To Commute or Not to Commute
As I travelled into the city yesterday I noticed a significant drop in car volume. It was probably just one of those urban demographic blips where people’s activities mysteriously align and a significant number of people don’t drive in. I’m sure the first decent warm day of the season had a lot to do with it too.
But then I thought again…
Could it be that many thought bubbles popped up above heads in this region with a conversation that went something like this: “SUNSHINE….Oh happy day. Can I bear the traffic, and the frustration of commuter life today? Nope. Not today. In fact…maybe not again. Today’s the day I pick up my blocks and find a way to work a little closer to home. In my community. Maybe for myself.”
Of course I don’t really know what folks said as they struggled out of their jammies but my unscientific research using friends and reviewing reports tells me that a good percentage of people daydreaming about starting a business closer to where they live aren’t joking and are more than daydreaming about it. They’re doing it.
Money Magazine reported recently that every 11 seconds someone starts a home based business that allows them to work at home. Also 20% of work at home businesses gross between 100K and 500K per year.
There are other statistics from the US Small Business Administration that give even more credibility to those numbers - over 30 million people in the U.S. work at home and of those businesses 70% last over a three year period compared to 29% of other business start ups.
This tells me that qualified and knowledgeable people are taking the entrepreneurial plunge and are working solo or in small businesses in their homes/communities. Why? Could it be the traffic congestion that kicks one’s day off to a crappy start? Or perhaps there are children in the household that cease to recognize that tired parent slipping into the house at night to eat, “zombie-talk,” and sleep only to rise 6 hours later to repeat the whole exercise all over again.
More and more people are saying “there’s got to be a better way” and they are finding it! I don’t know how many actually succeed at replacing their income, but it sure sounds like money is becoming less of a driving factor and quality of life is. The way this economy is looking more people may have to start examining what’s before them in their lives that is good instead of what more is out there for them to get.
Sharon, you know I moved recently to cut a modest commute out of my life and I have to say I love it
I do hope that opportunities grow for more people to escape the daily highway and enjoy more of their life at home.
I saw gas prices hit $3.64 here locally yesterday. I know that alone has us driving a lot less and staying home and around the neighborhood a lot more. We’re taking out our bikes this week too! Love it!
I thank GOD that I only work pt outside of the home and the commute is only 5minutes from my outside job and my kids schools. I have 2 friends that commute 45minutes each way to and from work and they are both struggling with finding other means
You statement “More and more people are saying “there’s got to be a better way” and they are finding it”, is definitely a growing trend; and one that I hope sticks. It think the stress of everything like high gas prices, is really making people think twice about what really matters in life.
I’m always wistfully wishing we (NE Ohio) would have the Wash DC economy. Today’s Wash Post had a story about Metro needing 220 more subway cars in order to meet the demand. And my friend since five is a writer who made a conscious choice to work at home (she is a writer) and be a part of her family’s life on a fuller basis. I wonder what the percentages of ’success’ are — as Annette said, gas prices are probably going to put this idea into many more peoples minds.
Great post. My wife still works outside the home and thankfully her commute is less than 4 miles. It used to be 35 miles each way.
I on the other hand, enjoy my 14 step walk to work each day to my home office.
For us, it really is a quality of life and economic issue. We don’t want to spend so much money on gas. The commute would cut into the quality time my wife and I could spend with each other.
I prefer to work at home so the cats and our dog aren’t missing their people when we both used to work 60 hour weeks. But earning a living from home is the wave of the future.
The other commute gives me high blood pressure! LOL
Amen Timothy! You’ll have to share more on the steps you and your wife went through to shorten your commute and improve your quality of life. Perhaps we can talk…
Funny you would mention that…I have been working on a series of articles along those lines for sometime down the road on my blog. And I’ll let you know! Or subscribe to my blog as I will to yours and you won’t miss it when I start the series!