Why Start A Home-Based Business? The people reading this article probably fall into one of two groups: Home-based business owners (full time and part time), and people thinking about a home-based business. So why a home-based business? What’s the point? What’s the benefit?

Take a group of people and ask them all what comes to mind when thinking of a home-based business, and you’ll get just as many different ideas and images.

Waking up late and checking email in your bathrobe? Working whenever you want? Being anti-social?Being extra social because of your open schedule? No BOSS! Those are just a few, but I’m sure you can add your own. The fact of the matter is that most people only think of ‘cosmetic’ and emotional reasons when considering a home-based business. Well folks, as great as it is to not have a boss or to work in your bathrobe – that’s not going to cut it. When times are tough and when you need to really focus (especially at the beginning), it’s going to be tempting to go back to what you’re used to (the job), and a reason like ‘but I get to work in my bathrobe’ is not going to be as motivating as you think at that point.

So why? Why a home-based business? First off, emotional reasons are great and provide motivation, but they don’t provide a foundation. I can’t tell you why you should start your own business from home, but I can tell you my reasons.

Tax Savings: From the beginning, I realized the great tax advantages of working from home – even if you start out part-time while maintaining your current job. Working from home allows you to take tax deductions on many things you would normally be paying for. For example, a home office would potentially allow you to write off the following bills as deductions (taken out of your taxable income):

Purchase of a new computerInternet accessPortion of your rent/mortgage for your home officePortion of your electric bill for your home officePhone bill (not primary line)Cell phone bill Car expenses (by mileage or itemized gas, maintenance, etc)Anti-Virus software These are just to name a few. The average person could save two thousand dollars or more on their taxes simply by starting a home-based business – just tax savings. I firmly believe that if people were aware simply of the tax implications of having your own business, the majority of them would seriously look into starting a business of their own.

Security: I’m sure I’ll get a lot of strange looks and crossed eyes for this, but security is another great benefit of starting your own home-based business.

What?? Security? Yes, security.

One great misconception that we have in our society is that starting your own business is a risky venture, and that holding down a steady job provides financial security. Unfortunately, more and more people are finding out the hard way this is false. Job security is a thing of the past, popularized by the Industrial Revolution in the early part of the last century. That time has come and gone, and it’s to your benefit to wake up and be honest with yourself about where we are headed as a society.

The average person stays in a job 2 years before changing. Companies are outsourcing, automating, and continuously cutting dead weight in an understandable effort to keep business moving.

On the other hand, those that have their own businesses – done the right way – are not at the mercy of the job industry. They are free to write their own checks, and should they run into a financial bind, they know how to generate income on demand through their businesses and contact lists.

It really is quite and amazing phenomenon.

But that’s the catch, really. Learning not only how to start a business from home, but how to do it right. How to systemize it and build it solidly so that whatever income you generate – be it $1,000 per month or $10,000 per month – is a solid, continuous monthly income. Not one that fluctuates out of your control.

Those are two of the biggest reasons I chose to go the way of the entrepreneur. Of course, if you delve deeper and discover a purpose and passion within you, and learn how to turn that into a viable business…well then it just gets all the more exciting and fulfilling.

I challenge you to get out there and build and create something for yourself. Life is about learning and creating. Just make sure you learn how to do it the right way.

To your success!