Working from Home, Why do I do it?!

I have had a work from home business for over 10 years. I have run these alongside other things I was doing at the time.  I now have two work from home businesses and I work on both part time. I have been running my teresa4cards business since 2011 and I started my Utility Warehouse business in October 2018.

So why do I do it? Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of working from home.

Just to be clear, the first picture is NOT me, I am responsible for the messy desk in the second picture!

Advantages of Working from Home

• ​no childcare to pay for, or school holidays to cover
• the work is flexible
• I can be there for all the kids things
• I am the boss
• I choose the direction that my business goes in
• I get to do what I love
• no daily commute
• more time at home
• less pressure to rush around and do everything

Disadvantages of Working from Home

• irregular income, especially to start with
• never away from work, its always there and the temptation is there to always be working, checking emails etc
• you are responsible for everything
• you have to motivate yourself every single day
• you have to deal with setbacks
• you are constantly challenged to do new things which might be outside your comfort zone
• you might have to deal with things which you have no knowledge of eg marketing, accounting, paperwork

Why do I do it?

​For some years I juggled work, nurseries for the kids and a part time home based business.  When my oldest started school things changed, whilst I could easily sort out after school care and breakfast clubs etc, but what did I do in the school holidays? As a then single parent, the options were not there for me.

I now work entirely from home because of the flexibility it gives me. It also allows me to avoid having to find childcare in the holidays and actually I rather like spending time with the kids, they are young for only a short time! I also love what I do and the variety that I get from working for myself.

And yes sometimes the thought of a more regular income does appeal! But the same problem remains, school holiday childcare!

Overcoming Problems

​I have learned over the years to put systems in place to minimise some of the disadvantages. In particular for me setting boundaries was important, so that I can feel like I do have time away from work and I am not constantly sat at my desk, or checking messages. During school term time I do very little evening work. This flips around when it is school holidays, where I do most of my work in the evening, as I am often out during the day with the children.

This year I have been working on getting more focus by working on my vision board and setting goals. The next step for me to grow is to outsource some of the things that I don't enjoy doing or could be done better by an expert, in order to free up some of my time.

To conclude, working from home is not for everyone, and it is certainly not the easy option. It is challenging everyday and I feel like I am constantly juggling, but I love it.

If you are thinking of working from home check out the Work from Home Tips section of my blog, for helpful tips and ideas.  Also check out the FAQ section.  And if you are interested in taking a look at either of the businesses I am involved in, click the relevant button for more information!

Flamingo paperie

utility warehouse

​Love Teresa xx