Top 10 home-based business myths

This article first appeared on July 17th, 2012.

The advantages of starting your business from the comfort of your own home are clear – you keep your overheads to a minimum, you eliminate the daily commute and you can be flexible with your hours.

But there a number of myths that surround home working. Many people can’t grasp that a serious business, rather than a hobby, can be built from your home.

So, if you’re weighing up whether to launch your business from the spare bedroom or kitchen, here are 10 common misconceptions you must be aware of:

1. The hours are easy

It’s tempting to think that running a home-based business involves a few hours on the computer in the morning, a nice leisurely lunch, maybe a phone call or two in the afternoon before an early finish.

However, if your business is to be anything other than a mildly diverting sideline, you will have to put in the work.

“When you’re by yourself, you do everything – bookkeeping, marketing, sales, the lot,” says Cas McCullough, who runs social enterprise Mumatopia and Support a Work At Home Person from her house.

“All of this takes a lot of time and people underestimate this. They often take things on as a hobby and then find it is very popular and organically grows. They don’t think long-term.”

Set a strategy for your business early on, have an in-depth business plan. And consider outsourcing – it’ll save you time.