Home-based working isn’t for all types of personalities
Monday, May 10th, 2010
Is your personality suited to home-based working?
This question is directly related to Virtual Personal Assistants. This discussion does not touch in any way on the experiences of Virtual Assistants working out of a regular office space; it deals solely with those experiences in working out of a home-based office or study.
It is not as straightforward as one might first imagine. There are always complicated subtleties to take stock of because the scope for variance is immense. However, in generalising, because I am not aware of any research in this new field, I would suggest the following: people with the these traits are suited to this mode of working.
- People driven by a rock solid work ethic.
The work ethic when it is strong and durable is more important than top rate skills. Skills will develop with time, and that's the crux of the matter, it is only those people who are driven by a strong work ethic who will devote the time.
If someone is motivated to work solidly within the recognised work zone viz. 9 to 5 pm, they will strive to complete the task in hand, no matter how long it takes. They will acquire the skills along the way and in acquiring those skills will feel a huge sense of satisfaction, and that satisfaction in their achievement will spur them on to work longer and harder to complete the task. They are in fact not bound by the recognised working time zone.
So, these people often exceed the expectation of their clients by working faster and delivering work of a much higher standard.
- People who do not have to consider other demands on their time.
When there are family members to consider there will be less time available for home-based working despite all efforts to achieve a balance, the needs of the family will always come first.
I hear all you working mothers out there disagreeing saying “but we set ourselves targets just like any other individuals”. Yes, I'm sure this is the case, however families have a knack of diverting the attention of the main carer, who is usually female.
With all the will in the world if the carer is attempting to 'get on with some work', but the family member wants their attention, then I believe the child, partner, spouse, parent or pet is going to get that attention, by hook or by crook. Be honest with yourselves, if your child is complaining of feeling unwell, or if you can hear sibling fisti-cuffs occurring in the background, if your hubby is pressing you, or your dog is throwing up on the carpet, you will be distracted, and you will leave your desk to attempt to deal with the domestic problems. Thus the work-flow is disturbed.
If the Virtual Personal Assistant has none of those distractions she works like a demon. The super organised VPA ensures the distractions do not impinge on her work programme.
So what is clear here is that it is only the well-organised and expert time managers within this new field, who can achieve excellent performance levels and keep many clients happy simultaneously. They will take into consideration that there are natural distractions when they are home-based working, and will construct a work pattern which has equal weighting with their family commitments.
- People who value the benefits of social media as a primary means of communicating win ‘hands down’.
Using the tools available via social media we can work smarter in the home. If using these tools is second nature to us we will engage more effectively with our clients and colleagues. Skype video conferencing, chat and calls; MSN chat; Facebook; LinkedIn and Twitter – in no particular order – help us to keep our finger on the pulse of the current issues and allow us to deal with things in an instant. Nothing has to be delayed till later, we have all we need at our finger tips. Not forgetting if we are using cloud computing techniques, like Huddle workspace or Google Docs, the client can actually witness the progress in real time.
In building up solid and extensive networks of connections through social media we build an arsenal of resources to make our tasks easier to complete. If you are not a natural communicator you are disadvantaged, however you can learn how to network effectively without being Miss Exuberance 24/7. There are, after all, hundreds of 'gurus' and 'experts' in social media out there offering to help us become more proficient.
When we are home-based we are not working in a vacuum we are immersed in a virtual world that is vibrant and dynamic. There is never the opportunity to feel unsupported or under-valued with such a solid network in place. Feeling empowered by our network we work more effectively and efficiently. With social media at hand we become ‘wonder-women’: super-charged super-VPAs.
If you are considering becoming a VPA business owner you need to consider whether your personality is right for this role. I hope the points I have made above help you to reach a position of clarity.
Finally, there is an additional consideration: you must not neglect the legal aspects of working in a home-based business. It might well affect your Council Tax status.
The SME Hub covers this topic well and I would encourage you to take a few minutes to read their blog on the topic: 'Are you allowed to run a business from home?'
