Had the forecasters of the 1970s and 1980s been right, by now the great corporate centres of many of our commercial cities should be largely pastoral with just about everybody working from home.
So, why hasn’t it happened?
Funding your home working
These days, with the exception of perhaps some very rural locations, your local geographic area’s technology infrastructures should be more than sufficient to support home working.
Whether your own home technology is, might be another question.
If it’s not, one of your first steps might be to consider some form of business loan to help you do something about it.
If you are the type of person that doesn’t enjoy asking for loans then this may be an inhibitor for you. Fortunately, there is a vibrant business lending marketplace with plenty of sites that make it easy to obtain information.
On good example of type and a modern online provider of funds can be found here at Everline and there are many others. Don’t worry if the thought of business borrowing sounds formal and complicated. Sites such as the one above make it easy to understand all the various elements involved.
It goes without saying that you should always shop around to investigate a number of lending options before committing yourself to a given provider. It’s also worth keeping in mind that even the friendliest sites might assume that you have at least a basic understanding of the financial terms associated with borrowing.
If you’re a little hazy on what things like interest rate or capital investment mean, a little general research online might be useful.
Some lenders may require that you have 2 years’ trading history behind you before you’ll be considered eligible. Look around if you are a genuine start-up home business, as some providers might specialise in business-angel type funding solutions.
Review your options carefully and look for a solution that is right for you and which you regard as being cost-effective.
Discipline
Much as many of us may not wish to admit so, it can be difficult to concentrate on work when you are at home.
Sometimes the slight formal rigidity of an office can be the spur some of us need to concentrate and get the job done.
Taking advice
Problems with home working can occasionally arise as a result of people not preparing sufficiently. It’s not easy and you’ll need to make sure that you have things such as separate work areas to avoid interruptions.
Making a plan in advance and taking advice is key to success.
Social circles
It’s a plain fact that working from home can be lonely.
You’re not going to have the gossip around the coffee machine or the chance to pop down to the local pub with your friends at lunchtime.
To put it bluntly, if you are a people-person, working at home might not suit you.
Different personas
Many people are fundamentally different in terms of their behaviours in the office as opposed to when they are at home.
This distinction can be important not only to you but also to your friends, family and colleagues around you.
It can be very easy to stop taking yourself seriously when you are working from home. This is a danger that some people can guard against easily whereas others find it more difficult.
Summary
In practice, it may be the above human and psychological constraints that have consistently held back the idea of mass home working over the past 30 or 40 years.
If you feel you can overcome some of them then why not take the leap and become your own boss?
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