Choosing where to work from: Working from Home

Many start-up and small businesses tend to work initially from home. Whether it is a back bedroom or just a spare surface in a lounge or dining room, for the start-up business, this is a relatively simple and cheap option.

For many, working from home is a good option if you want to keep costs down until the business is established. It allows you to keep any initial set up costs to a minimum and gives you a familiar and comfortable working environment – but there are some important points to consider:

• There may be some issues relating to local authority rates and care should be taken in this respect.

• There may be some insurance points although many domestic policies now include an element of cover for working from home, but checking your policy is important.

• Research does show that people working from home tend to work longer hours as they find it difficult to separate their home and work life.

• Unless you use the services of a virtual office provider (see later), or have a separate business line, it may mean that your private number becomes available and could mean you receiving calls at unsocial times.

• It may not convey the most professional image and is not particularly conducive to meeting with people.

• It can be quite solitary, as the interaction with other individuals is often missed by people working from home.