HOME IS WHERE THE WORK IS

The rise of ‘Life Splicing’ sees small business owners spending a third of their working lives at home

Aussie small business owners are increasingly mixing work with home life in the emergence of a new trend dubbed ‘Life Splicing’ according to an Optus study released today, which shows just 13 hours per week are spent working at the home office – the equivalent of 17 weeks each year.

In a sign of increasingly ‘spliced’ lives for small business owners, just five per cent claim they don’t bring business home with them at the end of the day.

As work and home lives merge, Optus is providing flexible home broadband plans with no ‘gotchas’ or hidden charges enabling small business owners to ditch their office threads and make money in their PJs from home.

And that is exactly what they are doing with two thirds (65%) of small business owners admitting to starting their working day in pyjamas and as many as 40 per cent doing so at least once a week.

Beyond the flexibility to wear what they like, small business owners claim the biggest advantages to working from home are:

• Avoiding the daily commute (67%)
• Multi-tasking between home and work life (59%)
• No office politics (55%)

Long-time ‘Life Splicer’ Natalie Bloom, founder of Bloom Cosmetics, said, “I started my business in 1993 from my parent’s home. When I became a Mum 11 years ago, having a good home office with reliable technology was the key to me being able to maximise my time and juggle home and work life effectively.”

“Fast forward to 2013, I now have four kids and blend working at home, in the office and on-the-go. While the blurred line between work and home life can be a blessing and a curse, having a functional home office allows for an improved career and home life flow.”

Two thirds of Aussie businesses (68%) are run from home when they are first set up but despite the advantages, the majority of small business owners (78%) acknowledge that there are some frustrations.

Poor home tech set up blights 33 per cent of Aussie at home workers while other frustrations include distractions by household chores and children (44%), a lack of office banter (32%) and the inability to bounce ideas off others (23%).

Annie Mackin, Vice President of Fixed Marketing at Optus said, “Having the right setup is critical for business success particularly when juggling work and home life – no one wants a complicated and confusing broadband plan. That is why we’ve launched the My Office bundle plan, to give small business owners the freedom to choose broadband and telephony bundles that deliver flexibility and control without any nasty hidden fees or gotchas.”

Optus fixed broadband plans are an easy, reliable and affordable option for small to medium businesses to ensure they stay connected and can work easily and efficiently at home. The plans have transparent pricing with no hidden traps which will give small businesses confidence to get more done at home. For more information visit https://www.optusbusiness.com.au/.

ENDS

Fuel Communications: 02 8217 6500
Optussmb@fuelcommunications.com.au

Need Work / Life Splice Advice?

Looking for ways to manage life splicing? Follow these top tips from Natalie Bloom.

1. Maximise minutes: Inspiration often comes at the unlikeliest of times but there are a wealth of productivity apps that can help you brainstorm, budget or plan even in the most fleeting of moments.
2. Stay connected: Nothing will infuriate you or your customers more than being out of touch due to a poor home network connection. Ensuring you have a reliable home broadband and technology set up will give you the confidence that your business is always on, even if you’re relaxing on the couch.
3. Get in the zone: Make sure you have space dedicated to work, being able to focus your mind at peak times without distractions is important.
4. Find balance: Juggling work and home life can be claustrophobic so take time to refresh your environment and your mind by breaking your day up. Something as simple as a short walk can re-energise you and increase productivity.
5. Network: Being able to bounce ideas off others and get fresh perspectives is vital for any new business. Remember to network and make the most of your contacts; a quick coffee catch up with a friend could give you the insight you’ve been looking for.