Working from home takes time to prepare forBy Nazir Daud of CityLocal: Have you been considering home-based business opportunities?

If so, you're certainly not alone, as there are an increasing number of people who are considering the idea of working from home very seriously. The trouble is that many people have silly assumptions regarding this method of working.

Many of the really important issues which need to be considered very carefully before making such a life change are often not given much thought until the jump has been made.

In this article, let's have a look at some of the common assumptions and those matters overlooked, or not considered seriously enough.
 
Assumption 1: That you'll need to take a massive pay cut and take weeks, months or even years to earn a decent income.

Although this can easily be the case, it needn't be. Those who claim that this happened to them, and perhaps quote it as the reason they gave up working at home, are probably those who underestimated the hard work entailed in leaving traditional jobs and staying at home instead.

You wouldn't walk into a standard office job without having trained for it, prepared for it, and made sure that you're ready.
 
The same is true when considering work from home opportunities. It will be important to plan and prepare well in advance.

Some people spend weeks or months working in their own time after work to get things started, and then switch to working part time to allow them to push the home work more, before finally committing to it full time. It's unlikely that you'll be able to walk out of a well-paid job on Friday evening and start heading up a successful and profitable home business opportunity on Monday morning.
 
Assumption 2: That you'll no longer have any support if things go wrong.

Of course, there's a degree of truth here, but in all honesty, it needn't be the case. If you're considering a work at home business, the chances are you've already started to investigate the possibilities.

One thing you may well have noticed is how many forums and discussion boards there are which are maintained by those who have already started working from home, or have been doing so for years.
 
Make sure you join these, and talk to people. Often they'll be great support, but they'll also help put you in touch with relevant organizations and institutions which could offer a great deal of support and advice, whether it's tax related, sorting out your accounting, or looking at marketing strategies.
 
Overlooked point 1: Too many people assume that if they give up the day job and start working from home, they'll be able to relax a great deal more, with less pressure and more flexibility with hours.

Of course, this can be the case, but only if you plan for it very carefully. A huge mistake made by some people is to start their home business on a Monday morning by sleeping in a few extra hours, taking leisurely time to watch daytime television, and squeeze a bit of work in here and there.
 
It's only when they start to realize how little work has been completed and how little money they've earned, that the pressure builds. Work from home business arrangements or opportunities require an inordinate amount of self-discipline.

It requires that you plan carefully and rigidly, being aware of the work you need to do and planning your time off and breaks very carefully.
 
If you're not a very self-disciplined person, or would find it too tempting, this needs to be something you consider carefully. But with good planning and sensible use of your time, working from home can really provide the ultimate flexibility, and give you much greater freedom.
 
Overlooked point 2: Pressure from home.

This might seem odd, since you're probably well aware of the pressures of office life, but your home is less stressful, and there's almost no pressure there - which is why you want to work from home in the first place, right?

The trouble is that too few people really appreciate the pressure which their family can unwittingly bring to bear on their business plan. Seeing you at home all day, master of your own time, can easily give the impression that your time is now theirs.
 
Constant pressure to do little jobs around the house, play with the children, taxi them here and there, do some shopping, and a hundred and one other little daily tasks can eat into your concentration, eat into your precious time, and make you feel guilty for locking yourself away to work.

Bear this in mind, and discuss the whole business plan with your family to ensure they understand how you'll need their support.
 
If you take all of these hindrances to your success into consideration when you work from home, and take steps to ensure that you don't make false assumptions, and that you overlook nothing, than you will have a better than average chance of success with your new home business.

The writer is the founder of CityLocal, the franchise opportunity for people who want to work from home and be their own boss