Should You Telework/Telecommute
by Nell Taliercio

"WOW! I can work from home and make money? I can sit around in my PJ's and work whenever I want? How great, I want to be a Teleworker!"

There is much more to being a teleworker then working in your PJ's or working when you want to. Yes, those are nice benefits to teleworking, but you'd be surprised by how much work goes into working from home. You usually have to work 10 times harder and longer then in your traditional job outside the home.

When I first started teleworking years ago I thought, "How hard could this be?" well was I in for a surprise! I found I wasn't as motivated as I thought I would be. It was really hard for me to get up on time, get something to eat, and go to my "office" to start my day. And once I did begin I had to force myself to sit there and work for at least 3 hours at a time before I took a break. I couldn't believe how different it was and how hard it was. Yes, it was very rewarding to work from my home, but it wasn't all it's cracked up to be. I thought, from all the ads I'd seen online, that working would be a breeze.

After a few months of teleworking, talking to other teleworkers and just adjusting to this new way of working it all became much easier. I found that it was very fulfilling to be at home and be earning an income. It was nice to start my day when I wanted. My daily commute wasn't an hour each way in rush hour traffic; it was down the hall in the bedroom we had set up for an office. It was very satisfying and a lot of fun!

I grew a network of moms who worked from their home too, and talked to them on message boards, email, instant messaging and chat rooms...they became my "co-workers", in essence. I never realized how much I liked having co-workers, or people to talk to during the workday, until I began teleworking.

Ask yourself these questions before you start teleworking.