Your Internet Home Based Business

This is a brief post about my experience with a home based business. It includes some tips that I've learned from others and from trial and error. If you have a home business or plan to start one, read this.


The first lesson I learned about running a business while working in the corporate world was that I didn't want to spend money on office space. I'd been renting an office for $250/month and it quickly got old.

Since then, I've run the same office in our house that I've had since 1994. I also own all the furniture so I never have to worry about replacing anything. I even bought a desk from craigslist.

Here are my tips for setting up your own home based business:

Don't spend money on a large office. I don't need an entire room for my laptop, office supplies, and whatever else I need. I can easily fit everything on one desktop.

Keep the rent as low as possible. If you own the office, you can afford to keep the rent low by letting people use it without paying. Renters and friends have paid my bill over the years. I would encourage you to do the same.

Invest in some decent furniture. Office chairs are cheap and comfortable, but the last thing you want is to end up on the floor and twisted in pain. Invest in a couple of chairs that will fit your lifestyle.

Don't buy fancy computers. Buy used computers and a couple of good laptops. Cheap PCs usually have hardware problems and are also expensive to repair. If you can't fix something yourself, you'll probably need to replace it.

Buy an external hard drive and save backups regularly. When you can afford to purchase a computer and software, don't forget to buy an external hard drive. Backups are necessary no matter how much you think you can take care of it, because people change their minds.

Create a separate email account and use it strictly for business. Set up filters to hide everything else.

Set up a website for your business. You can start with a simple HTML page and buy a domain later if you want. A basic page will give you a great starting point.

Start a blog. Blogging allows you to write about topics that are important to your business without getting bogged down in the details.

STEP 2: Get Started With Lead Generation

The second lesson I learned was that I didn't want to work for someone else. I'm lucky enough to work in a field where I can do almost anything I want, so I rarely have to answer to anyone.

When I started freelancing, I realized that I had to learn to generate leads. If I wanted to continue writing long term, I couldn't wait for someone to hire me.

Luckily, the process of lead generation isn't hard. In fact, I find it easier to do it when I don't have a steady stream of projects. I also try not to spend too much money.