• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

PlanningShop

Plan. Start. Grow.

  • Our Products
  • Instructors
  • Entrepreneurs
  • BizGear
  • Rhonda’s Blog
  • Book Rhonda
  • About PlanningShop
  • Search
  • Our Products
  • Instructors
  • Entrepreneurs
  • BizGear
  • Rhonda’s Blog
  • Book Rhonda
  • About PlanningShop
  • Search
Home Business

Home Business – Dream or Nightmare?

June 5, 2015 //  by Rhonda Abrams

Is running a small business from your home a long-time dream? Or is combining your work with personal life your worst nightmare?

For 14 years, I enjoyed running my consulting business from home. I could get up, go straight to work, wear what I wanted, and loved my “one-room commute.” When my business outgrew my home, I left with some regret. But I now thrive on the creativity and interaction of working with others.

Before you decide where to base your business, recognize the dreamy benefits and nightmarish drawbacks of working from home.

DREAM

Low-cost. You already have a place to live, right? If you set up your company from home, you won’t have to rent another space, buy more furniture, phones. Every dime counts, especially when you’re starting out.

No commute. Commuting—yuck! For many, the worst thing about having an office is the commute—especially if you drive during rush hour. Working from home saves time, money on transportation expenses, and especially saves your nerves.

Productivity. When I worked from home, it was far easier to write or work uninterrupted on a big project. Working home—alone—avoids the productivity-zapping conversations that inevitably happen in an office full of people.

Pets. Run your small business from home, and you don’t have to leave Fido or Fifi alone all day. Woof!

Wear what you want. Or nothing. Who am I to judge?

Tax deductions. Working from home, you can still write off legitimate business expenses—including computers and electronic devices, software, supplies, postage. You can deduct mileage for driving to meetings with clients and the cost of entertaining clients and prospects. (Just don’t expect to write off your kids’ Xbox!)

Work any time. Are you a night owl? An early bird? Do you want to be able to pick up the kids from school? Set the hours you want, as long as you can interact with customers or others as necessary.

NIGHTMARE

Space and Stuff. Where are you going to work or put all your stuff? Often, it means sharing the dining room table, carving a corner out of the living room, or taking over the garage. Now where are you going to put the lawn mower?

Kids. Spouses. Pets. Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’ll get lots of work done while the kids play quietly. Ha! Or that a spouse won’t want you to run an errand during your work day. Or that Fido won’t keep barking while you’re on an important call.

Nowhere to meet. Sometimes you need to meet clients or hold meetings, and your home just won’t do. This is less of a nightmare because of drop-in work space services like Liquid Space (founded by my former neighbor, Mark Gilbreath), or SAP’s Hanahaus in Palo Alto, CA.

Isolation. Coffee houses are filled with home-based workers. But they’re not the most ideal place to work, nor do they encourage interaction. Join entrepreneur, trade, or networking groups—and find a business buddy to bounce ideas off of.

Stagnation. There’s a reason Steve Jobs designed his buildings so employees would run into each other frequently—creativity gets sparked when working with others.

Home address. Do you want to put your home address on your website and business cards? Nope. Instead, rent a mailbox from a UPS Store or Pakmail or from the United States Postal Service.

Home tax deduction. The IRS allows you to take a tax deduction for the portion of your home you use EXCLUSIVELY and REGULARLY for business. Even with the new “simplified” method of claiming the deduction ($5 per square foot up to 300 sf), it can be challenging. Taking this deduction is often thought to increase your chance of being audited, too. Discuss this—and all other home office deductions—with your accountant or tax advisor.

Distractions. Why work on that challenging project when you’ve got a ton of laundry needing attention? A friend said her house was never cleaner than when she ran her small business from it. With the kitchen just steps away, your frig may become your biggest—and most fattening—distraction.

Work any time. Since you can work any time, you may feel you have to work ALL the time. There’s no escape.


Copyright, Rhonda Abrams, 2015

This article originally ran in USA Today on June 5, 2015

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Email

Category: Solution Center, USA TodayTag: entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, home business, rhonda abrams, small business, small business tips, work from home

Previous Post: «Get Ready for Summer Get Ready for Summer
Next Post: 9 Small Business Problems You Want Good Business Problems»

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe to Rhonda's Blog via Email

Instagram @rhondaabrams

Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tip Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tips and the latest info. sent straight to your inbox! Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #newsletter #smallbizguru
What’s old is new again! How to stay in front of What’s old is new again! How to stay in front of your smallbiz customers, in my latest @usatoday column. Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #customer #digitalmarketing #smallbizguru
National Doughnut Day on Friday?? Great way to sta National Doughnut Day on Friday?? Great way to start the weekend!! Enjoy, and go find yourself some doughnuts 😋 🍩 
.
.
#smallbusiness #fridayfeeling #nationaldoughnutday
#smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #entrepreneur #ins #smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #entrepreneur #inspirationalquotes
“And I’m proud to be an American, where at lea “And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.” - Lee Greenwood -
.
.
#memorialday #neverforget
We're heading into a long weekend! Here's to some We're heading into a long weekend! Here's to some R&R, productivity . . . whatever your small business needs~
.
.
#smallbusiness #weekend #entrepreneur #fridayfeeling
Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tip Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tips and the latest info. sent straight to your inbox! Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #tips #entrepreneur #newsletter #smallbizguru
#smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #inspirationalquot #smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #inspirationalquotes
Here's to a great week, small business owners! . . Here's to a great week, small business owners!
.
.
#smallbusiness #smallbusinessowner #mondaymotivation
My Tweets
  • Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tip Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tips and the latest info. sent straight to your inbox! Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #newsletter #smallbizguru
    What’s old is new again! How to stay in front of What’s old is new again! How to stay in front of your smallbiz customers, in my latest @usatoday column. Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #customer #digitalmarketing #smallbizguru
    National Doughnut Day on Friday?? Great way to sta National Doughnut Day on Friday?? Great way to start the weekend!! Enjoy, and go find yourself some doughnuts 😋 🍩 
.
.
#smallbusiness #fridayfeeling #nationaldoughnutday
    #smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #entrepreneur #ins #smallbusiness #tuesdaythoughts #entrepreneur #inspirationalquotes
    “And I’m proud to be an American, where at lea “And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.” - Lee Greenwood -
.
.
#memorialday #neverforget
    We're heading into a long weekend! Here's to some We're heading into a long weekend! Here's to some R&R, productivity . . . whatever your small business needs~
.
.
#smallbusiness #weekend #entrepreneur #fridayfeeling
    Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tip Sign up for my newsletter - get small business tips and the latest info. sent straight to your inbox! Link in profile~
.
.
#smallbusiness #tips #entrepreneur #newsletter #smallbizguru
  • Footer

    Our Products
    Instructor Central

    Privacy Policy
    Contact Us

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Copyright © 2023 PlanningShop · All Rights Reserved · Site design by paulinaart

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. ACCEPT Read More
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT