Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Home-based Business: Working Where You Live

By Sinclair Sonny

The landscape of the modern workplace continues to change. While the last century saw the rise of large employers, the 21st century is a time of diversification, marked by the growth of small and home-based businesses.

For some necessity drives the decision to start a home business, illness or incapacity, loss of a job or other income opportunity, relocation of a spouse. For others it's a positive lifestyle choice, a chance to fulfill a dream. Whatever your reasons for considering working from home, there's a lot to consider before you hang out your sign.

For some, starting a home-based business is the fulfillment of a dream, an opportunity to gain income from a personal skill or interest. Others enter into a home-based business by necessity, having lost a job or incurred a disability that keeps them out of a conventional work setting.

When you live where you work you have to deal with certain unique business concerns. On the down side, family conflicts can arise when you set up your office in the living room. You want quiet when others want music. The pens disappear and someone MUST get online now! Like in any solo business the startup costs are all yours, there is no initial financial stability, and no one shares the risks. You have no fringe benefits, no time off, no health insurance. Most of all, working at home requires a great deal of self-discipline working when family fun and household chores call to you.

On the other hand, when you work at home you can set your own hours and integrate your work life with your family life. You are your own boss, set your own rules. You make the decisions and you keep the money you make. No commuting costs, no business lunches, no business wardrobe, no endless meetings.

Get a copy of the company's fully audited financial statement. What are the startup and maintenance costs? What responsibilities will you and the seller have to each other after you've invested? Compare the financials with other business opportunities and don't fall for pressure: today's offer will still be there tomorrow.

As with any business startup, you need a business plan that addresses financial, marketing, and legal aspects of the business. Are any licenses or certifications needed to start your business? What are the market opportunities for your product or service? If you intend to ask a bank for financing, you'll need to have all this information on paper.

When you're flying solo don't hesitate to get help from business people who have other skills you need to succeed, like lawyers, accountants, and marketing experts. Whether you buy into an established business opportunity or develop your own concept, remember that the secret to building a successful home-based business is to center it on your own skills. - 15431

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