5 Reasons We Love Working from Home

My #1 Reason

Most (but not all) 1099 Moms work from some sort of home office arrangement.  But is this ideal?  What perks can you expect when you give up a commute for the kind of head-down, serious focus that you need to be able to work alongside hubby, kids, and a fully-stocked pantry?  We give you our top picks for why working from home can't be beat!

1.  You are (literally) at home.  There is just something about being in your own space that can calm even the most frantic business owner.  Being among familiar surroundings not only helps to curb those nerves that can creep up when Skyping with a client for the first time, it can keep you focused on what matters.  (Seeing all those kid drawings on the fridge can motivate one more sale out of just about anybody.)

2.  It saves to skip the drive.  You can get between 1-2 hours back per day by getting rid of your daily commute.  Add in the gas money you won't be paying at the pump (as well as the wear-and-tear on your vehicle), and you're looking at some major cash savings.  Did we mention that your car insurance is likely to go down when you trade in your "commuter" status for "pleasure driver"?

3.  Sick kids? No problem.  The only thing better than being home with your little angels is being home with your sick little angels.  Under-the-weather tykes tend to lay pretty still on the couch all day, making your job of caretaker pretty breezy.  You won't have to take off of work to care for them, and you don't need to make a visit to the drop-in center.  (And your kids?  They'll love knowing that they didn't make Mommy miss another day at the office.)

4.  Flexible lifestyles.  So you want to homeschool while working from home?  It can be done.  Curious about how to start a small business while attending college?  Go for it!  Needing to work weird hours so your husband can advance his career?  Working from home may be the only way to get it done.   We've already established that having a home office is ideal for those "special arrangements" that life throws at you.  Thank goodness.


5.  People will be jealous.  One perk to having people wonder what you do all day long is that they will also be a bit envious of your situation.  Sure, you'll likely work twice as hard at your own business than you would for your employer, and you don't usually get maternity leave when you're a freelancer.  But to have everyone think you're a rock star as you snag Thursday afternoons off to take your kids to the park is a priceless prize for taking major risks in your career.

What about you?  What do you love MOST about working from home?