by Clair Schwan

Created on: July 18, 2010   Last Updated: December 11, 2010

If you've ever thought about starting your own enterprise, you should be aware of the many advantages of starting a business from your home. Even for businesses that require a separate facility or storage area at some time in their life, a startup at home offers many advantages to the budding entrepreneur. Let's look at seven clear advantages of starting a business out of your home.

1. There are many types of businesses to choose from. One might think that having a home-based business would limit the opportunities - that's just not so. There are many home business ideas that can be started and successfully operated out of a spare bedroom turned into an office, an unused portion of the basement that becomes a workshop, or an area in the garage that can be a place for storing inventory, equipment and supplies. Think of services, reselling and consulting as three broad categories that offer a selection of perhaps hundreds of potential businesses that can all be operated out of your home.

2. Low overhead equates to low startup costs and lower overall financial risk. If you're operating a business out of your home, that's rent, utilities, telephone and commuting costs that you've eliminated from startup and daily operations of your new enterprise. Many people jump into a business that requires a separate office or store front, and that can be many thousands of dollars upfront just to get the business started. These separate operating costs must be met each month as well. Working out of your home greatly reduces or completely eliminates these additional startup and overhead costs.

3. Begin at a more comfortable pace. Okay, so you're not ready to jump in with both feet and work six days a week and 10 hours a day in your own enterprise. That's good, because you don't have to. If you start out of your home, you can begin your business as a part-time effort, perhaps something you do after regular work hours or on the weekend. If you're a first time business owner and manager, you'll want to "ease into it" until you get your feet on the ground and gain some experience. Working out of the house allows you to start slowly until you build up sufficient confidence and momentum to take your enterprise to the next level. It takes a certain type of person to venture into the world of self employment, and working out of your home on a part-time basis is a comfortable way to learn if you have the "right stuff."

4. It's really rather convenient. With an office or workshop at the

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