Considering a home business?

We all know about the home-business boom, though many of us have heard the hype but never truly explored it.  In fact, most people think that starting & running a home business is just more than they can handle.  At least that's the way it used to be.  The current state of affairs in the American economy is causing an awful lot of people to take another look at the idea of a home business.  In fact, since anyone's job may be gone tomorrow (and with great difficulty in replacing it!), many home-business entrepreneurs are involving the entire family, so as to secure the future for everyone in the household - well into the next generation!

Being your own boss, working with family members (or alone!) and having truly flexible work hours has a very strong appeal.   When you run a successful home business, you get to enjoy life in a way that few others do.  However, there is a lot to learn before you can expect to quit your job.  And it is simply impossible to create success overnight.  Unfortunately, that's what far too many uneducated and ill-informed 'newbies' expect, and so they fail within two years - usually far, far sooner.  In fact, most human beings overestimate what they can achieve in the short term (1-2 years) and under-estimate what they can do in the long run (i.e. 5 + years).  An appropriate home-business model is the realistic kind in which you commit, up front, to at least five years.  Think of it like going back to college for a degree.  Because in many ways, that's exactly what it is. 

Working from home has some huge advantages and potential rewards. But please do your research before you undertake any business venture.  Don't go into it on a shoestring and a prayer.  Set realistic goals and have a genuine plan.  And probably the most important step of all to take before beginning is to assess yourself  - your strengths and weaknesses, personality type, level of self-disciple, etc..  Because, while the rewards can last a life-time, the trials and tribulations of getting a home-business off the ground can and will increase your stress level, strain relations and test you in many ways.  For it to really and truly work out, you have to be ready... in every conceivable way.