The pros and cons of self employment are actually pretty great in number, and they might not even be the same for every professional who’s ever dabbled with work at home. For some, hours of working alone can be refreshing, invigorating and the perfect environment for finishing projects. For others, the sheer loneliness of self employment is a deal-breaker. What does it take to work at home?
Self Employment: The Pros
Who doesn’t want to call the shots, be the boss, make all the decisions? Sure, self employment is great for independence. But at the same time, even that could be considered a con. What are the pros of self employment, and do these positives make up for the negatives that might come with working on one’s own?
- Flexible Hours. Need to be three hours late next Wednesday? No problem! Being self employed means being the one who makes the hours - and no schedule could possibly be more flexible than that.
- Work Environment. Isn’t today a nice day to work in the park, in bed, in the nude? No work environment is out of reach when it comes to self employment- business attire optional.
- Job Selection. Don’t like that particular client, the sound of that assignment, the money being offered? In self employment, it’s always an option to tell them to stick it (figuratively speaking) instead. When the professional picks the jobs, the professional can create the career they really want.
- Being in Charge. There’s a lot to be said for the feeling of being in charge, which is definitely what professionals will get when they choose self employment. Being in control of one’s own life is a little bit scary, yes, but also very empowering.
Self Employment: The Cons
Self employment is not walk in the park, and there is no perfect profession. Before cashing it in and leaving the day job, explore the cons associated with work at home.
- Being Alone. For many, the loneliness that comes with self employment is a pretty tough obstacle. There’s no boss to look over shoulders and make demands, but there’s no one to provide a helping hand either. Being self employed, especially in work at home, can be incredibly lonely. It might be a good idea to reach out to partners and associates to help share some of the work or even just commiserate on the ups and downs of self employment.
- Job Selection. Wait! Isn’t job selection one of the pros of self employment? Sadly, this is also one of the cons. Finding jobs and work at home opportunities can be a pretty tricky business- and it’s much more tedious than enjoyable. Sometimes, the work just isn’t there; and the ones who make a living with work at home might have to tighten their budgets.
- The Insecurity. Self employment doesn’t come with automatic benefits. There is no health insurance, no unemployment, no 401k and no real Plan B already in place. Any retirement planning or personal safety must be dealt with by the professional individually. Purchase life and health insurance policies, invest in some sort of retirement plan and set up a savings account for times when the jobs just aren’t available.
Weighing the Options
Do the self employment pros outweigh the self employment cons? Not everyone has the same experience with work at home, and self employment isn’t suited to everyone, either. Every individual must weigh the options for themselves, discover their own pros and cons and make a decision: is self employment worth it?
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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