working from home

I wonder if other women who work from home experience the fact that people think we don't work.

Friends and family often ask me what I'm doing on certain days. I'm like...what do you THINK I'm doing? I don't say that, but I feel like it!

We don't get any respect...

Duh -- yeah!
Even when I worked for a corporation and "worked at home" there was a perception I wasn't working!

I get it all the time from relatives especially the out of town crowd but once they come and visit they see, the phone rings off the hook, people are coming and going, the dog pound truck pulls in to drop off a dog needing a foster and so on and so on. By the time they leave they're shaking their heads saying, "woman take it easy, you're no spring chicken." I say "yea maybe but this 'old hen' can work rings around any spring chicken."

I agree, people think if you work at home, you are available at any time...not so!!!!

I'm pretty sure my family thinks I sit around watching Oprah and eating Oreo's....I'm pretty sure my publisher thinks the same thing! I'm constantly being called on to run a special errand, go on a trip, or just asked by THE SON when he gets in, "So ... what did you do all day?" I use to give him full details until I realized he wasn't listening and was walking away from me. So now I say something like, "Oh, me and Sam Elliott had a role in the hay, then I tried out for the Olympics, then Publisher's Clearning House dropped by with a million dollars, but I said nahhhh...no thanks." He continues walking down the hall and says, "that's nice Mom."

JJ

One guy I dated was very condescending about me working from home, among other things. He assumed I didn't work much and that my business trips were all fun, games and partying. When I corrected him, he basically accused me of lying, probably because that's what his business trips were. He didn't last very long.

Daisygirl

Glad to hear I'm not the only one. Part of it is my problem because I don't set enough boundaries. I'm getting better at that.

About a month ago, my sister had a couple hours before she had to be to work. She was nearby and called to see if I wanted to get lunch. It killed me to tell her I had to work and I couldn't come out and play, but I did it. My problem is that I like to do all the social things too.

Finding balance is tough.

I agree whole-heartedly! It's almost like everyone in my life has de-valued my time! My oldest daughter, who also works from home, is the only one that understands the value of time to a self-employed person. You waste time, you lose money. You don't keep up with your calendar, you lose opportunity. You fluff off a day on a whim you spend the next week working 12 hours a day instead of 10. People that have never tried working from home have no idea what pressure we put on ourselves to achieve and succeed. Just because I sometimes go for days without producing anything tangible, I am being productive. Try convincing anyone of that and they look at you like you've lost the few remaining marbles you were left with when you decided to strike out on your own to start!

Tami

You're all right on track! JJ, I've tried that with my family and get the same response -

It seems that when we work from home, people think we can drop our work whenever we want and pick it right back up again.

There are many times in my web design business that I have deadlines to meet. Then when someone calls to go for lunch and I can't, they get all huffy. They seem to think that I always make my own hours, but many times I can't.

But it IS awesome to work from home, and I wouldn't change it for the world! I worked as a director at a school for a few years and just hated the stress level, the red tape, the "pass the buck" attitudes.

At least when I have my own biz, I only have to answer to myself and my clients. I always know the status of every job and can give straight answers. Love it!

Kathy

After working form home for any length of time one becomes spoiled and it is near impossible to work outside the home after that or is it just me?

Kathy, you bring up a great point. You too chatty. I never want to work for another soul. It's way too stressful.

I love the flexibility of working from home. I took Dad to breakfast this morning and was back by 9:30 ready to go. My son dropped in between school and internship so I got to see him. Then my daughter arrived home from school. I love it. I'm here getting work done and my family is around me.

Wow! I hear you all! I feel as if "working at home" means to some "doing nothing all day". People just don't understand we have real work to do!

I do love the flexibility. I take care of my husband's business and do my own thing in between; or vice-versa, if I don't have much to do for his business on a certain day. But Mr. L. does not see what I do as work .

One other ME problem when working from home, or maybe I should say one "con," would be that it is not for the undisciplined.

If you work from home you HAVE to set boundaries with everybody and even more importantly, yourself. I found out that if I don't constantly set goals and schedule things, (plus keep a calendar) I will miss something important, or get my priorities mixed up.

Anybody else have this problem?

I especially think emailing is a killer of time and I am trying my darnest to only check and respond a couple of times a day, or after working hours. It's simply too tempting!

JJ

Song, we need to get through to Mr L. What do you say all us boomer women send him emails telling him how important your work is?



Jawjaw, another great point. I'm a whip when it comes to this. I take it all very seriously. I have a daily list of what needs to be done for BWS and NABBW. I also keep a calendar.

My latest thing is to set my timer for an hour at a time. During that hour I do nothing other than stay focused on the task at hand. It's not easy but I'm getting better at it.

Oh...and I'm anal. One of my favorite things to do is cross things off my lists!

I've just proposed to the head of the board where I work that since gas prices are going through the roof and they can't afford to give me a much needed raise (after 4 yrs), that we move the one man office into my home.

My gas savings would end up being a raise of sorts....and then internet would be installed and I would have access after hours for secondary income.

Anybody have any ideas I can add to my pitch if they are interested enough to explore the idea?

When called by the newspaper I use to work for in Washington, DC about an idea to help the employees in this time of as they said, "crisis." I thought on it and then proposed that instead of just not giving a bonus or a raise why not give each employee deserving something special a company gas card....As starting over said "its like a raise of sorts." They liked the idea and adopted it as their own several weeks ago...

Starting over you might also tell them that the traveling time usually used to go to and from home to work could be utilized with work, thusly devoting more time to business for the same amount of money. Its a no brainer in their favor but would also be a means to an end for you working your own services as well...

Startingover,
Increased gas prices will eventually affect heating and cooling costs and if you are not in your one person office, they won't have to heat and cool it which would probably more than offset the cost of offsite internet service.

I'm trying to think of something else.

smile

Well, just an update from last night's board meeting. They didn't like the idea of moving the office to my house. Said there were too many times something was needed quickly and I was going to be living too far away to make that work. (The only reason we have these crisis is because the family members refuse to get organized and treat the non-profit as a business; with time, respect and effort)

They sat there last night and calculated how many miles I will be driving against the cost of gas today and divided by the weeks in teh year and gave me a raise of 1.75 per hour. This will cover my gas costs today--it won't help if gas continues to go up and since every other good and service is going up because of gas prices it will only help temporarily. So...

I will keep looking for a better job and continue trying to build freelance income on the side.

I am disappointed--I had hoped to move the office here, which would really help my freelance work since I could then have internet access, since we would have to bring in internet for work. (I can't afford otherwise)

Anyway, God will provide. Thanks ladies for all the ideas/prayers.

Happily, they just didn't ignore you! And perhaps the door is meant to stay open for you to continue to look for better work.

Are you organized? Have you thought about becoming a virtual assistant? There's a huge demand for good ones. And since you do freelance work, you can obviously write! :--))

Think of this as a temporary solution allowing YOU more TIME to formulate your plan of departure, on to your next adventure/job. It does help in the interim, and this in turn helps buy you some time. To have your next plan of action down pat. Yes?

In other words, this just mean something better is coming.

JJ

Great thoughts wueenie! We don't call you queen for nothing.

Wueenie?? That got me rolling off my chair laughing! Ouch. So that's where that missing potato chip landed!

Virtual assistant? I am pleading ignorance here--please explain!

A virtual assistant is like an outsourced administrative assistant. They work from home for one or more people, creating letters, making phone calls, doing spreadsheets, maintaining contact lists, making travel arrangements and more. It's a burgeoning industry for all the solo entrepreuners out there -- like me!