Working from home: what can you do?

Lynne says she wouldn’t want to give the impression that this is an easy alternative to working elsewhere. ‘The number of people wanting to work from home, particularly in less skilled areas, is much greater than the opportunities available. Being a freelancer means you have to be prepared for your income to fluctuate.’

Home cooking
If an intimate relationship with your computer does not appeal there are, of course, other ways of making a living from home. For Annette Gibbons, business is based in her kitchen. The small village of Mawbray on the Cumbrian coast has wonderful views of the fells and the sea. This, coupled with Annette’s talent for cooking, makes it the perfect venue for a leisurely day out. She runs a cookery school with a difference. Her courses include ‘A Taste of the Med’ and ‘Slimline Ideas’ to ‘Getting Ready for Uni and ‘The Vegetarian Christmas’. She offers four-hour sessions which include a demonstration followed by a three course lunch – eating what you’ve watched her make – and recipe sheets so that you can you try it yourself.

Annette’s garden, with its hens, herbs and organic produce is all part of the package. ‘It’s an idea I’d had for a long time but it took being made redundant to push me into making it a reality. I love working this way and enjoy welcoming people into my home. But I’m aware it’s an intrusion on the rest of the family’s privacy, so I work around them. If you’re going to bring work into your home in such a physical way you have to respect the needs of everyone in the house and get their agreement and support.’