Telecommuting: Debunking the
"So You Don't Have a Real Job?"
by Barb Niehaus
As a veteran telecommuter of over a decade, I have heard this question put to me in a variety of ways. Exasperation sets in after all of these years of the public's perception and mentality of those of us who make our living from home.
Statistics prove that working from home is "coming of age". Our numbers are rapidly swelling. With the advent of the Internet (thanks to Al Gore), more and more are making the 10 second commute to their home offices each day.
Granted, I can understand their "take" on my employment situation. Often I am spotted at daytime school events, midmorning walks with my dogs or days when my van does not leave the driveway. The common misperception is that I am a stay-at-home mom which of course opens me up to comments from those moms that toil at office jobs away from their families each day.
When I explain to neighbors or acquaintances that I am not available to watch their kids, wait at their house for a delivery or pick up their dry cleaning as I work from home and have deadlines to meet, I am promptly met with an icy stare. "Well, why not? You don't have a REAL job, do you?"
"YES, I DO!" No, it's not your typical 9-5 gig, but I rack up more than 40 hours in any given week. My work day begins at 4:45 a.m. so that I can put in a few hours prior to the kids getting up each morning. Once they're off to school, I'm back at my computer. Email to answer, articles to write, a daily newsletter to compose, website additions and changes to concentrate on - and this is just my
morning schedule. EVERY morning - not just Monday through Friday. Publishing a daily newsletter means that - daily.
Afternoons are spent on contacting new advertisers, searching for content for tomorrow's issue or promoting my business. Time is a constant factor; trying to squeeze all of the necessary "to do's" in before my kids arrive home from school. When homework is completed, dinner is finished and bedtime looms, I usually spend another hour or so preparing for the following day's agenda.
Telecommuting generally means wearing many hats. Bookkeeping, public relations, tax issues, customer service, networking, staying abreast of the latest business developments - I'm working on a bald spot atop my head from changing hats so frequently.
So, when you need little Johnny picked up from school or someone to wait at your house for a new sofa, pass me by. I WORK FROM HOME!
©2000 Barb Niehaus
About the author: Barb Niehaus is webmaster of moms-home-work
and publishes a free daily newsletter featuring
WAH Jobs, Business Tips, Freebies and more.
Visit her site at: MOMS-HOME-WORK.COM
or to Subscribe to Moms@ Home Working, mailto:momsworkingathome-subscribe@onelist.com
