Working from home is the dream for many. You don’t have to worry about commuting anywhere, and if you’re running your own business, you don’t need to fork out on additional office or workspace. There are no annoying colleagues either! It’s certainly great for the businesses that can make it work Still, it’s not as easy as buying a flat-pack desk and a computer chair – you should think about a few things first.
First and foremost amongst these is whether or not you’ve actually got the space. Most of us don’t have spare space in our homes – it’s usually filled up pretty quickly. If your business involves only working at a computer, then you can get away with just a small office room, but if you’ve got stock, then you may need to expand slightly or take up garage space. Either way, you’re going to have a task clearing yourself a working area. In some cases you might need to invest a little bit of money in creating your working space, and this kind of thing should definitely be factored into your business plan.
Remember You’re at Work
A word of warning – while clearing out half a room is fairly easy, you run the risk of blurring the distinction between work space and leisure space. This tends to have a negative impact on your motivation and therefore productivity. It can be all too easy for some people to get distracted while they work, especially if they’ve got things around them that they’d normally enjoy during their free time.
The other big consideration is whether you can definitely make the whole business run smoothly from your own home. For this to happen, you might need to incorporate some external services, such as call centres and conference rooms or couriers and warehouses. For delivery options and courier services, make sure you compare the best prices and products around.
If you can co-ordinate over the phone or online then you’re on to a winner, but for some businesses, being out and about in the city might be the only realistic option.
The final point is one not to forget. There are often tax-breaks for people who work at home. You can get deductions off things like utility bills that massively reduce your tax bill. It’s definitely worth looking into, and if you’re from the UK, then you can learn more on the government’s website.
Great job Pauline! I think first one have to decide Is home-based business for him/her or not? Then think about will it be easy to get business insurance also?