Work At Home Obstacles

For many people, the idea of working from home seems refreshing and inspiring. No more daily commute, no more office politics, and no more daycare bill. While these are all positive aspects of working from home, people need to realize that a home based career is not without its drawbacks. There are many obstacles to overcome in order to achieve a successful home based career.

The most obvious obstacle is the challenge of finding a legitimate at home job. Telecommuting is a fairly new industry, and unfortunately there aren’t many resources available for job seekers. Scams, on the other hand, are a dime a dozen. It is important to research your potential employer and verify that the work is legitimate.

Training can be another hurdle to overcome. You are on your own; there is nobody standing behind you, critiquing your progress. If your training manual is unclear, you must be the one to take initiative and get it straightened out. It doesn’t sound like a big deal, but when your only contact with your trainer is through e-mail and phone calls, small problems can take days to resolve.

You also must be able to manage everyday distractions. The power will go out 5 minutes before your shift. You will have friends stop by your house unexpectedly, because they think you have the flexibility to work when you please. Children will need attended to, even though they’re supposed to be taking a nap. At some point, everything that you can imagine going wrong, will go wrong. You must expect these distractions, and have a plan in place to deal with them.

The last obstacle to overcome is time management. It sounds easy to work from home 40 hours a week, but the reality of it is, you are still working. You will still have job related stress, and you will still need downtime. The house will not clean itself, dinner will not cook itself, and laundry will not fold itself. Even if you have a separate office area, you will face reality as soon as you step outside the door.

Working from home can be very rewarding, but as with any important decision, you must weigh the pros and the cons. It is easy to look at the positives and overlook the negatives. If you approach your new career with a sense of balance, you will allow yourself the best chance to succeed.