I remember back in 1991, the word “telecommuting” was just coming into vogue. Do you know what “telecommuting” is? Well, it means staying at home and working, while using the Internet or some other means to stay connected to the office. Well, back in ’91, the time that I am remembering, telecommuting was primitive compared to today. I mean, today with Virtual Private Networking and other such technology you can practically fee like you are in your office, even if you are on the other side of the world.
Why is it that 1991 sticks in my mind? Well, that is when I first started telecommuting myself. At that time, I didn’t telecommute full time, but it didn’t take long before it was my normal way of working. After all, during those days I was writing, doing graphic design work and such, and working from home was a natural! Heck, my computer equipment at home was first rate, and I probably could get more done at home than any office anyway!
Today, of course, I am still working from home, and the things I am able to do have expanded widely. Also, I have been able to earn more money working from home today than I did back in ’91! These days, I run more than a dozen e-commerce websites, and lots of blogs from my home office. In addition to me working here at the house, I have a staff of workers who work here at my house too. Basically, it do work on the computer, and my employees take care of the physical tasks involved (and some of the computer work too). It works out great for me.
This is really the best situation work-wise that I can imagine. While I make most of my money from US clients, I sit here in the Philippines taking care of the work. I am able to hire workers at a much lower rate than it would cost in the States, and have a good life in a great place that I love. What could be better!
With the Internet and other technology like cellphones and such, the world has really opened up and allowed us to get our work done from anywhere in the world! How about you, do you telecommute, or somehow work from home yet? If not, do you plan to in the future?
Hi Bob, sure I do. Even I joined this business very late, I am very glad to do most things in my home office. And of course to you and Feyma for helping me. See you guys. Take care.
As you already know, Bob, I work at home too. I've gotten so used to it that I think I would really struggle if I went back doing a 9-5er outside the house.
It certainly is very convenient and I consider myself fortunate to be able to work this way. Just to balance things, the drawbacks are (and this may be more of my own fault) a lack of interaction with people (no co-wokers) and most of all, not being able to mentally clock out. work is always on my mind and i just can't get away from it. hence, the 7 day workweek.
but boy, the rewards are great. the best part is able choose to live or travel anywhere and still be able to make a living.
Hi Klaus – Don't be worried, whatever small amount of help that we have offered was our pleasure!
Hi macky – I love working at home. Unlike you, I am able to get out and interact. I consider doing things like going out and taking photos and such as part of my work, and I get that interaction through that aspect of my "job." But, I know what you mean about being unable to clock out. I am the same on that…. always at home means also always at the office!
I'm just getting started and not making anywhere near the money I need to, I guess you have to start small and work upwards from there diba?
Hi Bob. First I spelled my name wrong,it is Fennell not Finnell. Too many wobbly pop. I don,t think money over the internet is my thing. Luckily I already have my money& pension as I am sure I can,t do what you guys are doing. More power to you.lol. Guy
Hi Louis – With any business, it starts small and grows. I'm sure you will find the right combination to make it grow for you.
Hi Guy – Great that you already have the money that you need! That makes life even easier!
What amazes me, Bob, is how little has been done along these lines since 1991. I was working for the Federal government at that time and laws were passed then … and more since … mandating that a certain percentage of Department of Defense civilian jobs be converted to telecommuting or modified telecommuting … working at least 2 days a week outside the office.
When I retired in 2003 from a large building with more than 1700 civilian workers .. 12 full yars after the first law was passed … not a _single_ employee was telecommuting. I know of at least one six-figure contract written and completed where a company was hired to write more than 150 pages of "propaganda" that were sent forward to Congress to explain why, in spite of the law, the DoD was so "special" that they could not comply. That same company wrote such reports for a number of other Federal agencies as well … and their writers all worked from home! LoL
I wonder, in spite of the savings, if telecommuting will ever catch on in the US in a big way?
Hi Dave Starr – You know, after reading what you wrote, I re-evaluated my position. For me personally, working from home and sending in work over the net is basically a perfect description of me! But, after reading what you wrote, I have come to realize that it is something that has not caught on to the extent that it could or should.
Yes, I would love to get started telecommuting. But I find that there are many scams out there for such workers. I guess you just have to build ur business out of it. Not much in the "how-to" world for someone who really wants to make this happen. Bob, what kind of services do you provide for your clients? Maybe I can find my own clients somewhere.
Hi Joey – Remember, telecommuting is not just limited to your own business. It can also include doing your normal job from a "home" location. My job involves publishing information on the web, and also sales of merchandise over the web.
Exactly, Bob, One could mean doing the same work, or one could do somehting completely different.
Mnay may be familiar with the huge networking company called Cisco. I have a good freind who is an executive with them. he is "home based" in their Denver, Colorado office but spoends most of his time on the road and at his home. In his "office" in Denver there are just cubicles. When he does work fromn the company offcie, he finds an empty cube, plugs in his laptop and types in hisuser ID an dpassword. That automatically connects him, world-wide via secure VPN. It also makes the Cisco (of course) VOIP phone set on the cubicle deesk assign itself his company extension number … so anywhere in Cisco, world-wide, if another employee dials his number, the phone rings wherever he is logged in … same thing if he unplugs and goes home … his exstension goes to voice mail until he logs in at home and the the number auto-transfers to the always free phone on his home desk.
I worked seriously with an engineer here in the Philippines a few months back becuase we could beat the call centers at their own game. there's no reason at all we couldn't have a "virtual" call center instead of a multi-million dollar building in a city. The "agents" would just log in, time and attendance … even keystrokes per minute automatically taken care of, and the inbound calls would just route to the next available agent, same as they do in a brick and mortar call center … I got nowhere because even tho this guys is pretty network savvy he still can't get past the idea that a "call center" is desks and cubicles and thousands of square feet of expensive floor space in Makati.
Not to mention the fact that if they were working from home the agents could be single moms, handicapped folk, etc., people who can't commute to a "brisk and mortar" establishment in the middle of the night … people who otherwise couldn't earn a living.
The technology is easily available, the mindset is not so easy.
Hi Dave Starr – Yep, that's all true! Enjoyed hearing about the Cisco guy – he didn't even need a normal office, just a place to get connected!
Regarding the virtual call center thing – I thought about years ago, before call centers were in the vogue here.