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Flexibility and Family

Flexibility

The fact that you work nine to five, Monday through Friday, might not be that distressing to you. Until your kid's softball team makes it to the state tournament and plays their Thursday semi-final game at six in a city two hours away.

The fact that you only have five vacation days per year until you have been with the firm for more than two full years may make perfect sense for a company, but that provides little comfort when you finally meet the woman of your dreams and she wants to take you on a romantic, two-week tropical cruise. You get the idea.

Those who work from home have the ultimate in flexibility. They really can set their own hours the way very few employees can. Some work early. Others work late. Some work only a few hours a week, but for long hours on those days. Others work as necessary.

It depends on the home business. However, the home business is within the control of its boss, and if she wants to take mid-afternoon naps or if he wants to spend Wednesdays at the driving range, there is nobody one step higher on the corporate ladder to tell her or him "no."

Family

Every morning someone drops off his or her child at daycare, gets back in the car and starts to do the math in his or her head.

Their daycare provider has the kid from eight until five-thirty, five days a week. That's forty seven and a half hours per week.

The parent has the child from about six a.m. until eight and then again from five-thirty until that eight o'clock bedtime. That's twenty two and a half hours per week. Even if one gives himself or herself full credit for two full weekend days of "awake time," the total is still only at fifty two and a half hours per week.

That's right, the child only sees his or her parent for about five more hours per week than he does his daycare provider.

For many parents, that just isn't tolerable. In fact, it's heart-wrenching and it's one of the chief reasons why many are inspired to start their own work at home business.

Yes, it may be tough to seal big deals with a two year old trying to stick a Crayola up your nose, but that challenge is far more palatable than the idea of a child growing up with only slightly more contact with his or her parents than his or her babysitter.

Even those who don't have children may be interested in the familial advantages offered by stay at home work. Spouses can see more of each other. Those who are accustomed to being forced to do business on the road can finally enjoy a husband or wife again.

Working at home puts one in the midst of family as powerfully as regular jobs can separate one from his or her home life.