Not too long ago, the idea of working from home was something that was largely entertained by just a lucky few. Maybe you had a specific type of job that could be home based (such as working as an artist or telemarketer), or perhaps it was a temporary or part-time arrangement. For many professionals, however, working from home on a regular basis simply wasn’t to be taken seriously as an option.
Fast forward to today, however, and the notion of remote work has gone mainstream. According to a report from Global Workplace Analytics, from 2005 to 2015, the number of remote workers increased by 115 percent. Similarly, freelancing platform Upwork reports that 63 percent of companies now have remote workers. In our modern world of mobile phones and online connectivity, working from home isn’t just a casual, temporary thing - it’s a completely legitimate way to build a career. Here are just a few examples how:
Blogging/writing
Think of all the content that’s on the internet (you probably can’t, because that is a truly unfathomable amount!). Then consider that all of that content had to be written by people, somewhere – there’s a good chance that many of them weren’t writing from an office building. Just by virtue of the sheer volume of content that’s demanded on the internet – and the fact that with today’s technology it can be produced from virtually anywhere – there are real opportunities to build a career from online writing.
Put another way, in the past if you wanted to write content for a living, you probably had to go down the path of becoming a journalist or communications professional in an office-bound company. Today, writers have a lot more freedom.
Want the opportunity to write and build a community around something you’re truly passionate about? Start your own blog. Or, work as a freelancer and give yourself the chance to explore a range of topics. Especially with platforms like Upwork that connect freelancers with employers, if you put yourself out there, build a portfolio and prove yourself, it’s entirely possible to live out your dreams and write from home for a living.
Network marketing
If you’re a business-oriented people-person but also relish the flexibility of working from home (or wherever there is wifi), network marketing is an option that can give you the best of both worlds. Network marketing gives you the opportunity to learn marketing techniques and gain experience in building a business, but without a heavy cost on your lifestyle.*
A major advantage to the network marketing model is the freedom that it affords in your working life. As a network marketer, you’re your own boss – you’re only answerable to yourself in what you achieve, and you decide the hours you want to put in and when.
This flexibility also means that it suits many different work situations. While some choose to turn it into a full-time job, for others it may be something that they do part-time while juggling a family. Either way, network marketing is a great way to develop valuable business skills and build a viable career – all from the comfort of your own home.
* There are no guarantees. Results are different for everyone. Annual typical earning statement available at iccs.arbonne.com.
Your current job
When you think about working from home, you’re probably considering all the benefits for yourself (work-life balance, no dreaded commute, home comforts etc). Yet there are also plenty of benefits to remote work for an employer. As you’re not in the office consuming office supplies, electricity and floor space, working remotely can save employers money. And, perhaps surprisingly, research suggests that productivity actually increases when employees can work from home.
An increasing number of businesses are adopting remote work policies, so if you’re reading this and dreaming of the possibilities, it’s worth at least chatting to your boss to see what your options are. While it may not eventuate in working from home on a full-time basis, you may find you’re able to work more flexibly than you realise. Platforms like Skype, G (Google) Suite and other online productivity tools make collaboration easy, and access to remote servers and cloud-based applications means that employees can have information readily on hand.
The online world hasn’t just created new forms of work, like blogging and network marketing, it’s also provided the infrastructure for more traditional jobs to be carried out online. For those with families, other commitments, or simply a desire for a more flexible lifestyle, this is definitely a trend to be embraced!
Learn to balance a dream and a job, until your dream becomes your job.
– Anonymous
Do you work from home or do you want to?
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