Introduction

Hello, and welcome to a series of articles about starting up a home-based business.

I'm writing these articles to present a clear, simple approach to starting up a new home-based business because there is so much information available on this subject it can be really confusing for someone who has never operated a business at home before. There are so many ideas, strategies, techniques and technical terms used it can be hard to understand, so my aim is to provide information that anyone can put to use.

I started my first business nearly 30 years ago and along the way I've picked up a few things and collected some ideas that I'm hoping will prove useful to you - Why?
Because the benefits of running your own business from home are immense and I would like to pass on what I have learned over the years so that you too can succeed and enjoy those benefits.

I'll admit that at times in the past I've struggled to make a living from my own businesses and I have learned things the hard way, by making mistakes which you eventually learn from. Experience certainly is the best teacher!

As I sit here writing my first ever blog post (there are always new things to learn, I look at them as "honing" my craft and try to have fun at the same time) I can honestly say I feel a sense of achievement in starting my own business, which is becoming busier and busier. I too have become more confident in my business- and myself- as a result.

I mentioned earlier about the benefits of running a business from home. For me these benefits are:

• Being at home with my family (I'm there for the kids when they get home from school)
  
• I am my own boss
• Freedom! Control your time (I can do what I want when I want to do it)
• No commuting to work - save money on fuel, wear and tear on the car and help the environment
• Have time for other things (hobbies, renovating the house, going to the movies etc)
• Build your own future (you can't do this working for someone else)

More and more people are working from home these days, there is a shift toward entrepreneurs and home based businesses because times have changed - and we need to adapt.

You can always start on a part time basis and work towards being able to leave the work force entirely to operate your new business.

Or maybe you're unemployed as I was, there are ways of starting up here too! (Even if you have very little or no money).

My next post will cover the topic of starting up - where to begin.

See you then.