Can,Telecommuting,Really,Repla DIY Can Telecommuting Really Replace Office Work?

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;mso-style-noshow:yes;mso-style-parent:"";mso-padding-alt:0in When starting a new work at home business it is very easy to become consumed by it. We spend so much time trying to get the business up and running that we may end up becoming burned out and lose our motivation. There is so much to learn and

More and more businesses are turning towards telecommutingto help cut costs and improve employee performance. Working from home mightseem like a great idea to some, but others just aren't cut out for it. However,in most instances a switch to a telecommuting work model rather than atraditional office model does mean that companies become more profitable andworkers become more productive.Telecommuting generally works in one of two ways. Sometimesall work is done off site, meetings are held over video conferencing softwaresuch as Skype, and assignments given and delivered by email or through acompany server. More commonly, telecommuting is part time, and employees spendseveral days a week working off site and the other days in the office, or arerequired to come in for meetings.The question is whether telecommuting can ever reallyreplace the traditional office work model, and given the reasons outlinedbelow, it looks like it may be able to. Telecommuting isn't perfect though andthere are still issues that need to be dealt with. This article discusses thepros and cons of both being a telecommuter and using telecommuting in yourbusiness.Costs...Cost is an important factor in telecommuting for a couple ofreasons. The first is that the overhead costs for businesses are obviouslylower if they don't need to maintain a full office. Paying office rental andutility charges to run an office can make up a huge part of any business'sexpenditure, and having employees work from home means that companies getsavings, it's as simple as that.Another cost factor though is that for the employee himself.It used to be that working from home and having the kind of communicationnecessary to do a job well and in co-operation with others was expensive.However, the advent of faster internet connections and LLU have meant that theprice of running a fast home internet connection has lowered dramatically overrecent years. What is LLU? Local Loop Unbundling, which means other companiescan now rent space in BT phone exchanges so they can offer faster Internetconmectioms, creating more competition and therefore lower prices.In fact, working from home can save money for both employeesand companies. You might need to pay for an internet connection, or phone billsas a worker, but you're not paying for petrol or public transport to get you towork. Things as simple as being home for lunch, rather than having to leave theoffice to buy lunch can significantly cut down your monthly spending.Happiness...Then there's the question of employee feelings andproductivity. The truth is that the majority of workers are simply happier whenworking from home, and happy workers mean productive workers. Being able towork on your own schedule, without someone looking over your shoulder, oftenmeans that you're just better at your job.One of the early reasons why companies refused to letemployees telecommute was simply that they were afraid that left to their owndevices, employees wouldn't work. The opposite seems to be true though, andmany studies have shown that telecommuting workers actually end upaccomplishing more than those in an office.Why is this? That's a tough psychological question, but itseems to be a combination of satisfaction (again, happier employees are moreproductive) and a kind of guilt, the idea that working from home is such agreat thing that people must work harder to feel like they deserve it.Down Sides...That's not to say that telecommuting is perfect though. Aseasy as it is to do business and run a company online these days, there arestill those that don't prosper. One of the main complaints about working fromhome is lack of socialisation. Simply put, people get lonely. Building teammorale is tough when your team don't see each other every day.Then there is the matter of supervision. As an employer itcan be difficult to make sure that a job is being done well and on schedulewhen your worker is living on the other side of town. Particularly for new employeesthis can mean taking a risk on someone's ability to complete the task at hand.Finally, there can be somewhat of a creative block when itcomes to telecommuting. Bouncing ideas off each other and brainstorming ispossible online, using messaging systems, but it doesn't carry quite the samedynamic as having people together in the same room. This can mean that forcreative industries such as advertising in person meetings are still anecessity.Is it Right for You?As a company you will need to decide whether it's possiblefor your workers to telecommute. Obviously, there are some professions whereworking from home is just going to be impossible. For many though, at leastsome form of telecommuting is possible, and it may significantly cut your companyspending to have employees work from home. You may, however, lose a certainamount of control over jobs and projects, and may still need to have personalmeetings.As a worker, working from home can be a good choice.However, you will need a home office with the appropriate equipment andinternet connection. You'll also need the kind of discipline that it takes toget your work done, despite not having someone watching you do it. You may findthat you miss the office dynamic, or that you can't readily get the kind ofhelp that you need when you need it.The Future...It does look like telecommuting is the business model thatmany companies are beginning to turn to. As more people become used to workingfrom home rather than in an office, issues such as socialisation and effectiveonline brainstorming are going to become less usual. Will we miss working in anoffice? Maybe; more importantly though, if we're going to be working from home,will we be able to draw a line between our personal and professional lives?When both are taking place in the same location, this may prove the biggestobstacle to telecommuting. Article Tags: Working From Home, Really Replace, Office Work, Working From, From Home, Internet Connection