Often when I write an article about working from home I get hit by emails and correspondence that state that there are many failures and that it is impossible to make serious money from a home business.

My answer to this is that the failure rate for home businesses are the same or even lower than people who choose to start a traditional business primarily because overheads are significantly lower. It is a fact that many people who start in business for the first time do end up losing all their money but who ever said that this was not the case?

Yes, you will also hear stories about people who started a home business and now shop in the budget discount stores but there are many out there who are enjoying escaping the rat race and living a great life.

On the flip side I can also tell you horror stories about business owners who ended up in bankruptcy paying exorbitant rents and rates for large premises, big cars and huge numbers of staff. Many of them are also now shopping in budget discount stores.

Small business owners the world over often feel like they are in a prison cell unable to escape the daily grind of making ends meet. The main reason for this is usually down to the costs associated with their high street business premises. They probably spend half of their time and profits just covering the cost of their place of work!

Many entrepreneurs waste a couple of hours a day traveling to and from their business premises stuck in traffic jams, looking for parking and getting angry and irritated at the same time. They face high fuel bills, traffic fumes, police with speed cameras, traffic wardens and end up eating unhealthy food bought at an exorbitant price at fast food outlets!

Somebody working from home might be limiting their chances of becoming fabulously wealthy but with lower overheads, less time spent stuck in traffic jams, more quality time with the family and total freedom to work the hours they choose? who needs all that money anyway?

It is a foolish person indeed who does not seriously evaluate how they too could possibly escape the rat race! I guess this statement is slightly unfair because there are many people who enjoy running their business and would never dream of working from home but for many who are unhappy with their current lifestyle it is a choice that they should not overlook.

So if you are thinking of starting a home business what is the best way to go about it? Research, market analysis, careful planning, respect for other members of the household and a lot of hard work are required in the initial stages. Running any type of business is not for the feint hearted and involves a lot of sheer effort, blood, sweat and tears. Anybody who tells you otherwise is a fool.

You will also need the ability to work unsupervised and being at home, there are many distractions including the television, the garden, your comfortable bed and hopefully the well stocked fridge!

Do not ignore the doom and gloom merchants who say it cannot be done but do pay heed to the reasons they give. Most likely it is because they failed to succeed at home or they know someone else who failed. It is possible to learn a lot from reading and understanding other people's war stories.

If you are successful in setting up a home business and you do start making serious money then you can have a private chuckle at all the people who said it could not be done.