5 Traits Of A Successful Telecommuter

By Tom Lindstrom | Mar 23, 2008

Guest post by Heather Johnson.

At some point in your life, you must have envied those who can skip the daily rat race and work from home. Telecommuting is the official name for it and there are dozens of careers that can be established from home. Freelance artists and writers, for example, can work from home. Some people even work from remote call centers in their living rooms or have their own online store.

In other words, there are many options out there for those who wish to pursue a career from home. The stress level is much lower when people are in their own comfort zone and think of the money saved from skipping the commute!

Telecommuting isn’t for everyone, however. There are certain traits that a person must possess in order to make it work from home. Here are the top five:

1.Hard Working: Just because you go to work in your bunny slippers doesn’t mean you are a slacker. If telecommuting appeals to you because you’re lazy, then you will have a tough time paying the bills. Without coworkers around you to pick up the slack from time to time, you may even work a bit harder. Rolling out of bed at 10am and “clocking in” on your laptop in bed could make it all worth it, though.

2.Courageous: It takes a lot of guts to quit a steady-paying, traditional job in order to make a telecommuting career work. Some of us have motivating factors, however, which drive us to stick our neck out. Work-at-home parents, for instance, want to be close to their children. Disabled professionals may also wish to work from home.

3.Unorthodox: Most people assume they have to drag themselves to a normal office job for several decades, then retire and finally start living. The telecommuter refuses to fit into that mold. When you take the plunge, many people you know might call you “crazy.” They, too, have been institutionalized by the office drone mindset.

4.Business-Savvy: Even if you are following your dream by starting a creative business from home, you still need to be business-like and analytical in your execution at times. After all, you will be your own boss and marketer. Even if you’re having a blast with your new telecommuting career, it is still a business and you need to keep an eye on the till. (Note: Freelancers are more likely to be audited by the IRS, so document everything!)

5.Dependable: Whether you are a writer, candle maker or phone operator, there will be customers involved with your business. You need to be punctual with your work, meeting deadlines, and work very hard to make a good impression. When people are aware that you work from home, you might even have to go the extra mile to prove you aren’t a flake.

Do you think you have what it takes to be a successful telecommuter? It isn’t all fun and games, you see. However, the benefits are great, particularly if you find your office life to be stifling. With more WiFi hotspots popping up all over the place, an Internet-based job could be maintained from your favorite coffee shop or public park! It sure beats rush-hour traffic, huh?

By-line:

Heather Johnson is a freelance business, finance and economics writer, as well as a regular contributor at Business Credit Cards, a site for business credit card and best business credit card offers. Heather welcomes comments and freelancing job inquiries at her email address heatherjohnson2323(a)gmail.com.