Pros and Cons of an In-Home Office

Pros and Cons of an In-Home Office

Pros and Cons of an In-Home Office

Do you want to work from an in-home or off-site location for your freelance business? Remember, just because you are working on your own does not mean that you must have a home office or even rent your own off-site office. There are alternatives, such as sharing office space with an associate, renting workspace, and having a second office at a long-term client's facility. Consider these pluses and minuses about working from home to determine which is best for you.

Lower Wardrobe Budget. Even if you see clients once or twice a week, you do not need as many business clothes. You can normally work in casual clothing, or even your pajamas.

Reduce Automobile Costs. The amount of gas and wear-and-tear on your business car will be minimized. If your clients are local, you may be able to get another year out of your old auto.

Increase Time with Family and Friends. You can arrange your home-office hours around personal necessities.

Add Tax Write Offs. You can deduct the square footage of your office as an office expense. If your office is one of six rooms in your house or apartment, you can deduct one-sixth of the rent or mortgage you pay. You can also depreciate office equipment and deduct supplies and automobile costs. A home office may be a "red flag" with the IRS, so be careful to keep home and office costs entirely separate. And, keep every receipt you get for expenses.

Enhance Work-hour Flexibility. You do not have to punch a clock, so you can set your working hours around deadlines and appointments. If you are a night owl or early-morning riser, you can schedule your time accordingly.

Minuses

Mix Family and Business. Especially if your office is in an easily accessible part of the house, it may be difficult to keep your family and pets off bounds. You also have to be careful of distractions, such as completing that plumbing repair you put off last weekend or washing those dirty dishes in the sink.

Worry about Workaholism. On the other hand, you may put in too many hours, because the office calls out to you morning, noon and night. The telephone and fax ring and instant messaging pings day in and out. Clients call just when you are sitting down for dinner. You were going to get some fresh air, take a short walk, or go to the gym, but it is already 5:30 p.m. You just worked through lunch and breaks without knowing it.

Become Lonely. Email, instant messaging and telephones are wonderful communication vehicles but they don't take the place of office chats by the coffee machine or early morning catch-up. Depending on your type of business, you can go a week or more without seeing any work contacts. Also, did you ever try to brainstorm with a dog?

Reduce Variety. Not only are you going to the same office every day, which can become boring and repetitive, but you are living and working in the same place. If you do not spend much time at your clients' offices, you will not see much more than your four walls.

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