Why Working From Home Rules!

Scores of people are working from home these days. Whether they're an employee blessed with the ability to work remotely or they're a small business owner running their operation from the kitchen table, people are pretty ingenious at bringing the workplace home. Here's why it rocks so much…

For many, working from home may seem like an impossibility. But with new services and software becoming available at such a rapid pace, and with employers becoming more open to work/life balance, it's getting easier and easier to work in our jammies. Whether it's accounting and book keeping services, graphic design, or even things like day spas and hair salons, more and more people are seeing the advantages of working where they eat and sleep.

Of course, not all businesses are suitable for running off your couch. I'm sure your wife wouldn't appreciate a chicken slaughterhouse being run out of the dining room…especially when she has her parents over. Seriously though, some businesses require showrooms, warehousing, or specific setups in order to work, which can be tricky to pull off at home. But with some creativity, you very well may be able to pull it off.

As someone who has been working from home for over two years, I love it, and wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm a homebody anyway, so it works really well for my personality. There are some downsides, which I'll get into next week in Why Working From Home Drools, but in the meantime I thought it would be cool to put together a short list of reasons why working from home is so awesome. Let's check it out…

Set Your Own Schedule

I think this is the big one that most people think of — and if you've worked from home before, you realize just how big it is. Having the ability to schedule work around life rather than life around work is huge. And you know, life happens. Kids get sick, cars need repairs, laundry needs to be done. Then there's doctor's appointments, banking, paying speeding tickets (in my case!), and on and on. I quite honestly don't know how people who work regular 9-to-5′s handle all of life's extras.

When working from home, you can keep the laundry moving and get dinner going at a reasonable time, all while you're firing off that email proposal or handling your books. Or if you need a break, go cut some grass or take the dog for a walk. The big thing for me in the middle of the day is sitting down to play drums. Often times I think to myself, "Man, it's 11am and I'm playing drums!" After fifteen years of commuting, that still jazzes me.

But, just because you're at home doesn't mean you're not working. You're still getting your stuff done, you're just getting it done when it works for you (and at a much more efficient pace). It took me a while to figure out what works for me, my rhythm, and my lifestyle. For example, it took me quite a some time to discover that I am, to my great astonishment, not a night owl but in fact an early riser. When I discovered that, I realized that I could get more done between 5am and 7am than I could between the hours of 12am to 4am. In the early, early morning, my brain is percolating, ideas are flying, and I'm in total "go mode." If I had to fit my life into an employer's schedule, I'd spend my most productive hours getting ready for work, or stuck in stop-and-go traffic.

Low Overhead, Minimal Expenses

I love the cost-minimizing aspects of working from home, and I'm constantly realizing new ones. For example, if you're an employee working remotely and seldom have to go into the office, you'd save a huge amount of money. Think about how much money it costs you to have a job; think about things like gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, lunches, parking, dry cleaning, and so on. Even if you have the ability to work even 3 days out of 5 from home, do the math on the money you'd save. It's expensive to have a job!

If you run a business from home, the money you save versus having an outside office are even bigger. If your office is outside the home, you still have all the expenses that an employee has (gas, parking, lunches, etc.) plus you have all the additional expenses incurred in running an office, the biggie being rent. Even if you sublet office space, it can still be pricey.

I'm somewhat obsessed with seeing how little money I can run a business from home on. It's a bit of a game I play with myself. Think about what you need at a minimum and what it'll cost. How about starting with the staples: a desk, a computer, maybe a printer, a telephone line, and an internet connection. Guess what? Most people have these things already, whether they work from home or not. Beyond these staples, expenses are related to the type of business you run. So figure out what you'll need. In the early days of Ten Ton, I discovered that a lot of the stuff I needed I already had lying around. I had a microphone, I had a lot of the software I needed, and I had some recording gear. Some of the other things I needed I found I could borrow from friends or family members, saving me from having to lay out cash early on. (See, when you're just starting up, you don't know if your business is gonna fly or not. And a common mistake in those early stages is to get caught up in the start-up euphoria, and run out and spend a bunch of money on "business expenses." I know there will be some up front costs, but my point is that you can do a lot with a little. Ten Ton's initial start-up was $50 for some extra software I needed. If I had to do it again, I'm 100% sure I could do it for zero.)

Anyway, whether you're an employee or self-employed, working from home can save you thousands of dollars a year. Again, just do the math and figure it all out. So if you can pull it off, the savings are huge when you work from home.

For employees looking to pull a disappearing act, Tim Ferris discusses how to achieve exactly this in The 4-Hour Workweek. He suggests a multi-step process to begin showing your boss the benefits of allowing you to work from home, like increased productivity, lower overhead for the company, and even a trial period. It all starts on page 227, so be sure to check it out, it's pretty darn solid.

Increased Productivity, Less Waste

This is a big one for a lot of people. By cutting out  meetings, watercooler banter, and other unnecessary tasks, you streamline your time and your work. By trimming the fat, all that's left is the tasks at hand, and productive time. To maximize my time, I've begun using a time-blocking method, which helps me stay focused on tasks that need to be done. I build it into each day, and since doing so my productivity has shot through the roof.

Gina Trapani from Lifehacker.com wrote an article on Fastcompany.com about this, which makes clear and solid points about eliminating distractions far better than I can. She says, "Being available to your boss and co-workers is part of your job. But the most creative and important work you do requires total focus and attention for an extended period of time. Your brain needs at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted time to dive in, concentrate on one thing, and get into the zone where you're truly focused and doing your best work. Time blocking is a technique that sets the stage for that to happen."

I highly encourage you to read the full article, Avoid Office Distractions With Time Blocking.

With No Commute, You Get Your Life Back

Let's not forget the beloved commute. Back when taught in Toronto my commute was as follows: 25 minute drive to the train station, 1.5 hours on the train, then a 10 minute subway ride (or a 25 minute walk). One way. Up hill both ways. It really wasn't fun, and although by 9am I'd been awake long enough to be ready for lunch, I did try to make the most of it.

I'd read or use the time to catch up on email, but you're really limited by what you can use the time for. The way I see it, working from home has given me at least 4 hours a day that I can now use however I wish. I can make productive use of the time, or I can spend time having fun with the kids, going to the beach, or whatever. My commute is now, make a left into the kitchen to grab a coffee, head down a flight of stairs and take a right into the office. There are, of course, always some complications along the way, like stepping on lego bricks or tripping over the cat. But I manage.

Working from home saves a huge amount of time. So much time it almost boggles the mind. Let's look at some numbers: If you work at an office from 9am to 5pm, that's an 8 hour work day. But let's say it takes the better part of an hour to get to and from your job. Now you're up to 10 hours. But let's not forget, you have to get ready for work in the morning (let's say 60 minutes to shower, eat breakfast, etc), and what happens when you get home at night? You're fried from the day — it takes another hour or so of chilling out just to make yourself human again. That's a total of 12 hours. So, it costs you 12 hours out of the 24 you have to spend, to have that particular job.

Everyone can (and does) choose for themselves. There are alternatives to having your soul crushed while sitting on traffic. For me, that cost was just too high and I had to figure out a better way. When I was commuting to Toronto, it cost me a whopping 16 hours a day to have that job. Divide the amount of money you make per day by the gross total amount of time it takes to have your job, and you find out what you really get paid by the hour. For many, it's shocking.

There are alternatives, it just sometimes takes a little creative thinking to figure out how to get out of your tin coffin and into your slippers and housecoat.

Now, whenever I ever hear a traffic report I think, "Those poor buggers."

Minimize Dealing With Difficult People

I found back when I had a "normal" job that it wasn't so much the job itself that was a problem (in fact, I often enjoyed the work), but it was fellow co-workers who made working a hassle. Some were demanding, while others would stand around and talk your ear off about nothing. Still others were nosy, while some were egotistical jerks. It takes all kinds to make the world go 'round — I get that. But can we hold hands and sing Kumbaya later, after I get my stuff done? I even remember thinking, "This guy is ruining my job!"

See, I'm a nose-to-the-grindstone sorta guy, and when I'm working, I'm pretty damn focused and don't want to be distracted. When I'm not working, it's a different story. But by working from home, you completely eliminate the distractions that come from people who otherwise want to gossip or waste your time. You'll still have to deal with difficult people whether you're running a home-based business or if you're an employee working remotely, but you'll be at arms length, which gives you the space and autonomy to get your stuff done efficiently.

Power Naps

This one's a little tongue-in-cheek, but it definitely has merit. Back in the day, the boss didn't care too much for me grabbing a wink while at work. Even though I'd do it on a break, hidden away from fellow co-workers, she said it didn't "look right." I was an efficient and energetic employee, but I was expected to be "on" and "professional" and "alert" from the moment I walked in until the moment I left. Sorry, but the simple biological fact is that energy's cyclical, not linear.

I first discovered the magic of the power nap during Apollo 13. No offense to Kevin Bacon, but I was pretty confident they'd still be stranded in the capsule in ten minutes — they weren't going to hit an iceberg and drown, or anything. Sure enough, I woke up and leaned over, "Still stranded?" "Yup." "Cool."

I feel so recharged after ten minutes of shut-eye that I had to work it into my daily routine somehow. In fact, I'm convinced there's health benefits as well. Right after lunch is my ritual, and I gotta say, when I grab one of these short naps, I am out. Out! Often I wake up forgetting where I am! Then I'm up and feeling awesome and ready to kick the hell out of the afternoon. Again, this is all about figuring out what works for you. Some people don't like mid-day napping, but are useless by 7pm. It's entirely up to you, but my point is, when working from home you have the option!

So as you can see, there are some really killer benefits to working from home. In fact, before sitting down and writing all this out, I hadn't thought of a lot of these benefits — they just sort of "happen" by default as a result of bringing your worklife home. You don't stop and think, "Hey, I don't have to pay for parking anymore!" Or, "I can just make a quick run out to the store!" I'm sure I'm missing some benefits, too, so be sure to share your ideas in the comments!

And don't forget to check out Why Working From Home Drools to get an idea of some of the drawbacks of mixing work and home.

Photo credits: cathyse97, ASurroca, pshegubj, yoshimov, banspy, craigemorsels

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