Work From Home Handbook: Flex Your Time, Improve Your Life (USA TODAY/Nolo Series) [Paperback]

Diana Fitzpatrick J.D. Nolo Legal Editor J.D. Nolo Legal Editor J.D. Nolo Legal Editor J (Author), Stephen Fishman J.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2008

The Work From Home Handbook is a lifesaving resource for anyone with a horrendous commute, anyone who wishes for a flexible schedule or more time with familyanyone who dreams of going to work in pajamas

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This exploration of the many iterations of working from home, including freelancing, is a solid source for considering the idea of being one's own boss and getting advice on the delicate balancing act that working from home requires. (Library Journal 20090101)

Diana Fitzpatrick and Stephen Fishman cover the nuts and bolts of becoming a freelance at-home worker. (MarketWatch 20090101)

Flexibility is key to business success today. And so every organization-and all employees-need to understand how to create solid, well-thought-out flexible work arrangements. This book gives employees the tools they need to demonstrate that flexibility is good not only for workers, but for managers, CEOs and the business as a whole. (Carroll Lachnit Workforce Management )

A must-read for employers and employees focused on embracing flexibility in the workplace. (Catherine Clifford YourOnRamp.com )

About the Author

Stephen Fishman is the author of many Nolo books, most recently Tax Deductions for Professionals. Other titles include Deduct It! Lower Your Small Business Taxes, Every Landlord's Tax Deduction Guide and Home Business Tax Deductions - plus many other legal and business books. He received his law degree from the University of Southern California. After time in government and private practice, he became a full-time legal writer.

Attorney Diana Fitzpatrick is a legal editor at Nolo, working primarily on small business books. Prior to joining Nolo, Diana worked for the City Attorney's Office in San Francisco in the finance and bond department. She is a graduate of NYU School of Law and Barnard College.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Nolo; 1 edition (March 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1413307019
• ISBN-13: 978-1413307016
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,268,257 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Diana Fitzpatrick is a legal editor at Nolo, editing and authoring small business books including The Work From Home Handbook. She is a graduate of NYU School of Law and Barnard College. Prior to joining Nolo, Fitzpatrick worked for the City Attorney's Office in San Francisco in the finance and bond department. Diana blogs on small business strategies and legal information for business owners on Nolo's Small Business Legal Blog.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not even worth the reduces Amazon price frankly, November 26, 2008

By 

Satia Renee "Satia Renee" (Altanta GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Work From Home Handbook: Flex Your Time, Improve Your Life (USA TODAY/Nolo Series) (Paperback)

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This is a timely book--very timely in that some of the statistical data and such will probably become dated before too long. The resources are good but even websites can come and go so anyone who is serious about working from home needs to hurry to get a copy before the information loses its immediate relevance.

With that said, there's more than enough good stuff here to almost justify the price. The book by arguing for the many reasons someone might want to work from home without glossing over the reality of it. Not everyone is able to work from home because some people simply prefer the interaction of others, want to get away from the house even if it means facing rush hour traffic, or simply have careers that are not conducive to working from home. And those who may sincerely want to do so are not necessarily equipped to do so in other ways--lacking the technology or maybe even the discipline to do so.

Being home all day with the kids may sound better than having to leave every morning for the office but when you have to be on a conference call you'll still need childcare.

This book does a good job of presenting the arguments both for and against working from home before addressing how to make it happen. No need to work out a way to approach your boss about working from home if after reading the first couple of chapters you realize that you can't (because your professional role won't allow it) or shouldn't (because you really don't have the right home or personal context to do so).

The book devotes one chapter to approaching your current employer with an argument for telecommuting before moving onto another chapter where finding a job that is telecommuting friendly is offered, including some warnings about work from home scams. The last few chapters are devoted to more practical advice regarding freelancing including an overview regarding how to file taxes along with suggested resources if you need more information.

This is a good book. Is it worth $19.99? No. At fewer than 200 pages you're paying too much for not enough information. The same websites are mentioned more than once between chapters if not within the same chapter. If you can spare a couple of hours, go to your local bookstore, buy a cup of coffee and read it while taking notes. It won't take you more than two hours to read this cover to cover and get a list of the resources you may want/need. Or borrow it from the library. But it is not worth the hefty price and that is a shame because it's not a bad book really just not very thorough.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong introductory guide for the curious, November 16, 2008

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TheBandit (SEA-TAC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Work From Home Handbook: Flex Your Time, Improve Your Life (USA TODAY/Nolo Series) (Paperback)

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I found this slim volume very helpful in providing ideas and general information about finding a job that can be worked from home. The first couple of chapters deal with the feasibility of working from home in a given job. Some time is spent sort of psyching up the reader about the multitude of benefits in telecommuting or webcommuting. If you are already interesting in this kind of work, then you probably won't need too much convincing. But it does cover many of the practical issues that are important in deciding whether it is right for you and your lifestyle.

The most useful sections deal with making a proposal for your employer. Convincing your current employer that you can do the same work out of the office can be a tricky issue, especially if your company isn't used to letting workers do that. There are many potential objections that might be raised, and the book offers counter-arguments to prevent your goal from being shot down. Also covered are what types of jobs to look for - and suggestions of where/how to find them - if you are considering a new job that will allow tele/webcommuting.

All in all, despite being less than 200 pages long this book definitely serves it's purpose. It is loaded with tips and advice on issues you might not have even considered. One of those issues is tax ramifications when working from home. I look at this book as almost being in the self-help category as well - offering a great deal of hope for those who want to leave the daily commute behind.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice approach to working at home in CURRENT job, November 13, 2008

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Natasha Stryker (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Work From Home Handbook: Flex Your Time, Improve Your Life (USA TODAY/Nolo Series) (Paperback)

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What I liked about this book was that it provides advice on how to coax your current boss into seeing the light in letting you work from home. Many books on this topic are of the "quit your day job and do something else from home" school of thought. But I like my job a lot and would like to keep it, I just want to know how to approach my boss the day I get pregnant. I like how the book lets you know what points to hit with your boss that will be attractive to him/her. The key is to make it seem like the best answer, and this book shows how you can begin planning to do it.

In addition to this book you should also research your industry and find out what percentage work from home vs. in office. Having hard stats before you approach your boss will let him/her know you are serious. Make sure you are busting a$$ at work and doing really well before you bring it up. The key is to be a comodity they can't afford to lose.

I think this book is a great start!