Who are you?

• Freelancer?
• Information Technology or Web Industry?
• Work at home?

Who am I?

• Adam Merrifield - seyDoggy Systems
• Web developer
• @seyDoggy (Twitter)
• Really big nerd

My Story

• 2005 - Started freelancing as a side job.
• 2006 - Freelancing full time.
• 2007 - Working solely from home office.
  • Haven’t left the house since.
  • I still shower regularly.

Telecommuting: It’s All the Rage

• Working remotely since the 70’s
• Working from Home (WFH)
• Working at Home (WAH)
• Working Through Fibre (WTF)
• I made up that last one… you know… for the WTF part?

Working from Home Is Easy

Quality of Life

• fewer negative relationships
• less travel
• more time with friends and family
• more exercise

Working from Home Is Easy

Financial Benefits

• reduced travel expenses
• eat meals at home
• reduced daycare needs
• less office attire

Working from Home Is Easy

Financial Benefits…

• tax benefits
  • write-offs at home and away
• no salary cap
  • (uh… yeah… we’ll come back to this)

Working from Home Is Easy

It’s Socially Responsible

• reduce facility overhead (insurance, energy, taxes)
• reduce greenhouse emissions
• reduce strain on transport infrastructures
• reduce carbon footprint

Except the Working Part

Distractions (people)

• kids
• spouse
• friends
• clients
• parents

Except the Working Part

Distractions (technological)

• tv
• games
• internet
• email

Except the Working Part

Distractions (inhibitions… or lack thereof)

• eating
• sex
• drinking
• drugs

Except the Working Part

Financial Hardships

• feast or famine
• paying taxes (but like… actually paying them)
• capital expenses
• overhead

Except the Working Part

Social and Mental Hardships

• “freelancer” is another word for “unemployed”
• disconnected from friends and family
• lack of benchmarks can lead to feeling of failure
• extreme isolation causes depression

Except the Working Part

The Crap Jobs Are All Yours

• Accounting and book keeping… that’s your job.
• Contracts, legal, NDA’s, paperwork… that’s your job.
• Cleaning… that’s your job.
• All tedious tasks, grunt work, Joe jobs… that’s your job.

Except the Working Part

Space and Separation

• you live where you work
• separate work from pleasure
• the family in in your work space
• your work space in in your family’s home

Except the Working Part

Scheduling and Burnout

• working anytime because you can
• neglecting personal and family needs
• becoming the clients “sweetheart” a.k.a. “slave”
• attribute too much value to personal projects

Making It All Work… from Home

Setting Ground Rules at Home

• define a regular work day/week
• define a work space
• talk with the kids
• communicate with spouse (checks and balance)

Making It All Work… from Home

Balance Work and Home

• get out of the house
  • exercise, coffee, socialize
• get involved in extracurricular activities
  • meetups, community events, mixers

Making It All Work… from Home

Balance Your Time

• take on only what you can finish (work and home)
• work when you say, stop when you say
• set timeline goals
• put everything in a calendar (with alerts)

Making It All Work… from Home

Schedule Each Day

• work at regular intervals
• stop at regular intervals
• make routine tasks routine
• record your progress

Making It All Work… from Home

Balance Your Finances

• spend money to make money… only when you need to
• what goes out must come in
• pay your taxes, pay your taxes, PAY YOUR TAXES
• don’t trust the whether man, get an umbrella

Making It All Work… from Home

Manage Distractions

• separate workspace from living space
• separate yourself from tv, games, etc…
• moderate isolation to minimize vices
• save personal projects for slow times

Making It All Work… from Home

Motivation, Drive and Discipline

• set goals
• structure your operation
• involve your family
• believe in yourself

Alternatives to Working from Home… Alone

• share home office with another freelancer
• rotate work spaces with other freelancers
• meet others regularly at coffee shops, libraries, etc…
• join co-op work spaces

Questions?