As we all know, working from home is quickly becoming the norm. Once it was regarded as a monumental perk that was only open to a select few. Now, it’s something that more and more employers are considering.

In addition to working from home as an employee, let’s not forget that self-employment from your own home is also surging. Whether it is through professional bloggers, or just through those individuals who are converting the spare room into an office – it seems to be on the rise.

However, this isn’t a path that is suitable to everyone. Through today’s article, we will now take a look at some of the key things you need to consider before you take the plunge.

The storage-factor

First and foremost, let’s talk about storage. Sure, there have been some amazing success stories of people starting from their bedroom – but this isn’t for everyone. Some people, and some families for that matter, are house proud and don’t necessarily want their home full of products that are waiting to be shipped out. You need to have enough room to store your products without it getting in the way. Nobody wants to walk into a kitchen packed to the ceiling with bottles of your company’s shampoo.

Even if it’s something like American candy, which doesn’t necessarily take up huge amounts of space, it’s still a question that needs asking. Some of you might be lucky and have those spare rooms but for those that are already struggling, be aware of the pressures on home life that storing goods for your home-based business might bring.

Space for equipment

Similar to having enough room in your house for your products, do you have enough space for your equipment? You might make tourism brochures, for example. For this, you’ll need equipment like a Slitter Cutter Creaser by Duplo. This can go in the corner of a room, of course, but try to find space for it away from family living areas. The kids aren’t going to appreciate noisy equipment in the living room whilst they’re trying to watch TV or do their homework.

Can you separate business and personal?

Another issue that a lot of people working from home struggle with is separating business from their personal life. As we all know, starting a business is tough, and it can mean that you need to put extra hours in. Unfortunately, when you are at home this is something that becomes a lot easier to do.

Again, if you have family, this is something that can put a strain on you all. If you are the type of person who can’t wait until the morning before logging onto their laptop, you may have to question if working from home is the right path for you.

Do you have the discipline?

It won’t come as a surprise to hear that discipline is key when it comes to working from home – and you can’t be roped into doing household chores during your working day. For some of you, this will be easy. You know the sacrifices that having your own business brings, and you will make sure that distractions are at a minimum.

For others, this can be more difficult. They may feel more obliged to do their chores for the day when they should be responding to emails, or in some cases it might be family or friends who don’t understand that even though they are at home, they are actually working. Make sure your boundaries are set before you take the plunge.

Can you deal with the loneliness-factor?

Something that has become more apparent over the years is that working from home can be lonely. You’re not alongside an entire office, and this can be difficult for some people to deal with. It’s one of the reasons why shared working spaces have surged in popularity but again, before you take the jump into home-based working, ask yourself how you will feel about this.