Thinking of launching a career in which you can work from home? Consider these key points in your planning process:
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Don't be sucked in by those dozens of e-mails you probably get every day pushing get-rich-quick schemes and too-good-to-be-true work-at-home offers. Same goes for those opportunities you see posted on little signs stuck in the ground along the road or plastered onto telephone poles.
Do think about whether you might need additional training to proceed with your chosen home-based career and look into obtaining that training.
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Do determine whether you have the right kind of personality to successfully work at home. Scrutinize your discipline and ability to work without much social stimulation. Decide if you're assertive enough to sell your product or service. Ask yourself if you're self-motivated, or do you need someone to tell you what to do? You may want to take the Are You Ready to Work from Home Quiz at iVillage.com. See also a list of vital home-worker personality traits at Are You An Entrepreneur?. And check out our own Consultant/Free Agent Quiz.
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Do know what to expect from a home-based career. Seek out people with home-based careers and interview them. Many sites devoted to home-based careers have message boards or online discussion forums where you can get a feel for what you might be getting yourself into. Although geared to graphic designers, a good article on the sometimes unrealistic expectations people have about working from home is 10 Myths About Working from Home. Similarly, The Freelance Report lists the 6 Most Common Mistakes of Freelancers.
Don't be daunted by the costs of working at home, but do calculate what it will cost you to work at home, and determine whether you can afford it. Consider health insurance, marketing costs, equipment, and self-employment taxes. Be sure you thoroughly research and prepare yourself for all the costs that might be involved before you take the plunge.
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Do carve out an appropriate workspace in your home that has enough space and quiet so you can concentrate. Consider what equipment you'll need, such as a second or third phone line, fax machine, computer, printer, and comfortable office chair.
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Don't be afraid to ask for support from those you share your home with. Make your your kids pledge not to disturb you when you're working, for example.
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Do line up any external support you might need for nitty-gritty business aspects that may not be your forte -- such as accounting, legal advice, and your computer infrastructure.
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Do seek out local support or networking groups where you can obtain support and inspiration from other home-workers. The Internet can be a great source for role models, success stories, and support. For example, iVillage.com offers work-at-home success stories.
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Don't forget about marketing yourself to make prospective buyers aware of what you have to offer.
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Do figure out how much will you charge for your product or service. A good starting point is to research businesses, freelancers, or consultants who will be your competition if you decide to make a go of it. As part of a four-step workshop on turning a hobby into a business, iVillage.com offers a nice component on pricing, Setting Prices to Earn What You Want that can be applied even to businesses that are not hobby-based.
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Do consider telecommuting. If you're currently employed, it can't hurt to draw up a proposal for your boss pointing out how telecommuting could be mutually beneficial for you and the company. Some Web sites that offer telecommuting opportunities include Telecommuting Jobs and Home Job Stop. Experts also advise entering terms such as "telecommute," "telecommuter," "telework," "teleworker," "virtual assistant," "virtual office," and "telecommuting jobs" into general search engines, such as Google.
Additional Quintessential Careers resources for freelancers and consultants:
Questions about some of the terminology used in this article? Get more information (definitions and links) on key college, career, and job-search terms by going to our Job-Seeker's Glossary of Job-Hunting Terms.
Katharine Hansen is a former speechwriter and college instructor who provides content for Quintessential Careers, edits QuintZine, an electronic newsletter for jobseekers, and prepares job-search correspondence as chief writer for Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters. She is author of Dynamic Cover Letter for New Graduates; A Foot in the Door: Networking Your Way into the Hidden Job Market; and, with Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., Dynamic Cover Letters and Write Your Way to a Higher GPA, all published by Ten Speed Press. She can be reached by e-mail at kathy@quintcareers.com
