What are the Pros and Cons of Working from Home?

Posted December 15, 2016

These days, more and more job seekers are considering the possibility of making money online. With so many online jobs that are readily available, it’s hard to ignore the idea. Home-based jobs are game-changing opportunities for many people who want to make a living while caring for their families or for those who want more time for their personal aspirations. If you are keen on starting a career in the virtual assistant industry, it’s wise to know the pros and cons of working from home first so that you know exactly what to expect.

Many people assume that working from home is easy because you are within the comforts of your own home. However, this isn’t always the case. Here are some of the difficulties that most virtual assistants encounter:

CONS

Your home may not be conducive for work and study.

Your household can have so many distracting elements in it. First, it can get too comfortable and relaxing. This may derail you from working efficiently. Second, you have the couch, your smartphone, the bed, the television set, your loud next-door neighbor, your children’s mess and other factors that may sway your attention away from the job.

Family members might get in the way.

If you do not set boundaries with your relatives at home during your work session, the chances of losing focus are high. Noisy children, a nagging partner and even barking dogs can be a pain while working.

You are your own manager.

No one else will set rules for you but yourself. Since nobody can see you, you may be prone to the temptation of procrastination and laziness.

You may try to juggle too many tasks at a time.

Taking care of the home and the members in it while working for a client online might get overwhelming. Juggling too many tasks without focus may lead to poor quality of work.

You have less physical activity.

Weight gain is often the biggest complaint of VAs. If you do not have a fitness regimen, the chances of being unhealthy are increased.

Your social life may become non-existent.

Actual friendships in real life are lessened, and this may make your social life inactive.

Boredom can take over.

There is little action that happens at home unlike the stimulation from going to and from the office and actually being in the usual office set-up.

PROS

You do not have to endure heavy traffic.

This is one of the best benefits of working from home.

You can work from anywhere as long as there is a fast internet connection.

You have the freedom to choose where to work. This means that you can choose places you enjoy the most while working or locations where your productivity is boosted.

You save on costs for transportation, meals and corporate wear.

Since you just stay at home, you can easily make your meals and dress in whatever outfit you want.

You have more time to take care of your family.

One of the best reasons especially for new parents to opt to work from home is the need to nurture their kids. Working as a virtual assistant can definitely help with that.

You have more time for your personal needs.

Hobbies and other interests can be pursued if you learn to budget your time wisely.

Actual office politics that cause conflicts are less likely to happen.

It’s pretty obvious that actual encounters that breed gossip, envy, and competition are rampant in office set-ups. However, it’s not totally eliminated in the VA industry. Staying polite, kind and hardworking can make it easier to avoid it entirely.

You may have less chances of feeling stressed or pressured.

The pressure of competition between workmates is lessened. This promotes peace of mind and improved productivity. You can just focus on your job and on how to be good at what you do.

There are indeed so many meaningful and compelling reasons why you should embark on the journey of becoming a virtual assistant. If you are all set, drop us a line and send us your information so we can help you start a career in the VA industry today. You’ll never know how fulfilling and enriching this path could be unless you give it a shot.

Next: Is Working From Home Right For You?

20Four7VA recognizes the challenge of effectively managing an online business – and we are very eager to help. Our company specializes in eCommerce VIRTUAL STAFFING SOLUTIONS, providing customizable and scalable solutions to small, medium, and large enterprise business owners so they can focus on growing their business.

Ready to have access to incredible people with incredible skills in the most cost-effective way? Contact us today!