You Probably Can’t Work From Home

Posted by Debbie Dragon on January 24, 2008

As a mom, nothing is more important to me than my children and family. It’s exactly why I run my business from a home office- so I am right here when needed and can effectively (usually) manage to balance both my family life and my work life under one roof.

As a business owner- my career is next in line on the ladder of things I consider extremely important in my life. And while I absolutely love my work- it’s actually a cycle that comes back around to what’s most important to me: family. My business is what gives the family income to live and the flexibility of schedule to attend school events, attend my youngest son’s speech therapy sessions, take both boys on spur of the moment trips to Jeeper’s or Chuck E’ Cheese, and sneak in game-time right in the middle of the day if we want to.

As glorious as it sounds, it’s certainly not always easy.

If you’re looking to work at home because you want more time with your family- you should definitely open your eyes a bit more to see the reality of things. When you are just starting out, if you want to become successful, taking impromptu trips to the library or skipping work to visit your child’s classroom isn’t going to help your business grow.

If you think working from home lets you have the best of both worlds- work and family under one roof, and that it sounds easy – please don’t be fooled by the advertisements for “work at home” where the people are standing in front of rented-mansions trying to sell you on their business opportunity. It doesn’t happen overnight and the balance between work and family under one roof will be an ongoing challenge for most people.

In fact, I’d go as far as to say there is only a small percentage of people who could effectively make working from a home office with a family under the same roof work for them.

If, on the other hand, you are prepared for the challenge- want to work from home because you recognize the benefits and financial savings a home office offers you over commuting to work every day, because you know you can learn to juggle the many hats of a work-at-home parent, and have the sheer determination and motivation to make it work NO MATTER WHAT, then… and only then, would I suggest you keep planning to start your business.