What are the work from home benefits and drawbacks?
A major goal for most (if not all) that get a start in Affiliate Marketing is the dream of working from home.
It is at home that you no longer have set schedules, a boss to bark down your throat, and annoying coworkers/clients to deal with.
When you first entertain the concept of working from home, as an affiliate, all you can do is think of these benefits but lurking below the surface are some drawbacks.
For some, it may become immediate while for others it takes time for them to come into effect.
I’d like to give you some of the insights as someone who has worked from home for well over the last five years so that it doesn’t yet another job (in a place you are meant to relax and unwind).
Endless Emotional Ups and Downs
Working in an office (or anyone “on the job”) can cause a lot of headaches but humans are social creatures so when we are feeling stressed we are able to reach to others for help.
In a normal work environment, you may have taken for granted those small relationships you’ve built with co-workers when you need them the most.
When working from home (especially in an isolated environment) you experience many ups and downs, emotionally, because there aren’t as many outlets for your frustrations.
You can bring it up with a significant other or hop on Skype to chat with friends but often you don’t want to drag them into something trivial.
Own Thy Schedule
Want to sleep in until the afternoon and do all your work in the early morning hours?
Want to work in batches and then go out for a while before finishing work?
Want to power through a day just to see if you can take on the pressure?
Working from home is for you.
The office environment is tedious…
Not only do you spend hours of your life each week sitting in the commute but once you get there you’re bound to run into some grumpy people.
Between the endless/pointless meetings, projects that just keep dragging on, and dull corporate culture isn’t for everyone (which is why Affiliate Marketing has tempted you).
The Work… It Never Ends
- This is great if you have tons of motivation
- This isn’t so great if it’s hard to get motivated
You’re going to have endless work from your normal workplace but you can always clock out at the end of the day.
Working from home, however, means you’re “technically” always on the clock.
Sometimes it’s great knowing you have a weekend ready for you to relax and sometimes it’s a rush to get additional income from putting the extra hours on Saturday and Sunday.
But… it really depends at times and this is one of the biggest things people can have trouble with. When you can work as much as you want it starts to be everything you do – you become a workaholic – this can lead to you losing out on spending time with friends, family, loved ones, and exploring the world.
It’s also why I wrote about how it can cause you to feel stir crazy (but I did include ways to get around it).
Save That Money
Working in the office means that basically everything is provided for you to get things done.
Sure, you may need to pay for gas and other basic expenses (like your lunch) but it’s small compared to the amount of investment you’d need to make if you suddenly started a business from home.
The business has already built connections so there is job security; the better you do for the business the higher chances you can rise to the top and improve your career.
Working from home does have a few downsides in terms of investments for setting up a home office but when you factor in the time lost in the commute (including gas), being able to cook for yourself, work with programs/services you prefer, and have plenty of potential for growth through Affiliate Marketing it’s well worth the tradeoff.
What’s the Verdict?
If I were back at that fork in the road of choosing to leave my work to start working from home I would have a few concerns but overall it was totally worth it.
What I don’t like includes:
- Feeling isolated at times
- Work seems endless (because you always want to do more)
- It can cause stress with friends, family, and loved ones on a real personal level
What I do like includes:
- I own my schedule
- I can define my lifestyle (like getting up, traveling, and working anywhere in the World)
- The constant challenge to do better comes from within vs. the fear of being fired
I think working from home is something everyone should give a try if they are given the chance.
Try asking your superiors if they wouldn’t mind you working from home (remotely) for a day or so, here and there, and see how well you do. Come back to them with results and see if you can extend the number of days. With luck, you might be able to go full-time from home.
Of course… if you start your Affiliate Marketing side-hustle on the side and it takes off then why not give it your 100%? The option is yours.
