在企業(yè)不斷追求競爭力提升的風潮下，一支勞動新軍——SOHO族伴著信息革命的號角，昂首闊步地跨入了勞動力市場。他們以一種“以小搏大、惟我獨尊”的工作新理念，向傳統的工作形式發(fā)出強有力的挑戰(zhàn)。
A Better Choice
The next time you overhear a friend or coworker chattering excitedly about SOHO, don't
assume that they are talking about New York. In today's business world SOHO refers to "Small
Office/Home Office," one of today's biggest explosions in the economy. The home-based
business has been born out of necessity. In an era when large corporations always think of
downsizing, what are your other choices?
Your choices are usually limited: find a lucrative niche in the small business world,
stand in line at Unemployment, or accept a cut in pay and benefits. We were all raised to
give 9 hours work for 8 hours pay, and we are not backing away from that. Bosses don't
understand that you just put braces on your child's teeth and now have to pay for them. In
this economic climate, where cost-cutting measures are the group of the day, setting up a
home office on your own may just be the ticket to beat the odds. So now, to configure your
own small office, home office set-up can be a breeze.
How to Start
Let's congratulate on your decision to start your own business. But where do you go from
here? Paper clips, memo pad, phone and table ?almost but not quite. One of the faults
committed by home-based business owners otherwise known as a small office home office is
that they fail to consider the possibilities of expansion.
It is fine to start working from the kitchen table but what happens when things start to
take off and you still do not want to have an office space? where do you place the home
office? If you have the space, I highly suggest a room unto itself. This permits you to
close the door and separate your personal life from business. You are able to leave
everything you are working on right where it is instead of shaving to clean-up for dinner or
to go to bed. These clean-up steps can lead to problems down the road. where you anchor the
home office is important for your future success. A corner in the living room, bedroom or
attic is preferable if you do not have a room solely for your business. Reasons for the
separation include fewer distractions and the ability to think and focus more clearly.
And you may have to have one or two clients come to your "office" in the lifetime of
your business. Even though it is your home, you want to present the best professional
atmosphere possible, which is very important if you have people working with you. Their
productivity is important to your bottom line. Invest in the appropriate chairs, tables,
lighting and ventilation before you invest in the paper clips and the stapler. If you are
not comfortable, neither you nor your employees will stay there and finish the job. Bottom
line: Your employees don't want to interact or become a part of your family issues. It is
fine to have employees in your home but just make sure you supply them with the best working
atmosphere possible.
The Popularity of Being SOHO
Today, researchers and marketers have identified a segment that is now labeled SOHO,
small offices, home offices, whether they are high-tech start-ups or women selling Mary Kay<
注12>... But they drive America's economic growth and have created most of the new jobs in
the last 20 years. 3% of companies accounted for 6 million of the 7.7 million jobs that were
added to the economy between 1991-1995. Small businesses represent over 90% of all
businesses in the U.S. with an economic output greater than Germany or France or the UK.
Reportedly, home-based workers earn more money. The 46 million home-based workers in the
United States, including a large number of women, working at home in an attempt to better
balance work and family, earn 28% more than the average office worker, and spend less time
making their pay. Of course this could be due, in part, to the fact that more experienced
and aggressive workers tend to start their own businesses.
Remember, going into business on your own, or from a home office may mean making do with
less. But it can also mean achieving more: more independence, more challenges, more results.
In the long run it may well mean more money for you and your family. In a word, doing it on
your own means freedom, to grow, experiment and learn. If you are successful, you won't have
to go ask for a raise or accept what you're given or worry about being turned out to pasture
when a younger version of yourself comes along. You will have the freedom to enjoy the
profits of your own work, and the continuing growth and profit which comes from owning your
own business. Good luck and enjoy the journey.