What I’ve learned when it comes to operating a business from home is that there are only 24 hours in one day. Do what you can and can what you do. When there seems to be a lot on your plate and you feel overwhelmed, STOP. If there’s a lot to do and you can’t find your way around all the paperwork in front of you, STOP (but not for too long; procrastination has a way of creeping in).

The playroom in the back part of my home is my home office. But beware whether there is enough or just enough space. What I and many work-at-home individuals face is the paper pile up. It’s so easy to have and so difficult to clear out. Though you might be able to find what you need, eventually there comes a time when you have to re-occupy your space.

In spite of the challenges becoming my own boss was the best decision I made. The freedom cannot be put into words unless you’re doing it yourself. It can be stressful when you don’t get that regular pay; you all know exactly what I’m talking about. However, all the nonsense, gossip, etc. you do not have to deal with–pure heaven and priceless. You get to go to certain events while everyone else is doing the “nine to five.” Just that last sentence makes people jealous.

It’s great my family supports me; the discussions regarding finances can be a bit heated. And the talks about “when are you going to get a regular job” can be tense. When it boils down to it, they can see and do understand that strides are made. The only other challenges are the interruptions. At times families/friends don’t understand that just because you’re working from home DOES NOT mean you’re available all the time. When you have a “flow”, that’s more than likely when the “interruption” happens. I do what I can to watch what I say and continue saying “This will all pay off, after EVERYTHING that I’ve been through.”

Being your own boss is both rewarding and an adventure. The adventure begins as you begin to learn about yourself and others. Coming from corporate America, some people are temporarily empowered because they may have titles like supervisor, manager or VP. This power gives you the impression that you are in control, but you are not. You are compelled to do your job because of the fear of being fired. Your workers do their jobs for the same reason in addition to having aspirations to becoming a “powerful” person just like you.

However, as soon as you leave your corporate throne and walk outside the building, you become a mortal again and your susceptible to fears and stereotypes from all directions. The next hurdle home-based business owners face is defining their goals and expectations. Again, most people’s goals and expectations are established by bosses and corporate objectives. So the new home-based biz owner has to determine, how many contacts, how many presentations, how many follow ups, how many signed contracts does it take to earn enough money to replace salaried income. The great part is Mr or Ms Biz Owner can control the most important variable…which is the number of contacts. Without contacts to whom to market, all the other numbers are zero.

There are other things to also consider, but the greatest, the most mysterious variable in making your home-based venture successful is believing in yourself. Often the most handsome guy or the most beautiful woman suddenly does not believe in himself/herself. The product is not important in your business venture…You are. You can have the hottest product, but if your belief in yourself is low, you might as well have the worst product.

Finally, business ownership has given me the opportunity to spend more times with my boys and to be there during sports practices and to NOTICE things and changes in their behavior that I might have noticed if I were working 12 hours per day. It’s a tradeoff working for yourself, but it’s a beautiful thing if you can pull it off.