Hello all! Andy Hill here …  We have a new guest post from Greg Johnson from Club Thrifty. Greg Johnson is a personal finance and frugal travel expert who leveraged his online business to quit his 9-5 job, spend more time with his family, and travel the world. His article below discusses the “work from home” life and the many opportunities that can come from it. I hope you enjoy!

Working from home is getting a lot of attention these days. Even jobs in retail stores and warehouses are being adapted temporarily for remote work. And while many employees will eventually, go back to their office buildings and storefronts, I’ll stay right where I am.

It’s been almost a decade since my wife, Holly Johnson, and I became entrepreneurs. We run all of our business ventures online, which means we work entirely from our home. Working from home has transformed our lives. The best part is that you can do it, too.

If you are considering working from home but aren’t sure if it’s worth it, read on.

Benefits of Working From Home

Holly and I are entrepreneurs, but that isn’t the only way to work from home. There are many legitimate work from home jobs for employees, too. Customer service positions are particularly suited to remote work.

And while it’s a bonus to wear pajamas all day and save money on a commute, the benefits of working from home skyrocket when you start your own business. When I think about the benefits of working from home, it’s usually as an entrepreneur. Here’s why.

Freedom to Work How I Want

This is my favorite part of being an online entrepreneur. No one is looking over my shoulder or evaluating my wardrobe. I don’t have to ask a boss for time off…I am free to come and go as I please every day.

Holly and I get to make the business decisions that affect our future. This freedom brings out creativity and resourcefulness to solve problems and adapt to changes that I never experienced as an employee. Being my own boss is exhilarating.

The flip side of this is that no one else will do the work for you. Running your own business isn’t all rainbows and jelly beans – but I know that the work I put into it is mine. And I get the rewards.

Flexible Schedule

Working from home on my own company also means I can have a flexible schedule to meet our needs. I can take a walk at lunch or start my day at 4 am. I can also be at the house for a repairman without taking precious vacation time.

If one of my kids gets sick, I can still work. This might mean getting up early or working a few hours over the weekend, but I know my income doesn’t have to suffer and my child can get the care and attention from us that she needs.

Multiple Streams of Income

Financial security can seem like a dream meant for someone else, especially when you have kids. If you depend on a steady paycheck from an employer each month, losing any portion of it can mean unpaid bills or increasing debt. It can feel like a hamster wheel you can’t get off.

When you’re working from home as your own boss, earning income from multiple places provides peace of mind and can set you up for a secure future. Holly is a successful freelance writer with multiple clients. If she loses one, she still has income from other clients until she fills that spot. Our blog, Club Thrifty, earns income through affiliate sales, advertisements, and
products we sell, such as our Earn More Writing courses.

Money coming from different places is especially important in an economic downturn like we are currently experiencing. Some of our income is down, but some of it is going up. Multiple streams of income give us financial security and the time to adapt our plans in a changing environment.

Spend Time with My Family

This is a pretty obvious one, but it’s one of the primary reasons we decided to take the plunge and start our own online business. When Holly and I worked as employees in a funeral home, we worked full-time and we were always on-call.

We had two little girls we saw an hour or two
each night. Weekends were a rat race of grocery shopping, laundry, errands, and mowing the lawn. We fell into bed each night exhausted, wondering if this was all there was to life and aching for more time with our kids.

Now, we each work maybe 6-7 hours a day. We are here when the kids get off the school bus and have quality time with them on weekends. We rarely miss a school play or classroom party.

The best part is that we have the ability to travel the world with our girls and expose them to different cultures and landscapes. We’ve played with them on Caribbean beaches, explored castles together in England, and hiked beside them to the peaks of mountains in Europe.

Our Health

Let’s face it – many people do not enjoy their jobs. In fact, most people dread Monday mornings and party hard on Friday nights. The weekend represents freedom from the boss, even if the weekend is chaotic and exhausting, too.

We were once part of that culture. Our jobs demanded all of our energy, leaving little for our growing family. We were exhausted and stressed. And while we earned a decent living, our finances were another source of anxiety. What if our car broke down? Will we ever be able to buy a house?

The stress affected us physically, too. Holly had chronic back pain that two surgeries did little to solve. She spent workdays hunched at a desk, reaching to answer phones, and standing on her feet for hours.

All of that ended when we started working from home. Our multiple streams of income provided financial security that eliminated our financial stress. Holly’s back pain disappeared two weeks after leaving her job and never returned. We can go to doctor appointments without worrying about using sick time and have the money to pay the medical bills. Our physical and mental
health has never been better, even as we get older!

Legitimate Work From Home Jobs

If any of this sounds intriguing to you, start by thinking about what you already know and are good at doing. Many skills in 9-5 jobs can be used to start your own business. Here are a few legitimate ways you can earn an income from home.

Freelance Writing

This is one of our favorites because the opportunities are endless. Freelance writing includes creating content for blogs, emails, annual reports, press releases, brochures, and more.

If you’re wondering how to find freelance writing jobs, start by analyzing your current network – does your kid’s ballet studio have a blog? Maybe your neighbor’s plumbing business needs new fliers. Opportunities are all around!

Related Interview: How I Make $10,000 Per Month as a Freelance Writer

Virtual Assistant

Being a virtual assistant involves many of the same tasks done in an
office building – managing inboxes, scheduling travel, and answering the phone. The difference is that a virtual assistant can do the work from anywhere. Many VAs offer premium services such as blog management, social media marketing, graphics design, and more.

Blogging

Blogging is still one of the best ways to earn a living from home. While it
takes some time to get going, the opportunity to set up multiple streams of income is a strong motivator. A blog can earn money by selling your own products, selling products or services others create (called affiliate marketing), and displaying ads.

How to Get Started

Starting your own business provides freedom and income you can’t get working for someone else. But if you aren’t ready to give up your secure paycheck just yet, you can still set up your future for remote work.

Here are a few things to get started:

• Ask your current employer if you can work from home, even if it’s just one day a week.
• Start a business as a side gig to test the waters. This is a common approach for online entrepreneurs and many leave their full-time jobs soon after.
• If you work in a seasonal job in tourism or part of the year as a teacher, for example, use your off-season to launch your business.
• If you are out of work right now, think about starting a business as your new job. Dedicate the time you would normally apply for jobs looking for remote work instead.

In Conclusion: Working from Home

Working from home has many benefits. You can save money, ditch the commute, and work from your bed if you want to. However, the biggest advantages come from becoming an online entrepreneur. While there is a lot of work to get started, the rewards can change your life.

For Holly and me, working from home means unlimited income potential, financial security for our family, the freedom of a flexible schedule, and the ability to travel the world while saving for our future.

What would working from home mean for you?

Please let us know in the comments below.