Since there is more than one way to work at home, it may be useful for people who have never worked at home to understand the similarities and differences between two options that people can pursue if they wish to work from home. Owning and operating a home – based business and having a home – based job do share in common the fact that you work from your home instead of in an office or other type of facility. It is important for you to understand the difference between the two types of home – based work before you decide which of the two options is best for you.
One of the major differences between a home – based business and a home – based job is the level of responsibility involved. With a home – based job, you are accountable to someone else for doing the work that you are assigned to do within the time that you are assigned to do it. In return, your employer provides the work and pays you according to the terms that you have agreed to. If your relationship with your employer is that of an employee and not an independent contractor, your employer will take care of withholding taxes for you too. You must be able to manage your time in such a way that you can get your work done on time, but there are not too many other responsibilities other than that.
When you own and operate a home – based business, you are responsible not only for doing the work that the business produces, but for everything else that is necessary to the operation of the business as well. Everything from keeping business licenses and professional knowledge current to keeping the books, withholding self employment taxes, and of course finding clients, customers, and jobs. It is all you, all of the time.
The decision of which option you should pursue is highly personal and requires plenty of thought. You may not want all of the responsibilities of running a business, and that is okay. There are many home – based jobs out there to choose from and it is likely that you may be able to find something that fits your skills and your schedule. On the other hand, you could relish the thought of creating something all your own and having exclusive control over how everything gets done. Keep in mind that whichever path you choose, there may be days when you might wish that you had a home – based business instead of a home – based job and vice versa, but if you take the time to think about which will work best for you ahead of time then those days will be few and far between.
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