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BUSINESS The Recipe For Working From Home: 'Family, Please ... I Need To Work Now' Note: On Wednesday, Sept. 19, 2012, the author presents a new VoiceOverXtra webinar, Find Your Signature Voice Over Personality (And Sell It!). For details, please click here.  By Deb MunroVoice Talent & Coach In an environment of your choice, carefully blend: 1 quiet environmentThe hardest part about this recipe is obtaining the first ingredient. It’s one thing to have all the right equipment, but it’s a completely different matter trying to get your environment to cooperate with you. "Mom did you turn off the furnace again?”If these kinds of comments are all too familiar in your house, then you must be a voice talent who works from home! WHAT HAPPENS AT HOME ... Most times it’s a blessing to work from home. You can set your own hours, work in your housecoat, and "be there" for the family when they need you. But many obstacles also come into play that you are not warned about in any manual. For instance, it’s great to work your own hours, unless of course you have ADD or little drive or follow-through. And must stay focused to be productive in the time you devote to the job, no matter what is going on at the house. SCHEDULE AND ORGANIZE I highly suggest keeping a schedule and a list of things to do each day. Keep your office and your computer organized so that you don’t get lost in overwhelming business needs. I am a personal fan of the housecoat - until the cable guy shows up or someone comes over unexpectedly. (Okay - let's face it - there is nothing wrong with living in your housecoat all day - LOL.) WHOSE TIME IS IT? At first, I was thrilled to be working at home with my family near by. I love kids, and I find raising them a blast. And I hated working a 9-5 shift for many reasons:
If you’re home, that means you can clean the house, do all the errands, get the kids where they need to go, prepare meals etc. Ugh. Did I mention I work FULL TIME from home? GIMME A BREAK! It’s really hard for the family to understand that although you’re at home, you’re not at home. You still need to put in X amount of hours each day and be undisturbed while doing so. Yes, finding a dedicated amount of hours each day - UNDISTURBED - is next to impossible. If they see you there, they want your time. It’s very hard for the family to understand this concept, and it takes years to teach them. So it’s important to educate your family on what you need. And of course, keep in mind what they continue to need from you. ASK FAMILY FOR ... I recognize that I require a ton from my family:
I also require cooperation from my neighborhood - times for mowing the lawn, skateboarding, woodworking, etc. So it’s very important for me to considerate to them so they can be considerate back. MAKE IT WORK The bottom line is that it’s not everyone else's problem that you have to work in quiet. So you need to find a means to work in an environment that allows you to be focused and productive. Figure how to make that work and don’t waste all your time, energy and efforts on all the reasons you can’t. -------------------------------------  ABOUT DEBDeb
Munro is a leading voice talent, coach, and owner of Chanti
Productions, in the Vancouver, B.C., Canada area. She offers private
voice over coaching by phone and Skype, and workshops on voice acting,
business and demo prep in many Canadian cities. Email: deb@debsvoice.com Web: www.debsvoice.com |
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We should all share our recordings, pre-edit, where we stop reading copy to shout at our loved ones. "Stop that!" "OK, cat, you are so out of here", "Turn off the dishwasher, please!" ... or something a little less classy :)
Rosie
That's the one that annoys me the most. Just because I'm home doesn't mean I'm not working or don't work. Whether I'm in my PJ's or not! Working from home just means I have more control over when I nap! ;)
Great post Deb. Thanks for sharing. :)