals for later in the week and baking lunchbox snacks. And remember it is also OK to lower your standards. You are not a wonder woman, focus on what’s more important and that’s getting your work done, spending time with family and keeping your sanity, not a sparkling clean home.
- Believe that things will get better: There will be times you feel overwhelmed, overworked, stretched in a whole range of different directions and just plain exhausted, particularly if you have little kids. Just remember it does get better, particularly when your kids go to school. And it will get easier to work at home once you’ve got a good routine in place. Just think of all the commuter time you’ve cut out of your day.
- Make time for you: This is often the one thing overlooked by working mums – make time for yourself. Pencil in regular date nights with your partner, organise catch ups with your friends and make time to do some exercise, see a movie, go for a walk or read. You are important and your happiness is vital, so prioritise time for you, into your busy life.
