Working from Home

I have always been quite adventurous when it comes to gainful employment. I have done several self employed jobs. From my first venture - "Videotrek" - a mobile video library business, to perfume parties, to jewellery and then to running my own Nanny Agency.


Some of these I have even done whilst doing a 9-5 job too (quite exhausting at the time).


I am now in a good job and for the most part am enjoying it ....... but you know what I miss ........ working from home!


Working from home is great - especially as I get older. 


When you are younger you generally need to be in a work environment that has a social aspect to it too - my first job was great for that - I made a fantastic group of friends who are still my core friends nearly 30 years later. However, within a few years I then had my children. So effectively (apart from a brief 1 year job when Jess was a toddler) I was then at home. As a stay at home Mum I did some child-minding and was on so many community committees it felt as though I was constantly working (without pay).


I was very lucky to then secure a great job with the Pre-School where the children went - so already had a good relationship with staff there ....... and then progressed to working in a school ....... BUT ......... I really missed being independent with my own time.


I know that this is a privileged attitude - I know that I have been lucky enough to have only needed to work part-time since Mark died. I know that many many people do not have the opportunity or choices I had ............ but I have to be honest - that's what I missed.


So when I had that opportunity to run the agency I jumped at it - it was great - I finally got the Home Office I wanted turning the dining room into a PROPER office and felt really good about it. 


The business ran for 5 years but then the recession of 2008 hit so I had to look to do something else and if I am honest again ..... I actually missed the banter of office talk, interaction on a daily basis with colleagues. Yes I would have regular contact with my Nannies and families but it was not on the same level. So I was ready to go back to working as an employee. 


It didn't quite start out like that - I was an outsourcer for a local charity - and I loved it - they would give me a project to work on - to improve quality (policy & procedure) and I would do that from a laptop at home and report back in on a weekly basis. The best of both worlds !!!!


Then in 2009 they offered me a permanent part-time position. I think that may have been my mistake - I took it - happy for the consistency rather than not being sure if the outsource contract would continue to be renewed on a 3 monthly basis - so instead of working regularly from home, even though it was only for 25 hours a week, I was then working from their offices. I still loved it - don't get me wrong, but as time wore on I really really began to miss the working from home aspect.


I will not go into the details as to why I resigned but suffice to say I tried to resurrect the agency in some form or other during the 4 months I was out of work. It was not to be successful enough and so NEEDS MUST (money!) and I had to go back to being an employee again.


I have to say, I am enjoying where I work now - the people are great - that office banter/interaction is fab and again - it is only for 3 days a week. I also do bank work at the Nursery which is even more fun ........... BUT and there it is ............ BUT ....... I miss organising my own time/diary/agenda - sorting the business, visiting colleges  training others ...


Yes, the home office has been changed back to the dining room - I do still have an office - we changed Gina's old room into the office room - but it doesn't seem as prominent because it isn't - it is upstairs and out of the way.


So I will still keep plugging away at my ideas for diversifying the business - I now have that Life Coach qualification but have not yet gone down that route - it is a chicken and egg situation of needing the backup to advertise and build on. I am sure the right time will come - the economic climate will improve and ... as it is ... I am still able to dabble a little with the odd enquiry every now and then ....... 


I remain optimistic that I will once again be able to work full time (well as full time as I require) from home !!!