Pros and cons of running a business from home Page 2

Cons

Nowhere to hold meetings

This is something that we occasionally find a bit awkward. If you are running a business that involves dealing with other businesses, it can be difficult if you don’t have an office to arrange client meetings. Of course you could invite clients into your home but not everyone is comfortable with that.

You can come across as less professional

This ties in with not having an office to hold client meetings. Running your business from home can make it harder to portray a professional image. It can cause some people to take you less seriously – it’s not a ‘proper’ business because you’re running it from your spare room. Of course we know that that’s nonsense but you do have to work harder at how you come across.

Keeping your business and personal life separate

If you work and live in the same place it can be difficult to separate your business from your personal life. If your paperwork is lying around the house or your computer is in the corner of your sitting room, it can be difficult to know when to stop working. You may find that if your clients know you’re home-based they may think it’s ok to phone you in the evening and at the weekend. If this is the case it can be beneficial to draw clear boundaries – state your office hours and stick to them, keep your answer phone on when you’re not working (or even better get a separate phone line for your business).

Productivity can be adversely affected

If you’re the sort of person who finds it difficult to keep yourself motivated, then you may find the informality of working from home has an adverse affect on your productivity. You may be tempted to ‘just have a quick look at that website’ before starting work and find half the day has gone without achieving anything.