Looking for jobs, parenting the kids, keeping track of tasks, watching the budget -- everything is a little bit harder for professionals who work at home. Even looking for work at home opportunities is fraught with pitfalls. There are so many self-employment scams, it’s easy to get bogged down in spam email, disappointment and clever attempts at what amounts to outright theft. But even professionals who land the jobs have a tough road to walk -- between the kids, the television and the telephone, it’s all too easy to get distracted and fail to complete tasks on time. Learn how to work from home successfully with a few tricks of the trade and tips that make self-employment work.
Daily Distractions
Working at the office is difficult enough, and usually it’s an environment that’s been stripped of all fun and stimulation. At home, workers have every possible distraction close at hand -- from cable TV to their favorite book to that photo album project that’s a few months behind schedule. The best part, and the worst part, is that at-home workers don’t have a boss looking over their shoulder or keeping them on task. It’s too easy to get bogged down in daily distractions, to let the mind wander and let time get away. Professionals have to learn how to master their environment to avoid all these outside distractions that make working at home such a challenge.
- Work space. The kids, the spouse and the pets may have difficulty respecting the at-home work space. It’s important for workers to define the borders of their private domains. Shut the door, put up a partition, hang curtains or simply put tape on the floor to mark out an area that defines the at-home office. It may even be helpful to incorporate a flip sign (“the worker is in/out”) or another visual method to show household members when working hours are active. Define the parameters of the workspace and talk to family members about respecting these borders.
- Schedule breaks. Instead of checking TMZ when the mood strikes or picking up the smartphone every few minutes to read the latest Tweets, schedule specific daily breaks for snacking and pursuing personal matters. During traditional work days, professionals receive one or more 15-minute breaks and one or more lunch and/or dinner breaks. Why should work at home professionals enjoy something less? Schedule down time within the workday; these breaks are needed, and they provide a constructive space for becoming absorbed in daily distractions. Be disciplined when it comes to break times to stay on task.
Finding Work at Home Jobs
Even workers who stay on task and don’t get distracted may have trouble finding legitimate work at home jobs. The Internet is packed with self-employment scams, many of them cleverly camouflaged to look like genuine opportunities, and many smart professionals have been hoodwinked by false offers. The best way to avoid getting scammed is to take a little extra time to research potential employers.
When a job offer is on the virtual table, check the BBB (Better Business Bureau) for complaints or information. Not all businesses are registered through the BBB, but many are, and this is a good starting point for research. Search the Internet at large for forums regarding the employer. Self-employed professionals make up a wide community, and many of them are willing to speak out against scammers. If there is evidence that a job offer is a scam, it probably is. If the so-called employer asks for money in any way, it definitely is. Real job offers provide money to workers. Remember this, live by this, and avoid work at home scams.
KC Morgan - KC Morgan has been the featured writer in Self-Employment since 2006, using personal experience to create guides to being self-employed.
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