Typing these very words right now I am wearing nothing more than my favorite “Nike” shorts and slippers (also “Nike”). I have a glass of cold water beside my laptop to keep me wet (although I do not recommend drinking anywhere near your precious work station). The aircon is on, there is plenty of light. In other words – I am working, inspight the fact that just 15 minutes ago I was in bed, struggling to get my lazy ass up.
Estimated 65 million people are working from home. Some full time and some part time. The number of ambitious personas working from home is growing daily thanks to improved technology, employer flexibility and worsening daily commutes. Most home builders understand what’s going on. They are already putting home office rooms in the model homes.
The Home Office Computing Magazine has conducted a study and found out that 96-98% of people who work from home are happier than they were when they worked at an office. And every single one of those business owners said that he/she recommends this lifestyle to others.
Some people are afraid making the shift from work place to a home office because they believe they won’t be able to resist readily available distractions. However, according to the same study, working from home increases productivity by 15-25%. This is just another example of how fear is just an illusion and needs to be treated as one – ignored.
I can be out of bed and into productivity in less than 10 minutes. If you spend 45 minutes arriving at work than it is a 90 minute daily commute you can cross off out of your daily schedule. 90 minutes a day grows into 7.5 hours a week and into astonishing 9 weeks a year. So, you can cross off 2 month plus a week of productive work time out of your calendar right on January 1st. Making this up just to break even takes twice that not to mention awful, annoying and often hazardous commute.
On my workdays, when I get hungry I don’t take an hour to go to launch. I go to the kitchen, get a healthy snack and back to work in just 10-15 minutes. I can even watch my favorite Tivo’ed show while I consume.
I make phone calls and send emails lying on my favorite orthopedic couch and even if I decide to take a 2 hour nap – I am still way ahead of an “office schedule.”
Socializing is not an issue as well. While I take five to breathe outside I often fetch my cell phone with me and make couple of calls to catch up with my friend. Note: after I am done catching up – cell phone’s GONE!
Sure, there are tradeoffs. Office often expands to other rooms around the house and business is always on my mind. But that beats the 90 minute commute plus unnecessary expanses I would have to make to get an office downtown. It’s a trade worth making.
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I completely agree that a home office is absolutely essential, at least eventually, if you are self-employed.
I’m self-employed and if I had an office downtown… I personally don’t think I would ever go there.
Great figures though, I never would have thought 90 minutes of commuting turns into 9 weeks out of the year. Imagine what I could do with my business in 9 extra weeks!
Jonathan Beebe´s last blog ..Transform Your Beliefs and Live a Life of Courage!
here is a great home office i would like to have (during the summer day
) http://blog.cyclope-series.com/2009/03/could-home-offices-be-a-solution-for-increased-productivity/
I totaly agree. A nice work station will definitly help u build your business from home. My office is 5 feet from my bedroom and i treat it as if i was in Donald Trumps office.
David Sitto
http://www.webseospecialistinnyc.com/