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Advantages and pit-falls of business at home
Christopher Amos
The Weatherford Democrat - Weatherford, Texas daily newspaper - February 15, 2006

     According to the Small Business Administration, 52 percent of all small businesses are home-based, and the reasons for starting them are as varied as the business people themselves.
     Some start businesses out of the home with the intent to eventually expand to an office front, whereas others have no need for an outside office. Many people find it a convenient way to balance business with family time, and still others expand on a hobby or just want an additional income without a large financial commitment.
     No matter the reason or size, Parker County home-based businesses are plentiful, and many proprietors are happy to share the benefits and pitfalls of starting a business at home.
     Jennifer Barnett’s love of sewing and dissatisfaction with the fashions she found in the market led her to start Tootie Pie Boutique. Her hand-crafted children’s clothes, sewing machine and bulk material occupy the front room of her home, but she uses other resources to retail her products.
     “I sell my clothes at trade shows, on eBay and on my Web site,” she said. “There is no way to do this without the Internet — there would be a lot of leg work to do this only at trade shows and a substantial financial commitment to start a store front.”
     Barnett sews outfits at home, uses her daughter, Camryn, as a model, and uploads photos onto her Web site, www.tootiepieboutique.com. She said her business augments the household income, and starting it was relatively easy.
     “No matter what your product is, research your market, study styles and trends, and do something you enjoy,” she advised.
     On the other hand, Debbie Bunero established herself as a sought-after business accountant in the corporate theater before taking her business into her home four years ago to start a family. Her advice for operating a successful home business is “be professional — always.”
     “Even though my office is at home, I am always dressed in business-casual, even if I am not meeting with anyone that day,” the CPA said. “If I am meeting a client at my home, I wear a suit.”
     She started her business at home to be with her children, but warns that it is not an instant answer to spending time with the kids.
     “The up-side is you are around the kids, and the down-side is you are around the kids,” she said. “I make arrangements to have someone with the kids if I have to meet with a client.”
     So she doesn’t miss business calls, Bunero uses her cell phone as a business line. She said she plans to move her business to an office front in a few years when her children start school.
     Before getting into the business field, Bunero was a rodeo queen, barrel racer and Azle city council member.
     “I was 19 when I ran against four opponents. There was even a run-off, and I won,” she said. “I was the youngest person on a city council in Texas.”
     Mike Webber inherited his home-base business and has been running Westco Pest Control for 30 years.
     “It was my grandfather’s business for 25 years before that,” Webber said. “We’ve been chasing bugs for about 50 years now.”
     Like other businesses that office out of the home, Webber forwards his home number to his cell phone so he doesn’t miss calls.
     “My home is my office, but my clientele is out in the community,” he said. “My business is very seasonal, and one of my drawbacks is making sure I save money for my off season.”
     Webber has a different warning for those contemplating a home-based business.
     “It is real easy to become stagnate,” he said. “You have to get out in the community and do things, especially when your business is slow. You don’t want to get to where you are watching T.V. or doing the yard — that is not good business. You have to stay motivated, and that is not easy to do on your own.”
     The Small Business Administration, www.sba.gov, offers free advice on-line, over the phone or in person for individuals with questions about starting a business at home.