From Employee to Freelance Mentality: Working on Different Projects Online

With the flexibility of working from home, employees can not only complete their work on their own schedules, but this also gives them the opportunity to start their own business. Many people have the time to start a side business but simply haven't gone through the steps to get this done. A side business doesn't have to be a huge investment of time though. Many people start their own projects for a small amount of extra income. They may not even want to leave their traditional job.

If you have an idea for a side business that may need a little extra time and work, being able to work from home allows you to juggle multiple projects. You'll find that you can perform both your normal business and also a side business without having to give up one or the other. You may also find that it's easier to do both with the flexibility of working from home. There's never been a better time to start your own business. If you have this passion, you may want to start working on it with your free time.

Manage Your Team More Efficiently

If you manage employees that are working from home, it may seem as though you have less control when they're not in a physical office. However, many managers find that the opposite is true. When employees are in the office environment, they may not actually be doing work. From personal tasks to checking email and more, working in an office isn't the best for employees. When working from home, they actually tend to focus more on tasks and getting jobs done rather than putting in a certain number of hours. When you're able to focus on the results and not on their time, you often end up with better quality work.

This being said, successfully managing employees does require some tools when working remotely. For example, team management systems, which work directly in your email inbox, such as Wundamail are a great tool to use. You can use this platform to send a check-in email each day. Team members can respond to the emails on any device. The next morning, all responses are sent to the entire team. You can create sub-teams or groups and also edit/delete/add responses before they reach the group. This handy tool allows managers to keep track of what's going on daily and also allows team members to work cohesively, even from afar.

Another benefit is that you can enjoy responsiveness and interactions with clients. Meeting face-to-face just isn't an option in today's busy world but you don't have to settle for bland emails. Online teams and other platforms allow you to meet with clients face-to-face even from afar. With the platforms available to you, you can share information, progress work immediately and get their feedback and ideas. In fact, working remotely often improves responsiveness so it may be a tool that ends up being a huge asset for your team.

Finally, with remote work, you'll have access to a global market. When you work remotely, the world is your oyster. You don't have to limit your client or customer base to simply the United States or the local area. The good news about this is that the global market is more recession-proof. When you want your business to weather changes in the economy, you need access to this global market. Depending on the services or products that you offer, you may find that the international market holds greater opportunity for you. This is a huge benefit for you. If your employees are already used to working remotely, then working internationally will be just a small adjustment for them.

Building Work-Life Balance

This is a benefit for both employers and employees. Think about how much time you spend commuting each day. When you work from home, the commute is simply the time it takes to get to your home office or workspace. The average person probably spends at least an hour a day commuting and possibly even more. When you can work from home, you save this time to spend with family, work on personal projects, or do any number of tasks.

Quality of life when working from home can't be overstated as well. Although some people find that they do better when treating their day as a typical workday without allowing for interruptions, this doesn't mean that you can't take the occasional break as needed. Set boundaries if you have other family members in the house by all means, but you can be there for any emergencies or other tasks as needed. For example, having lunch with your kids is now possible when working from home. You can get them up in the morning and help them get their day started with enough time for you to still start your workday on time. Also, if you do have to work in the evening, you won't be at the office. You can still take time to read a bedtime story and then get back into your work project.

These are just a few reasons why working from home is a great benefit. Employers often find that they end up with a better work project. Employees enjoy the flexibility and ability to work on personal projects or simply enjoy a better work/life balance. Although working at home is not always a necessity for businesses, it may be their best option. Consider the nature of the business and whether it could be accomplished without a physical workspace. With the growth of technology and other platforms that allow your office to function as a team, you may wonder why you missed out on this opportunity before.