Before the pandemic most of my meetings were in person. I would either have clients meet me at my office or I would travel to various locations. Occasionally, I’d have a virtual meeting with someone who was out of state, but these always seemed somehow less significant or effective than my typical in person meetings. The coronavirus shutdown has since forced me to transition to predominantly virtual meetings and, to my surprise, it has been all for the better! Not only am I still able to fulfill the needs of the business, but I have started to notice some surprising changes as my work life has changed that I would have never thought were possible less than a year ago. It’s my hope by sharing this that I would inspire more people to take the step of working more from home.

#1 – It’s Surprisingly Easy

      If I think about why I haven’t tried to make this transition before, the only thing I can think of is that I didn’t think it was possible and even if I did get it going, it would be way harder than just doing the same way I always have. As I have went through this transition, I have found that technology now makes it increasingly easy to accomplish almost anything remotely. I have known that some of these technologies and services have existed for a while, but I am always surprised at how easy some of them are to use. My clients are also becoming aware and almost all understand that virtual meetings are safer, faster and just as efficient as in person meetings. We can still look each other in the eye and discuss business, but now we can do it from anywhere in the world. My expenses have also been lower because I’m not commuting, eating out for lunch and paying office rent. Now that I have been at this for a little more than six months I really feel like things are almost on an auto-pilot and I can simply focus on meeting new clients and helping my existing ones.

#2 – I Waste Less Time Commuting

      I work in the retirement planning industry and when it came to meeting new clients I would typically travel to meet them. Some had busy schedules and others simply didn’t want to travel to my office, but for whatever the reason I would end up having appointments away from my office several times a week. These meetings were so frequent that I would add a half-hour or more to either side of my meetings to allow for travel time. One of the first things that I found when first transitioning to working from home was how much extra time I had between my meetings. I had so much time that I can now fit in two extra meetings in a typical day.

#3 – I Have More Control Over My Schedule

      As the weeks of working from home have went on, I have started to notice that “office hours” don’t have as much of a meaning. Since all I really need to have a meeting is a quiet space, my laptop and decent WiFi I am able to be very flexible with where and when I have a meeting. Not only has this flexibility allowed me to be involved and present in more family events, but it has actually allowed me to offer more schedule flexibility for my clients as well. I also find that working from home makes me more productive. I’m able to relax in between meetings and then really focus on work when it’s time to work.

#4 – I’ve Been Able to be “There” More

      While this one might seem similar to having control of my schedule, this one is different because it is about those moments you can’t schedule for. Little things that happen at home during the course of the day that if I wasn’t right down the hall I would simply miss. From funny moments to being able to help my wife with a quick task, those little moments of “being there” add up and truly remind me what I am working for in the first place.

#5 – I’m Happier

      Now that I’ve experienced working from home, I may never go back to working in an office! I’ve found the perfect balance in my life! Of course everything isn’t perfect, but I can emphatically say that switching to working from home has improved my work/life balance and helped me to be overall happier. It’s a feeling that I wish all people could come to understand and a big reason I am helping others make the transition.

      I am in the retirement planning and life insurance industry and work with Universal Retirement. It doesn’t always sound glamorous, but I help people ensure financial security as well as help them plan and prepare for one of the few things we are all guaranteed to face. While the Coronavirus shutdown has brought its challenges, it has also been a busy time for me. So many people are taking the time to focus on their retirement accounts that I’m scheduling appointments over two weeks out.

      There is no better time to get into the retirement planning industry than now. If this is an industry that interests you and you want to work from home Universal Retirement can help you get started. We have a training program that will get you helping clients fast and making a great living working from home. Please contact us today if you would be interested in meeting with a current agent to discuss how you can get started.