Do you work from home?

Is your business based from home? With online only businesses becoming increasingly popular, more and more people are setting up their own business from home.

Setting up your own business and working from home allows you to have the freedom to work how you wish and with flexible hours, which is what every person dreams of!

Online business owners that work from home, often forget the importance of protecting the working environment as you would an office.

If you are an online fashion shop for example, your large amount of stock will be stored in your home or garage is at risk of theft, fire or flood damage among various other things.

Here are a few things to consider when setting up your business from home:

Set up your business correctly and officially

Setting up a new business can be a complicated and stressful time. There is a lot to organise, set up and apply for before business can officially take off.

• Register your business officially with well-known trademark attorneys such as BWR patent attorneys in London who can help guide you through the entire process.
• Set up business bank accounts to keep track of all outgoing and incomings easily.
• Get the correct insurance to protect your stock and business.

Outsource help where possible

You may want to save money in the early stages of starting your own business however it is a good time to track your time with tasks that do not necessarily turn into money.

For example:

Accounts and finance – Managing receipts, outgoings and incoming cashflow. This can be a very time consuming task to mange and often can get frustrating when accountants do not balance. It is a fantastic idea to source an IAB approved book-keeper or an accountant for your business once you can afford it. The time you save will be beneficial to making more profits for the business.

Protect your home

This is often an after thought for most, however protecting your home is mandatory if your business is primarily based from your home.

Things to think about include:

• Secure alarm system – ensure the home is protecting for potential burglary’s
• Secure locks – change your locks if you have moved into a new property for extra precautions
• Domestic smoke detectors – these are essential, having domestic smoke detectors for your property can allow you time to save your key business items in the even of a fire
• Wireless smoke alarms – this is a precautionary method incase of a power cut

The protecting your business is as important as running it. Remember to allow budget for the necessary steps to protect your business and to set it up correctly.