I have been working at home part time for the last 2 years, full time for the last 3 months.
I gave up my full time job at the end of May and opted for working from home, my stress levels at work were through the roof, commuting was a pain (even when I walked to work I got tired of it ... Read review
Advantages: No travel, relaxed atmosphere, less stress, more control Disadvantages: Isolation, no employer pension contributions, no sick or holiday pay
I have been working at home part time for the last 2 years, full time for the last 3 months.
I gave up my full time job at the end of May and opted for working from home, my stress levels at work were through the roof, commuting was a pain (even when I walked to work I got tired of it in the freezing winter) and I just felt unappreciated and underpaid. To get the money I wanted I would have had to work in the city, or private clinic ... ...So, slowly I moved to working at home, I am by profession a Medical Secretary, but with a rather good IT background also. I work for 3 companies now, transcribing medico-legal reports, clinic letters (occasionally I do non medical, transribing interviews and focus groups etc.).
I am doing quite well - at least holding onto the salary i'm used to - but do not be fooled into thinking that its the best thing since sliced bread. It is ... more
I have been working at home part time for the last 2 years, full time for the last 3 months.
I gave up my full time job at the end of May and opted for working from home, my stress levels at work were through the roof, commuting was a pain (even when I walked to work I got tired of it in the freezing winter) and I just felt unappreciated and underpaid. To get the money I wanted I would have had to work in the city, or private clinic and they wanted blood out of me to earn it.
So, slowly I moved to working at home, I am by profession a Medical Secretary, but with a rather good IT background also. I work for 3 companies now, transcribing medico-legal reports, clinic letters (occasionally I do non medical, transribing interviews and focus groups etc.).
I am doing quite well - at least holding onto the salary i'm used to - but do not be fooled into thinking that its the best thing since sliced bread. It is isolating, being at home, but my husband is at home for half of the week too, which actually makes it easier to get up and work - a good routine also helps, in fact having a dog makes me get up in the morning anyway so that's not a problem. From a medical perspective i'm not sure if I would be earning this much if it were not for my Orthopaedic experience, there is so much of this type of clinic work because of the nature of it (fracture clinics are overflowing with broken bones). For anybody going into medical, many of the companies are not hiring at the moment and those that are want at least 2 years experience in the specialities you wish to type clinics for.
Be aware that you have to pay National Insurance - work out your own tax via self assessment at the end of the year, be disciplined enough to put the money aside to pay the tax man when he asks for it!!! - understand that you do not get paid for being on holiday - or being ill, and you do not get employer pension contributions paid into your own pension and you need your own personal pension.
All that said, i love working at home, my stress levels are very good - being in a routine helps, going out with the dog, a good exercise program and setting a quota of work each day to aspire to.
Some tips for first timers.....
1. Keep good records of who owes you money, do invoices on time and keep receipts for equipment (they are tax deductible at the end of the year).
2. Give yourself targets for each day and try to hit them, do not think "i'll do it tomorrow" by the time the end of the month comes, tomorrow's have run out and you have no money!
3. Be persistent with your applications to be taken on as freelancers - sometimes it takes a couple of goes, mainly because the companies get so many CV's and applications they do not have the time to go through them all, don't be dishearted if you don't hear, it can be frequent, but think "out of 1000 emails perhaps they just lost mine2.
4. Give yourself time away, but don't wander around the house doing housework, its not something you'd do in the daytime anyway, you should be working. Take a lunch break but its sometimes best to just watch the news and not get hitched on a good daytime program, most of it is trash anyway!
5. Try and budget for giving yourself some time off - going over your goals every month may allow you to have an unexpected day off, enjoy it.
6. Put your money for the tax man in a high interest account, it stays there for a year, let it work for you and don't touch it.
7. Be aware you may not always get paid on time and move your direct debits to further along in the month.
8. Take pride in your work and do it if you enjoy it, if you feel you need a break consider a temping agency to get out for a few weeks or days to clear your head.
Finally - be prepared to work hard the first few months, establish yourself and take on work as it comes as often as you can, to show companies that you are reliable and worthwhile sending work t.
Advantages: no commuting, convenience, you can set your own hours Disadvantages: lack of contact with others, no jollies
Working from Morgenhund Towers in the centre of Vienna has proved to be a very interesting experience, and although I have earned my keep for the last six months purely by sitting at my desk and translating, writing articles for magazines, evaluating software and sorting out sponsorship deals for various causes, I still long for an office job. Let’s face it, whilst I don’t have hellish times commuting across a large city at rush-hour ... ...as it sounds.
Firstly, working from home is only possible thanks to the marvels of modern technology. I have a permanent net connection, which allows me to send documents across town to people, so I can work via the net, and indeed a lot of my translation work comes over the ‘Net from foreign climes and is sent back when finished, without out ever appearing on paper. However if my connection goes down, then things get interesting. A couple ...
Morgenhund 08.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Working from Home
Advantages: Freedom, money-saving Disadvantages: None for me
...many ways and means of working from home, but my opinion is not really about the various money-making schemes pedalled by unscrupulous sales people that you see advertised in the newspaper. Sorry to be so harsh, but surely everyone realises that these “get rich quick” schemes are a complete waste of time.
My experiences of working from home refer to my current circumstances, whereby I have been fortunate enough to secure a management ... ...closely consider your personal circumstances. Working from home does not suit everybody. There are a number of people with whom I have worked who have openly admitted that working from home would be disastrous for their career. The lack of immediate supervision, and the requirement to manage time may be something that you are not terribly good at, and before long you will find yourself diverting your phone to voicemail every day at 11:00 because ...
LostWitness 06.06.2001 (01.11.2002)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Working from Home
Advantages: Freedom to work as and when I feel able Disadvantages: Loss of interaction with office colleagues
...I have been used to working in an office for 30 years and suddenly there I was on my own all day at home. I don’t have a problem with being alone and rarely get bored but I did begin to miss the interaction with other people. I have now found this at Ciao and Dooyoo together with a bit of extra cash. I have so far earned £150 in cash and £50 worth of High Street vouchers from Dooyoo and £186 from Ciao.
I also do other work on the Internet. ... ...op for full details) where I am a ‘mystery customer’ testing out websites. I have earned £41.75 so far and have another £21 ready to be paid to me at the end of this month.
I was also one of the very few people who worked hard and fast for Asrecby and actually got paid my £30. I now I was very lucky to receive this but it was a welcome addition to my finances.
I do a set of competitions each morning including Tombola and Bananalotto ...
SusanLesley 15.08.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Working from Home
Advantages: flexible, family friendly and on the increase Disadvantages: need to think it all through carefully first
...at the actual situation of working from your home, as opposed to some other place.
I started working from home nearly a year ago, after the birth of my daughter made me rethink my priorities. Not working wasn’t an option, and if I had returned to my then employer I would have had to put a 6 month old in a creche for about 9 hours a day, a prospect that I found unthinkable. I felt that I was incredibly lucky to find a job that enabled me to ... ...I’ve found myself sneakily checking my emails late at night, knowing my partner will be irritated with me working so late but I can’t help dwelling on it when an important project’s going on…
However if you can cover off all of the above, it really is fantastic. ...
Cazz 03.05.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Working from Home
Advantages: I can take my children to work with me Disadvantages: NONE
...and there was a working from home forum...
On here I found lots of helpful advice,about scams (envelope stuffing etc etc ) and then I came across childrens books.
This is something I considered doing after my first child was born,so I decided to look into it..
USBORNE are a legit company who are registered with the DSA (Direct selling association),there website www.usbornebooksathome.co.uk
is a professional website with all the credentials i ... ...If you are looking into working from home and my advice is too research your "job" before siging anything..
have a look at working from home forums! have a look on here if its a buisness opp,someone else may have written a review on it...
and when you decide which ones for you GO FOR IT and enjoy yourself Thanks for reading
Deenaxx ...
Deenar 05.06.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Working from Home
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