Working a day job has long been the norm for vast numbers of us, waking early and punching a clock in the morning before beginning a day exactly the same as the previous one. All that could be changing for the smarter ones of us though, because there has literally never been a better time to start your own home based business. You may have several personal reasons to quit your job, but there are a few here that you probably haven't considered:

1. Freedom - I don't mean financially or time-wise or whatever, I mean freedom to start whatever kind of business you want. With the advent of the internet, people can run literally any kind of business from the comfort of their own home. Let's say you've always wanted a classic car polishing business? No problem. How about a mobile flooring business? No problem. What's more, the internet coupled with the amount of franchise opportunities available these days means that there has never been more choice for a would-be entrepreneur.

2. Income Potential - How much do you make at your day job? Happy with that amount? Well imagine if you were the one with the purse strings...Not only that, but think for a second about all those ideas you had when you first started working there - the ideas that your bosses were too stiff to implement...Ideas become income very fast when you work for yourself, and that's why even a small business has the income potential to outstrip even the most well paid salaries.

3. Personal Growth/Education - Imagine that you've just launched a new line of products online, and they are so popular that your webpage crashes. Nightmare scenario huh? Now imagine that the programmer you hired is on vacation and you can't reach him, but you're losing money every second that the page is down. What do you do? You learn, you research, and after a few false starts you fix the problem yourself. Remember, Necessity is the mother of invention, and no lesson is learned as well as one you have had to teach yourself. You'll be amazed at how capable you become and how much you've learned even after just a small time with your own business. Mark my words; some of your best days with your own business will be days that something went wrong!

4. The Ability to Be Yourself - Fed up with having to make mindless small talk just to fit in? How about having to make nice around the boss and pretend to give a damn about his son's ball games? How about having to dress and behave in a certain way because it's what others expect? Office politics soon become a thing of the past when you run your own business-you can behave how you want, wear want you want and for once people will be sucking up to YOU!

5. Financial Security - "Sorry to tell you Steve, but things are tight this year so we're letting people go-your name was first out of the hat so it's you. Sorry." Sound familiar? Well if you are the top dog there will be no fear of redundancy, corporate reshuffles, or streamlining or any other buzzword for being given the boot-You will be calling the shots so your job will ALWAYS be set in stone. You will also find that business ideas and conventions are similar across many different industries, so should your new venture begin to struggle, you will be ready to dabble in other ventures or boost your income from other markets.

6. Confidence - You are at your partner's office party. Their boss asks you what you do and you tell him you own your own business. He shakes your hand and wants to know more about it. Instant respect. Now rewind and imagine that you told him you were a desk jockey for some big faceless corporation. His eyes gloss over and he's forgotten you instantly. When you own your own business it gives you an instant credibility with new people which can be used to endless advantage.

7. Tax Breaks - It may seem crude but it can REALLY be worth your while to use your home as a working environment. Not only will there be tax breaks on everything from household utilities and furniture, but imagine what you will be saving on transport and lunches etc-you will be in profit before you even earn a penny!

8. Pride - Who wouldn't be proud of running their own business? How many people can say they have a job they are proud of? I'd bet the farm that it's less than 10%. It's not just the feeling of pride that's the benefit, but how the pride motivates you. Who wants to admit to their family and friends that they let their business go down the pan by not being diligent enough? Nobody, and that's why you won't let it happen!

I know I said it before, but there really has never been a better time for you to break free of the grind and start your own business. Don't you owe it to yourself to at least look around and see what all the fuss is about?