5 Home Office Myths
   By Lee S. Shaffer

If you’re about to open your own home office, welcome to the crowd. The Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration reported this year that home-based businesses account for 53 percent of all small businesses.

But the realities of working in a home office aren’t all rosy. Read on to learn about five myths of working from home.

Myth No. 1:You’ll be more productive than in an office environment.
Some people’s work habits thrive in a home office. These folks are disciplined. They’re focused. They’re self-motivated. If that describes you, you’re probably well suited for a home office.

But other folks require more structure. They need feedback. They need a supervisor or a team to help fire up the motivation and intensify the focus. In those cases, they need an out-of-home office.

Myth No. 2: There will be fewer distractions in a home office.
You will face as many distractions in the home office as you encounter in a corporate cubicle. Just look at the possibilities:

• Your house mate, who wants to chat at the very moment you’re on a deadline

• Pets that want attention, particularl when you’re on the phone with a client

• Neighbors who know you’re home and want to visit

• The TV begging to be watched

• The refrigerator full of goodies

• Chores demanding to be done (laundry, lawn care, car washing, grocery shopping)

• If you’ve got kids at home, that opens up a whole list of other possible distractions

To be a successful home-office worker, you must learn to ignore those distractions or risk losing your work time. If you plan to set up a home office, set up boundaries too – for yourself and for those in your life.

Myth No. 3: You’ll love the solitude.
The truth is far different. Home office workers get lonely every now and then.

For instance, there are times when a client makes an unreasonable request. Who do you vent to without co-workers around? Or you make a big sale. Who’s around to share the high-five? Or you face a big decision. Who do you turn to for input and feedback?

Much of the communication that once took place over the telephone now takes place via e-mail. That diminishes personal interaction even more. Yes, you can still dial the phone and hear another human voice. But nothing substitutes for face-to-face interaction.

If you plan to work from home, develop networks. Find business colleagues for frequent lunches outside of your home office. Join business groups, like the local chamber of commerce. Attend their meetings. Spring for an in-town, one-day workshop every few months. Do these things to keep loneliness at bay.

Myth No. 4: Your time is your own.
Actually, your time is your money. If you don’t work, you won’t make enough dough to live on. You might have daydreams of spending afternoons at the driving range. In reality, you’ll most likely be making cold calls or cranking out job proposals.

It’s true that you can set your own schedule in your home office. But that can be a blessing or a curse.

On the upside, you can schedule time to attend your son’s peewee football game or take in an afternoon movie matinee. On the downside, you can become a workaholic because your office is only a few steps away.

Time management is critical to home office success. Set a routine. Stick to it. Play hooky occasionally. Don’t work all night. Set time boundaries on the weekends so you don’t spend Saturday slaving over work instead of having a life.

Myth No. 5: You’ll enjoy your work more.
Maybe yes. Maybe no.

You won’t have to endure petty office politics and gossip. That contributes to the enjoyment factor. You won’t have to answer to a bullying boss. That’s a big plus.

But you will by necessity take on the chores of being the boss – billing and collections, accounting, marketing your business. Plenty of home office workers find that those ancillary chores rate right up there with a root canal.

However, if you like the business side of running a home business, and if you have or can acquire the necessary skills, then you might enjoy working from home.

(Posted October 2004)

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