Telecommuting - Work From Home

Are you tired of having to pack your lunch, sit in rush hour twice a day, deciding which grocery store is easiest to get to on your way home, not to mention the money and time you spend your clothes.

With e-mail, remote desktops, PDAs and other technology, you can forego these inconveniences and just work from home.

There are a number of companies that now hire work from home individuals. This arrangement benefits both the employer and the employee. Employer's don't need to provide office space for their employees and employees don't have to commute.

Plenty of people would choose to work from home if they were given the opportunity. A recent survey finds that over 27 percent of employees telecommute at some point during the year. The chance to put in a full day's work while wearing pajamas is too appealing to pass up.

A variety of companies hire home-based workers, and many entrepreneurs are starting their own businesses based out of their homes.Positions available from companies that prefer work at home individuals range from home based agents, customer service and technical support, sales personnel and administrative assistants.

There are some things that you will want to consider When looking for companies that hire work-from-home employees:

• Research companies to make sure they are legitimate. Don't pay a fee, transfer money to the company or give the company to much personal information up front.
• Expenses involved with working from home are a high-speed Internet connection, mobile phone, printer and other items might be necessary to perform your job, so know what you'll need and what you can afford. Check with a financial adviser to see if you can write off any of this equipment when you file your taxes.
• If you want to work at home so you can spend more time with your children or aren't looking for a full-time job, don't apply for positions that will be high-stress and have long hours. Working from home can be just as demanding as working in an office, so search wisely.

If you do decide to get a home-based job, making the transition from the cubicle to the home office can be challenging:

• Develop and stick to a schedule. Just because you're not at the office and nobody's watching you, a schedule will help you stay on focused and productive.
• Make sure you take breaks and a lunch hour just like When you're at the office. You could use your lunch hour to run errands or meet up with a friend. It is important to take a break so you don't burn yourself out.
• Dedicate a room or area in your home for work so that you won't be tempted to do spend your day watching talk shows or won't be interrupted unnecessarily
• Don't work too much. You need to be self-disciplined when working at home, but you also don't want to ignore your children or your pets. Working too much won't help you accomplish more work, it will most likely just burn you out.

Working from home can be very rewarding and beneficial to both you and your employer.