Intangible Benefits Can Add Up for Those Who Work from Home
©2004 by Mal Keenan

Working from home offers benefits that just aren't available to anyone else.

Whether monetary or lifestyle, these benefits can far outweigh those found at a job as an employee. Whether you work at home already, are thinking about it, or your life circumstances now make working from home either necessary or possible, be sure to think these benefits through as you evaluate your options.

It isn't always the financial benefits that are a primary motivator. Quick financial rewards can and do occur, but many people are willing to take a reduction in immediate financial rewards in order to enjoy the intangible, but very real and powerful, benefits they will find working from home.

One of the most powerful draws to working at home is the sense of time freedom you can gain by being able to make your own schedule. You can freely set appointments, do your shopping, and run other errands to your own schedule, rather than trying to fit everything in to a lunch hour or on the way home from work when everyone else is doing the same thing. You are able to attend your child's school plays, teacher conferences, and other important events without feeling guilty for being away from work. You are able to schedule leisurely lunches, stop to watch your favorite afternoon talk show, or spend some time with friends visiting from out of town. You may need to start work earlier or work later in order to do these things - but the point is that those are all options when working for yourself.

With time freedom also comes perhaps the biggest and most important long-term benefit of all - more opportunity to stay connected with family, friends, and community. Staying at home with a newborn or sick child, taking a special day with your significant other, volunteering at a church or civic organization, pursuing your own hobbies and interests - all can contribute to both your own emotional health and that of your loved ones.

In addition to time freedom, another big benefit of working at home is relief from stress. Of course, any business will likely bring its own form of stress, and working for yourself in any business is no different. But there are certain stressful situations that can be avoided by working at home. And the less stressed you are, the more energy and enthusiasm you have, energy that can be spent on your family or business!

The daily commute can literally be a few feet to an office or other work area. There's no rush to get up, get dressed, gulp down breakfast, and fight through crowded rush hour streets. There's no commute home at the end of the day either, and that time and energy can be put to use working on your business, doing something for yourself, or being with your family.

Not only can you work according to your own schedule, but you can work at a pace that feels comfortable for you as well. When you schedule projects either for yourself or your customers, you can realistically set an appropriate time line that works for you. Many office and other jobs are driven by constant, never-ending, rushed, multi-tasking deadlines. Sometimes bosses can be overbearing because they themselves are driven by pressure from above to complete projects quickly, or by their own internal pressure so they will be recognized for potential advancement. Things can be much more relaxed at home, if you plan accordingly.

Even tasks as simple as being able to grocery shop when the stores are less crowded, stand in much shorter lines at the vehicle registration department, or set a doctor's appointment sooner because of a more flexible schedule can all relieve life's stresses just a little bit. Collectively, then can make a big difference in an average day for anyone working from home.

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Mal Keenan is editor and publisher of Home Business Tips
Newsletter: http://www.home-business-tips-newsletter.com/
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