One of the things that attracts many solo entrepreneurs to their business is the fact that the business which they are creating can be run from the comfort of their own home. Putting that spare bedroom or basement space to use as an office or in some cases, even a small shipping, receiving, and assembly area, can be an economical and efficient way to operate a small business.
The efficiencies in operating a business in this manner range from keeping fixed overhead down — you already pay for your home in some fashion, e.g. rent, mortgage or otherwise — so you’re adding nothing to your cash outflow typically to locate your business there, to reduced transportation costs, virtually no commuting time, and even cutting down on wardrobe costs (in theory you can walk into your home office in your PJs). Nevertheless, the very factors that may lead to a home office being an efficient method of operation can in some cases have the opposite effect.
The problem is that squirrels can dart by your home office from time to time. By this do I mean an actual rodent running down the hallway? Actually, the term “squirrel” is a shorthand expression that many small entrepreneurs use to describe any distraction. Many work-at-home entrepreneurs find that the amount of distractions make it difficult to keep their business running effectively. Whether it’s as simple as interruptions by friends and family, or putting on 10 pounds over a month because the refrigerator is simply 10 steps away, working at home can sometimes have significant drawbacks for the small entrepreneur.