The biggest industry for the last several decades has been small business, but this has exploded today into a new growth vector: the work at home trend. To work at home is the new American dream. And several new developments in consumer electronics, cultural acceptance, and workplace mores now make work at home business practices possible.

Many different technologies exist today that assist the work at home entrepreneur. Internet speeds, telecommunications capabilities, tax breaks, and other benefits make a work at home scenario not only possible but preferable in many cases. Project management software and the sophistication of different companies and clients allow for work at home scenarios.

To work at home requires diligence and concentration. Distraction management is the key. But work at home telecommuting is more efficient and cuts down on traffic wear and tear on the car and individuals. For the small business entrepreneur, this cuts down on having to duplicate the cost of working at a office space and leasing or purchase of extra equipment or staff. Most people today have the equipment they need to work at home.

The resources needed for a work at home office are a decent computer, a high speed Internet connection, at least one land line for communication or audio conferences, and possibly a combination printer/fax/copy machine. To work at home requires the ability to achieve a comparable workload without the burden of a time consuming drive and additional drain on resources to perform that function.

But to work at home does not mean doing only the traditional office work. Many kinds of industries are beginning to emerge where manufacturing custom or home made goods for sale or group batch processing is required. Instead of a company needing to maintain extra factory space and light and heat a plant, they can send out the work and have it returned finished.

To work at home may require individuals to find the work, price it right, get the job, and possibly perform their own accounts receivable tasks. But many people love the convenience of applying their best work time when it's available, or when the kids are at school or in bed, and when they choose to work. To work at home requires planning and accountability.

It's possible that in the coming years, many resources and traffic and other stressors can be reduced by a larger percentage of employees working from home at least one day a week, cutting down on travel, and utilizing a work at home scenario.

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