Home Based Business – The Naked Truth
Everybody dreams about it having a leisurely cup of coffee on a lazy morning enjoying life as your homebased business continues to bring in the big bucks. Well… I hate to burst your bubble but this homebased business thing is HARD WORK so before you hang up your tie and high heels here are a couple of good and bad things to expect.
You write your own paycheck
That’s exactly how it is with a homebased business and being your own boss. YOU WRITE YOUR OWN paychecks! How much you earn depends on how hard you work… plus you get to keep ALL the profit. There’s NO BOSS to tell you that the company hasn’t been doing great so all you’re getting is 45 cents as your bonus while he comes to work the next morning in a bright shiny new Porsche!
Problem is you then realize “Hey! Just a minute… I’ve got to put some aside for that rainy day retirement fund vacation etc etc. I’m MY OWN BOSS NOW!”. So you find the paycheck that you actually write for yourself at the end of the month has a few less zeroes in it! How’s that for irony?
It’s hard work
Having your own home based business is a lot of hard work. If you’re used to taking 30 minute coffee breaks on company time you’re in for a real shock. Assuming you’re running a oneman show which is usually the case for new startups then you’re likely to find that there’s not enough hours to do all that you want to do let alone have a leisurely cup of coffee!
The good thing about this is that every ounce of sweat you put into your home business will ultimately yield results. Remember the pyramids weren’t built in a day but when they were completed they lasted for generations. That’s the way it is with your homebased business. You’re working hard to build a better life and future for your family that will probably last long after you’re gone.
The buck stops where you are
Whether it’s a virus that crashes your computer an unpaid bill or a customer complaining on the phone when you own a homebased business the buck stops where YOU ARE! Every problem becomes YOURS. There is no computer division accounts department or PR department to blame. It’s a bit frightening when you consider that you are the central and probably the only person who can keep your business going.
If you’re worried about making the wrong decisions let me put your mind at ease YOU WILL! You ARE going to make wrong business decisions but don’t let it discourage you though because even bigwig CEOs make mistakes. Will there be tough times? DEFINITELY. Tough times bring out the best in people and every mess you get INTO and OUT OF makes you a better person smarter tougher and more resilient. After you’ve gone through a couple of ups and downs you’ll get into the groove and go with the flow that’s the way it is with business and that’s the way it is with life in general.
Different type of benefits
If you’re like me you’ve probably grown accustomed to and taken for granted the many benefits of a regular ninetofive job free medical and dental vacations paid training coffee breaks and the occasional business lunches.
I found that for me at least running a homebased business has given me priceless benefits. Tops on the list would probably be the fact I’m closer to my family. In addition to taking care my websites and running our home catering business with my wife I’m also the official driver handyman and maid all rolled up into one. Even though it gets totally crazy sometimes I love that I’m always there for my kids. Oh they still make it a point to drive me up the wall everyday but I’d rather be driven up the wall by them than by my maniacal exboss.
The Naked Truth
OK here’s THE NAKED TRUTH about having your own homebased business YOU SET THE RULES YOU CALL THE SHOTS. That means you can do things anyway you want from your working hours to your filing system to what you wear or don’t wear! at work. Careful though… when you set lousy rules you’ll end up with a lousy system a lousy business and worse a lousy reputation. In the end it’s going to hurt that paycheck that YOU write for yourself every month. Just because it’s a homebased business doesn’t mean that you can throw professionalism out the window. In fact an even higher level of professionalism may be required because you’re operating independently and competing with established companies.
Of course how much flexibility you enjoy depends on what kind of home business you’re running. Since my mornings are spent taking care of my websites and writing I don’t physically interact with people much so I do have the liberty of working in my bathrobe or anything else I choose I leave it to your imagination. While lost in cyberspace I also have the liberty of snacking anytime I want which accounts for my growing waistline. Then in the evenings when my wife and I are busy with our catering business I’m definitely fully clothed complete with my tidy apron and smiling my best smile as we take care of our customers.
So What Now?
There you have it folks my rundown of some of the basic stuff you can expect when you start a homebased business. You may earn less and have to give up some status for the first couple of years but when you consider the big picture and take into account all the other intangible benefits there’s nothing quite like being your own boss! As your business grows you’ll be writing yourself bigger and fatter paychecks. Then you can sit down to that leisurely cup of coffee enjoying a lazy morning while your homebased business brings in the big bucks! Care to hang up your tie and heels anyone?
About the writer: Andrew Shim is the owner and editor of PositiveMoneyIdeas.com a website which offers FREE Money Making Ideas for those interested in starting their own freelance or home based business. He and his wife run a successful home catering business. Visit Andrew’s Work At Home Make Money Blog at HomeWithAndrew.com.
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