The Benefits and Dangers of Being a Work from Home Entrepreneur: Part 1

We associate the modern age of connectivity and seamless data access with the ability to be freer with how and where we work. More people than ever are reaping the benefits of working predominantly from home, particularly entrepreneurs and digital small business owners.

If you’re considering taking the leap, here’s a summary of some of the most common advantages that come from working from home as an entrepreneur or small business owner:

Cutting Out the Commute

One of the greatest peeves of any office or site-based worker in the travel aspect. Commuting can not only be stressful, but potentially costly too. If you’ve ever had a lengthy car, train or Tube commute during morning rush hour then you will know this feeling all too well. As a home worker you can potentially avoid this entirely.

Potential Cost Savings

On top of the commute and general travel costs, working from home can often be more economical for other simple reasons. Catering for example. Having access to your own kitchen and not being tempted by restaurants and fast food can lead to quite substantial savings, particularly if you’re smart with your grocery shop. If you are a small business, for as long as you can genuinely go without it, not having to pay rent and bills for an office or site is a big potential saving.

Time and Balance

Cutting out the commute and being at home for work typically frees up more time. Particularly the time you’d waste on a commute. That time can be spent either productively or on things you enjoy including simply being around family, helping to create a better work/life balance.

Increased Flexibility

While you will have to balance the fact that the majority of your associates and clients/customers will still be working a fairly regular set of hours during the week, you don’t have to. No more clock in clock out, instead you can have the freedom to work hours that suit your lifestyle and perhaps even your industry better than the confines of a typical 9-5.

As we’ve alluded too throughout, there are many benefits to being able to work from home. While these do paint a pretty picture, all of these upsides come with a certain amount of personal responsibility, self-discipline and even requiring a slightly hardened personality too.

We explore the potential downsides to working from home as an entrepreneur or small business owner in our upcoming part two of this subject so check back on Friday to read the next instalment.