Nowadays, it is becoming easier – and arguably more essential – to work from home. Offices all over the globe are encouraging employees to do their business at home. But what if you are among the many people who were just about to launch a business?
Many people may find that you don’t need to be physically in an office or workplace to launch a business. It is completely possible to launch a business from home. There are a few considerations that you must take into account before doing so, however – which we will go into in this post.
Not every business can be set up at home, but many can. This article will help you decipher whether your business can be opened from home, and exactly how to do it.
10 Steps to Setting up a Business from Home
1. Check you can do everything that is needed in your business online
This is probably the most important step, and it is crucial that you do this before you make any arrangements to start your business. If you need to do some crucial things – like research or meeting particular people – before starting your business, then you might not be able to set it up at home.
Likewise, if your business is based around people getting out the house and doing things – a tour company for example – you obviously can’t completely set this up at home. You could start a website and social media pages, as well as make arrangements for hiring people, however you would not be able to commence operations completely from home; you would probably need to visit the place where your company is based, for a start!
2. Get your home ready for business
Once you have established that working from home is viable for the business that you want to launch, you’ll need to get your home ready. You’ll want an office space, which is quiet and easy to work in. Make sure that you have the right lighting as well as somewhere where you won’t be disturbed.
If you plan on adding an extension to your house to accommodate your study, or even if you want to put up a summerhouse to act as a garden office, you might need planning permission. Be sure to research all of this before starting to make sure you are not slapped with any unexpected fines!
3. Make sure you have the right technology
You’ll need all of the appropriate technology to work from home. It goes without saying that you’ll need a good quality laptop or desktop computer and very strong internet (depending on your business, you might prefer to have an ethernet cable rather than wifi connection). However, you will also need to remember things like a printer, a headset and a photocopier.
Make a conclusive list of things you might need for your home office before you start work – and be sure to check each item off along the way.
4. Draw up a business plan and make sure you can factor in working from home into this
Every solid business needs a good business plan. Write out your objectives, your target market, and your business goals – but make sure that you factor in working from home. During this phase, you’ll want to look at the best software you can use to organise yourself and your team (if you have one) – something like Monday, Asana or Trello would do the trick. Make sure you ask yourself questions like ‘how can I engage with my target audience while working from home?’ and have a clear idea of how you can not only adapt to working from home, but how your business can benefit from it!
5. Set up your business bank account
Any business should be set up with a business bank account. Spend some time in this phase doing research about which bank account to go for. Most high street UK banks will set up start up business bank accounts online, and they offer a range of services and cost a range of fees. Having a business bank account will make running your company a lot easier in the long run, even if you are a freelancer.
6. Think about if you need employees
Some businesses are a one man band, but many need employees. You might find that you need to do all of your recruiting remotely, and arrange to have meetings and conferences online. You can find employees through sites like Upwork or Fiverr, and contact them through Skype or Google Hangouts for interviews.
Zoom has taken off in popularity in recent months; it is possibly the most famous conference call software on the market. But you could also look into using Microsoft Teams or GMeet, which is Google’s new conference call software.
7. Sort Out Insurance
It’s a good idea to register yourself with some business insurance. This will protect you against any risks that could come with running your own business from home. This includes things like legal fees, theft of items, and damage to your office or products. It’s best to get business insurance from day one, so you can rest assured that all of your assets will be protected.
8. Register your business
It’s now time to register your business. You can do so on the GOV UK website, which takes you through all of the options and gives you a chance to decide which is the best registering option for you. Make sure you do this sooner rather than later; it can be a bit of a headache to do once you have been trading for a while.
9. Think about how you will do taxes
Big businesses already have their taxes taken care of, but how will you do yours? Will you hire an accountant (which is a safe but expensive move) or will you use software like Quickbooks or Freshbooks to work it out for you? The more intrepid amongst us might decide to go solo with taxes and register them alone, but it’s best to use an accountant or a software on your first few, to make sure that you don’t make any mistakes.
10. Spread the word!
If you’re setting up a business from home, you’ll need to let the world know virtually that you are open. Share posts on your social media and ask friends to share. You should set up a Facebook page and Instagram account for your business; and depending on the type of company you are operating, you might find it beneficial to have a Twitter, Pinterest or TikTok account too.
Don’t be afraid to pay for ads at first – they are a great way to get eyeballs on your products. And ask people around you to spread the word – sometimes a verbal recommendation is the best way to get news out about a new product.
Conclusion
While not every business can be set up from home, many can thrive in this setting. By following these simple steps that we have set out, you will be able to deem if your business can partially or totally be started in the comfort of your home, and you should have a great roadmap of how to do so.
