Working from home is a prospect with considerable appeal. After a long spell of enforced lockdown, the average British worker has become intimately acquainted with the practice. Equally, those already working from home might find themselves warming to the idea of setting up an external office space or studio.
Both approaches have their advantages and drawbacks. Online booklet and brochure printing firm instantprint explored this topic in great detail – but the basics can be easily summarised. Let’s look at them.
Pros of Working from Home
Flexibility
The first and most obvious advantage of working from home is that you’ll have the flexibility to work as you see fit. If you want to start at nine and finish at five, then you’ll be able to do so. This allows you to more easily accommodate other commitments. If you need to run personal errands during the day, then working from home will allow for it.
Lower Costs
Work from home and you won’t have to worry about the overheads of renting an office space, nor of running a car, or buying a season ticket on the train. It’s therefore inherently more economical.
No Commute
We should also consider the time commitment that commuting demands. The average Brit spends around an hour a day travelling to and from work. For train commuters, it’s closer to two hours. Over the course of a year this can, in some cases, add up to several working weeks. Working from home effectively eliminates this waste.
More Trustworthy Environment
A work environment you’ve custom-built according to your own particular needs is one that you’ll be able to rely on. You’ll have the security of equipment that you’ve selected, including computers and internet connections, comfortable chairs, and the ability to make a cup of tea whenever the fancy takes you.
Pros of having a workplace:
A Business Address
Certain businesses naturally require that high volumes of mail be dealt with. If you’re sick of work-related correspondence pouring through your front door, then it might make more sense to have it all shipped elsewhere. Being able to present clients and collaborators with a business address may also help you to look that little bit more professional.
instantprint explains that you can get around this issue by “investing in a PO Box or virtual offices which not only give you a business address but can forward post to your home. Phone answering systems such as Moneypenny or E-#Receptionist ensure clients aren’t ringing your home phone (or that your child accidentally picks it up).”
Work/Home Balance
Keeping your work life in a separate physical location to your home life can help you to strike the right balance between the two. You won’t feel that the former is intruding upon the latter, which is a danger in an age when you can check an email inbox at any hour of the day. Equally, you’ll be able to free yourself from distraction if you’re in a dedicated building, free from the distraction of your personal life.
Social Benefits
Working from home can produce a sense of isolation. The social benefits of an office where you’re working alongside colleagues, therefore, deserve some recognition. If you’re the sort of person that thrives on human interaction, then a shared workspace might serve an important part of your life, which should not be glibly dispensed with.