Operating a Home Based Business

Operating a home based business is the fastest growing
segment of the current self-employment boom
and the trend is continuing to grow.

Current studies estimate that as many as 50% of small businesses are started out of the home, and over 60% of them were started by women who have turned avocations into vocations, many of which are n the craft field— representing a multi-billion-dollar segment of the economy.

The natural starting place for many of these business is the kitchen table, spare room, basement, garage, or an office or studio built off the home. Homemakers, parents of young children, the disabled, the unemployed, retirees, hobbyists, and people interested in a second income are but only a few attracted to home enterprises. Even business owners who once owned a commercial establishment have opted to run their business from home.

Back in the Middle Ages, home based business was not an alternative career option or lifestyle choice, but just the fact of life. Most business activity took place in or around the home, as farming was the prevalent means of livelihood. Most of them made their own housing, clothing, and furniture. Those who didn't farm such as merchants, blacksmiths, and stonemasons often lived in or above their places of business.

Then in the early 1800s the Industrial Revolution changed traditional patterns of work, factories started appearing and there was a steady move towards industry centralization. People no longer spun cloth on their home looms, they went to work at a textile factory, and were paid wages for their labour. More and more industries became mechanized, factories became larger, and unions and legislation were created to abolish sweat-shop labour (i.e. people working out of their homes, doing piecework for big manufacturers in substandard conditions and for low wages).

By the end of the Second World War, home based industries were almost nonexistent. From 1945 up to the 1970s, working from the home was primarily seen as a way to moonlight to supplement financial needs. Since then, home-based businesses have enjoyed a renaissance and large numbers of people have chosen to market their skills and talents from their homes.

Advantages of Running A Home Business
Discover the advantages of running a home based business.

Disadvantages of Running A Home Business
Running a business from home also has its disadvantages.