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I’ve been at this working from home lark for some time now, although my home seems to change from one year to the next.  Setting up Red Box was very much a necessity, as when Lawrence and I relocated to Portugal in 2004, neither of us had a job lined up, nor could we speak reasonable Portuguese to go and find one.

So although my view from my office window has changed (and is about to again!), the positives and not so positive aspects still apply:

The Good

• There’s no commute! How I do not miss the Northern Line.  Tooting Broadway to Tottenham Court Road, Monday to Friday, wind, rain and shine.
• I get up when it’s daylight and not before.  Ugh, winter mornings.  Need I say more?
• The dress code is my own. Okay, I was never the type to use a power suit, but coming to work in woolly slippers definitely has its advantages.
• Household Chores are spread over the week, not just the weekend. How I managed to keep a clean, tidy house, prepare meals, be sociable and have a full time job, I’ll never know.  Maybe somethings slipped…
• The rent on the office space is very reasonable. There’s nothing to pay in overheads above and beyond what I’m paying for utilities & I can choose which room to use as my office instead of getting the cubby hole at the back of the building.

The Bad

• There are very few water-cooler moments. I do miss the camaraderie of an office.  Some of my greatest friendships have been formed through work and it’s where I met my husband.
• Self discipline is key.  I’m not so sure this is a bad thing.  However, working for oneself and by oneself does mean that I have to be very disciplined about the hours I spend working and billing and what can be classed as ‘down time’.  If I don’t work, we don’t eat.  Simple!
• Household chores can be very tempting. If I’m having a bad morning or have no taste for a particular job, it’s very tempting to think, “I can put the washing on,” “didn’t the cat need to go to the vet,” “I’m sure I can get some groceries” and so on.
• Once immersed, it’s hard to come up for air.  If I’m loving a project, 2, 3 hours can go by without me stopping for a cuppa or taking a walk.  Not healthy by any stretch of the imagination.
• Weekend working. I did promise myself and Lawrence that there would be at least one day a week where there’s no work.  No emails, no phone calls, no just-taking-a-look-to-see-if…  Yeah, right!

The Ugly

• Me in my pyjamas at 10am. There’s no way that I am getting a webcam!

About the Author:
Emma Crabtree is the owner and sole-operator of Red Box Virtual Office, a off-site business support service.  Red Box Virtual Office can enable you to free yourself from the day to day admin of your business so that you can focus on what you enjoy and what makes you money.  Find out more