Making the decision to work from home can make a lot of sense. For the self-employed, there are lots of benefits; decreased overhead is one of the biggest ones. Paying lower monthly rent can really help the bottom line for a new business. Not all personality types are well-suited to working from home, however. Here’s four reasons you may want to think twice:

1. Social skills. The ability to relate well to other people is an important one for the small business owner, and if those skills aren’t practiced regularly by interacting with co-workers and clients, your social skills can become rusty from disuse.
2. If you’re easily distracted, working from home may not be ideal for you. Even the most attentive businessperson might find it hard to concentrate over background noises of kids, pets, and the washing machine. (‘I’ll finish writing the rest of this article after I’m done folding that load of clothes… And after doing the dishes… Oh, and the dog needs to be fed…’) Online games, Facebook, and the latest YouTube sensation are not likely to help matters, either.
3. Absence can actually make the heart grow fonder, when it comes to family members. You may find being constantly underfoot will not endear you to your spouse, and the unpredictable schedule can also lead to marital discord.
4. When there’s no set schedule to follow, procrastination can become a problem for the less-than-disciplined home worker. Your sleep schedule can get misaligned, making it difficult to complete assignments during “banking hours”.
Is it possible to have the best of both worlds? Virtual offices might be an option to consider for an up-and-coming bootstrapping business. Your business can have the benefit of a local address and phone number, and even a virtual receptionist service. This can really improve the image your business projects, without the expense of private offices.
Coworking is another office space model to consider. A shared workplace that is maintained by several small companies can be very beneficial to all. It might be easier to attract prospective clients when you can invite them in for a sales pitch in your nicely appointed meeting room, even if that meeting room is only available to you on certain days of the week.
thinkspace offers Virtual Offices, Meeting Rooms, Part-time offices and Coworking, to boot! Check out the links above, or give me (Alyssa) a call at 425-629-6200; I always love to chat!