Deciding whether you're suited to work from home before the job starts is an important task, if you are to be successful doing it. Working at home is a wonderful opportunity, but it is one of the hardest ways to hold a job, and it is not for everyone. Remember, our goal is to make sure you succeed. We have, then, the obligation to educate you as much as we can on what the field of transcription is and what it is not, so that you can make appropriate decisions and set appropriate boundaries ahead of time.

The thoughts below are listed to help you make the determination of whether working at home is for you.

1. Can you set boundaries with friends and family?

One of the biggest challenges facing work-at-home professionals is the problematic mass of people who don't understand that even when working from home, it is still a "real" job. To some, working from home is a sort of a nod-and-a-wink dodge - since you're home, you're not really working. You've got nothing but time on your hands, right? So you're available whenever someone needs you, right? This couldn't be further from the truth, but it will be up to you to set the boundaries.

Sufficient confidence in what you're doing is a must, as is the courage to express it plainly - to make certain that those around you take your career seriously. It must start from within, and you must be the leader. People will follow their leader, and taking an at-home career seriously is no exception.

There is an absolute need for ground rules. Simple guidelines, like if the door's closed, Mommy's at work, for instance, can help family members understand the importance of what you do. It will help establish your career as a valid one, a "real job", in the minds of those around you. However, you must have the strength of mind to say what the rules are. Don't expect respectful boundaries from friends and family if you don't establish them in your own mind first.

Being firm about when you are and aren't available spills over into other characteristics that mesh with a work-at-home mentality. In particular, the ability to set some rules before problems crop up means you can be proactive. Successful home workers thrive on action rather than reaction. "It always pays to be proactive in whatever you happen to be doing," says Jeff Zbar, author of "Home office Know-How" (Upstart Publishing Company, 1998). "Reacting to problems after they occur can only aggravate pressure that's already there."

2. Can you run your own social life and work alone?

If you're planning to work from home, you'll need to get proactive - even aggressive – about participating in activities outside the house. While an at-home work environment has many advantages, it is easy to become a home-office hermit if not careful. Looking after social needs, as well as physical needs, is healthy and is simply part of taking care of one's self. Do something each week just for you. Lunch out. A small shopping spree. A movie. Go get a milkshake with some friends. Find what things work for you, and then make a point of sticking to a take-care-of-me activity - regularly.

3. Can you be flexible, yet stay on track?

The ideal at-home worker finds the right mix of rigid schedule and spontaneity. Whatever "right mix" is found, the home-office worker must remain flexible. Whether it's a last-minute change in a project, a doctor who dictates half a dozen stat notes at the end of the day, or your son's softball game that took out the entire afternoon's work, it pays to be able to roll with the punches. If you want to have Muffins with Mom at school or Donuts with Dad at preschool, you have to accept that you work late tonight or that you get up at 4:00 in the morning to get the work done ahead of time.

"So which is it?" you're asking. Do I stick with firm ground rules or write my schedule in erasable pencil? The answer: If you have a flexible focus on what you're doing, you'll likely establish the right balance. Generally, the focus needs to be on the economics of your decision to work from home. Put another way: Spending more time with your family may be a pleasant side benefit of working out of home, but it should never be the primary reason for doing so. Too many unexpected distractions happen that set us up for bending the flexibility rule to the point of breakage. Working at home for the family is definitely a key motivation, but if the only motivation, will likely spell failure and, ultimately, a return to the workaday world outside.

4. Can you remain optimistic and take care of yourself?

While many corporate settings dictate when employees may take vacation time (often during slow holiday periods or summer months), a home worker often has the freedom to choose down time whenever the mood hits. But don't take that freedom lightly. With the strenuous work schedule maintained by many at-home professionals, it's important to realize when you need a break to recharge your batteries. Most importantly, you must realize thatyou need to take a break.

In today's business world, at-home careers are becoming increasingly popular. When proper guidelines are established and followed, working from home can be one of the most rewarding careers of our time. Understanding that is it not for everyone and that it is very hard work goes a long way in setting up an environment for success - for the worker, the family, and for the employer, too.

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