The Pros and Cons of Working at Home

Working at home if you are self-employed can save you time and money and may even increase your productivity. Some individuals who are self-employed prefer to have a home office as compared to renting office space to help save on their overhead costs. There are thousands of moms who work from home so they can be closer to their children and still be able to bring in an income.

Although there are many benefits that arise from working from home, there are also some drawbacks. There are zoning laws to consider. There is also the possibility that it may be difficult to present a professional image if you're working from home. This may be especially true if you have small children at home with you during the day.

The Benefits of Working from Home
While it is true you can take mileage deductions every time you visit a client and drive from home to the client, you are not able to take deductions for
driving from your house to work and back. Not only do you save on time and stress when you work from home but you will be able to deduct driving costs whne you commute from home to meet clients or other locations for the purpose of conducting business.

Home Office Deductions
You're able to deduct the expenses you use to run your home office including a portion of your home's mortgage payment or rent and even the utilities. In order to qualify for this deduction you must work in a designate portion of your home, preferably a closed off room. The area of your home that you plan to deduct must not be used for any other purpose except for your home business.

Not all the benefits of working of working from home have to do with finances. There are many other benefits, that are highly enjoyable such as the independence and flexibility to run your business how you want, when you want and where you want.

The Challenges of Working From Home
The number one challenge reported by those who work from home is that others don't take them seriously. You may run into some clients or businesses that you may hesitate to do business with you. This can make it tough for you to become established when you are first starting out. There are quite a few things you can do that can help you project a more professional image. For example:

A..Purchase a second phone line for your home business and use it only for business calls

B.Use a professional voice mail to answer your calls when your away from home

C.Invest in business cards, envelopes and stationary with your logo to promote a professional image.

D.If you have clients, hold meetings at their offices instead of in your home.

E.Instead of receiving mail at home, rent a mailbox.

F.Instead of using your personal name, create a business name

Another challenge, which many that are self-employed run into, is restrictions placed on them by condominium associations, deed restrictions or city zoning regulations. In some cases it may be illegal for you to work from your residence. Make certain you rule out any possible restrictions before deciding to work from home.

Other challenges include interruptions from family members and neighbors and isolation. If you are a person who loves to work by yourself and even prefers it then you will probably have no difficutly. But if you enjoy visiting with others in an office setting it may become a bit lonely.

There is also the lack of privacy and many interruptions you may run into from getting up to take care of children to neighbors stopping by for a visit because they know your home. Most of the millions of self employed people do not run into any of the above problems but it is worth knowing what types of challenges you may face so that you will be better prepared to handle them if they do come up

The decision to work from home is often more of a practical issue than a legal one. Depending on your personal situation and the needs of your business, working from home may be a good choice for you. Out of the many people today who choose to go into business for themselves, many choose to work out of their homes. One of these reasons may be to avoid having to pay rent on an office space, which can be very pricey. The money you save from not having to pay for office space can be used towards your other business costs and better cash flow. While it is true that you can deduct your office space expenses, you are also able to deduct home office expenses as well.