The idea of working from home appeals to a lot of people. There are often stories in the media of different people who have given up their nine to five office jobs and have managed to run a successful business from the comfort of their own home. The idea may seem appealing but it is not always that simple to pull off, in this article I am going to give advice on what it takes to make a home based business work.

Anyone who works from home needs to be able to separate their home life from their work life. This might seem quite simple to do but in reality it can be quite difficult. When you go to work in an office you do not even think about the washing, the washing up, the television, the ironing or the fact that the house may be untidy, you are able to fully focus on the job you are doing. When you are working from home all of these duties are in your face and it can be very easy to fall into a trap where you are doing more household work, than your actual business work. It is therefore very important to be strong and disciplined. I have been working from home for around ten years, I set myself my own hours, for example I will work from nine in the morning, until two in the afternoon. I have an office which I will only leave if I really need to, maybe to make a drink or to go to the toilet. I love to watch the television, therefore I do not have a television in my office.

To succeed at working from home you need to have a great deal of self belief in your own ability. There are likely to be peaks and troughs, some months you are flying away but in others everything seems to go wrong. Having a confidence in your own ability is essential in helping you to ride through the negative periods.

I always feel that it is worth saving money from the periods when I am doing well to cover the periods when the business slows down.

People who work from home need to be able to keep motivated. There is no boss to make us work or other people to bounce ideas off. Some people find that working from home can be quite lonely and soon return to an employed environment where they are able to have greater contact with other people. It is important to remember all of the benefits of working from home when we have a drop in business or when we feel a bit lonely.

In my opinion there is nothing better than being self-employed and working from home. I am sure that many other people could also make it work as long as they have the right attitude.