But does working from home live up to the expectations many have of it -- especially those who haven't done it? Andre Taber, a food historian and former journalist, recalls going for two job interviews and facing incredulous interviewers who couldn't believe he wanted to return to a nine-to-five office schedule.
"They said I was 'living the dream', but going to work and having a more predictable routine suits me better than trying to work from home as a freelancer."
Career Clinic specialist Janet Tuck, whose business is home-based, says the appeal of supposedly more flexible hours is what lures many away from an office environment. It can be particularly attractive to those with small children who want to have more family time or those who have an active interest aside from their work and want time to pursue it.
But, she cautions, it can quickly become a desperate juggle where attention and energy are divided among paid work, domestic duties and outside interests.
"You need to be a disciplined, driven and fairly motivated person who is organised enough to stick to the work tasks at hand and not be distracted by household chores, errands or -- at times -- the demands of other family members," Tuck says. "If you can manage that division, it doesn't mean you won't be working long hours but you will likely gain greater flexibility."
For me, a freelance writer who has worked from home for 10 years, it means I can work during school hours and take afternoons and early evenings off, before doing further work at night. As an archetypal night owl, those hours suit me far more than trying to be active and alert in the earlier part of the morning.
Nevertheless, it is easy to be distracted by domestic chores. Tonkin says one of the biggest lessons she learned was to value her work time and be unafraid to tell her children that she was working and it was their father's turn to help them.
Tuck says it's important to establish and stick to a routine. For her, that means rising and completing morning tasks at the same time each day, dressing as she would if she were going into a corporate office and taking herself off to the room she works from.
"Getting dressed as I would for work helps me to get into the right mindset for work. Staying in my pyjamas all day just wouldn't be conducive to me thinking professionally."
It helps to have a home-based office or workshop space that offers some separation from the rest of the house because, says Tuck, it means you're less likely to notice the pile of washing on the table or dishes in the sink. If you're seeing clients, it means you can meet them without worrying about the state the house is in.
But when you have your own office, you are responsible for the initial costs of office equipment and then its maintenance. When things break down, there's no one from IT who can just "pop up" to see and fix whatever is wrong.
Tuck says to think carefully about whether to buy or lease equipment, the sorts of after-purchase customer service offered, and what you can outsource. Outsourcing administrative tasks, such as accounts and tax returns, and perhaps finding a mobile IT repair and servicing business is likely to free up your time so you can concentrate on core business.
"For many people, there are clear financial advantages in running their business from home. For starters, they don't have to pay for office or workshop space but you don't want those financial advantages to be minimised by chewing up time on auxiliary tasks you're not competent at when you could be focusing on growing your business."
Tonkin acknowledges one of the hardest things about working from home is you are often on your own when having to deal with questions and challenges.
"It means there's often no one to bounce ideas off and to share information. When I need to figure something out, I have to find my own solutions and way ahead. That's good because I find things that work especially for me, but it can take time."
While former colleagues may have been distracting or annoying, it can get lonely when one is working at home alone day in and day out. Taber says he never considered himself to be a particularly gregarious person but after five years of freelancing and house-husbanding, he missed the social aspects of the work environment.
Tonkin says she's lucky because she has contact with clients every day; Tuck has joined a number of professional organisations and has regular meetings with her business partner, Caroline Sandford, who also works from home.
"Social contact is huge part of working life," she says. "Caroline and I formed a business partnership because we did not like working alone and we meet regularly to share ideas, catch up with one another about what's new in our industry and just to talk.
"Joining professional and networking groups can be an important way of having regular contact with others and, yes, sometimes making time to have lunch with a friend can be good."
But there's a fine line between being constantly kept away from work because you're taking time off to catch up with friends and family. Tuck says one of the biggest adjustments when you work from home is learning to manage relationships and other people's expectations of how you'll use your time.
"People can have an expectation that you're available at the drop of a hat and you need to carefully manage those beliefs. If a friend telephones for a chat, be polite but make it known you are working and have limited time to talk, and suggest a later time to catch up."
