I started “working from home” in 2011. Actually, I was working from home part time, while also still working a regular 9 to 5 job for a technology non-profit. I accomplished my day-job duties before going home to work on my side hustle. It wasn’t until mid-2012 that I made the daunting switch to work from home (WFH) full time. How did I do it? I was able to make the switch partly because I had the time and energy to do both at the same time. At the time, I was unmarried and without kids. But I also really, really wanted to follow my lifelong dream of becoming a total creative. So when I found the perfect opportunity for me to enter the world of publishing, I knew I had to take it. The journey to where I am today—a freelance writer, editor, still-life photographer, and illustrator—was a lot more complicated than I thought. I was naive. I didn’t know how much I would burn out. I didn’t know I’d have to wait months for product to come out. And I didn’t know the “free” in freelance would sometimes mean the opposite. If you’ve ever thought about cutting the cord, here are six tips to consider so you can avoid (or at least expect) the challenges that come with this fulfilling but serious decision to work from home. Walk, don’t run. It may be tempting to drop your job and run for the WFH, especially if you aren’t happy with your current role. Luckily, I didn’t feel this way because I truly loved my day job. But taking my time to ease into working from home set me up really well when I eventually had to leave that role. Long story short: my husband and I got married and moved to Spain soon after our honeymoon so he could pursue an MBA. I was the sole breadwinner in my WFH position for the two years my husband was in school. While we had to be really strict with our budget, we were still able to enjoy our time in Europe because in addition to my WFH earnings, I had a lot saved up in the bank from my former position. Not having to worry about being jobless and penniless if WFH didn’t work out was so worth the wait. Keep an eye out for opportunities. These days, there are a ton of opportunities to WFH that didn’t exist in the past. Most writers I know work from home, as do many artists. Today, you can even find jobs for teachers and nurses that can be done from home. With the growth of the sharing economy (think Uber and TaskRabbit ), you can “see” patients via video, teach English “abroad” in China, and “showcase” your art on social media platforms like Instagram. Forbes reports “freelancers now make up 35 percent of the U.S. workforce, and companies are always looking to outsource and work with them to meet their business […]
