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Running a business from home is the dream for many. There’s no commute, the hours are flexible and you’re surrounded by your own home comforts, pets and everything else every day- what a luxury! If you’re thinking of escaping the rat race and starting a home based business instead, here are some important things to not overlook.
Get the right permissions
Even if you own your home, there might be restrictions in your deed titles which state that your home can’t be used as a business. In other cases you might need to apply for permissions from your local council, or your landlord if you rent your property. Some types of businesses might be allowed, whereas others (those involving breeding animals is one example) which could be completely excluded. Before investing money in your business, get some advice and find out if you’re legally allowed to run things from home. It can save you a lot of hassle in the long run, as people might complain or you might even end up with fines and penalties if you go about things in the wrong way. In most cases it should be relatively easy and will just require a little paperwork. For example, if you want to start a home baking business or anything relating to food, your local council needs to be informed and from there, you’re subject to random health and hygiene checks to ensure you’re meeting standards.
Set up a suitable working area
When you work from home, you need a set area to work from which allows you to be productive. Start trying to work from the sofa or kitchen table and it’s easy to be distracted, work and home items can easily get mixed up and it’s generally not a good idea. Set up a home office or at the very least, a desk in the corner of a quiet room. Invest in storage, a filing cabinet and other home office items which help to keep everything relating to your business in order.
Keep it clean and tidy
If you will have clients coming to your home then it makes sense that you’ll need to make a good impression, just like any non home-based business will need to do. A clean and tidy working/ meeting area is essential but you’ll want it to look presentable from the outside too. Commercial cleaning companies like First Class Clean can be useful for this, since your home is your business and they’ll have the best in things like power washing equipment. Make sure lawns are kept tidy and things like litter and rubbish and removed when they blow through.
You might be a home based business but customers will still expect the same professionalism as any other type of company. Getting your house in order to do the best work and make a good impression is crucial.
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