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LABOR
DAY 2003
Working
Outside the
Box
Millions of America
have pulled up stakes, left the corporate rat
race, and are enjoying the ten-second commute
that is one of the perks of being self-employed
and working from home. Their number is
growing each year. Maybe
you've considered it, yourself?
There
are two kinds of work-from-home scenarios.
The most drastic is to be self-employed
and totally self-sufficient. For many,
this is too dicey to consider. The other
option that is gaining ground with employers
in metropolitan areas is telecommuting
-- working for the company, but doing the work
at home some of the time or even all the time.
Particularly in areas where air quality issues
drive transportation decisions, telecommuting
is becoming a more workable option instead of
a pipe dream.
Do
you have what it takes?
It sounds too good
to be true, doesn't it? Work from home,
be there for the kids and your spouse, be able
to cut the grass when it needs it, sleep in
a bit sometimes, avoid the hassles of rush hour
traffic... ah, the good life! Sounds almost
like retirement, except you still get the big
check. Of course, it's not that easy.
In
reality, telecommuting and being self-employed
and working from home both require many skills
and abilities -- self-employment just demands
more of them.
- Self-motivation.
Sounds easy, but remember how simple it
is to get distracted by things when you're
at home. It's amazing how attractive
a household chore can be when work beckoning.
Unless you are strongly self-motivated,
don't even consider either telecommuting
or being self-employed.
- Professionalism.
There's a relaxed feeling to be at home,
but it must not show up in your work.
For the telecommuter, work from home must
be indistinguishable in quality and quantity
from that done in the office or the boss
will quickly pull the plug. For the
self-employed, remember you compete against
people more "normally" employed when you
are seeking clients or customers.
If anything, you need to outdo
them at every turn.
- Family
cooperation. An office
at home has to be every bit as "sacred"
as the one you usually (or used to) go to.
Telecommuting or self-employment are not
substitutes for child care. You don't
bring your kids to the office -- they'd
interfere with your work. So alternate
arrangements need to be made for them during
"work hours", no matter when during the
day those hours fall.
- The
buck stops here. For
the self-employed, there is a world of jobs
to do that you may not be any good at, in
addition to the one you started your company
to do. For instance, you may be a
great motivational speaker. But how
are you at bookkeeping? Appointment
scheduling? Self-promotion?
Insurance management? Computer repair?
All the other departments you took
for granted when you worked in a corporate
arena are now yours to handle, as well as
your job. It can be daunting.
- It
can be lonely out there.
Even though there's some guy in accounting
who really gets up your nose, or that woman
in the mailroom with the voice that grates
on your nerves, there are also a lot of
really nice people at work that you enjoy
seeing each day. Telecommute or become
self-employed, and suddenly you find out
how quiet an office can get. Company
picnics for one are no fun, either.
Plan ahead to stay connected to people through
business clubs, social activities and staying
in touch by e-mail or you'll go crazy.
The
fact is that 95% of businesses that start up
will also fold within five years.
However, millions still succeed! Why do
they keep trying?
The
benefits
- Self-determination.
There is something incredibly exciting about
being the master of your own fate (to a
certain extent.) To know that if you
don't do it, it won't get done. To
decide on a new direction and GO that way,
without having to try to halt a corporate
giant in its tracks, get its attention,
and convince it to change.
- Freedom.
Nine-to-five generally goes out the window
with self-employment. Yes, you'll
still work a lot of hours. Maybe more
than ever before! But you work when
your energy levels are high -- and when
they aren't, you go grocery shopping or
cut the grass or walk the dog. Some
people are morning people, others are better
in the afternoon. Some like to start
the day working hard, take the afternoon
off, and come back after dinner and work
when they get their second wind. Self-employment
means being able to adjust the workflow
to your personality.
- Passion.
When was the last time you jumped out of
the car and ran to your desk at work, passionate
about getting into the mail pile and the
latest e-mailed memos? For many people,
the price of corporate security is the draining
of passion by the intrusion of mind-numbing
routine and a sea of details that have nothing
to do with the real goal. When you
are self-employed, you can focus on what
you want to achieve. Sure, you have
to handle the details (or hire someone to
do it for you) but things like five-hour
staff meetings are certainly a thing of
the past.
Still
think you'd like to go open-collared?
Great! If you've
gone so far as to make a pros and cons list,
you've gotten further than most people who just
dream. You could well be in the
5% who will not only make it beyond 5 years,
you'll love every minute of it. The
next steps are more intensive:
- Find
a mentor. Latch yourself
on to someone you admire who has gone the
self-employed or telecommuting route, and
learn all you can. Get them to tell
you their secrets, the real ups and downs
of the process, and recruit them to be your
cheering section.
- Learn,
learn, learn. The
internet is a great place to get lots of
information about being self-employed.
(See your human resources department about
telecommuting.) Try going to www.google.com
(a great search engine) and put in Self-employed
US in the window (unless,
of course, you really want to know about
how it's done in Finland, Switzerland, Canada,
the UK, New Zealand....) Here are
some great places to check out, also:
- Get
your ducks in a row, then give notice.
It may take as much as 18 months to test
the waters on your own time, research things
like health insurance for the self-employed
(one of your big expenses!) and wind up
projects you've been working on. Give
your employer a nice long notice, like 30
days. Offer to be available for consulting
after you leave, if necessary (for a fee,
of course.) And mine your company
for any freelance opportunities, if you're
staying in the same field. You might
be surprised who your biggest new client
turns out to be!
Work
at home wardrobe guidelines.
Yes, you know you're
eventually going to find yourself relaxing into
the new routine, and may even begin the day
working in your pajamas. Go for it, if
it works for you. But when you
make contact with clients, it's important to
dress up just like you used to.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that it's
OK to be less buttoned-down now that you're
self-employed. Maintain
your wardrobe as you always did, adding pieces
each season so that it doesn't get out of date
and make you seem behind the times.
Professional cleaning and finishing is still
a good idea, and will mean you always have a
great outfit ready to go when you get that surprise
urgent phone call from the client you've been
trying to tap into for months. Good
luck! |
