More people are choosing to work from home due to increased redundancies and less job security. However, whilst the idea may, in theory, sound very appealing, there are three important questions which you will need to consider very seriously.

Working from home is not for everyone, and many people who decide to embark on such a career do not last very long. It can be a tough career choice, and not everyone can make a success of it. The following questions should be answered honestly; since they could seriously impact upon the longevity of a home based business, as well as your own health, happiness and financial security.

Why do you want to work from home? Everyone has their own reasons, but often the declared reasons are not the same as the real reasons. For some people it may be that they have experienced redundancy, or are facing increasing cuts at work which make redundancy imminent, and that the idea of becoming self employed is more attractive.

Certainly you aren’t going to get a nasty letter from your boss, or be called in to a meeting to hear bad news. However, this doesn’t in any way imply that job security is any better. Yes, you will be in control of your career, of your earnings and of your prospects, but a home business faces the same challenges as any other enterprise.

Working from home simply allows you to change your point of view, reduce your costs and be more in control of your life. If job security is your concern or your motivation, be under no illusion that working from home is not any more secure – it just puts you in the driving seat.

How will you work from home? Again, this might seem an obvious question. Almost certainly you will use your computer for most of the time, but this in itself may prove to be troublesome. Where is your computer based, for example? If it is in the living room, or a busy area of the house which sees children or family gathered, playing, chatting or watching television, then you may find it extremely difficult to concentrate on business in such surroundings.

You may have been able to concentrate on writing a CV, writing a letter, sending and receiving emails or looking information up on the internet, but being able to concentrate on such tasks for a few minutes at a time, when there is relatively little pressure can be easy. Have you considered how you would cope under such circumstances if you had to concentrate for eight hours a day, five days a week? You could easily find yourself struggling to run your business effectively because you are unable to concentrate or separate from your family.

Which hours will you choose to work? One of the benefits of working from home is that you can work flexible hours. If you have children then you may find that working whilst they are at school ideal. But have you considered how you’ll manage during the long school holidays? With almost a third of the year seeing your children at home, this could seriously upset any long term plans or earnings calculations which you have made.

Working from home can be very challenging – it requires rigorous self discipline. Having the television close by, the temptation to pop out for a walk when it is sunny, or to spring clean the house and get some of those little DIY jobs done will all seem to be very much more appealing than sitting at your computer for hours at a time.

Although many people work at home and are successful, it is not for everybody. Asking these three important questions is a start, and being honest with yourself is critical.