Grant has asked me to be a guest author on his blog. I am honored to be invited and included. I am an anonymous blogger operating the Greatest American Lawyer blog. The Greatest American Lawyer blog has as its mission to “change the way law is practiced one blog post at a time.” This site chronicles the journey of a startup law firm operated by an independent practitioner (I hate the word solo) using new and innovative business models and billing practices, leveraging technology. Technology allows me to work from many different locations. One of my favorite spots to get stuff done is at home. Here are my top ten reasons why I love working from home:
1. Home is a great place to get the little things done. Technology allows me to work from anywhere. However, I have found that my home office is an especially good place to get the little things done. This includes responding to emails, doing blog posts, dictating instructions to virtual workers, staff and clients as well as a litany of other things, which do not take to much brainpower.
2. Thinking out of the box. Sometimes just getting out of your office can be truly inspirational. Our environment does have an impact on how we think, and the things we think about. I find that when I am working from my home office, I tend to focus on “big picture” issues and items such as business process, new billing models, client service, and related issues.
3. I can work and make breakfast for my kids in the morning. Unlike many lawyers, I rarely feel the pressure to be in the office at a specific time. If I do not have a client meeting at the office in the morning, I will often get up early and work from home while waiting for my kids to wake up. Multi-tasking is critical for any professional working in the technology age. While there is a downside to multi-tasking, I would much rather have the opportunity to spend time with my kids in the morning while trading emails with clients rather than not having the option at all.
4. Home office provides flexibility. There are times in our lives where there is an irreconcilable conflict between work and family. When my wife’s father was dying, I had no choice but to stay home and watch the kids while she attended to her dad. When her mom was having knee surgery, I again had to stay home. Having a home office allowed me to balance the competing interests of family and work without abandoning either.
5. Working from home impresses your clients. Sometimes I forget that when I work from home, I am sending emails early in the morning, late at night or on the weekends. What does this tell my clients? Well, first of all, they do not know I am working from home. They only see that I am attending to their needs and providing great client service day and night. Working from home can increase client satisfaction and improve client service.
6. A sense of peace. Everyone’s different but having a fully functional home office gives me a sense of peace and relaxation. Oftentimes, we wonder what is going on at work when we are at home in the evenings and weekends. 98% of the time nothing bad has happened but it does not relieve our anxiety. Having complete office access at home allows you to see that everything is ok.
7. Nothing beats working in your pajamas. Need I say more?
8. Clients expect you to respond day and night. Let’s face it. Our clients now expect more. You could choose to reduce client expectations or step up and meet them. Lawyers that meet client expectations will have more clients.
9. Home is where the heart is. My spouse always feels better when she can see me while she is scolding me for working too much. When she call me at work to come home, her tone is ALWAYS more stern.
10. Kids should see what dad does for a living. My dad always kept work and home separate. I, on the other hand. Think that kids should have a good understanding of what a parent does for their job. Working at home provides a good sense of what I do to my sons. My life is less of a mystery to them.
Great post. I can relate to 6, 7, and 9.
I am in the process of opening up my own home office devoted primarily to appeals. Look forward to reading your blog.
Posted by: Gene Vorobyov | November 12, 2006 at 01:56 AM
I also posted this over at GAL's blog as it relates to his guest post for you. In today's Denver paper was this intriguing story about a lawyer who very successfully works from a home office. Here:
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/tech/article/0,2777,DRMN_23910_5083036,00.html
Posted by: StephanieWestAllen | October 21, 2006 at 10:42 AM
I like the post so much I stole part of it and mentioned it on my blog. The annonymous blogger is a true Third Waver. I especially appreciated him mentioning that kids need to see what their parents do. My father was a physician. He took me and my bother and sister with him to work. We went to the emergency room at night with him. Went to surgery with him. Visited with other doctors with him. He never apologized for having us in tow. I never much thought of being a physician, but I grew up understanding what, and having a greater appreciation for what he did.
Posted by: Chuck Newton | October 17, 2006 at 07:45 PM
Great post! I really identify with point #5 about impressing your clients. Before law school, I put myself through undergrad doing internet programming from home. This meant that I was almost always available for the company and its partners, providing really quick turnaround on important issues. We worked with some companies in Japan, so they would be using our online applications in the middle of the U.S. night. A few times I lucked out and was available when something went wrong, so the foreign partners got help immediately. Impressive for company relations!
Posted by: Andrew Flusche | October 17, 2006 at 06:56 PM