Freelance work is an exciting challenge, and coworking spaces such as Idea Hub, where workshops and networking meetings take place, provide a platform for exchanging mutual experiences. But remote work is not for everyone. Let’s consider the pros and cons of such a solution.
Advantages of remote work
1. It gives you a sense of enormous freedom and independence.
In most life situations, you can stop worrying about time.
You can calmly get up a few minutes later and still face no consequences for being late. Thanks to remote work, you can also plan your vacation more conveniently. Find a place with internet access and you can keep working.
2. Remote work is an ideal solution for people with health problems.
Such as those that prevent them from moving around. It also allows for greater focus on family ties. If you are caring for a child, an elderly person, or a person with disabilities, you can combine work with care at home without major difficulties.
3. Often higher earnings.
This results from lower costs. When working remotely, you do not have to have only one client. You can be independent and bring in two or three collaborators.
According to recent research, the average household in the USA spends as much as 9.5 thousand dollars a year on commuting – that is a lot of money that can be saved by taking up remote work!
4. Remote work is usually shorter work.
You do not waste time commuting, you minimize the time of unnecessary meetings, and you gain space to develop passions or interests.
5. Remote work usually also forces you to grow.
But interestingly, you do not feel forced. When you work for yourself, you must constantly develop in order to stay ahead of the competition.
6. You do what you like.
Let’s assume you love football. If you fall in love with freelance work, you will very quickly notice that you want to develop in that direction, you want to know more, and you keep wanting to improve it.
Disadvantages of remote work
1. You may have trouble setting aside space in an apartment or house.
Remember that you need to organize your workspace so that everything is within reach and you ensure comfort for yourself
2. Household members do not always understand that you are working.
This means everyone wants to stop you and tell you what is going on with them. By the end of such a day, it may turn out that you still have not done anything.
3. It is easy to simply become lazy when working from home.
Vacation and work in one? Sounds ideal, but on the other hand – you are not resting, yet you are also not fully working. Remember one thing: a one- or two-day delay in completing assigned tasks probably will not cost you your assignments, but with longer delays your clients will simply look for someone else.
We also gathered a few myths about working outside the office.
Check whether you believe them too!
Remote work = lower earnings
MYTH! Companies employing remote workers do not have to: pay for renting office space large enough to accommodate all employees; pay electricity and water bills; hire a cleaning crew, etc. Their costs are much lower, which allows them to offer employees more competitive rates.
Remote work requires a large dose of motivation and conscientiousness
TRUE! On the one hand, you know you have to fulfill your duties, and on the other, motivation weakens. Some people may have difficulty mobilizing themselves to work at home because it is associated with rest.
Remote work is not only for IT specialists
TRUE! There are currently many remote work opportunities in various industries, so you do not have to be an IT specialist to become a digital nomad! Examples of professions in which you can work “from home” include: doctors, psychologists, personal assistants, translators, copywriters, lecturers, customer support employees, marketing specialists, photographers, graphic designers, accountants, financial consultants, telemarketers, sales managers, and the list does not end there!
You can work remotely from anywhere
MYTH! The place where you work must be adapted to the requirements of your assignment. If it requires focus – unfortunately – a crowded beach in Gdynia is out. To maintain peace of mind, it is important to separate your private and professional life. Of course, it is acceptable to take your laptop with you on vacation once in a while, but remember not to do it too often.
Remote work can be combined with on-site work
TRUE! Some people are able to combine several days of remote work with office work. Today, many people successfully combine the flexibility offered by remote work with the stability and office atmosphere provided by on-site work. If you want to find out whether remote work is for you, ask your employer to let you work from home 1-2 days a week.
REMEMBER!
Create a special profile on your computer that has ABSOLUTELY nothing on it.
On your public profile, you certainly have a lot of shortcuts on the desktop, programs, photos, bookmarks in the browser. All these small things can effectively steal a few precious moments from us. You are working on a project and you think to yourself: “I cannot come up with anything anyway. I will go on Facebook.” One photo of an acquaintance, then another, a friend request, a few-minute chat with your sister – congratulations, you have just lost several minutes of your precious time. I do not know about you, but I prefer to focus only on work, do what I have to do, and then have free time.
Your room is not a room. It is an office. I do not know who you live with, where you live, or what is on your desk. I do know, however, that all the things in your room make you feel at home there. Photos of your girlfriend, your favorite movie, a dog wagging its tail happy to see you. It is very easy to get distracted when things unrelated to work are within sight. Create an aura of work in your mind, and it will certainly serve you well.
Plan your day, keep rigid time frames.
Working from home is primarily a time saver, but to save time we must have a goal. If you have concrete plans for the coming day, you will certainly find it easier to complete a given task. Subconsciously, you will know that you have to complete a given project by 3 or 4 p.m., because later you have a meeting.
