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There are many reasons to start a home office business, however, there are many concerns that you should be aware of. The following will offer some tips and tricks pertaining to a home business owner.
If your home-based business requires you to travel to meet clients, inspect properties, or shop, be sure to document all your travel costs. Travel expenses are 100% deductible, and your food during the trip is 50% deductible. Even tips can be considered a business expense, so make sure you get a receipt for everything, and make sure the receipt doesn't include the final amount you actually paid.
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You will want to rent a mailbox to receive any mail related to your home business. It is not safe to publish your address online, and you need to be careful. Having a post office box is a security measure and will prevent someone you don't know from coming to your house unannounced.
Pay attention from the beginning to the organization of your home office.
In fact, map it out before buying anything for your office. If you don't, you can easily find yourself overwhelmed with various folders, shelves and mailbox solutions that will simply slow you down. Take the time you need to maximize your efficiency.
Make sure your email address is accessible on every page of your website. It should be super easy to get in touch with you. Customers who can't easily figure out how to contact you will become frustrated, and will start looking elsewhere to make a purchase. Don't miss out on that sale because of a missing link.
Unless you live alone, be considerate of others in your household.
Don't let your work occupy common spaces or invade someone else's personal area. Don't treat your roommates or your family like employees. Make your needs known, but remember that this space is a home first and an office second.
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Making the decision to start a home business or to invest more time in one that has already started can be a cause for concern. There are so many questions about what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and why to do it, from marketing to overhead to product choice. Whether you've just graduated with your MBA or are a stay-at-home mom or dad, you can simplify the answers to these questions by using the sensible advice in these tips.
