The Big Transition

By: Jennifer Manriquez

As I transitioned from working a fulltime job outside of the home to owning a business, which is run out of my home, I found there were things I loved and some things I was not a fan of. Recently I have spoken with a number of friends that have switched jobs and are now based out of their home. I have been receiving mixed reviews and I am finding that others are feeling much of what I felt when I made the switch.

First, working from home is certainly appealing on many levels. You have the flexibility to better schedule your life work and home life. The commute is nonexistent. You save on work clothes and various other expenses. However, if the newfound flexibility is not met with boundaries and prioritizing, working at home could become less than productive.

Personally, because I am a very social person, my biggest challenge was not having a group of colleagues to network with daily. I thrust myself into my new business and didn’t realize that I would soon miss my daily networking and interaction. Feeling isolated, I quickly sought out business networking groups and associations to join. After finding my groove, I felt much more comfortable being affiliated with a group, rather than going it alone.

Additionally, working at home can be a breading ground for distractions. When I was starting out, I found myself getting coffee and before I knew it, I was cleaning the kitchen, finishing laundry, picking up toys, completely distracted from my task at hand. One of the best things I did was set some very specific boundaries and priorities. I resigned myself not to do housework until lunchtime or break time. I do not answer my home phone line if I am working and I try very had to stay in my designated home office while working. This has helped immensely, because before I set boundaries, I felt like I was doing everything halfway and nothing completely. This is a much better scenario for me.

Some love to work from home and some prefer to leave for the day. For me, now that I am in the groove and have things under control (most days…), I wouldn’t change a thing!

Jennifer Manriquez, Founder of The Bilingual Fun Co. LLC, a language education company teaching Spanish to children through interactive classes and award winning educational products. www.bilingualfun.com