Home-based businesses are exploding right now. Chances are you know someone who works from home or work from home yourself.
Many home-based business owners I know dread the question, “So, what do you do?” While that question can be hard for anyone who doesn’t have a mainstream-type job, it can become a very uncomfortable conversation after someone finds out you work from home.
The following statements are actually things people have said to me or to people I know. So, let’s dispel some of the common myths about people who work from home. 🙂
1.
I’ll admit it – this is a luxury I thought would be so awesome when I started my business. But, do you know what happens when I stay in my pajamas? Nothing. Yep, absolutely nothing. I have put on clothing to function – well, okay, at least to take the kids to daycare.
While it is nice some days, other days it’s downright depressing not to get dressed, go somewhere, and interact with people in real life. Staying in your pajamas is one advantage of working from home that’s not quite as awesome as you’d think.
2.
Um, it is nice thought… I think? I’m not positive, but I’m guessing this has a gender subtext. And it might be true that some home-based business owners manage to watch their kids and run a business simultaneously – but really, I have no idea how they actually have businesses.
Raising kids + running a business are 2 more-than-full-time gigs. So, please, don’t assume that because we work from home and have small kids, they are home with us.
3.
The most egregious example of this often comes from a spouse. Do we have flexible schedules? Yes. If my kid is sick, I don’t have to go ask someone if I can pick him up from school.
But I still have a schedule. I plan to work during certain times and don’t just take off to run an errand or go to the movies anytime the mood strikes me. If I did, I wouldn’t have a business.
4.
Or doing laundry, or (insert household chore here) all the time.
Really? I’m sorry. Yes, there are a lot of distractions when you work from home. Can it be hard to focus? For sure. But I guess cleaning wouldn’t be at the top of my list of distractions.
5.
No, actually, luck had little-to-nothing to do with it. Damn hard work and the school of hard knocks is the reason that we can work from home.
Doing what we do is not a game of chance. It is continually showing up and doing the work.
6.
You can. If you want to work really hard, make really tough choices, take risks, live with financial highs and lows, and be continually challenged to grow and change – you can do it.
If you don’t want or can’t live with each and every one of those things, then you probably just want to keep your day job. And by the way, that’s fine – just please stop looking at me with those envious eyes.
7.
I work. What do you do all day?
All photography is by the very talented Lea at Vienna Glenn Photography.
Right on Rachel! I have worked from home for the past 15 years (mostly) and have grown to love it! It is not as easy as it looks all of the time and isn’t for everyone; but it sure is a good fit for me now.
I was the first telecommuting employees for one of Phoenix’s largest companies 15 years ago…I pushed and planned and worked with management until they would let me “try” telecommuting. I made it work by working twice as hard as I had in the office – being overly productive and paving the way for other employees who wanted to do the same. Funny how when I worked from home for someone else, I didn’t get that same “you must not really work” attitude as much as I have heard it since becoming an entrepreneur. Ironically, I work a whole lot harder now.
Yes, Lynda! It is crazy how when you say you work for someone else no one has a problem with it, but as soon as you work for yourself people are like, “What?!” And again, I thank you for being a trailblazer!
Hi Rachel,
I tell people “I work from a home OFFICE.” At least it may conjure a vision of an actual office, versus sitting on the couch with the TV on. No. I do NOT do that. Actually, if I were a lot younger, that might actually work, but this body needs a real desk, and in particular, a real office chair.
Where I live (in San Francisco) and particularly in the neighborhood where I live–close proximity to the corridors to Silicon Valley–I see people working in coffee shops all the time and it looks like such fun, but I’d never get anything done with so many distractions. On the other hand, they tell me it’s less distracting for them not to be at home. So there you go — different strokes for different folks!
So when people ask, I say: “I work from a home office” and hope they get the distinction.
Nice post. 🙂
Thanks, Geri! Great idea to say “office” I bet that does help people change the picture in their heads. And it’s funny but I am totally one of those people that can focus in coffee shop… something about being out of the house and forcing myself to block out all the noise around me to really focus can help me if I get too weighed down being in my office at home.
Yet again, amazing post, Rach! We just gotta keep making ’em scratch their heads!!
Yes, we most definitely do!
“I’d always be cleaning my house!”
Ahahahaha, what’s cleaning? *looks around at the disarray that surrounds her*
Hahaha! It’s EXACTLY the same for me, Erica!