Recently an associate of mine chided me for working out of my home.

"How can you get any work done?" he asked. "Don't the constant interruptions and temptations eat into your effectiveness?"

At the time I laughed and dismissed his comments... but I've been thinking about them ever since. I've noticed that I do experience a lot of interruptions during the day: my wife needs a quick opintion about something, the UPS lady comes to the door, the home phone rings and it's my Mom, I spot an interesting book on my bookshelf, I remember the leftover Phad Thai in the fridge, my dogs go into a loud round of barking frenzy... you get the idea.

Now I'm wondering if maybe I should rent an office outside my home, one free from all these distractions. Is it worth the expense and the daily commute? Or have I simply been hypnotized by my associate's comments?

What do you think, Fellow Wordslingers?

Hi Ray,

If you don't intuitively know the answer, then doing a pros and cons list might be a good exercise. I think decisions like this are very personal, and just depend on your routine, personality style, personal circumstances, and why you went into business in the first place.

For example, one of the reasons I went into business for myself was to avoid commuting and routine - to work the hours I wanted, when I wanted without being a slave to office hours. The advantage is that I can work at any time of day without getting dressed. The disadvantage is that I tend to also work on weekends, plus I find myself working around my domestic duties, rather than vice versa. However, I don't think I'd work any better or any longer hours if I had an office - I'd probably never go to it!

Hopefully someone who has done both will answer and say whether the amount of work they do in the office exceeds that which they did at home and some of the advantages and disadvantages.

Jane

Hi Ray,

I've also thought about renting an office.

At times I've found myself easily distracted.

Especially with phone calls (both business
and personal), visits from friends and snacking
at irregular times, to name a few.

I also find the internet distracting.

Internet messaging (from clients and friends)
and new emails are usually the main culprits.

Being non-effective really troubled me for some time.

I was determind to be more effective. So I started buying
'time management' books and courses.

I also began talking to other self employed and work
at home people, who gave me great insights on how
they get things done while working from home.

Since then, I've found myself becoming more and more effective.

Largley, its because I follow a strict daily "success plan".

Where I write down exactly what I need to do today (I usually
do this the night before), how long each task will take, and
finally (and most importantly) what time I'm going to start and
finish each task.

You wouldn't believe how useful this is.

It may sound simple to you. Maybe even too simple. But its
worked wonders for me, and made a real difference in my life.
I'm getting more done, and my whole life benefits because of it.

(E.g. More time with my loved ones, because I'm not trying
to finish work that I should have done during "work hours"
but didn't because I kept allowing myself to get distracted).

Yes I don't "allow" for any distractions. Or better said, I "schedual"
my distractions (by giving myself two 30 minute breaks to call people
back, respond to emails, etc).

So if I get a call during a task, I will answer it, but only to say "I'm busy now. Can I call you back at 11:30?". Or I'll simply let my message service record their message.

That's about it. Its simple, but it works for me.

Lets keep this post going.

What do YOU do to work effectively from home?

I'm self-employed precisely because I want to be accessible to hearth and home. Now, with my four kids home all summer and bringing their friends in all day, productivity has certainly taken a hit. But that's okay; fall is just around the corner.

More generally, I find that I have an internet surfing problem. I recently reorganized my office, and now I have two work areas; only one has an internet connection. I just bring my laptop over and plug in to download email and surf for about 30 minutes first thing in the morning, and only scheduled times during the day. That has helped my productivity tremendously.

I sort of do what Jesse does, outlining what I have to do and how long I'm allotting for myself. The more I use this technique, the more disciplined I become.

I try to lump my schedule into writing days and non-writing days. Meetings really interrupt my flow, and a mid-morning or mid-day meeting can mean I can't get back into the "zone" for the rest of the day. So on writing days, I just write - except I also take two or sometimes three 15-minute breaks for a brisk walk. On non-writing days, I attend any meetings that are necessary, take care of personl things like dentist appointments, do administrative tasks, etc. Once a writing day is on the calendar, it's sacred. No meeting goes on that day, period. I generally map out writing/non-writing days at least a week ahead of time, and usually two weeks ahead.

Thanks so much for the responses thus far - I have gained some valuable insights from each one.

Here's another angle on the outside office approach: the way it positions you with clients. Having a receptionist who answers your phone during business hours, having a business address that is not in a residential area (trust me, clients do Google you and sometimes even your address - especially when they're about to write you a check for $7-10K or more), and having access to secretarial services all must have some value, right?

Maybe the best way to answer this question is by asking another: will having the office create more revenue than it costs - and will it create enough new profit to be worth the extra cost in time and money?

Not necessarily. Home offices were kinda weird 25 years ago. Now they are mainstream, and in my experience nobody considers you any less professional than the next guy. Especially in freelancer territory. I have found that some clients are absolutely delighted to get me on the phone, and not my gatekeeper.

If you act businesslike with your clients, it does not hurt your credibility one whit if you work from home, IMO.

That's going to depend on the individual. Bob Bly got office space away from home as soon as he could afford it. He found he was just too distracted at home. He says he rolls out of bed in the morning and goes straight to work; he even keeps his toothbrush and razor there. But he's an admitted workaholic.

For someone like me, who switches back and forth between mommy mode and business mode throughout the day, travel time between two locations would just cut into my productivity. And even though my kids are old enough to stay by themselves (summertime and after school), I'd be too distracted in an outside office wondering what they were up to. Here in my home office, even though there's lots of background noise at times, I can concentrate on my work without worrying what they're up to.

To answer the question, you have to be clear on what your goals are for keeping work separate from family, or allowing it to mush over the boundaries (as I do). Then you have to understand your work style - if you're home, can you stay away from the fridge, and not be tempted to do housework when you should be writing? And finally, if you want to get outside office space, will the increase in productivity cover your rent?

Ray,

I have both. Most days, I work from my home office. However, I also have an "executive suite" downtown that I lease.

If I have a particularly big or involved project, that I just need to focus on without interruption, I will work from my downtown office. But it is usually only a day or two per week max.

And because I hate commuting during the morning or afternoon madness (one of the main reasons I decided to work from home), I will go either in very early or around 10:00 am, so I avoid the traffic. I do the same when I come home, I either leave around 3:00 or I wait until after 7:00.

The great thing is, it's my choice when I work and where I work.

As far as my clients are concerned, it doesn't matter one way or another. There is no longer any stigma or lack of professionalism attached to working from home.

Unless you are in a market where you regularly have clients coming to your location, don't waste your money on an office just to impress people who will never see it.

But for me that’s not the main reason I have a "real office".

The company I lease my office from (http://www.regus.com) has a world wide network of office space (I think they have over 700 locations.) And when I am out of town, I can use the conference rooms or offices at any of their locations.

Because, I travel quite a bit to conduct workshops or training for my clients or for speaking engagements, having this type of flexibility available to me allows me to justify the extra overhead.

But my type of office situation only makes sense if you are traveling out of town at least twice a month. If it wasn't for the flexibility of having the out of town facilities, I don't think I could justify the cost.

Unfortunately only YOU know if working from home is a right fit. I'll be honest, I think many work from home entrepreneurs do not have the discipline it takes to "treat it like a business".

However, that being said, I wouldn't trade the freedom I have working at home for anything.

My kids just went back to school this week, and while yes, there are fewer distractions, I miss the heck out of them. I don't have anybody to play with during the day...

Having the option to work from home and set my own hours has given time and special moments with my family that I would have never had, if I went to my office 5 days a week.

And in the end, having the time and money to create special memories with my family is why I became "successful" in the first place.

Bottom line is... Don't get an office to impress your clients. That’s just a waste of money. If you get an office, only do it if you understand your own work habits sufficiently to KNOW it will boost your productivity enough to justify the costs.

Eric

Great posts.

Ray IMHO...

Talk to your wife. I recently did. I explained to her about my work, and how important it is to me...the fact that I've finally found something that I love to do. We have a 10 month old at home (my wife is a full time mommy) so when I'm writing I take a break every 45 minutes and watch the baby for 15 minutes then back to work.

I got the idea from Gene Schwartz.

During the school year (I"m an english teacher) I write starting at about 9:00 p.m. I work for about 4 hours then call it a night.

All that was said to say...

Set a schedule. Carve out a chunk of time...that's your writing time. Talk to your wife/children (if any) and explain to them during these (4 hours) I need the house peaceful and no interruptions. Bottom line.

Or wake up at 5:00 a.m. like Dan Kennedy and write then. Or Like Steve Wexler and start at 11:00 p.m. and end at 3:00 a.m. Either way, during those hours you won't be bothered too much...or at all.

Also, if you do the early in the morning or late at night thing, you can run your business during "regular business hours". You know...prospecting, client issues etc.

As far as the credibility thing...

I think it depends who you're working for. Maybe a local small business owner won't understand you working at home and may think "how is this guy who doesn't even have an office going to make me BIG money?"
While more "professional clients" already know that great writers work both at home and at an office.

You have many examples of both...

This has turned out to be an interesting thread, covering a lot of ground I hadn't anticipated.

My reason for considering leasing an office has nothing to do with impressing people - I only mentioned it as another possible benefit.

My reasoning has everyting to do with the possible increase in focus. Jeffrey Fox, in his book Make Big Money In Your Own Small Business, says that having a home office gives you two deductions: one off your taxes, and the other off your productivity.

Maybe I'll just compromise and spend more time at Starbuck's.

Hey, Eric, ya wanna borrow mine for a few more weeks? My kids don't go back til Labor Day. August is always the toughest month for me - everyone is bored silly and keeps wandering into my office to whine about it.