With the aid of modern technology more people than ever before are able to pursue, or consider, “location-independent” jobs – work that does not require you to be physically on-site at a specific location. Perhaps you would like to become location-independent. What are the pros, cons and options for finding a job that allows you to work from home…or wherever else you’d like for that matter?! Let’s take a look:

Pros to Having a Location-Independent Job

There are numerous potential benefits to having a location-independent job including:

• Increased flexibility. Perhaps the number one reason that people seek location-independent jobs is the opportunity for a more flexible lifestyle. If you make your own schedule you have more control over the time you spend at work and where you do your work. With the right tools and access to the technology you could theoretically work from anywhere and at practically any time.
• Increased productivity. Many people who work offsite are actually more productive than their office-bound colleagues because they have more control over their schedule and the ability to avoid time-wasters such as a daily commute, unnecessary or overly-lengthy meetings, and cubicle drop-ins from colleagues for social conversations, etc. According to a March 2010 Microsoft survey remote-location workers are also often more productive because “they simply take their work with them wherever they go.”
• Potentially better pay. Depending on your work history and industry you may actually be able to make more money working from home. You can save money on commuting costs, meals out including coffee and snacks to go, and your wardrobe expenses may also be lower since you won’t have to necessarily pay for regular dry cleaning and new clothes.
• Tax deductions. If you work from home you may be able to qualify for the federal home office tax deduction. With this benefit you can deduct a percentage of your residential space (which you use exclusively for your office), as well as utilities, supplies, travel expenses and transportation necessary for business.
• Ability to find work. Having a skill or ability that enables you to work remotely may expand your work opportunities than if you had to limit your job search to your immediate community or within a specified commuting distance.

Cons of Location-Independent Job

As attractive as it may sound to be a “digital nomad,” working from wherever you’d like according to your own schedule, there are some potential downsides you should consider:

• Missing office camaraderie. While working remotely can free you from some of the more grating aspects of on-site work, like office gossip, tedious meetings, etc. it also means that you’ll be missing the day-to-day company of colleagues. You’ll need to have a plan for overcoming feelings of isolation – such as scheduling regular lunch meetings with clients or colleagues and joining professional associations so that you can take advantage of training sessions, lectures and special events, etc.
• Being out of the “information loop.” You will also need a plan for not missing key workplace information that will help you do your job better. Often office-located coworkers share important business information in informal ways, such as office “pop-in” visits, conversations over lunch in the cafeteria, or passing meeting materials to one another when they bump into one another in the hallways. By virtue of not being physically in the office you will need to be proactive about staying connected with coworkers to make sure you’re getting the information you need to do your job well.
• Dealing with co-worker communication issues and potential jealousy. Often people who feel under pressure in the office don’t realize how they may come across to someone who is working virtually or remotely when they communicate by phone or email. It’s important to try and see things from your office-bound colleagues’ point of view. While you may be frustrated that you can’t get all the information you need sometimes, your co-workers may think that you have the better deal because you have more flexibility as a virtual worker. You will need to go the extra mile to serve the people you work with to create a high functioning place-based and virtual team.
• Distractions and interruptions. If you are planning to work from home you’ll have to be disciplined to manage everyday disruptions that you would not have to deal with if you were working in an office. For example, you’ll need to keep the TV off or tuned to a work-related channel if you are used to that type of background noise, manage personal phone calls, set expectations with family members (i.e. spouse or children interrupting work), and avoid getting side-tracked by personal work you could be doing around the house (i.e. laundry, cleaning, meal preparation, etc.).
• Billing and finances. If you’re working for yourself you will have to take on the responsibility of invoicing clients and then dealing with inevitable payment delays. If you are accustomed to having a paycheck mailed to your home or directly deposited into your personal bank account every two weeks this new financial structure can be a big adjustment. You will have to decide how to bill clients (i.e. what software system you will use), how you will handle slow-paying or non-paying clients, and how to budget on a potentially erratic income. Learn how to create financial structure and stability without a steady paycheck.
• Lack of benefits. Another downside of working for yourself from home is that unless you have a full-time employer you won’t have employer-paid benefits like health insurance, paid sick days or vacation. You’ll have to decide what benefits you need and/or would like and then be able to generate enough income – and budget it wisely - to pay for those benefits.
• Flipping the sign to “closed.” One of the main benefits of working remotely is that you have more flexibility regarding your schedule. However the flip side of that coin is that it can be difficult to “set office hours” – to clearly define time that you turn the computer off, put the papers aside, and enjoy personal time or time with family. You’ll need to decide how you will manage your time and work life so that you’re not feeling like you never really leave work even though you’re at home.
• Always looking for work. Unless you are working full-time as an employee for a company, the nature of work-from-home freelance positions is that you have to constantly keep an eye out for potential work and/or clients to keep a paycheck coming in. This can also mean that you may have to juggle seasons when you have more work than you can handle as well as seasons when you don’t have enough.