Ever wonder what the secret to being a happy entrepreneur is? I know at least 11 founders that might argue that it's working from home. These deliriously happy 11 were featured in this year's annual list of "businesses you can start in your pajamas"—our tongue-in-cheek way of telling their story about forsaking the office and working from home. The entrepreneurs featured here weren't just Web start-ups or service firms, either. Many even made and sold real products—clothing and cheese, for instance—right from their homes. Some of them, like Melissa Lanz, owner of The Fresh 20, had actually opened an office when she launched her business, but decided to close it when she recognized it as an unnecessary expense. "In six months, I visited the office five times," she says. "It made me feel stupid."
Others, like Michael Cheng, owner of eCoupons.com, cited the flexibility and convenience of having an office in his house. "As a small business owner, I find myself working all the time one way or the other and it's nice to have all my equipment in the next room," he says. He, too, decided to close down an office.
Still, there's plenty of skepticism that surrounds the concept of being home-based. Can your business scale? Will clients think less of you? How do you establish a corporate culture among employees? And, maybe most importantly, how will it affect your work/life balance?
The entrepreneurs interviewed here insist that there are workarounds to these problems, arguing the benefits of working from home outweigh any negatives that might be incurred from not having a traditional office space.
Others, like Michael Cheng, owner of eCoupons.com, cited the flexibility and convenience of having an office in his house. "As a small business owner, I find myself working all the time one way or the other and it's nice to have all my equipment in the next room," he says. He, too, decided to close down an office.
Still, there's plenty of skepticism that surrounds the concept of being home-based. Can your business scale? Will clients think less of you? How do you establish a corporate culture among employees? And, maybe most importantly, how will it affect your work/life balance?
The entrepreneurs interviewed here insist that there are workarounds to these problems, arguing the benefits of working from home outweigh any negatives that might be incurred from not having a traditional office space.