Have you ever stopped to ask yourself why the majority of business conducted worldwide is conducted by small businesses? There is a practical answer as to why there are so many small businesses and small business franchises popping up all over the world every year: each small business owner and small business franchise owner gets to be their own boss. Driven people with business sense, an instinct for sales, marketing, management, administration, and finance eventually find themselves against a ceiling in a large corporate setting. Eventually the entrepreneur screams to be set free, and the desire to start their own business'be their own boss, run their own company?kicks in and takes over. So what is the next step? For many people the solution is to open a small business or a home based business; a practical and effective way to begin is with the small business franchise.

Working from home has a certain appeal; there is a draw to being able to make your own hours, to avoid the commute, to work with a schedule that fits your lifestyle, your family, and your timetable. It's important to note though, that there is a certain amount of discipline, structure, and commitment necessary to run a really successful small business franchise out of your home. There are four big questions that every eager entrepreneur should ask himself or herself before jumping into the home based business.

#1 Do I really want to be my own boss, or do I simply not want to have a boss?

Being your own boss is not the same thing as not having a boss. Not having a boss is no deadlines, no expectations, and no accountability for your work effort. Being your own boss is very different. Being your own boss means that you have the passion and personal discipline to impose upon yourself the goals and expectations that are necessary to propel your home based business into a successful franchise. Being your own boss means that you are able to set for yourself work goals either in terms of jobs accomplished or hours worked in a given period of time. It doesn't mean you have to call yourself into your own office and write yourself up, but a successful small business franchise owner is someone who is able to create goals and a work schedule and is disciplined enough to make themselves stick to that commitment. Helpful Hint: make a work schedule; track your projects, goals, hours, and expectations for yourself as both boss and employee.

#2 Can my home be a productive home office?

Contrary to the taglines you will often encounter in an internet advertisement for a work at home offer, a true home based business is not something that you should try to effectively run in your bathrobe from the desktop computer on the kitchen table. Successful small business franchises are ones that are run by motivated owners who can create for themselves a structured work environment to get maximum productivity out of themselves and their franchise. It is highly recommended that if you are going to begin to work from home that you create an area of your home that is your office. A dedicated environment that is specifically set aside for running your own franchise. Just like you don't want to live at the office, you don't want your office to dominate every aspect of your home. Helpful Hint: Shower and dress for work as if you were ?going? to work. Use a separate desk for franchise business and home business such as bills etc. Use a separate phone or phone line to make business calls and to contact clients, employees, and service providers.

#3 Is this a dream, or is this a whim?

Deciding to take up tennis is not such a bad whim. Purchasing the shoes, the racket, a container of tennis balls, and a membership to a health club could get pricy, but in the end if you decide it's not for you it's not that big of a loss. Deciding to take up running your own small business franchise from your home should not be put in the same category of ?things I would like to try.? While there are low cost franchise businesses that in some cases may seem like an affordable loss if indeed they do not fit your particular business style, running your own franchise from your home is something that takes a lot of work, determination, passion, and commitment. It is also much more rewarding in the long run than a decent forehand shot. Make sure that you really are committed to being a successful small business franchise owner before beginning your franchise. Look into several franchises and gather information from many different providers to decide the franchise that is really right for you. Don't get frustrated when things get hard because running a business is difficult, demanding, and there is a certain amount of stress that is necessary to be successful. Helpful Hint: Set a goal for a time period of at least 6 months and then re-evaluate how your home business franchise is going. Measure your passion for the end result with your passion for the day-to-day operation of your small business. Make sure that you can commit the time and energy to seeing your home based business through it's infancy and into success.

#4 Who will hold me to my commitment, help me with my frustrations and celebrate my success?

Small business, especially home based small business, thrives on the relationships that are developed between providers, clients, co-workers, and other small businesses in the community. Just because you want to be your own boss and work in an environment that is under your control does not mean that you have to operate your small business franchise in isolation. The beauty of a franchise is that you are not a sole provider of your service or product. Many franchise opportunities include training and support. Make sure that you have people around you and your business that you trust to give you helpful advice, constructive criticism, and accountability to making your small business franchise a success. Helpful Hint: Attend small business training and conferences provided by both your franchise provider and other local businesses. Create a network of other franchise and small business owners that you can share your successes and frustrations with that will help you become more successful. Share with others your goals and expectations for your home business so that they can help you measure your success and devise ways to grow your home based business successfully.

A home-based business opportunity has the freedom that many people have longed for their entire career and can be a very rewarding and profitable experience. But like anything in the business world hard work and careful planning are extremely necessary tools in order to have a successful and profitable experience. Make sure that you have put the thought, planning, and work into creating the right strategy and environment to successfully run your home based franchise so that when you do make that step you find yourself experiencing everything you hoped a small business success could be.