Telecommuting versus Working Out of the Home

A few years ago, most people didn't know what telecommuting was.  Today, it's a widely used phrase that describes working from a remote location, most often home, and it's a wildly popular concept among parents of young children and people who are simply tired of the daily commute to work.  The benefits of telecommuting are numerous and growing.  Telecommuting means that you can work at home the majority of the time, and sometimes 100% of the time.  This is attractive if:

·        You're a parent and want to be able to stay home with your children or be readily available to them when they come home from school.

·        You're a parent whose children are involved in activities that require you to shuttle them to and from, or if you are interested in participating in their activities or attending their after school ball games and dance lessons.

·        You're the type of person who prefers to work away from the distractions of co-workers in close proximity.

·        You like to keep a flexible schedule - many telecommuting positions are such that you can work at 1 AM if that's what is comfortable for you.

·        You're tired of the long commute to work and tired of paying the high gas prices to get to and from the office.

·        You work better alone and you are a self-starter.

·        You feel good about the energy that you are conserving by not driving to work everyday.

·        You wish to be more available to get chores, errands and other household tasks accomplished during the day.

·        You wish to have variety in your work and want to freelance.  Many freelance positions are telecommuting positions.

·        You wish to reduce stress in your life.  Commutes can be stressful, and with telecommuting, you eliminate that particular stress.

There are many more excellent reasons to telecommute.  If you are considering changing your own work life to a telecommute life, we heartily encourage you!  Telecommuting can be rewarding on a number of levels.  Be certain that you are able to keep yourself on track work-wise and that you take seriously the idea that when you are telecommuting you still have deadlines and time lines to work within.  Once you've got that down, then go for it!

Posted:Monday, August 06, 2007