Long before jumping into the true world of an entrepreneur, I would research telecommuting jobs. The concept of doing your work at home originated more with employers who either didn’t have the office space, or didn’t need particular employees in the office everyday. The rising cost of gasoline in areas that didn’t offer public transportation services, increased the willingness of companies to consider the concept of telecommuting.
The advancements in telecommunications services that had previously enabled companies with offices in diverse locations to work together, now made it possible for people to log in from home. Having a few key pieces of office equipment made working at home virtually the same as having an office downtown. A telephone appointment from the fifth floor of an office building was no different from an appointment conducted in the home.
If the goal is simply to work at home, a telecommuting job might sound appealing. It certainly lowers the expense of traveling to work each day. Many people are satisfied with this arrangement and lead very productive lives.
People who telecommute have an advantage over those who must travel to work when it comes to starting a home business. They can taste the freedom of working in a comfortable environment. They also have more time to expend starting and running a home business.
Like everyone else, telecommuters have little control over the amount of their paycheck. As employees of someone else, they are still subject to cutbacks, layoffs and failed businesses. The advantage of a virtual office won’t make a difference if they can lose their job.
Work At Home Or Anywhere
I spend a great deal of time on conference calls and phone appointments. My virtual office is now mobile. If my laptop is with me I have most of my home office in a case. Since most of my business is internet dependent, I can attend webinars, work on projects and campaigns from anywhere cellular service is available.
That isn’t to say that these options aren’t available to telecommuters, but by and large the costs of working this way will be at their expense rather than the employers. I’ve heard of companies that offer small compensations to cover some of their employee’s home office expenses, but others offer nothing.
Using time management principles, I’ve structured my schedule to meet both my business and family needs. This is my schedule. If I have to answer to an employer, their schedule becomes my schedule. Changing my schedule is always easier than changing someone else’s.
The Real Difference
The work at home opportunity isn’t the same as the at home business opportunity. While both offer the comfort and convenience of working from home, one is designed to profit a company, the other is designed to produce personal, financial independence. One uses the principle of exchanging time for money, while the other leverages time to produce profit.
If everyone were guaranteed that their particular job would afford them the lifestyle of their choosing, ensure continuous employment with retirement security, there would be no incentive for the entrepreneur.
I can remember when it was time to select a career, during the training and the immediate employment phase, it seemed like nothing would ever change.
We hadn’t seen a personal computer yet, and VCR’s were very expensive to buy. Digitizing analog signals was cutting edge technology.
Why Is It Essential?
Including people who own traditional businesses, everyone needs a work at home business opportunity. Not everyone will be successful, but anyone can succeed.
Looking at this as an essential for everyone, while recognizing that everyone won’t be successful sounds like a contradiction. Considering that everyone needs income to survive, it is also understandable that a percentage of people will lose at least one job during their lifetime. It is also reasonable to conclude that private business owners are also subject to failure.
The difference in the work at home business opportunity is that you are neither subject to losing your business or your job. The only reason people don’t succeed is because they quit. Gaining ground daily, true entrepreneurs are reshaping the business world because quitting isn’t an option.
Achieving success, like the objective lifestyle goal, is a personal matter. Some people would simply like to live comfortably. Others have a passion for travel or exotic vacations. For certain people profits between five and ten thousand per month are sufficient, while others work to achieve the same amount every day.
Not every work at home business opportunity offers the same potential for unlimited earning potential. Always seek an opportunity that builds wealth through residual income because when we decide to stop working, inflation won’t.
