Pitfalls of the Home Office

• Posted on Allena Tapia
• in For fellow writers, Freelance world
• on September 29, 2008
• 3 Comments.

Many newbs stumble through to this blog from my About.com site, and they come up with all kinds of great questions about getting into freelancing. But I will say there are a select few who have no clue what they’re getting into (which is ok, as it’s part of my job over there to teach them that very thing.)

One perk many people are stuck on is the home office. Ahh, the home office. A couple months back I did a vlog (video blog) post sharing my office space. I do spend many an hour in this particular room of the house (7 of them yesterday, to be exact.) But it’s not all rainbows and sunshine here.

Here are some pitfalls of the home office:

• No immediate tech support. If your computer dies, you’re dead in the water. That’s it. Same goes for the wireless connection, the printer, the software, etc. So very many ways to kill your productivity.
• The chores are calling. You know, when I worked at Michigan State University, I used to loathe the dark, dank, scary ladies restroom on my floor. Really- I hated it. But when I leave THIS office to go to the restroom, I have to walk by the dining room (dusty) and the laundry room (full). That’s very distracting.
• PBJ Sandwhiches. I miss Woody’s Mediterranean Restaurant. I miss eating with others. I’m beginning to despise PBJ. Oh, the horror.
• Interruptions. I have a wandering mind. When the neighbor pops by, I’m frazzled for an hour, trying to get back on track. If a friend calls to socialize, I’m likely to say yes. Which means MORE 7 hour Sundays. Which I do not like. I need a boss. Which reminds me…
• Being the boss. Yes, I’m bossy. But most of my directives include “Get on the darn elliptical, Allena.” Ya know, things I’m not supposed to be doing. I need a whip around. I miss accountability. Luckily, my husband, who pays the bills, is more than happy to step into that role sometimes.
• Summer. Summer killed me. It really did. The sun, the kids, the beach. All that stuff was like a dagger in my heart. Man, am I paying for it now.

Another misconception that I hear alot is that this is a job that can be done with children present. I’ve talked about this before, I know. I just wonder who these supermoms are who can write a business proposal with Spongebob in the background. It’s definitely not me. My children cannot cross the invisible line into my office (I rarely use the door). This would never work with toddlers or, especially, infants. If you can do it, more power to you. But I had my children home 3 days a week over the summer, and the whole “livable wage” thing certainly dwindled.

So, go into this career (as any) with eyes wide open and a reality check. Happy Monday!