“Home – office” (CC BY 2.0) by EatLiveGrowPaleo.com

For lots of us, being our own boss and working from home is a pretty appealing prospect. We can set our own timetable, take days off when the weather’s looking good and the only annual appraisals to worry about will be ones that we give to ourselves.

There are also lots of different jobs we can do, from writing blogs and articles to offering career training and advice. But, for all the familiar pros and cons that go with setting up on your own, there are some others that may not be quite so obvious and which need looking into before you take the plunge.

You’ll be working on your own

It might sound obvious, but there are just as many downsides as there are advantages when it’s just you and your computer. For example, a great deal of what we get from going to work is the social aspect of the office environment. But there’ll be no-one to discuss last night’s TV with or to join you when you pop out for a coffee. It can also be hard to stay focused and motivated when you’re working from home – although you will find some help online. There will also be times when you’ve just got to keep on working through the night with no-one else to fall back on to help you out.

There are always going to be overheads and expenses

“Traffic” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by ImNotQuiteJack

In theory setting up on your own is going to mean that overheads are kept to the minimum. Yes, you’ll have to pay for those coffees that you’re going to pop out for on your own and, presumably, you’ll already have paid for the Mac that you’re working on. But the chances are that you’re going to have to hit the road sometime to get to see clients face to face. If you’re driving then you’ll have organize some business vehicle insurance as your normal policy might not fully cover you.

Then there are the consumables like printer ink and paper that you’ll have to budget for, as well as professional fees for services like a business attorney and an accountant to make sure that all your tax affairs are in order for the IRS.

You’ll need to get yourself noticed

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you’re going to have to get yourself noticed online. The first step will be to get yourself a website, but don’t worry. There’s no need to spend a fortune getting a web design agency to create one as there are plenty of online services that let you create one according to your preferred template. It’s also important to start building up your presence on social media like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. There’s also plenty of advice online about techniques and strategies to use.

So, hopefully, this has helped to fill in some gaps in your plans to set up your business from home. You’ll undoubtedly be able to get lots more information from friends who already done exactly this – and now it’s your turn to put it all into practice.