This guest post by Aurelia Williams isn’t something I, as a single woman, have to deal with. However, if I were married having my husband’s support would be a big must for me to continue working from home. So, if you’re spouse isn’t supporting you be sure to read on for a couple ideas to help you gain their support.
Taking the plunge into the murky waters of working from home can be a risk. Jobs are not always certain, pay is dependent on how much you work, and some jobs never pay at all. It is a completely different working environment than a brick and mortar job. There are times when you will work your fingers to the bone for a low wage. If you can handle stress, hard work and have the discipline and dedication needed, the benefits of working from home far outweigh the risks.
Biggest Work at Home Problem – Lack of Support
One potential problem that you need to prepare for is a lack of support. People that do not work from home tend not to understand the concept. They do not consider it a “real” job. If you decide to give it a shot, get ready for some possible criticism from family, friends and even strangers.
In addition, your husband may not believe in working from home. He may see you sitting in front of your computer all day and think that that’s all you’re doing…playing games, chatting on Facebook or Twitter, or catching up on gossip on other people’s blogs. If your husband is less than supportive, there are ways to make him realize that your time is money, too.
How to Gain His Support
We’ve already talked about the biggest problem of working from home – the lack of support from your spouse. Now let’s look at ways you can show your husband why working from home is beneficial to your family.
Show Him How You Will Make Money
The first thing you need to do is show him exactly what you do and how you will make money. Once the money starts coming in and you are able to pay bills, buy groceries or those extra things that everyone wants, he will quickly realize that your work at home job really is a job. Once he realizes this, then he will begin to understand that it’s not just a job, it is a real business.
Show Him You Will Put His and Your Family Needs First
Another way to gain support from your spouse is by making sure to put his needs and your family’s needs first. This is probably the most difficult aspect of working from home. When you have a work at home business, especially an online business, there is always something you can be doing. Often my family will ask me if I have to work on a particular day because they want to know if I’m free to go do something with them. I often find myself saying “There’s always stuff I can work on”.
Now it may not be pressing or it may not be actual client work, it may simply be getting out there making connections with other people through their blogs, or via Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites. However, I always try to put my family first. This requires a work schedule, making priorities (both family and business) as well as knowing when to step away from the computer.
When you put these two concepts into practice, you will most likely gain the support and respect from your spouse and family as well as your friends and acquaintences.
Aurelia Williams is a certified Life Coach and author of Journey To Joy a clear-cut step-by-step action guide to help you claim the happiness you deserve. Get your copy now!
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Aurelia,
That is good advice. One thing, my husband and I honestly had to do was seek outside help, to help us communicate better. I know not all husbands will be willing to do this, but it has really helped as far as how we communicate. He’s definitely wants to see my business flourish and he’s a lot more supportive.