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When you make that all important decision to drop your outside job and start working from home, there’s one more thing you need to decide. Do you want a job that you perform at home or do you want to run your own business? While this may sound a lot alike, there are some definite differences between the two. These differences are things you need to be aware of so you can make an informed decision.

With a work at home job, you should not have to be investing any of your own money in order to work. You are basically an independent contractor and you are paid to perform a service of some sort. Essentially, you are on your own but you will have clients that you choose, and these are the people you answer to regarding work deadlines and quality. To own and run a business, there is typically an initial cash outlay that is needed to get things started, and you will be responsible for gathering this money.

Working at home can mean that you are employed by a company that allows their staff to telecommute. In this instance, you just have the convenience of working from your home, but you are still on the schedule of someone else, as well as answering to a boss. Independent contractors are a bit different. As an independent contractor, you get to make a lot of your decisions. If you get a client who starts telling you what days and hours you WILL work, along with other things that seem a bit controlling, it’s time to have a conversation with this client. An independent contractor is allowed to agree or disagree with terms that are not in his or her best interests.

As a business owner, you are responsible for doing all the work. If you need help in your business, you are responsible for hiring that help, as well as firing them if they don’t work out. You keep records and do the bookkeeping, along with any inventory that you may carry. You’re the owner AND the boss. No one will ever be peering over your shoulder telling you that that there’s a better way to do things. This means, of course, that you’re also responsible for whether or not your business succeeds or fails. While that’s a bit scary in and of itself, remember that as long as you have done your research ahead of time, there’s no reason why you should not succeed with flying colors.

Owning a business can be exciting, and it can also cause paralyzing fear. For this reason, and others, you may not feel that you’re quite ready to dive off of that particular cliff just yet. As working from home is meant to be a good decision and keeping your spirits up about work, if you feel better and happier working at a job from home, by all means, that’s what you should do. There’s no shame in that. Either of these is a great option. Just choose the one that’s right for YOU.

Do you dream of waking up in the morning, getting a cup of coffee, and sitting down to work in your pajamas? Or maybe you just love the idea of working at your own pace or making your own schedule without someone always peering over your shoulder. Are you sick of other people caring for your children more than you do because you have an “outside” job? All of these and many more reasons are why people just like you make the decision every day to work from home. It’s a momentous decision, there’s no denying that. The majority of people who decide to take the plunge are usually much happier. However, there ARE some very important ground rules that you need to keep in mind when starting out on your own working at home. Consider the following:

1.Always remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. Even the most educated person can get caught up in a scam so if it happens to you at some point, don’t be embarrassed. There are many scam artists who are QUITE GOOD at what they do and it’s a shame that they don’t put their talents to use legally. Just use your common sense and intuition before signing on for something that sounds a bit fishy to you.

2.NEVER EVER PAY FOR A JOB! The exception to this, of course, are franchises where you are actually investing in the business, or opening your own business. If you come across anything during your job search that tells you to send money and they will send you a list of places where you can work, etc., please run, don’t walk, away from them as fast as possible.

3.Envelope stuffing is not now, nor has it EVER been, a legitimate way to make money from home. It just doesn’t happen. You are NOT going to make a $1,000 a week stuffing envelopes. In fact, the truth about these little operations is that they are the biggest scams running today and people are STILL falling for them. The way these people make their money is by advertising in different publications to get others to send them a onetime fee of a set amount of money. Once this money is sent, you are supposed to receive all the supplies and information you need to stuff envelopes and make money. Once these criminals get your money, they’ll vanish into thin air and leave you $20 poorer. Please see rule 1 and 2.

4.If you get emails stating that someone from another country needs YOUR bank account to collect on an inheritance, delete these emails instantly! You’ll be offered some extravagant sum of money for your trouble but all you’ll see is an empty bank account. These people are thieves, nothing less, and they want your personal information to commit identity theft.
5.Finally, take measures to ensure that both you and your client understand the terms of service and payment. Your type of business may even need a contract. Whatever else you do, always protect yourself.

You awake after a wonderful night’s sleep. The sun seems to be shining brightly and you stretch before getting to your feet. Splashing water on your face and brushing your teeth, you don some comfortable clothes. You walk to the kitchen and start the coffee while fixing yourself something light to eat. When you have the coffee and plate of food in hand, you go into your home office and settle down at your desk. Sipping your coffee, you set about checking your email and getting ready for your day.

You have no sooner opened your first email when there’s a very insistent knocking on your door. Outside stands your neighbor clutching a small boy’s hand, looking expectantly at the door. Oh no, you think. Here we go again!

Your neighbor tends to show up at least once a week or more with some sort of “emergency” that requires a babysitter for her 3 year old son. Since you are “at home” all day, she’s quite sure that you won’t mind watching him for “just a little while.” Of course, that “little while” tends to turn into hours and seriously cuts into your work day.

Another scenario is the relative who expects you to chauffer her around all day while she runs errands, and since you are “at home” all day, of course you have the time to do this for her. There is always something that someone needs from you because you are “at home.” Your job is viewed as a hobby or a way for you to make a little extra money, or any number of inconsequential activities. It never seems to enter the minds of these people that you’re actually WORKING and don’t have time to be disturbed over and over again.

Some effective methods to deal with these situations are:
Stop answering your door or your home phone if you’re working. Granted, some people will continue to rap at the door or even the windows if they know you’re there, but eventually most of them will stop.

Make a sign for your door that says “WORKING 8AM ? 5PM. DO NOT DISTURB DURING THESE HOURS. THANK YOU.” If someone is disrespectable enough to still knock on your door, it’s perfectly acceptable to ignore them.

Get the support of your family. Your partner may be able to contain relatives by making it clear that you work at home just as if you went to an office every day. This is actually a rather nice way of handling things because it’s explained in detail and they’re made to understand.

Learn how to be firm and say no when you’re approached during your work hours to babysit or run errands. It’s not your responsibility to take on the situations of others and bail them out. If you wish to be helpful, do so on your OWN terms, such as after you’ve finished work for the day.

Develop the inner attitude that you’re at work. It’s just that you’re in your home office. If you treat your home job as real, you will refuse to be disturbed.