Even in a recession, younger workers “still value work-life balance above all else when listing top characteristics of an ideal entry-level employer, placing it well above other factors such as salary and meaningful work,” according to a BusinessWeek survey.
Believe it or not, there are cons to being your own work from home boss. For example, while it may seem desirable to be able to make all of your own decisions, that responsibility can also be a bit frightening. After all, the entire success of your business is dependant upon you and your ability to make the right decisions. The wrong decision can cause your entire business to fall apart. When you work for someone else, particularly a large and established company, one wrong decision may set the company back but, in most cases, you will still have a job and feel very little repercussion from the bad decision.
Employees who work from home — either by choice or because their employers require it — risk being passed over for promotions. According to a report on executives’ opinions on telecommuting:
More than 60% of global executives surveyed by the Korn/Ferry International subsidiary believe telecommuters are less likely to advance in their careers in comparison to traditional office workers. Interestingly, though, 78% of those execs feel telecommuters are either equally or more productive than those who work in offices. What’s more, remote workers may also find themselves working at odd hours; answering e-mails at 10 p.m. or picking up the phone when it rings after 5 p.m.
Another downfall to being your own work from home boss is liability. When most people first start out, they form a sole proprietorship for tax purposes. This is because there is no extra paperwork involved and is, by far, the easiest business formation to follow.
I know dozens of former co-workers who have used these tactics to successfully arrange full- and part-time work-from-home privileges — even four-day workweeks. If you’re interested in working from home, I hope they work for you.
Tag: risk
Evaluate the dream of becoming their own work from home boss
Tags: home boss, responsibility, risk, telecommuter
Three daily cups of tea can reduce risk of stroke
A study found that tea offered significant protection against stroke
The great British cuppa can protect against stroke, a study suggests.
Drinking three cups of tea a day cuts the risk of brain clots by 21 per cent, say scientists from the American Heart Association who analysed 10 studies in China, Japan, Finland, Holland, Australia and the U.S.
It is thought that tea may help by reducing blood pressure.
Other possibilities are that chemicals present in tea - catechins and theanins - contribute to improved blood vessel function.
‘Tea drinking may be one of the most actionable lifestyle changes to significantly reduce the risk of stroke,’ said the study.
Dr Catherine Hood of the Tea Advisory Panel said: ‘These latest health findings are really exciting for all of us tea drinkers.
‘Despite different countries studied and the different tea drinking customs represented across the studies, the meta-analysis showed that tea consumption was associated with reduced risk for stroke and reduced risk of death from stroke.’
The study found that the risk of a fatal or non-fatal stroke in people drinking three or more cups a day was reduced by 21 per cent compared to those who did not drink tea.
Dr Hood said there were three key mechanisms in which tea could prevent stroke.
‘Firstly, tea has been shown to reduce blood pressure in stroke-prone rats and blood pressure control is the key strategy to reduce risk of stroke in humans.
‘Secondly, tea and the catechins it contains can improve blood vessel function. Thirdly, through the effects of theanin, tea has a positive effect on brain function and may reduce blood vessel damage in the brain.
‘In the research, the beneficial effect was not specific to green or black tea. Black tea was as effective as green tea in reducing stroke.’
But the Stroke Association warned that ‘excess caffeine intake is believed to contribute to high blood pressure’.
‘Therefore we recommend moderate consumption of tea.’