What do you like best about your work situation?

[MichaelCorfman]

Well, at the moment I'm at the ICE conference (International Casino Exhibition) in London and in a couple days I'll be at the London Affiliate Conference (LAC). While networking and meeting with folks at the conferences is great, the logistics are certainly a lot more challenging than working when I am at home. And that is particularly true today, with the tube being closed due to a strike. Thanks goodness Google maps could give me directions using buses instead.

So, for today's poll I thought I would ask what folks like best about their work environment, particularly those that have the most freedom, and can work when and where they want. What do you value the most, and why?

Michael

[DaftDog]

It's nice to taste the sweet rewards of your labour even though it may take some time before you can pick the fruit.

[Planet Mark]

I work longer hours, and far more intensely, as an affiliate than I did in a previous life in a blue chip. The value comes 2 ways... that sense of personal achievement from building a nice income stream (often again and again after legislation knocks it back down!) and taking looong vacations.

Mark

[Sherlock]

I like the $$$

[EdBet]

Work in several (different) projects at the same time

[ocreditor]

Choosing one is so hard... can you change the radio buttons to check-boxes ??

[Renee]

I chose something else in the poll.

I like the freedom to wear whatever i want to work, that there are very little office politics and the fact that i can pretty much decide to work when i need to, although i do work normal business hours i can come in early/late if i need to.

There are a few other things i love about my work. The people in our office make it. If they werent there I'm not sure Id be so happy to go into the office every day. The bosses are quite liberal so there is not a lot of stress in our office. It's easy enough to just walk into their office, sit down with a coffee and talk anything out. I've never worked with better management (probably why I've been here almost 10 years).

We have lots of company activities to ensure all staff are able to mingle and get to know each other. Since I started the number of people has grown 6 fold so I think that is very important.

Lastly, the affiliates I work with make most days pretty easy. There is the odd day when I would love to kill someone, but I can luckily say those days are very few and far between.

[xecutable]

I wish there was all of the above cause really this business offers so much more than 1 benefit.

[TravG]

I think they are all good reasons and pro's to being your own boss. Having the flexibility to where when I want and noone looking over my shoulder is the best. Og course you also have to be disciplined because if you do not work you cant expect to do well.

[p.arena]

Working online is the best... Being close to family and being able to work from anywhere are what I like best about my work situation.

[TheGooner]

• <label for="rb_optionnumber_1" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; float: none; clear: right;"><input type="radio" name="optionnumber" value="1" id="rb_optionnumber_1" tabindex="1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal;"> Ability to decide what work I am going to do (no boss).</label>
• <label for="rb_optionnumber_2" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; float: none; clear: right;"><input type="radio" name="optionnumber" value="2" id="rb_optionnumber_2" tabindex="1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal;"> Ability to decide when and for how long I will work.</label>
• <label for="rb_optionnumber_3" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; float: none; clear: right;"><input type="radio" name="optionnumber" value="3" id="rb_optionnumber_3" tabindex="1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal;"> No commute (or choose where I will work).</label>
• <label for="rb_optionnumber_4" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; float: none; clear: right;"><input type="radio" name="optionnumber" value="4" id="rb_optionnumber_4" tabindex="1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal;"> I can dress the way I want.</label>
• <label for="rb_optionnumber_5" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; float: none; clear: right;"><input type="radio" name="optionnumber" value="5" id="rb_optionnumber_5" tabindex="1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal;"> I can be close to the kids or family.</label>
• <label for="rb_optionnumber_6" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; float: none; clear: right;"><input type="radio" name="optionnumber" value="6" id="rb_optionnumber_6" tabindex="1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal;"> No office politics.</label>
• <label for="rb_optionnumber_7" style="font-weight: bold; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; float: none; clear: right;"><input type="radio" name="optionnumber" value="7" id="rb_optionnumber_7" tabindex="1" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal;"> Something else (share in a post).</label>

Yes, all those are good ...

I like the $$$

But that's probably best.

There are downsides of course ...

1/ There is no redundancy or holiday pay or sick leave
2/ If you want something done - then get on and do it
3/ Early on (first 2,3 or 5 years) income can be very lumpy ... and that can be stressful.
4/ Social interaction - face to face - is cut significantly.

Probably the biggest thing I noticed was that working for yourself / working from home significantly changes your relationship with outside local community - and the way you view the world. Suddenly all the items on TV, films, and in newspapers moaning about work, boss, co-workers, wage rises, working in a cubicle .. and having to get up at 6am for the daily commute are irrelevant.

Much of the grind disappears - and you are truly free to work how you want, as you want ... and it doesn't feel like "work" anymore.
And the financial rewards are far better than salaried employment.


But while I enjoy communicating with my online friends, I have found that it is important to forge links with your local community in order to get out of the house. Join a sports club, or local gym, etc, I started a monthly "lunch club" for local entrepreneurs, just to stay in touch.

I would not swap it - but it IS different - and you find that local customs, local holidays simply become irrelevant. Eg. Yesterday (6th Feb) was New Zealand's national day and a holiday, but my business is international and I had work I could do on international sports events. So I still got up as normal and put in 3-4 hours before lunch, and another 3-4 hours in the evening.

[sweetbet]

For me, it's the freedom of being able to decide when, where and for how long I'm going to work. The money is also good

[Voids]

At the moment nothing about my work situation is good. Work at my real job from 8 until 5. Get home, work on my site from 6 until 9, sleep!

All just steps up the ladder !

[Jokerman99]

It used to be that i could start at any time, which worked well around my awful sleep schedule. Now it's just the easiness of being able to work anywhere. I often go to a coffeeshop or the likes to do work rather than grinding at home or in the office.

[baldidiot]

I just hate people telling me what to do...






...and then I got married!

jk jk jk

[RacingJim]

One word: FREEDOM.

Agree with Gooner on most those things too, including the downsides.

[RacingJim]

At the moment nothing about my work situation is good. Work at my real job from 8 until 5. Get home, work on my site from 6 until 9, sleep!

All just steps up the ladder !

I did exactly the same for about 6-9 months before finally taking the plunge and going full time with it.

[Voids]

I did exactly the same for about 6-9 months before finally taking the plunge and going full time with it.

Did it work out for you then?

[ocreditor]

I did exactly the same for about 6-9 months before finally taking the plunge and going full time with it.

That's the spirit !

[RacingJim]

Did it work out for you then?

Yes well worth it, but I had nothing to lose, I haven't got kids or anything like that so my responsibility was mainly to myself.

I also only went full time when the signups started rolling in a bit and I could see what I was doing had great potential - I wouldn't recommend everyone just to drop their job and go full time unless they have a decent all round knowledge of affiliation and how to convert fairly decent numbers.

On the other hand it can be a chicken/egg situation because since I went full time I have made massive strides due to how much time I can now put into this.