| A new work trend has surfaced a few years | | | | Timothy Ferriss who wrote the book, "The |
| back which is rapidly catching on with the | | | | 4-Hour Workweek." |
| advances made by technology specifically in the | | | | In his book, he shared about four important |
| areas of communications and in the internet. In | | | | phases/stages in achieving success outside an |
| fact, maybe you are already one of those millions | | | | office environment and at the same time living |
| who at one point in time have probably | | | | the life that one wants. Key to this is that |
| considered the possibility of this new work trend. | | | | paradigm shift that you don't have to be at a |
| What's being referred to is this trend of going | | | | desk IN a cubicle IN an office in order to be |
| home-based. There are many other terms | | | | productive, successful and earning well. You could |
| associated with this idea and you may have come | | | | be OUT THERE living it up and still be running your |
| across some of them: telecommute, cyberwork, | | | | own business! |
| remote work, online work, virtual jobs, etc. | | | | How did he do it? He outsourced/delegated or |
| Thanks to modern-day technology, we can now | | | | had someone else who lived in another time zone |
| seriously consider something we probably | | | | do his work for him. He looked at the things he'd |
| dreamed of amidst the frustration of our work - | | | | rather not be doing and hired a virtual assistant |
| the dream of working in the comfort of your | | | | (VA) who could do them for him. Then he |
| own home (no overbearing boss, no office politics, | | | | focused on doing what he really wanted to do - |
| no phone interruptions, no long meetings that | | | | like learning another language, dancing the tango in |
| don't concern you, etc.). Our parents dreamed of | | | | competitions, traveling, being with his family, etc. |
| being part of a prestigious company, reporting for | | | | What is probably material to this particular |
| work everyday, then enjoying retirement. We | | | | approach is the reality that practically anybody |
| were brought up and educated to aspire for the | | | | nowadays can offer their services online and may |
| same things. Only recently have universities and | | | | receive payment wherever they may be. Most |
| colleges begun to offer courses on | | | | employers or service contractors can monitor the |
| entrepreneurship and most of them still operate | | | | work or communicate with these remote |
| on the idea of running your own office outside | | | | workers via email, fax or Skype and the likes |
| the confines of your own home. | | | | without having to meet face-to-face. |
| First let's discuss those who do work at home but | | | | Of course, not all jobs will be wiped out by this |
| still report to someone else who may be in an | | | | current trend of going home-based. We'd still need |
| office or also working at home. They do not have | | | | doctors in the hospitals, scientists in the |
| their own businesses. They are employees who | | | | laboratories, farmers in the fields, etc. Many other |
| telecommute. The advantages in their scenario | | | | types of office jobs may reasonably be farmed |
| are: | | | | out to non-regular employees and with great |
| 1) They do not waste time traveling to work. | | | | benefit not only to the employer but even to |
| 2) They save on power-dressing or being | | | | employees. |
| fashionable at the workplace. | | | | Those who enter into working partnerships with |
| 3) They can take care of their children if they | | | | virtual workers reap the benefits of having |
| need attention. | | | | workers / partners who are happy with their |
| 4) They have flexibility of time. | | | | work, self-motivated and driven, focused and |
| The other set of home-based workers are those | | | | disciplined. They are happy because they love |
| who run their own businesses at home. It used to | | | | what they're doing and they're valuable to their |
| be purely related to sales, telemarketing and | | | | partners. They're self-motivated and driven |
| manufacturing but now, home businesses have | | | | because if they don't work for themselves, who |
| access to global markets equal to that of some | | | | will? They're focused and disciplined because they |
| large firms. These entrepreneurs have discovered | | | | too are professionals. |
| that you can magnify your profit through the | | | | It is important to note that working at home is |
| internet without the expense of investing in office | | | | only truly attractive if you can achieve a healthy |
| facilities and the like. | | | | work-life balance. Without this necessary balance, |
| Many successful entrepreneurs have written | | | | you might find that either your work at home is |
| about their experiences in order to share with | | | | encroaching on your family time or vise versa. |
| others what they enjoy for themselves. Real | | | | When that happens, working at home has lost its |
| successful people are not afraid to empower | | | | purpose. |
| others to be successful, too. One such person is | | | | |