Work from Home to Help the Planet

There is a wonderful movement happening in this country right now.  People from coast to coast are starting to pay far more attention to their individual impact on the environment.  As the movement grows, the small contributions made by each individual person are adding up and resulting in real change.  There are so many ways that you can join in the cause, or even make steps to further improve your global footprint. One thing that many people are doing to better their lives, their financial status, and their impact on the world is transitioning to a work from home career.

Same Job, Different Scenery Working from home has become more popular than ever thanks to recent advancements in technology.  People are now able to do nearly anything from the home that they would be able to do in the office, including speaking face to face with colleagues, which makes it easier for long time professionals to make the switch while keeping a position within the company.  Work from home doesn’t have to mean starting over.

Many employers are welcoming the idea of employing workers from home.  It can actually benefit them in that there is less overhead for them when this happens.  Less office space, office furniture, and even office equipment is required if a person opts to work from home.  In fact, some offices have been able to go completely virtual – hosting meetings via video chat and conference calling and doing all collaborative work via the “cloud.”  It saves the employee money that would otherwise go toward commuting and saves their cars wear and tear.  Plus, working from home has the benefit of comfort.  A person doesn’t have to rush around to get ready every morning; sweatpants make perfect home office attire, and coffee breaks can be taken when convenient.

Complete Change of Pace For most that consider the idea of working from home, however, there is an implication that a new sort of work will be involved.  Whether it is because the person wants to work less hours per week, believes that an idea could be very profitable, has suffered injury or illness that limits him, or simply wants to save on the costs associated with working outside the home, he is not alone in considering a brand new work from home venture.  Millions are beginning to find their way out of the office via entrepreneurship out of the house.

Though women are the ones that seem to be taking the most advantage of this change of pace, men are beginning to jump on board at increasing rates as well.  More than twelve percent of the homes in America in 2000 claimed a home office, and that number has grown exponentially since.  People that were once intimidated by the idea of being self-employed are now finding the confidence required to make the leap, but that makes sense.

Before the home based business, just twenty-nine percent of start-ups were still thriving after three years.  Work-from-home businesses, on the other hand, have a much high success rate.  After three years, more than seventy percent are still operational and many are able to expand by a great degree in that time.  In fact, more than fifty percent of those businesses that begin as part-time or spare time ventures ultimately become the primary source of income for the individual.

Financial Sense So, what is in it for the person that dedicates so much time to building a successful business at home or the person that sacrifices the cubicle for the couch?  Well, a great deal actually.  In one year’s time, it is estimated that an average person can save twelve hundred dollars on gasoline, five hundred dollars on car maintenance, and eighteen hundred dollars on parking, just by working from home.  Assuming that a parent opts to keep the kids at home while working, he or she can save an additional seven thousand dollars per year.  That is a grand total of ten thousand five hundred dollars per year.  For the average American, that is like getting a thirty percent raise.  It could also be seen as leeway for the first year or two that it takes to get a business rolling.  If that person makes just seventy percent of what he or she was making before, then there would be no change in net income.

Aside from money, there are many reasons to work from home.  It is comfortable, one can keep his or her own schedule, and there is no need to worry about commuting in poor weather conditions or about missing the bus.  There are also the little things, like the ability to burn a candle, listen to music, and take a shower after lunch.  Everything becomes a bit easier and the world smiles a little each time a person makes the decision to keep the car parked.