That figure is the increase from 1999 to 2005 in the number of people who work from home according to recently released U.S. Census figures. Nearly half of these home workers had college degrees and earned $75,000 a year or more. Some 11% of the “home workers” report working 11 or more hours per day on average. The biggest share (28%) of home-based businesses were in professional services — LAWYERS, accountants, programmers, consultants, and the like.
So ignore the scoffs from your friends who have the downtown office with the high rent…we’re working harder and better and making good livings doing it.
Personally I don’t mind working the longer hours, I’ve chosen my career because I enjoy it. The key issues for me were **elimination of a significant expense (a/k/a rent) that have helped our bottom line a ton & **the “stress relief” that comes from eliminating the morning/evening commute. Even now as someone who still has plenty of court time and meetings outside the home, the tension/rushing/pressure I feel on the ‘commute somewhere’ days versus the ‘walk to our home’s 2nd bedroom’ days is tangible. For me, the commute is a bigger stress causer than the work regardless of where the work occurs.
So if you’re tired of running to the train each morning (or worse sitting in a traffic jam on the Kennedy expressway), you have a quiet home work environment, and want to increase your firm’s profit…come on and join the millions who’ve already made the move!
Peter
January 28, 2010
I do not work from home. I sublet from another Lawyer who has an office just blocks from my house. When the weather is nice, I walk to work.
I think everyone with a home office should at least look into subletting. Most accountants and lawyers have more space than they need. Especially in the city of Chicago where all buildings are 30 by 125 feet.
My hat is off to people with the self discipline to have a home office and get work done. Good luck getting support staff with the same discipline, though.