Going Virtual
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Judy Wolf
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Making
It Work from Home:
Practical Advice from Successful Professionals
by
Judy Wolf
This is the final article of a four-part series on Going Virtual. If you've ever thought about joining the thousands of people who've made working from home part of their daily lives, these articles will guide you through some of the technology, paradigm shifts, and practical considerations that can make it possible in your own life.
Before you leap into telework -- especially if you're planning to freelance -- you'll probably treat more than one successful home office worker to lunch in a thinly veiled attempt to pick their brains. In an effort to save you a little capital (for those pending home office equipment purchases), I asked a few successful teleworkers to share their collective wisdom for this final segment of the Going Virtual telework series.
Making the Leap
Just like you, successful teleworkers gave careful consideration to a variety of factors such as cost efficiency and their own work habits and personalities. The folks I interviewed listed as top work-at-home benefits a shortened commute, scheduling flexibility (one writer said her most creative time is at night, outside "normal" working hours; a project manager mentioned that many of her job duties, such as web updates on weekends, required strange hours and were more easily and efficiently done from home) and convenience.
David J. LeVant, freelance copywriter, creative director and marketing strategist, added, "Hands down…the biggest gain is productivity. There are eight hours in an eight-hour day to work. Fewer interruptions, no staff meetings, no commute, a ready refrigerator for quick lunches."
But what are some of the hesitations they had before starting up? Micheline Mittak, a freelance writer, researcher and consultant, was interested in gaining flexibility, but worried whether she'd have the "ability to make enough to pay the monthly bills, the financial capability up front to invest in the right equipment (new computer, laser printer, dedicated fax machine and phone lines), and whether or not I was disciplined enough to work even on the most perfect day of the year in order to meet a deadline."
Several freelancers solved this dilemma by starting their freelance jobs on the side while still working full-time. This gave them a few months to test the waters before taking the plunge. LeVant got around the upfront costs by using his "existing computer, chair, desk, phone, phone line and crappy fax machine for the first nine months. All I had to do was get my own e-mail address….After nine months, I bought a real, wrap-around desk, matching display shelves, speaker phone, [cable] connection, real chair, new fax machine, new computer, color printer. I wanted to make sure the new business was viable before buying all this, and I also knew exactly what I needed after 'getting by' without it for nine months."
The Drawbacks
When asked what challenges she faced in deciding to work from home, Jennifer Miglioratti, an ad agency account supervisor, had a definitive answer: "None, except I probably worked way more than a normal person working in an office, since I never 'got away' from the job." She also warned that teleworkers should be on the lookout for miscommunication: "…e-mail can be easily misinterpreted, so can the phone. It is sometimes easier to read people and correct a situation in person."
LeVant, who listed water cooler conversation as one of the things he missed about working in an office environment, solves this one by leaving his instant messaging on while working and making sure he ends his official work day at 4:30 so he can meet friends at Happy Hour. This provides him with "some social contact as well as creating a separation between working at home and being with the family at home when they get out of school/work."
Mittak agreed, saying she missed "having someone to bounce ideas off of," and added that general organization can also be an issue. "There is no one to take your calls when you're not there, no one to track your projects and make sure you don't miss any deadlines, no one to keep your office supplies stocked, and no visitors (usually) to make you keep your desk and work area tidy."
LeVant mentioned visitors in a slightly different light: "It is a challenge to have house guests in your office." For those of you worried about meetings with clients in your home, LeVant put a creative twist on the dilemma by framing it in terms of client convenience: "I don't have a professional place to see clients, but I've turned this into a positive. Let the agencies make the client come to them to see the fancy conference room. My clients know they will never have to leave their office to meet with me."
Effective Communication
Each of the home office professionals I interviewed mentioned that having numerous communication options was key to their success. "I provide as many contact avenues as possible - phone, cell phone, fax, e-mail. If I'm working on an urgent project and have other appointments or clients to take care of, I'll let the 'urgent project client' know my schedule ahead of time and how to reach me, as well as when I'll be unavailable, so they can plan their schedule," said one freelancer.
Miglioratti stays in "constant communication, cell phone and home phone for calls. If I was going to be offline for extended periods of time, I would create an out of office message to let people know when I would be back. If I was working on a large collaborative project, I would always let the team know my schedule ahead of time and do my best to arrange back up."
LeVant listed high-speed internet, instant messaging, speakerphone, cell phone, and a reliable fax as communication necessities. His mobile number is included on his business cards, his "cell and land lines both have voice mail, and there's a dedicated fax line."
What about Those Pesky Stereotypes?
Communication is vital to keeping up a professional appearance. But even then, you'll occasionally run across people who just don't get it. "Some people still think of it as slacking off, and off-the-cuff remarks are made," said Miglioratti. "The best way to solve this is by proving yourself. You get the job done and make sure you are in communication with people and available as often as - if not more than - if you were in the office."
"Some people joke that you work in PJs and don't get up before noon," said Mittak. "While there may be days where this is true, they are very few and far between. I treat my business as a business. Period. The only difference in how I work is that I'm in my home office instead of a work office. Everything else is the same (well, except for the three dogs sleeping on my feet)."
LeVant chooses not to fight the stereotype head on. "I play up on the 'humanness' of working from home. I can work a full day and still see my kids off on the bus, volunteer in their school (it's across the street) and work without interruptions."
Another approach is that taken by a technical writer I met recently whose wife's career relocated him to another state and made telework his best option for staying with his long-term employer. His response to people who accuse him of coming to work at 10 a.m. in his pajamas is "…And?"
Final Tips
In the last article, "Home Sweet Home…Office," I outlined considerations for creating a workable and efficient home office. Each of the folks interviewed for this article had used or created a separate room for their work space and equipped it with good lighting, an array of communication tools, and appropriate office equipment.
Some of them did their research and equipment investments ahead of time, some "made do" until they knew exactly what they needed. All of them gave consideration to how (and whether) their business matched the environment. This kind of strategic planning is vital to making wise decisions. Anticipating what your colleagues and clients will expect from you goes a long way toward maintaining a professional appearance and creating success for yourself.
For those of you thinking of working for yourself, Mittak offered sage counsel: "Don't just jump into it….Networking is critical to succeed with your own business, and having a background with people in your industry is a large function of that. Eighty percent of my business comes from referrals or people with whom I worked in the past while working at agencies."
Mittak added that freelancers should be ready for the fact that work can come in waves, and the lack of a steady paycheck makes budgeting an important business skill. "Think out how you will handle yourself if you have too much business and when you have no business."
LeVant offered a final bit of advice. "Make sure that you can balance your time yourself. The workplace does a lot to do that for us. Working at home means no one else will tell you when it's time to start the day, break for lunch, end the day, go out and get more work, do the work you have, bill for the work you've done. Time management is much more the issue than 'being self-motivated.' You can be so self motivated and productive that you forget to live."
For recommended web sites and links that accompany this series, please visit the resource section of my web site.
Copyright (c) 2002 Judy Wolf
About
the Author:
Judy Wolf (www.judywolf.com)
is a world traveler, freelance writer, speaker, and whitewater kayak instructor.
She's taken numerous, extended solo journeys around the world, traveling
by foot, bus, jeep, camel, truck, boat, train, plane, elephant, and bicycle
to over 30 countries on five continents. She currently lives in upstate
New York with her husband and border collie, where she's working on a
book-length travel narrative about her most recent adventures…that is,
when she's not plunging off waterfalls or entertaining the dog.
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