Guest Article: The Home Office Dilemma:Not Being Taken Seriously

He was at a party when an old friend asked how his magazine was doing. The publisher told him Home Business® Magazine is an established national and international publication circulated through newsstands and subscriptions. He described how the magazine is a substantial publishing business and yet many work on it from their home offices.

To his surprise, his friend responded with a slight sneer, asking sarcastically, "I guess that's OK for a part-time effort, how's your regular job going?" The publisher bit his tongue not to say what was racing through his mind, "Since I make a lot more money than you, I can work full time from my home and give up that 'day job'."

What many people don't know is that home businesses represent a $450 billion dollar economic sector in the American economy.

Home based businesses are becoming more and more popular. Their advantages are many, such as no day care worries, commuting in heavy traffic, office politics... in short, no Dilbert-style existence.

Furthermore, many traditional office-based businesses have started a trend towards decentralizing their operations. Employees perform work at home, with contact by electronic computer modem to the office. This permits companies to hire employees who could not work in a traditional office such as mothers with small children, handicapped individuals and many people just plain sick and tired of the rat race.

Many home based business entrepreneurs earn full time incomes with part time, flexible hours. On top of that, no rush hour madness!

This wasn't possible just a few years ago. Modern computer technology has made running a business from home a realistic consideration. Computers, fax machines, telephone modems, cellular telephones, voice mail systems, inexpensive copying machines and several other office electronics have made working from home both realistic and profitable!

Many in the general public still, however, do not take home-based businesses seriously. Some, those who work in traditional offices, also may feel a bit of envy, a little frustrated that they still are in the nine to five rat race while the home based entrepreneur enjoys a better way of making a living.