Today’s blog features Liz’s home office as part of my Home/Work project. I visited Liz at her home in July to photograph the office from where she runs her travel consultancy.
What type of business do you run?
I run a travel business called Travel Counsellors. Although I work from my home in Wivenhoe, near Colchester, Essex, my customers come from far and wide. As a Travel Counsellor, I can arrange any holiday from a short break to a round-the-world trip and at a highly competitive price.
Travel Counsellors is a multi-award-winning company whose franchisees like myself provide a highly personal service and a unique degree of financial protection for customers.
When did you start working from home full-time?
I started working from home in September 2015.
What made you decide to work from home rather than in premises off site?
Travel Counsellors is largely a home-based business. I chose to work from home because it gives me a degree of flexibility in both my work and family life. It also means I can be available for my customers 24/7.
What do you like best about working from home?
I like the environment and independence which working from home offers. I can choose my own work-life balance. I work near my daughter’s nursery school and I can pop out when I wish.
Are there any difficulties in working from home?
Knowing when to stop!!
What is your favourite feature of your workspace?
There are two favourite features in my office workspace. One is my globe which helps me to visualise all the exciting places where I can arrange holidays for my customers. The other is my painting of a seascape which helps me to relax when things get hectic.
To find out more about Liz’s work connect with her on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LizStandleyTravelCounsellors/ Twitter: @LizStandley_TC or Instagram: @travel_with_liz
Home/Work is my current project documenting people who work from home. ‘Home’ is a recurring theme in my work – I am fascinated by our interactions with objects and spaces, particularly our homes, and with the number of home workers on the increase I thought this would be fascinating to investigate.
According to the Office for National Statistics, “There were 4.2 million home workers in January-March 2014, or 13.9% of those in work. This was the highest rate of home working since comparable records began in 1998.” Visit www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/characteristics-of-home-workers/2014/sty-home-workers.html for further information on these statistics.
I am hoping to photograph the workspaces of lots of different people, working in a wide range of industries, but all of whom work from their home or within the grounds of their home. I am interested in how people create these workspaces and how the lines between home and work are defined or blurred. If you work from home and are interested in participating in the project please get in touch!