Hi guys - first post here...in fact I've never blogged at all...EVER, but at the age of 49 I can see that this, and places like it, are going to be the future - and I don't intend to be getting left behind any time soon!

There are also a few people here already who I trust and admire – really pleased and excited to be here at the (almost) beginning – think this has HUGE potential!

I don't even fully understand how this works yet and not sure how I can and will contribute? While I mull that over, I thought that some of you might be able to learn some lessons from my experiences of home-working, which I've now been doing successfully for well over 10 years

It's very common for people to envy those of us lucky enough to live this lifestyle, and who can blame them? I decide when I get up, when I go to bed, and what I do in-between – so long as I get the job gets done, it's all good – from the outside looking in, it looks like I've got it pretty easy

The reality? Well, in my case, they're right....I've got it pretty easy at the moment! OK – it took years for this to become my reality, but if it's really for you then your reality could, within reason, be just as stress-free

A lot of people are now so disillusioned with the job situation that they have no choice other than to work for themselves. A whole other group of people work for employers who want to get some or all even all of their staff working from home, as it can save them a fortune on overheads

For simplicity, I'm going to assume that you'd be leaving an office environment to do the same or similar job from home, but if you're planning to embark on your own thing (good luck with it!), then a lot of this still applies

The Pros

If you're reading this, you're already probably well aware of the benefits of working from home, but you may not have considered some of this....or the pitfalls I'll start with the pros – if anyone reads it I'll be back with the negs ;)

1. As mentioned above, my hours are my own, so long as the work gets done. Some businesses send people to work from home and just assume the same hours, when in fact there's often no need for it – have a word with your employers if this is the case. Often times they're more than happy to accommodate flexible working hours
2. No commute! NO COMMUTE!! - I know people who spend well over an hour, each working day, in both directions from and to work – I used to be one of them. That's around 500 hours travelling to work every year – that's nearly 3 weeks a year! Never again! You can, if you really like, wake up, sit up and start work in your PJs
3. No dress code - Gone are the days that you'll be 'ever so grateful' to be allowed to show up in something half-comfortable on Dress Down Friday – now it's Dress Down Whenever I Damn Well Please' and the postwoman has long since expected to see me fully dressed at that time of the day
4. You're on hand - You don't want to encourage disturbances to your working schedule (see below), but it's always good to know that you can get away in case of an emergency and you'll generally be around to take parcel deliveries, grocery deliveries, feeding the cat, walking the dog, etc – in fact, if you happened to be a complete hermit, you'd probably survive very nicely without ever having to leave the house
5. Mo' Money – Don't even contemplate taking a lower remuneration to work from home, unless you really have no option. Employers save a lot of money having staff work away from the office and some will even pay a bonus for you to be working from home – it's always worth asking the question. On top of this, you'll be saving money on fuel, parking, car maintenance or public transport costs, childcare costs, work clothes that you usually wouldn't be seen dead in – depending on your circumstances, that can REALLY add up
6. Also depending on your circumstances, working from home may enable you to become self-employed. It's not for everyone, but maybe worth a quick chat with your employer and/or an accountant – being self-employed can be tax-advantageous
7. Wherever I Lay My Hat – It never ceases to amaze me how many people start working from home....and then stay in the same surroundings. Now you're a home-worker, you can live wherever you like, local laws allowing. A few years ago I decided to keep renting (even then I had zero faith in the housing market – I was a little early!), but to start looking further afield. I now pay less rent than I did 6 years ago.

How? Well, back then I lived in a crowded commuter area, in a soulless house on a soulless housing estate – a functional box that more and more people are happy to call 'Home'. So I decided to do a bit of research and moved to a beautiful part of the country, where wages are low, unemployment is high and housing costs are much lower than where I was previously – I now live in an idyllic house, right beside the river in a beautiful setting . Before this I lived in a 5 bedroom farmhouse in the middle of the countryside – it turns out that these sorts of homes are often far less to rent than lot of 'commuter boxes', so take advantage of the situation and find your very own dream home – you'll be working there remember, so it's important for other reasons that you might not have even considered – a positive environment will make you far more productive, believe me

8. Do you have kids? All of the above will add up to a lot more quality time with the family. You can drop and meet them from school, hope with homework and just spend more time with them - working from home can tie in perfectly with family life

Hope this helps some of you....watch this space for the next thrilling installment!

Cheers - Andy