5 advantages and disadvantages of a home office

Working from home – is it living the dream or a lonely ordeal? There are upsides and downsides to having a home office. Here are a few pros and cons to help you decide which is best for your business.

Advantages

1. There's no traffic

How much time do you spend in traffic every day? If you're like some workers in South Africa, it's likely at least an hour or more. With a home office, there's no rush hour and you can spend that time being productive instead.

2. It's more affordable

You're might already be paying rates, taxes, and a bond or rent on your home. It's much cheaper to run an office from there than to pay for another one elsewhere.

3. Your environment is in your control

The oldest fight in the office — the air conditioner temperature — is no longer a concern. When you're in your own space, you can set your fan, heater, or air conditioner at whatever setting you like.

4. Tax deductions

Depending on your situation, you may be able to claim tax for a portion of some of your expenses. Those accumulated in the course of running your business, such as data, rates, taxes, and your bond or rent, may be eligible for tax deductions.

5. Flexibility

Your schedule is more flexible. If your child is sick, for example, it's easier to take them to the doctor and look after them at home. You don't need to go back and forth between home and office because the office is your home.

Disadvantages

1. It can look unprofessional

If you see clients at your workplace, a home office can appear unprofessional, depending on your business. It can also cost quite a lot of money to make your office presentable to clients; you might need to buy chairs, a water cooler, and even add on a separate bathroom.

2. It can get lonely

Some people could go a week without seeing another person and hardly notice. Others thrive on being around people. If you're the latter type, you'll have a hard time adjusting to home-office life, where your pets may be your only companions.

3. You might live in your pyjamas

When you go into an office, you have to dress decently. At home, spending all day in your pyjamas can be tempting, but what you wear can affect your frame of mind. Staying in your pjs all day may pose a struggle to get into work mode.

4. Work-life balance can be tough to achieve

At an office, it's easier to leave at 4pm when you're looking forward to seeing your family or friends. When you're working from home the tendency is to: 'Just finish this one job quickly!' Before you know it, time has passed and you haven't actually spent time with the family.

5. It can be more distracting

Offices are distracting: even when your earphones are in, your colleague still wants to talk about his crazy dream from the previous night. However, it can be worse at home with chores to do or a TV show to tempt you.

Whether a home office is right for you or not, your business needs to be protected. By having business insurance, you can cover yourself and your business against credit risk, commercial property damage, liability, and more. Compare business insurance quotes today with our online comparison tool and protect your livelihood.

Sources: Bayt; Bankrate

Prices quoted are correct at the time of publishing this article. The information in this article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal, or medical advice.