I consider myself very fortunate. I have a beautiful home with a beautiful view of the Rockies in a beautiful part of the country. I also have a great office staffed with fantastic people.
And the two are separate.
That isn't everyone's goal. I've met lots of people whose dream is to give up the commute and start working from home.
I can understand that. I've done that.
But I can also see the disadvantages, and they're important for every new Internet entrepreneur to be aware of.
When you work from home, you're never away from the workplace. Your email is always right at hand. Your stats are always available. Your spare moments can easily be swapped for time in front of the computer, expanding your marketing or creating new content.
It's just too easy to become a workaholic, especially in the early stages of an online business when there's so much to learn and so much to do.
Creating separate work spaces is one easy way to avoid that temptation and to keep your family first. If you can't - or don't want -- to do that by using an outside office, then making sure you have a separate space somewhere in your home, even if it's only a corner of the garage, can be big help.
You can also set strict time limits on the day by forcing yourself to stop working at seven and telling your spouse that he or she can throw things at you (or at least, make you empty the dishwasher) if you go anywhere near the computer at the weekends.
But best of all, you can plan ahead. One of the biggest reasons that home-based business can be so appealing, even when their owners should be resting and playing, is that deadlines promised to readers and agreements with joint venture partners can feel so pressing.
That can be cured with careful and realistic planning and an understand of how long projects really do take to complete. That's always a good skill to have anyway, and when you get it right, it's the sort of thing that can make you feel very lucky too.
It's Del.icio.us!
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May 4, 2009 09:03 AM
During the time when my children were younger, I was able to have my cabinet business in my home. It was a wonderful thing to be available to my family almost 24/7.
If I needed to get away I would take time to go fishing or roller blading in the park.
May 4, 2009 02:53 PM
I LOVE working from a home office probably because I overlook the beach, however Joel is right it can be a trap, so now I have a studio apartment next door that I go to to work. - "Separate place, same great views" :-)
Dale
May 4, 2009 05:29 PM
I think I have the perfect office environment for my graphic design studio. For the last 10 years, I've shared office space with two other small businesses in an old brick mill building in the South End of Boston. We each have our own large space, and we share a central conference/lunch room. Not only is this very cost effective, but we all have complimentary businesses. This allows us to work together as a larger team when we want, or just have some company when our staff is light. There's a nice shot of our office here: http://www.metropoliscreative.com/who_we_are.php
May 4, 2009 05:37 PM
You're right. It is tempting to overdo it, especially when it's fun to stay updated on twitter, writing the blog(s) etc. But we must maintain proper focus AND balance, and your points are valid.
Thanks for a good blog. :-)
May 4, 2009 05:53 PM
I love working from home too but Joel's so right in pointing out some of the pitfalls.
I've developed some helpful habits, like eating lunch away from the computer, a strict "shut down" time, and time blocks so I don't get distracted by some household task (or vice versa).
But Dale's solution of having a beachfront studio right next door sounds pretty nice!
-Helen Graves
Grand Poohbah of Crackerjack Online Marketing
May 4, 2009 06:25 PM
LOL it's 7:21 PM, waiting for incoming projectiles! Good points. Right now I have two daughters 2 and under so I get interrupted frequently. But in all honesty I love it =P
May 4, 2009 06:41 PM
I completely agree. I think the dif for most is whether you are married or whether you have a family at home.
Keeping work and family separate is the key to a long and healthy relationship and to being a part of your children's lives and not watching it go by.
thanks for the article
May 4, 2009 06:56 PM
Very great post Joel and you're absolutely correct. I have an office area in my house designated to my workspace, and even though it is separate, still being part of the house makes it extremely easy (and all too often) a place I find myself "after hours".
Although it is important to keep yourself on top of your committments, it is ultimately just like you stated, necessary to distance yourself so as not to constantly be sitting there in front of the computer.
If you do like having your office at home or you can't get an office away from home, at the very least... make sure you designate time with your family regularly.
May 4, 2009 07:12 PM
I work from home and while I agree that there are cons, and sometimes I long for an office and set hours, as a mom I love the flexibility.
Yes, I do tend to be a workaholic and sometimes I allow deadlines to jump in the path of family time. BUT for me I love that I am not wasting any time commuting etc. And I get to see my kids during day and take breaks to play with my baby and drive my son to and from school. Then after bedtime, back to my desk. I make sure that I take a few hours "off" and with my kids without being online.
It is an exhausting way to live some days, but this is just a season. Kids grow up very fast!
May 4, 2009 07:28 PM
Fab article!
And so true!
I have been working from home since 1992. What a blessing it has been for me, with an autistic son. I have worked out of the home at times, too, and I enjoyed it. I never minded the commute - that was when I planned my day. However, I have always gone back to my home office and now I'm probably here to stay. Yes, you must be able to say, now it's time to quit for awhile or for the day or the weekend! ~Michelle Trent ;-)
May 4, 2009 08:05 PM
So true- it's too easy to work too much when the job I love so much is so accessible. There's always "just one more thing" more to do. I let myself work 7 days a week, but limit my hours from 7 to 7. Evenings are for play. If I need to steel a few hours from the day, I'll let myself catch up in the pm while watching Larry King. The first year online was the craziest until I figured out it's not the hours I work but how I work the hours. Organization is key.
May 5, 2009 12:32 AM
Great post. I do agree that working from home has its disadvantage but having to spend time with my family and work at the same time is a luxury. However, one has to be very disciplined during his working hours to make this work or at least set aside certain hours of commitment everyday/week .
=]
May 5, 2009 11:22 PM
Ha! What is a dishwasher? I am the family dishwasher Joel!
None of those new fangled gadgets for me, (a) becaue I cannot afford one, and (b) because I think I do a better job anyway!
My wife a retired university lecturer and I live in a 2BR unit, the 2nd BR is our office. She is a writer, and I am an octogenarian IM hopeful!
May 6, 2009 02:23 AM
I bet you are very lucky Joel,.I'm still stuck 8AM-7PM job.At nights,i workout my blog to gain some site income..i wish i will be like you one day.
My blog:
May 19, 2009 01:42 PM
You are so right Joel lately i have become so addicted to producing materials for my blog that i loose track of time.
By reading this post made my realize that mabye i can be more productive if carefully plan my day and put down some strict rules to follow.
May 28, 2009 12:44 PM
Hello Joel, Rich Weaver here, I love your site(s) so much I've included them into my Twitter feed. I've noticed a significant jump in my follows after I did that. About the office, I have both, a work at home office and a regular office, where I sell real estate. I'd say both offices are the way to go. For one reason it helps get me into that mindset of each offices main purpose. I'm just starting down the road to my own social media empire and hope to learn a lot from great people like you, shoemoney, Keith Bond and Paul Graham. Hope to meet you all some day.
June 23, 2009 12:06 PM
Very nice.