| Q |
What do you do? |
| A |
I write and edit digests of law reports and statutory material, index text
books and journals and proofread any material that commissioning editors or
managing editors send to me. I have recently started occasional teaching of law and publishing at 2 local technical colleges. |
| Q |
Where do you work at home? |
| A |
Spare bedroom and living room - editorial work requires space, especially if
you're working on a large manuscript. |
| Q |
Do you manage to keep your work and home life separate? |
| A |
This is difficult as we have a 2 year old and another on the way! Piles of
paper and a computer are a big attraction for a little one, so I closet
myself away when he's not at nursery. The essential thing for me is being
organised and the fact that the mortgage needs paying concentrates the mind
wonderfully. |
| Q |
What is the best thing about working from home? |
| A |
I'm in control - prior to leaving my last employer, I'd either been an
employee or in full time education for 22 years and I wanted to see how I
would manage on my own. |
| Q |
What are the negative points about working at home? |
| A |
It can be lonely. I need to concentrate so long periods of silence are the
norm. |
|
| Q |
Does your homeworking pay the bills? |
| A |
Yes. |
| Q |
How did you manage financially when you first started working at home? |
| A |
Borrowed some start up capital from my parents. |
| Q |
What sort of work did you do before you worked at home? |
| A |
Same as I do now - only for one employer. |
| Q |
How do you manage your time? |
| A |
I log all my hours in a desk diary: it helps with invoicing and keeps the
control freak in me at bay. I also calculate how much I've earned per day -
it's a morale thing. |
| Q |
What was the deciding factor to help you to decide to work from home? |
| A |
Having worked as an employee for most of my adult life, I wanted to
experience being "my own boss" and was fortunate that my line of work was
ideally suited to making the change from employee to freelance. |
| Q |
What advice would you suggest to someone considering working from home? |
| A |
Try it before giving up the day job. The way I work would drive many people
up the wall. Ask yourself, do you like your own company? How self reliant
are you? (Remember, if a job goes pear shaped there's no-one else to turn
to). |
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