In reality, a very common cause of failure is simply a lack of self-discipline. Most people leave their jobs before trying to make it on their own, and sometimes the reason is to get away from a tough boss. Having made the break, a very human reaction might then be to relax from the pressure.

This reaction could easily be the cause of downfall! We cannot stress too highly the importance of clarifying one's motivation for starting out on a home business. Whether we like his methods or not, a hard-driving boss can be a reasonably effective substitute for motivation. We might not enjoy working for him, but he gets things done. If there is no driving-force or motivation, the result could easily be failure.

You must establish clearly in your mind how important the venture is to you. Thus when the temptation is to "take the day off" be sure that this is for a good reason and make a personal decision to make up the time lost.

Some ideas which may be helpful to you in establishing your business on a sound footing as soon as possible:

- Try to make it a habit to work regular hours. Make a set time every morning to read and respond to e-mails and other correspondence. You should check again later in the day to deal with anything urgent that needs your attention.

It's important also to respond to questions promptly.

- Don't even have your television turned on during your "working hours." It's too easy to be distracted by a sports programme or other interesting item.

Ask friends to remember that you are trying to make a living, even if it's from home! Avoid long personal calls while you're working - you'll lose concentration. Suggest tactfully that the best time to contact you is at certain times when you're not busy at your computer.

- It is extremely difficult to handle the demands of small children at home, whilst you are trying to run a business. It's essential to find ways around this very real problem. Try to limit the level of distraction as far as possible.

- At least, tackle your most difficult tasks during the children's rest-time, or when they are occupied under supervision.

In essence, it's vital to treat your business with commitment and determination. Your personal circumstances will have a significant influence on the success or otherwise of your home business. Should you be able only to devote limited time and effort to it, you must expect your results to reflect this.

It is most unlikely that you will be able to enjoy a full-time income from a part-time business, at least until you have been able to develop your business to a stage where many functions operate "on auto-pilot." Some highly successful owners of top home businesses are eventually able to make huge incomes while working part-time, but this takes considerable time and skill to achieve. The self discipline of working regular hours every day will go a long way towards helping you to make a success of your business!

In our next article in this series we look at how to set, and manage some business targets.