Do you work from Home or Premisess ?

[Jayne Marsh]

I live on a farm so I work from home, although I have an upstairs studio/workshop where I produce all my signage. The only problem is that its very easy to think “oh Ill just have a cuppa tea and a sit down for half an hour”. You have to be very disciplined to work from home, I make myself work proper hours and of course weekends when necessary. But the pros outweigh the cons, I have very few overheads, am always there when the kids are on hols and love working for myself.
Making sure people know where you are could be a problem for you if you live out in the sticks and deliveries could be problematic as drivers wont want to go up a steep hill in case they cant get down again safely. Im lucky enough to live on a reasonable busy road and delivery drivers still say they cant find me! :banghead:

[Marcella Ross]

Hi,

I too work from home, have done for 10 years now. I agree with Jem that the pros out weigh the cons. I have converted a garage into my place of work and it works fine for me. As you said Jem I’m here for my daughter during all the school holidays etc., which is a bonus. But there are times where I am guilty of falling out of bed and into work, I’ve seen me switch on the computer and start working then before I realise it it’s midday and I’m not dressed!!!!! You do have to be disciplined, but my discipline measures mean I no longer work weekends. My hubby works every weekend with his business so I have to be here doing the wifey and mumsy things at some point. My daughter deserves my attention for at least 2 days a week! I once had a customer arrive at my door at 8.30am on a Sunday morning 😮 . We were all still in bed! That’s the reason I refuse to answer my business telephone after 5.30pm on a Friday!!!

But in short, working from home suits me so I’m not about to change that in the near future.

[Alan Wharton]

Another reason i want to be near home is we also breed siberian huskies so we can keep a eye on the little gits, if you think hudiny was good at escaping get a huskie and be educated lol 😉
I need to send a updated pic in aswell me thinks all the hair has gone now 😎

[Marcella Ross]

You’re not the only one needing to change their photo…. mine is 2 years out of date!!!!! I’m a bit older and rounder now 🙁 !

When you change yours put the Huskies in too!!!!!

[Alan Wharton]

I would rather have the pics of the huskies than myself but i dont think you can have animal pics !

[Carrie Brown]

We work from an industrial unit/office which is best for us …… If I worked from home I think I would lack the discipline needed and I really just don’t think it would work for me! …. I get distracted enough here and lack motivation some days and if I was at home I just know it would be worse 🙄 or we would end up working silly hours (we probably already do) and would never leave the work alone.

Plus we just wouldnt have enough room anywhere at home.

😀

[Simon Clayton]

Yep me too, have done for about 12 years, the kids came along, my wife has a good job so i look after both boy from birth till now.. ones 9 the other coming up 3..

Must admit its hard work, but we did sit down and work out all the pros and con, cost of child care etc.

Funny thing is i’m running part time or thereabouts , yet earning about the same as being employed, However if you add on the savings of child care travel, food and all that lot i’m on about double…

Simon

[Andy Gorman]

I work from home and was worried that I wasn’t disciplined enough to do it that way. I don’t always start first thing in the morning, but neither do I stop at 5. I like being able to nip out to the workshop, set the machine running, and then nip in for a cuppa tea or a watch of the snooker! Or maybe take the dog down the park. It’s a pretty easy going life. If I was in an industrial unit (on my own) I would want to go home by midday.

I have never been happier in my work.

[Kev Mayger]

Not so far in the distant future, i myself will be taking the plunge & going solo. I will be working from home to begin with and was wondering if there are any issues like tax & stuff that may affect working from a residential address. Do i need a PO box no.??? Info like this would be most appreciated. Cheers guys & gals.

[Andy Gorman]

I actually get tax reductions for working from home. Any half decent accountant will claim all that type of thing for you. One thing to be aware of, you may need planning permission from the council.

[John Childs]

I’ve got the best of both worlds.

When the village garage closed down I bought the site, kept the workshop and built a new house on part of the forecourt. So I’ve got a unit with plenty of parking smack next door to home. A ten yard commute!

Although my business and domestic lives are separated, by being in such close proximity I do have a lot of the “working from home” issues to contend with. I get the occasional evening or weekend disturbance but on the whole it suits me.

As mentioned by others, you need discipline, but, as the reverse to most peoples problem, I find I have to force myself to go home.

[Mark Shipley]

Home based here as well!

Every aspect suits me perfectly, a fantastic estuary just over the road where I walk the dogs, woods at the back and the field where I fly model aircraft is only 3 miles away 😀

The downside, well there isn’t one really. I did get tired of people phoning in the early hours, that has been fixed a Philips phone system that only allows family and friends to get through out of office hours – everyone else goes straight through to voice-mail and I deal with that in the morning!

The hours are flexible, so if it’s nice and sunny I can do some gardening and if it’s raining I can build model aircraft – so you can see there is plenty of time for work 😮 erm, what I mean is :2thumbs: it’s great if you are able to differentiate between work and home.

Mark

[Frog Man]

I started out working for a boss 8:00 to 4:30 – 5 days a week, did so for 13 years, then thought I would go out on my own.

I have now worked from home for the last 16 years and wouldn’t have it any other way. People will often ask what’s it’s like
working from home and my answer is always the same “I feel like I am on a lifelong holiday”. Today for example I went
surfing in the morning, did a bit of work in the afternoon, went out with the kids for tea and am now working a few more
hours while the family sleeps. I don’t think I could do that sort of thing if I had a workshop somewhere.

So my advice would be work from home where ever possible and start enjoying that life long holiday 😀

P.S. I sometimes have nightmares that I am back working for a boss. (Seriously)

[Dave Hambrook]

I work mainly from hotel rooms, which i think my wife prefers :rabble:

[Phill Fenton]

I work out of a small 1000sq ft industrial unit – which is just as well as you should see some of the clowns that come knocking on my door asking for quotes. I wouldn’t like some of them turning up at my house 😕

[Aaron & Chris]

We work from home too (a double garage) but its my parents so its not really ours. We both live at home and have no sprogs.

I think its more of a disadvantage for us, thats because we cant have any signs outside because we are in a col e sac. Also customers cant find us and end up going to the guy down the road because hes on the main road. Also we feel like people expect us too be cheaper than other places because we work from home and think your not serious about what you do. Also it limits your workload because we cant get a van in the garage and also if we wanted to expand with say a digital printer we dont have the room.

Now this situation is not the same for everyone but you must have had people say ‘Is this your hobby then?’ 👿

It does have a major advantage of being cheap but with us both being 25 years old and hungry for success we want to go out try and earn some cash and maybe one day have our very own shop or unit. 😀

Cheers
Chris 😀

[Andrew Bennett]

Big G is right about planning permission, but you also have to be aware of the small print in your mortgage.

[Dave Springate]

Hi,
Been working from home for about 6 years now, started in a spare bedroom, now in a purpose built workshop and wouldnt want it any other way, especially since my daughter was born 3 yrs ago. I have seen her grow up and like simon above, have saved a fortune in child care!

Dave

[Carrie Brown]

Theres a fair few peeps who work from home then!!!! Should have had a poll would have been intersting to see actual numbers …… but then again not everyone likes to vote … so the numbers would probably only equate to the amount of peeps who have posted here already 😕 Im babbling!!!

😀

[Hugh Potter]

i too work from home, neccessity at present as i’m not in a position to afford owt else, the shed/workshop is taking shape, well, it still needs properly lining, damp proofing etc, but otherwise is ready to move into i guess ! it suits my needs ok for now, just hope i dont get any huge jobs for the time being ! i’m quite happy to gradually build up as i go and gain more experience before jumping into a shop,

my biggest prob is like others have said, discipline, i get up, shower, switch on the pc, cup of tea, flick on the news, browse the net for 18 hrs and then do 2hrs of work at 3am ! or there abouts, once the shed is sorted i’m going to make a point of leaving and going in at 9am every day, whether i need to or not, even if i only do some cleaning and leave again, that way if another job comes in, i’m not rushing it,

otherwise i love it, i’m making my old ’employed’ weeks money in the equivelent of two days, covering costs etc, and still finding time to have a bit of quality time with the lass, the kids, or go fishing down the coast for the afternoon ! i am never gonna work for an employer again ! ever !

another avenue i’m exploring is mobile cutting, i did a motorsport event last weekend and cut to order, min cut price of a fiver, much of it simple clip art stuff from disc, or custom lettering for race cars, no set prices, just made them up for each job, i used about 90% of the offcuts i took with me so that was a bonus, and made reasonable profit too (for a first attempt), things can only go up from here !!

[Rod Gray]

quote Marcella:

You’re not the only one needing to change their photo…. mine is 2 years out of date!!!!! I’m a bit older and rounder now 🙁 !

When you change yours put the Huskies in too!!!!!

Don`t do it Marc!, Nik lambasted me for changing mine. I have cried myself to sleep every night since due to her hurtful comments ! 🙁

😉 😀

[Marcella Ross]

I think you look better in this pic! You’re old one looked like an ad in a contact magazine!!!! 😀 You look cheery in this new pic!
I don’t have a recent pic as I avoid cameras like the plague! I must make an effort and sit and grin, just as long as it only shows one chin!

[Simon Clayton]

Whats one of them then Marcella?? contact mag 😮

Simon

[Marcella Ross]

Oh you’re not that innocent Simon!!!!!

Anyway, I’ve gone and done it now…. changed the pic that is, and this one is well up to date, this afternoon in fact! That’s especially for Mr Cameron Steer of Europoint who when he was in last week commented on my pic very gently insinuating that it was a bit out of date!!! 😉
I’m on the look out for you now Cameron, you better make a post so that I can see if your pic is true to the real you!!!!!!!!! 😀

[Marekdlux]

Nice new picture Marcella. I need to find a decent pic of me as well. Every picture I have is usually me drunk. I don’t know why? 😮
-Marek

[Nicola McIntosh]

quote McRod:

Don`t do it Marc!, Nik lambasted me for changing mine. I have cried myself to sleep every night since due to her hurtful comments

:lol1: :lol1: i wouldnt hurt a fly 😉

nice new piccie marcella 😛

nik

[Keith Nilsen]

Nice pic Marcella!

[Marcella Ross]

You’re too kind folks……… when do the insults start??????

Marek, I had to have a pic taken as the only ones I have I’m p****d!
Anyway, it’s Friday and I’ve got a BIG glass of wine in my hand already!!! 😀

[Marekdlux]

quote Marcella:

You’re too kind folks……… when do the insults start??????

I save my insults for another forum. 😀
-Marek

[Carrie Brown]

Great new piccie Marcella 😀

[Simon Clayton]

Thumbs up from me.. very nice

Simon

[Andrew Bennett]

Out of interest, what security measures should one have installed if they are working from a shed or garage as some posters have said they do?

[Marcella Ross]

In my case…. 2 Alsatians and an alarm system! (:)

[Andrew Bennett]

The insurers haven’t stated chaining your machinery and ‘puters down then? (chat.)

[Alan Wharton]

1 deranged german shepard 😀 and 22 siberian huskies 😛 should be 30 in the next few weeks tho 🙂
And living on a farm i have a gun licence (:) Job Done 😉