Who works from home?

Who works from home?

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I'm struggling to see where my business is going.  I work part time, have two kids and want to do the school run each day.  My business has grown to maybe 50 clients and I'm struggling to cope.  I need to decide what I want and if its time to move out from home.  In many ways I'd love to go to an office Mon - Thurs and then walk away from work completely.  At the moment its swallowing 9-3 Mon - Fri, evenings and increasingly weekends.  I can't escape.  Some of it is my inefficiencies.  I have to triple check my work before it goes to a client. Even an engagement letter takes forever.  I hate admin.  I get distracted from work by 'just sticking some washing on'. I thought success of my business was getting clients and making £ but now I'm not so sure.

Any thoughts?  Anyone in a similar position?

Replies (17)

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By imbs
06th Nov 2014 16:19

same position but love it


Nearly identical, 2 kids, they go to crèche/afterschool full time so I consider myself full time working, but I can stick a wash on, put something in the slow cooker etc. I have one employee (incidentally is my sister so no airs/graces needed, I don't mind her in the house but wouldn't have "an outsider" in). Also my 4 year old likes me to pick him up early some days so I have the freedom to clock off at 4 and nip in and pick him up from afterschool if Iike. I have about 130  clients and manage to keep it within working hours most of the time, but this could be because I have the employee (I take  it you are on your own).  Why on earth anyone in our boat would want to fork out hundreds of pounds a month on rent/rates/phone/electric etc to keep an office running is beyond me.  Our line of work offers us the option of attaining a decent work:life balance, between keeping the house tidy, reducing "working mother" guilt, and making a nice bit of money too. Most careers do not enable such a balance.  We are very lucky in my opinion.  Also, I don't bother double checking let along triple checking, if its wrong I will find out in due course and deal with it then.

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By andy.partridge
06th Nov 2014 17:21

You've identified the problem

The flexibility working from home gives you also provides a mountain of potential distractions from work that having an external office overcomes. It's not surprising if you find yourself working at midnight and beyond when it's quiet. I know I used to. It requires great self-discipline to avoid the trap.

The fact that your admin is taking so long maybe indicates that your level of self-motivation is dropping. 2 things you might consider

- a local small business group where you can get together with others in the same boat for mutual support. It might even bring you in some nice extra work!

- sort out the admin. Take some time to systemise things, which will really help in the long run and also consider farming it out to someone more motivated to do it. You didn't set up the business to be bogged down by admin.

You deserve more than that. 

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By sparkler
06th Nov 2014 17:05

I do!

I am in a very similar position to you - working from home, with four young children aged from 4 to 9, although my working hours have to be very flexible as my youngest is still at pre school, and I have no childcare in school holidays (my choice - although I do resort to the occasional football club day or childminder!). I absolutely love it, but completely agree that it can be very hard work.

I have around 40 or so clients, mainly small limited companies but also several self employed / individual tax return clients etc. It is very busy at the moment!

I would not want the expense of renting an office, and I love being able to work from my home. Yes, there are distractions - today, I should have been working from 9.30 - 1.30, but had to host an unexpected visitor, and also caught up with a friend over coffee for 45 minutes. So now I am trying to finish the work I should have done earlier at the same time as cooking the children's tea.

I know it will get easier when my youngest starts school next year, and I have a whole week of 9 - 3 in which to work. Not that I want to wish the time away, but it kind of makes the evening working and general chaos seem worth it now.

I look at my friends, most of whom work at least 3 days a week, and have to juggle travel arrangements and childcare, and think how easy I have it, I can go to every school drop off and pick up, every play, sports match or assembly, have regular playdates after school for my children's friends.  I never have to "wait in" for a delivery as I'm at home anyway, and I don't have to save up household chores for the weekend as I can do them in between client work (although I generally don't, so the house is a bit of a pigsty!). And it pays very well too!

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paddle steamer
By DJKL
06th Nov 2014 17:07

I run my p/t practice from home

I run my practice from home but it is only part time as I am employed elsewhere during the working week.

Most work can be done in odd evenings; some gets managed with a laptop in the lounge with the TV on but most involves retiring upstairs to my very cramped and cold study. It does also mean that I have to give up odd weekends; I have one larger client  who  needs each quarter circa 12-15 hours and his work cannot easily be done via odd evening hours but needs a sustained run at the files; four weekends a year plus another  circa 40 hours mainly post year end . The other clients are not so bad and mainly get dealt with 2-3 hours here and there in the evenings throughout the year. But mine is a micro practice-11 clients in total involving about 20 tax returns/CT600sl and only about 250 billable hours a year in total.

The day job did take up a fair amount of time post  the 2007/2008 downturn , circa 45-55 hours a week, but I no longer had  small children taking up my time and instead just had a couple of older children who instead of needing my time just needed my money (students) . I started the p/t practice  a little before the eldest went away to university in 2009, my aim was to earn enough post tax for his accommodation costs. When my daughter did the same two years ago it was the only way both their rents could be covered;19 more months and it will be over; unless she does a post grad!

I suspect working from the house full time on a 8.30-6.00 basis, Monday to Friday ,would not be that bad,  as I have got older I have more begrudged heading upstairs in the evening after I have been at work all day. Hopefully in a couple of years I can maybe only do three days a week at the day job and run the practice one/ two days a week and not have to work evenings/ weekends, that is certainly the current plan.

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By Maslins
06th Nov 2014 17:28

This blog (not mine) might help

Recently came across this blog:
http://nblo.gs/117HKW
about minimalism in the work place.  Some of it may well resonate with you given your OP.

My own 2 cents re home vs office.  I started working from home, room in house.  Then separated off part of the house (so had to walk outside, albeit for about 10 seconds, to get from "home" to "office").  Now have a "proper" separate office.

Each move has felt like progress...however part of me feels I'd like to go back to it just being me from home again.  Realistically that wouldn't be possible with the business as it is.  To clarify, I have no regrets on this front whatsoever, I guess my point is I think it might be a "grass is greener" scenario.

A few specific things based on your OP:
- you shouldn't be spending a long time on engagement letters, seriously...nobody reads them!  We now just have one package, hence one engagement letter.  Might not be suitable for all, but I'm sure you can perhaps template no more than a handful of engagement letters, with just a space for the different client name at the top.  I also imagine quite a lot of your other admin could be streamlined/systemised, I may be wrong.
- review - if the business can afford it, might be worth looking to see if there's some local semi-retired person who could join you on a very part time basis.  They can do some of the work, and review some of your work/just be a sounding board/sanity provider.  They can also enable you to nip out occasionally without worrying the phone won't get answered etc (other ways to solve this problem, but...)
- increase fees?  Not always the best solution, but if you feel you're starting to have too many clients but still want to earn more, increasing fees could work.  It may push some away, but those that stick around are paying more...theory being you end up with less work but same income.  Not for everyone, but worth considering.

Also generally speaking, do you love the accounting work?  Does the idea of someone else doing it fill you with dread (ie you're a bit of a perfectionist/control freak)?  If not, why not look to employ "properly".  Short term your net income may well drop, and very short term it won't free up much time...but medium-long term you should be able to grow the practice without you personally working harder, and also earn more provided you can make more money from the employee than they cost you.

Overall, you're in a good position.  You have choices, none of them right/wrong...think about what you want then figure out the best route to achieve it.

Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

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By dropoutguy
06th Nov 2014 18:35

I do

I practice from home and do about 20 to 25 hours a week.  It means I only earn £30k but I can manage my ill-health, look after my parents and go to Druckers for cheesecake at 3pm.  I consult for another firm as part of my work so that gives me about a day a work in an office environment - avoids loneliness and get o bounce ideas off others.

I will never ever employ staff again.  Perfectionist, control freak - and happy!

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By thomas
06th Nov 2014 19:20

Thanks for your thoughts.  I

Thanks for your thoughts.  I have lost my mojo a little.  I've tried sub-contracting to book keepers but the work requires so much checking and changing that its not really cost effective.  I am a bit of a control freak I guess.  I do stress about making mistakes and worry that no one checks my work so I check it.. and check again.!

I'm just fed up of doing nothing but kids stuff, house stuff and work.  Not enough fun.  No time to squeeze in a quick run or meet a friend for a coffee - all things I should be able to do when I work part time.

I am my own worst enemy.  Despite my moans I've taken on another 2 clients this week.  Basically because they came from referrals & I didn't know how to say no!

I have some great clients & some who are lovely people but require chasing and hounding and reminding to get information to me.  Some reply to half the questions on an email so getting jobs completed takes far longer than it should.

Argh.  Nice to hear from those who have been there and those that are still there.

 

 

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Man of Kent
By Kent accountant
06th Nov 2014 19:48

Some similarities

I started off working from the study in the house, outgrew this fairly quickly. Also not fair on the kids getting them to stay quiet when they get in from school because Daddy's working.

Now work from a separate self contained office in part of a converted barn in the garden.

I think I've got the best of both worlds - close enough to home but also with clear boundaries between home and work.

I'm also not one to work a 9-5. My day is broken up by school runs, meal times, after school clubs so I usually work in the evening to get a 'proper' days work done.

When I decide to have a day off I do just that, answerphone on and stay away from the office.

I do use a subcontract bookkeeper, but less and less now as the quality of their work isn't good enough. Mrs KA does a bit and her sister will be starting to do some too (both have bookkeeping qualifications) and I can trust them completely.

Admin - I have one engagement letter (7 pages) which I never change and a 1/2 page terms of business letter which sets out what I'll do, when and how much I'l charge etc - happy to send copies if you PM me.

I'm now three and a half years into my practice and have around 140 clients, not looking to grow any more but likelihood is I'll have small growth over the next few years, after which I may change my mind.

I found by having a 'to do' list on my desk, updated every few days and recording my time each day (not for billing - but to see what I'm spending my time doing) I've got more efficient.

I know each day when I sit down to work what I'm going to be doing and I set targets for what I want to achieve. It doesn't always work to plan but i know its made me more efficient.

My message to you would be stick with it, do the work on your terms and when you want to. Don't feel beholden to any clients.

 

 

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By HUGH W DUNLOP
06th Nov 2014 20:50

More similarities.

I also work from  home, having discovered that a city office is; time wasting in commuting and finding parking; expensive to run; off putting for some clients whose first reaction is 'I am paying for all this'

I now work from home at hours to suit myself. If I want to go to the beach, I take the time off and work in the evening. Or if I want to go out to the theatre in the evening, I work during he day. I have a dedicated room at the end of the house as an office, enabling me to claim a proportion of household costs as expenses.

The main drawbacks of this is self discipline. In an office you may get a 10 minute tea break and a 30 minute lunch break. Stick to these times. Do not be distracted by saying 'I don't have much to do' As you say your admin is falling behind. Look for ways to streamline this. Have templates for run of the mill letters, and make slight adjustments as required.

Tell your family you now WORK from home and must not be disturbed. the second biggest danger will be from your wife who will bring you tea after tea, or just pops in to see you are OK.

But the biggest danger is yourself. Discipline is a must.

PS Try not to waste too much time writing on websites like this.

 

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By thomas
06th Nov 2014 21:57

Engagement letters - my last one was 20 pages!  Small Ltd Co, accts, tax, VAT and payroll.  How do you do it in 7 pages?  I use the ICAS templates.  Each one is tailored for the services agreed upon and the specific engagement start dates for accts, CT, VAT and PAYE.  The PAYE section alone is 2 pages!

What templates do you all use? 

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Replying to lionofludesch:
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By HUGH W DUNLOP
07th Nov 2014 19:17

Engagement letters

Among the many benefits and advantages arising from the proposed, but certain, amalgamation of the I.F.A. with the Australian I.P.A. is the suite of management resources which includes sample engagement letters, practice management software and many other useful tools.

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Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
06th Nov 2014 22:16

I am also like you.
After 25 years working in busy offices I find it difficult working from home.
I find it difficult not getting up and going to work
In addition I am working from the box room in my house which I also share with my wife's desk and don't like the space I work from.
The flex ability is good but very easily distracted at home once my daughter comes in from school.
I was having similar concerns to you.

What I have done is decided to build a garden office in the spring which will be twice the size of curent space and I won't have to share it with anyone. It will cost me about the same as a years rent on an office but at least I willl own it.

I suppose in another year or so I may move Into an office if funds allow, but I will still need my garden office to do things from home in.

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By Howard Marks
06th Nov 2014 22:43

What a fantastic thread....

....unfortunately it's 11pm and i've got 2-3 hrs work ahead of me on the sofa so i've got [***] all time to read it properly!!

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By cparker87
07th Nov 2014 07:30

Worked from home
I started out at home. It was great. Relax, or work at leisure, but I couldn't work like that, if the work is there and needs to be done I will do it. I really struggled to switch off in an evening and I would frequently find myself led awake at night thinking about work... And then I'd go and do some at silly times like 1am.

Now I've an office, only a 10 min drive away, I'm far happier. I've got boundaries. I now rarely bring the laptop home and my personal life (newlywed) is far better for it - I got a lot of grief from the other half!

I also prefer the Image of having an office to meet clients, I still have a few that drop stuff off at home and each time I think... Why did I let them know where I was?

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By MSD1968
07th Nov 2014 09:35

Office for me

An office works for me. I have tried working from home and found that I was easily distracted and less efficient. The discipline of a "proper" working life keeps me motivated and on track. I can still take time off when necessary for children, emergencies etc. as I am in control of my diary.

My office is based in a business centre so there is life around me which helps. I also use a mentor as a sounding board which overcomes some of the uncertainties and potential isolation as a sole practitioner. I also have a friend (an FCA) who does a few cold reviews of my work from time to time.

I fret constantly about administration and spend far too much time trying another technological "solution" which I mistakenly believe will remove all my inefficiencies. My advice would be to find some systems - cloud, desktop, paper, whiteboard etc. - it doesn't really matter as long as they work and suit your style (or your sister's preferred methods) then stick with them. Document the systems if necessary - accountants like systems and it may help you to focus.

Yes, it can be time-consuming writing and reading posts on this site but it is simply the best resource I know for a sole practitioner that needs to bounce ideas off others to check a solution or for simple sanity.

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By cathygrimmer
07th Nov 2014 09:45

Flying solo

I worked out of an office within a firm of solicitors and that was great as they were nice people and I had company, went to their Xmas lunch etc but it was problematic in school holidays as I had young children then. When they needed the office, I moved out and into an office which I shared with a friend. He was rarely there and when he moved his business down south I was in the office alone all day which I found quite depressing .

Moving my office to my spare room was a vast improvement. I still have no human company but I do have my cats (all four of them!) and the warm familiarity of my own house and can put the washing on, empty the dishwasher etc while I'm waiting for the coffee machine to warm up. It hasn't saved me any money as I was paying a pittance for a room (probably less than I pay on additional lighting/heating now!) but I much prefer it and it makes school holidays much easier. I explained to my children that if mummy can get on with her work she can earn money for Christmas presents and other treats (also food, heating, clothing etc but I didn't think that would be as persuasive!) and can get more done in less time giving me more free time with them and they grasped that principle very quickly. They're much older now so busy doing their own stuff and not bothering me.

I only work in the evenings and weekends if I've taken time out in the week to do fun stuff for me or if I have something urgent I've said I'll do - and I can't say that the uncompleted work in my office is a siren call to me as it is to some people. 

But if you are spending too much time on admin, checking letters etc, you will do that at home or in an office - moving out of home won't suddenly cure that - so perhaps that is the issue to be addressed. If you are more organised, maybe working at home won't seem so bad.

Success isn't just about money. I earn far less than I did working for big firms of accountants but I have a great work-life balance and clients who (on the whole!) are a pleasure to work with. All of which makes me less stressed and, I think, better at what I do and a nicer person for my clients to work with. 

Must go - there's half a dead mouse to clear up on the hall carpet!

Cathy

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By sash100
07th Nov 2014 19:57

lazy

I just adore working from home. I work around my life

I get up what ever time I like but I do work late and prefer it that way.  Flexibility is the key as I can pick up the kids from school and play football with them.  I also DJ over weekends so often need to prepare and couldn't manage everything if I had an office on the high street.

I don't make much money but I want to enjoy life and that's what's its all about. Time is more important to me than money and don't want to waste time travelling to an office especially on a cold winter's day

Work is getting busier now finally so may have to start getting up earlier.

 

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