Working at Home on the Web - Is It Really the Best Choice?

Working at home is a dream a lot of people have. However, many people also overlook its inherent disadvantages This blog poses some important questions for those thinking of working from home to consider.

A lot of people dream of working at home and living a life of freedom without having anyone telling them what to do and when to work. In reality, however, working from home is not exactly what a lot of people think it is and it is certainly not for everyone. Of course, working from home has its great advantages, but it also has some major disadvantages which, for many people, make it a deal-breaker. If you aspire of working from home, ask yourself the following questions first.

Can You Discipline Yourself?

For freelancers working from home on the Web, there are lots of choices of what you can do and flexibility with regards to where you live and when you want to start and finish your working day. This freedom comes with a big disadvantage, however. Many people simply end up working a lot less than they should. The temptation to procrastinate is much higher and many novice freelancers find it very difficult to get motivated. Having some form of a timetable, even if it is a very flexible one, is essential. If you don't have a timetable, then you should at least have a weekly work goal that you stick to rigidly. If you cannot discipline yourself to meet your own goals, then freelancing is probably not for you.

Are You Prepared for Financial Risk?

Internet freelancing can allow you to earn a respectable income from home, but it takes time and experience. However, no matter how good you are at your job, there is always going to be an unavoidable risk factor. When you are working in a regular job, your income is protected in some way. If your boss decides to fire you, they still have to give you notice. With a normal job, you get a stable income receiving the same amount of money into your bank account on a monthly basis.

With freelancing, there are no such guarantees. In one month, you may receive lots of work while in the next month; you may not even make enough to pay your rent or mortgage. To decrease the risks in the longer term, you should work on having multiple streams of income rather than relying on one client or website. Before leaving your day job, you should ensure that you have enough money saved up to keep you financed for the first few months should things not work out for you. Many freelancers make the mistake of leaving their regular jobs too early and relying on what begins as a risky venture.

Do You Have a Skill That is in Demand?

As the Internet continues to grow, so does the number of jobs available. There is also a lot of competition, however. Because of this, you will need to be particularly good at what you do and take the time to prove this by building up your reputation. When you start out, you will usually find yourself at the bottom of the pile, desperately searching for tedious jobs which pay very little money. To succeed in the longer term and to move on to the better-paid jobs, you will need to have some good skills and be able to prove this.

Skills that are always in high demand include freelance internet writing and web design. There are also jobs that absolutely anyone can do, such as data entry, but such jobs tend to pay minimally.