Agents do it. Writers do it. And so do approximately 50 million workers in America. We work out of our homes. And sometimes out of our minds.

What are we up against? A tide of misconceptions. For those of us who do it, it is balancing a work load that we think will be easier, but in reality is more complicated. For those who live with home-workers, it is about how much more available they think we will be. And for those who do business with us, it is about whether we are as "professional" as other office workers.

If you are a Realtor or a broker, you know what I mean. The notion that an agent only works part-time and can do the job with a cell phone and very little training is still, unfortunately, a dominant one. You work out of your home, so selling real estate isn't a "real job."

If you aren't a Realtor, consider your own conceptions about home-officing. What is your impression of people who office at home? Have you ever contemplated what it would be like to work from home? Do you think it is easier than driving to a job? Do you think at-home workers are as professional as someone who works on site in an office? Do you think it is OK to call someone to chat during business hours if that person is at home? Do you think someone who home offices should charge for their services based on whether they work at home or how well they can perform the job? Do you think at-home workers should charge less for services because they are saving on overhead (you think?) Do you take someone less or more seriously who is running an at-home business?

Believe me, there is a great deal of stress at the office whether you are working in a suit or a bathrobe. Those misconceptions can grow into roadblocks to your productivity. That new home-based business that you are excited about sounded great until you realize just how much effort and skill is required in the other areas of business where you aren't so experienced. In real jobs, there is a boss and office manager to handle problems and work flow, while you concentrate on what you do best - selling. But when you're self employed, you suddenly must become an expert manager, accountant, maintenance specialist, and electronics expert all rolled into one. No longer can you concentrate on just one aspect of what you do, you must divide your attention among all areas of your business, because you are also are the production line, the customer complaint department and the front office. All of these jobs take time and skill to accomplish.

And it's lonely. There is no one around to share your problems. No stopping by another cubicle to get help with the copy machine. No supervisor to tell you the company policy when you have to handle a problem. No human resources department to help you manage your salary, savings, investments or insurance problems.

And those are just the misconceptions that begin with you. What about others. Their misconceptions are personified by the client who gives you a job, but asks you to cut your commission because he/she thinks you are operating with no overhead. They are the friends and family who call and want to chat during office hours, and get offended that you would rather not talk just now. You're the boss, they say, where's the harm? They are the family members who feel that even if you are in your office, you are still at home and they can interrupt you any time they feel like it.

The agendas of home vs. work basically compete and are more often than not, conflict. Any Realtor who has been interrupted by a six-year-old in the middle of a conference call with the news that the hamster just fell in the toilet knows what I mean. The hamster's life must be saved, but at a price. There is now a dent in your professional appearance. Customers always wonder whether their needs are being met if your family intervenes in your business in any way.

But running a small business from home definitely has its perks, especially if you are a parent. I have a 16-year-old and an 11-year-old, who, whether they realize it or not, benefit from having a work-at-home parent. The day I opened my at-home office, our lives instantly changed for the better, or so I thought.

I was able to attend school functions, games, teachers' conferences and so on for the first time in my children's school careers. But the reality is that I don't get more hours in the day than the next person. If I go to a school event at 4:00 p.m., it means making up the time later in the day, so the evening may be spent working at my desk. "You're always working!" they cry, feeling betrayed. Their minds are focused on the time they want to spent with me, and never on the time already spent.

They haven't really caught on that Mom really isn't more available, she's just physically present, so they "punish" me with little inconsiderations. They turn up the TV volume, interrupt me on the phone, fail to write down my messages, and complain.

And that is the price of at-home commerce. The price is longer hours, greater effort to concentrate, and total responsibility for costs, profitability, production, and administration. And resentful children.

To be successful, I must be skilled at all aspects of business, plus have the wisdom and patience of Soloman. And that means longer hours, more training, more mistakes, more recoveries, and more juggling of responsibilities. What a conundrum.

But would you believe me when I say I wouldn't have it any other way? I've survived the crashed computer, the printer that ate my presentation, the customer who left a message with my son and never got a call back, and the tax advisor who had to shake his head and tell me that the Super Nintendo doesn't qualify for a babysitting deduction.

We are all learning to survive our misconceptions of what it means to live on at-home income. We're learning the simple economics of time management - that if we help each other, we all have more time, for each other.

Published: June 26, 1998

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. For more articles by Blanche, click here.