Like any job environment, working from home requires a certain type of individual. There are skills and characteristics of the home employee that may or may not fit your style. So if you are considering working from home, you might want to ask yourself if it’s right for you. Here are some things to consider.

The Work Day

Do you value the time when the work day is over, and you can go home and do what you please? If this is a valuable aspect of your outside-the-home job, then think carefully if you want to work from home. Setting your own hours sounds wonderful, but it is not as easy as it sounds. You don’t go home from your home office!

Computer Knowledge

If you are going to work from home, you’ll need a working knowledge of computers. You don’t have to be a software designer or anything, but knowledge of the basics is important. It’s also a good idea to have resources you can turn to, such as technically-savvy friends.

There’s no IT department to turn to in the home office, and computers require maintenance and updates. If you have trouble downloading software, or if your machine freezes up, you will need to have some knowledge at your disposal to fix the problem. Also, you are undoubtedly using an internet connection to work from home; find out if a back-up plan is feasible for you in case you can’t get online.

Task Orientation

Some people are more task-oriented than others – that is, some people find great satisfaction in making a list and getting everything on it done. Others find staying on task difficult, and may get distracted easily with other interests and ideas. You don’t have to be naturally task-oriented to succeed at working from home; but you do need to be honest with yourself about your abilities in this regard and plan accordingly.

Motivation

Remaining self-motivated can be challenging for some. Again, you can’t rewire your brain to be the personality type you need to succeed; but understanding your limitations and strengths regarding motivation can help you put safeguards in place before you begin.

For example, if you recognize that you have trouble staying motivated, you can ask a friend to hold you accountable periodically. He or she can check up on you weekly with an email or phone call, asking you if you’re on task and if you’ve reached your goals.

Perks

If you already have a day job, carefully consider the perks that job offers and decide what you will do about providing those yourself. Health insurance and taxes, for instance, are often things that an employer takes care of behind the scenes. You’ll want to look into those things on your own before starting out in the work-at-home world.

Getting started working from home may involve a lot of preparation or very little, depending on what you already have and how far you’ve already gone with your work-at-home plans. The following is a basic checklist to help you get started.

Computer

Of course, you’ll need a computer – you knew that, right? Nonetheless, it’s not necessarily enough just to have any old computer. For working from home, you will need a computer that can be your daily work horse – it needs to be up to date, have plenty of memory, and functional USB ports. If you know others who work from home, ask them what computer they use, and why. Also ask them if they would choose a different computer if they had to do it over again.

Laptop or Desktop?

While you are considering what computer will best serve your purposes, you will probably need to decide between a laptop and a desktop. Most sources recommend both – using your desktop for daily tasks (desktops usually have more memory) and your laptop for certain projects and for back-up.

The ideal situation is a desktop and router, and a laptop with a wireless card. The wireless card plugs into your laptop’s USB port, picking up a signal from the router and allowing you to connect to the internet using your laptop. Then, you can do the bulk of your work on the desktop and grab the laptop when you need to finish something up or work on a project somewhere else in the house. 

Broadband Internet Connection

It’s pretty much impossible to work from home effectively without a broadband or high-speed internet connection. Dial-up takes far too long and will greatly inhibit your business capabilities. So sign up with the internet service provider (ISP) of your choice and get set up for high-speed internet.

Family and Childcare

Many people choose to work from home in order to be near their children. However, childcare is necessary during your work hours. This can be a dilemma – making enough money to pay for childcare right off the bat is challenging. Try relatives first – grandparents, aunts, and so forth may be willing to watch your children for a few hours a week each, and for free.

Then you can check into mother’s helpers; these are childcare providers who come into your home and take care of your children while you are there. Mother’s helpers are much less expensive than conventional babysitters, because you are on the premises and the helper is using your home.

Babysitters who will watch your child in their home are more expensive, and traditional daycare is probably the most expensive. If your children are in school, you can arrange your work hours around their school hours. 

Workspace

While this goes on your checklist, it’s highly individualized. Some people are happy with a workspace in the corner of their kitchen; others prefer an entire room dedicated to being the home office. The important thing is to have some kind of area set aside for you to work in. This helps you get in “work mode” more quickly since you will associate your surroundings with working, and it also sends a signal to other family members that you are working when you are in that area.

WAHMs, or Work-at-Home Moms, often begin their ventures with very little money to invest. There are specific business ideas that can be started on a shoestring budget. Here are some business ideas for moms who have few start-up funds.

First, a Website…

Since you will probably be finding many of your clients online, you will need a website. This is generally considered to be step 1 for any work-at-home venture. It is a means by which you can promote yourself, and a place to refer people who want more information.

Prospective clients can visit your website to learn a bit about you before hiring you, and they can contact you by email through your site. Thankfully, though, starting a website is not expensive. You can generally purchase a domain for less than $10, or you can start a blog for free and build that as your promotional online presence.

Virtual Assistant

A virtual assistant (VA) is someone who does administrative or secretarial work remotely. VAs transcribe, translate, prepare mailings, and do other administrative duties. Virtual assistants are not confined to secretarial work, however. Some VAs offer web design, marketing consultation, and even technical support to clients. Since VAs use the internet and telephone, they can garner clients around the world.

Some suggest taking a VA course online. Whether you take a course or not, success depends significantly on the hours you are willing to put in. Some VAs become so successful that they begin their own VA business, employing a staff of VAs who can serve their clients.

Consulting

Teaching others something you know is a low-cost WAH idea. Consulting can start with your acquaintances and friends – spread the word that you have valuable knowledge and are going into business sharing this knowledge with others.

Some ideas for consultant businesses are in the fields of nutrition, natural lifestyles, green living, and marketing. But in reality, there are so many possibilities in the consulting world that you can get unique and creative with your consulting business. Just make sure you are filling a real need before you venture out to sell your knowledge.

Childcare

Someone needs to care for children while their parents are working – even working from home! Once you check with your local regulations and laws in this regard, running an in-home daycare (or something less official, such as watching one family’s children) can be a lucrative at-home business.

Writing Web Content

The internet is the place to go for information. This is why no one buys sets of encyclopedias anymore! That information has to get out somehow, and writers of web content are often in demand. You can work for a publishing company that provides web content to its clients and write articles on various subjects.