Working remotely is more popular than ever before in the US, with 5.2 percent of the workforce choosing to work from home completely, according to US Census data. Technological advances and employers looking to cut costs have resulted in more people working at home than ever before. You have various options if you want to start working from home — you can freelance as a consultant, telecommute for an employer, or start your own business from home. Any of these options may seem like an unachievable goal for many who have been tethered to a workplace for many years, but with some self-reflection, creative thinking, and hard work, it is possible if you follow the right steps.
Test the waters first
Before quitting your current job to start working from home, it is important to test the waters first to get an idea of what you’re getting yourself into. A lot of people make the mistake of quitting their jobs prematurely only to find out that the work-from-home life was not really meant for them. To avoid this, you can try various part-time work-from-home jobs before leaving your current job to see if any or several of them can be a reliable source of income.
For example, if you consider yourself an expert on anything, you can create an online course or digital product about it and sell it online. You can also take on some freelance jobs in your line of work when you get home, offering the same services you provide at your job but under your own terms and conditions. Try a few part-time jobs until you find a lucrative one that suits your skills and interests.
Set clear boundaries
When you start working from home, it’s easy for you to mess up your work-life balance. If you don’t maintain clear boundaries, you’ll start feeling like you’re always at work without a place to come home to. To prevent this, you need to keep the two distinct. Start by setting aside a separate place for work in your home. Whether it is a whole room or a desk in a corner, you want a well-organized and comfortable space that motivates you to work. You also want to ensure that all your friends and loved ones understand that you’re off-limits during your work hours even though you are at home.
Maintain a regular schedule
It’s easy to slack off when you don’t have a schedule to follow when working at home. As such, you need to set a schedule not only to provide a structure for your workdays but also to keep you motivated. It may take a while to determine the best rhythm for your day but once you do, plan your schedule in such a way that ensures that you get the most out of your most productive hours. To increase the chances of sticking to the schedule, try to set realistic expectations for the tasks you can accomplish daily. Don’t forget to include regular breaks in your schedule to give your brain some rest before getting back to work.
Gone are the days when working from home was just a pipe dream. In today’s digital world, you no longer have to stay at your 9-5 job if you don’t want to. There are all kinds of ways to work from home and make a great income, even more than you made at your 9-5 job in many cases.
