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We love working from home and can't imagine a lifestyle that offers such fun, flexibility and opportunity for success.   Yet we readily admit that it's not right for everyone.   Before making the leap to home-based work, consider the positive and negative aspects to working from home.   Will a home business be your salvation or your Waterloo?   Will you thrive in a quiet, one-person office or wither away without your old colleagues?   Can you stay motivated on slow days and not be tempted to slack off and watch Oprah?   The answers to these questions mean the difference between happiness and misery and between financial success and failure.   You need to know and understand yourself very well to determine your suitability for a home-based business.

Consider the following lists and how they relate to your personality, business and lifestyle.


Positive Aspects of a Home Business

1. Can begin immediately
2. Minimal startup capital
3. No rent or excessive charges for utilities
4. Comfortable working conditions
5. No wardrobe expenses
6. No commuting
7. Tax benefits
8. Elimination of office politics
9. Flexibility and independence
10. Full utilization and recognition of skills
11. Low risk for trial and error
12. Virtually unlimited income potential
13. Increased productivity
14. Lower costs to deliver product/service
15. Improved mental health and lifestyle
16. Spend more time with family
17. Invest more in your local community

1. Success is 100% based on your efforts
2. Difficult to establish solid work habits
3. Difficult to determine competitive rates
4. Limited support system
5. Isolation
6. Limited work space
7. Disruption of personal life
8. Clients are uncomfortable with home business setup
9. Zoning restrictions
10. Difficulty maintaining a professional image
11. May tend to work too much
12. Lack of privacy
13. Hard to separate personal and business life

1. Establish and maintain a professional image. To whatever extent possible, avoid giving your customers the impression that you work at home. Use professionally-designed letterhead, business cards and stationary that promote your business name.
   
   
2. Have a separate business telephone line with a professional answering service.   Do not allow your spouse or children to answer your business calls.
   
   
3. Answer the phone with a pleasant, professional greeting.
   
   
4. Isolate your office in a physically separate area of the house.
   
   
5. Treat household interruptions the same as if you were working in an office.   Arrange childcare, when needed, to allow complete focus on your work.
   
   
6. Establish a work schedule and stick with it.   Make family time a priority, too.
   
   
7. Set goals for yourself every day.   Don't get bogged down and distracted by interruptions and demands.
   
   
8. Don't allow office equipment and paperwork to take over your home.   Use space-saving storage systems and good organizational techniques.
   
   
9. Get out of the house at least once a day to refresh and regenerate.
   
   
10. Get the support of family members and clients for your venture.
    
    

1. Plan your time and establish priorities on a daily "to do" list.   Identify your prime (optimal) working hours and schedule your most important or difficult tasks then. Set "business hours", specific times when you are at work and times when you turn on the answering machine because your are working but not accepting calls. You, your customers, and your family will appreciate knowing your set routine, which can be altered for special events or emergencies.
   
   
2. Identify your four or five biggest time-wasters and learn techniques to eliminate or minimize them.   Some common ones include telephone interruptions, visitors, socializing, excessive paperwork, lack of policies and procedures, procrastination, failure to delegate, unclear objectives, poor scheduling, lack of self-discipline and lack of skill in a needed area.
   
   
3. Stay in contact with people.   Even though you prefer to work at home, you should plan work-related or social activities that provide frequent contact with others.   This will boost your morale if you feel isolated.   Even for home-based business owners who like feeling isolated, keeping up with social, business and professional contacts is a must.
   
   
4. Build a fitness program into your day.   Many successful entrepreneurs exercise to improve their creativity.   Physical activity increases oxygen flow to the brain and improves your thought processes.   Regular exercise also improves your health, reduces your stress level and improves your appearance.   These personal changes will inspire people to have confidence in your abilities.
   
   
5. Give your home business a separate and distinct physical identity.   Although you might save a few dollars by using a cardboard box as a file cabinet, the strain of operating without proper space and supplies will ultimately take its toll.   Have a separate room or area for your business, with a separate entrance if customers or suppliers visit.   Consider soundproofing so your family won't be bothered by your noise and vice-versa. (In addition to the psychological and physical comfort of having a separate office, the IRS requires it in order for you to make a legitimate claim for tax deductions.)
   
   
6. Take care of your major business asset: YOU.   Being the boss can be exciting, fulfilling and rewarding.   It can also be lonely, stressful and demanding.   Learn to balance your professional life with fun and relaxation.   Don't neglect your previous enjoyable habits, like vacations, massages, meditation and lunches out.
   
   

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