Home-based work is not for everyone as it requires a good amount of discipline and dedication. And if you plan to make it your main source of income, then you should train yourself to allot regular time for work within your schedule, just like an office job.

If you’re considering working from home, then you might want to weigh in on its advantages and disadvantages first before going into this kind of lifestyle.

Advantages of working from home:

First, you have minimal to non-existent travel time. Working from home is convenient and you’ll neither experience heavy traffic jams nor bump into a sea of people who are also exerting effort to look pristine on their mad rush to work.

Second, you earn more and you save more money. The main reason for this is because your lifestyle expenses such as transportation, clothing, and food costs are at a minimum. You’ll have more money for bills, rent, and groceries; and you’ll most likely create excess money for savings and investments.

Third, you have a choice on your working hours. The US, UK, and Australia are the more popular countries that offer home-based work. You can pick the time zone when you could work best. In addition, some clients allow flexible working hours as long as you get the job done.

Next, you’re free to focus on the type of work that you like. You’ll get to focus on what you do best and offer that to clients that exactly need your skills. If you love and good at writing, then you can do just that.

Finally, you get to spend more quality time with your family since you will be working from home. You are also able to immediately deal with family emergencies in case they arise, and you can finally do tasks and finish home projects that have been waiting to be completed for so long.

Disadvantages of working from home:

One of the biggest disadvantages of working from home is that you won’t have the protection and benefits that employees enjoy. You’ll have to pay for your own health insurance, taxes, and other government services; or you need to hire a professional to do them for you.

In addition, you don’t have paid leaves as you only get paid for the hours you’ve worked. At times, holidays are not observed as well, which requires you to clarify with and submit to your client your preferred rest days before work starts.

Lastly, there is of course the concern of job security. Clients can choose not to extend your contract, and there will be times when finding a replacement or landing a new project will be challenging.

Is home-based work for you?

Be honest with yourself and ask if you’re okay with facing the disadvantages given above. Ask yourself too if the advantages will be worth it in your perspective as well.

In the end, with the proper attitude and the right mindset, the shift from a regular paying job to a home-based, freelance work can be a rewarding experience — a challenge that’s been taken up by thousands of individuals who were just like you but decided to explore alternative, and more often than not, better work options.

Test drive doing home-based work. Sign up and offer your services here at 199Jobs today.