With increasing layoffs and the downsizing of many businesses, many of us with a business background are either looking at opening their own offices or, if their company is trying to cut costs, working from a home office. Do you have what it takes to work from home and/or be your own boss?
Call it determination or call it stubbornness, you need initiative and motivation to have the focus that enables you to keep working without a boss looking over your shoulder. You also have to enjoy working for long periods of time without social interaction. The home office worker should be someone who enjoys working in solitude but also knows enough to schedule breaks and get out of the house/office for short periods of time.
Organizational skills will suddenly seem very important when you find you have made promises to have work completed for a variety of people by a certain time and the only one available to manage your time is you. Collaboration: when working for a company or in a team, being organized becomes even more important as you are not the only one involved in a project. As different teams members contribute various aspects of a project, you must be able to co-ordinate your schedule with theirs.
Skill set and unique abilities. What are yours? We all have different things we do well. Before starting out on your own, sit down and make a list of what you excel at. Then take online courses in what you absolutely need to have some knowledge of and upgrade your other skills. This includes grammar and speaking skills, you’ll need them for corresponding with clients, both in the written word and by phone. In the present work environment, technology changes quickly and you must to be able to keep up with it.
Equipment. A must is an up to date computer and necessary software, most of which can be accessed via the web or cloud computing. A printer, long distance carrier and fax will become necessary tools, not extras. A laptop or netbook may be considered a luxury but unless you want to spend all of your time working from one place, you will want to invest in one, especially if your work takes you away from home.
Last, and most important – curiosity. The web and the way it is used for marketing and advertising, changes constantly. Be interested and willing to put in the time to keep on top of new developments.
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image by Nina Matthews Photography on Flickr
