Here are just a few examples of some of the commonly mentioned advantages of having a home based business and some of the lesser known hardships that are associated with them. You decide for yourself what is bunk and what is reality before diving head first into the world of home based business people.

Set your own hours - Sure you can set your own hours when you run your own home based business, but you can bet that when you first start your business those hours are not going to always be a nice predictable nine to five work day. You may find that you have to put in much longer hours to get the work done that is needed in a day.

Be your own boss - How many times have we heard the phrase "be your own boss" when speaking of running a small business. Sure there are some advantages to not having to answer to anyone but yourself, but there are also some disadvantages to running the show by yourself. Being in charge of everything in your business means that you have sole responsibility for liability, taxes, licenses, etc. If you do something wrong, there is no one else to blame.

Anyone can turn a hobby into a business - You probably have a skill or a hobby that you enjoy doing in your free time. You may have even been told by a friend or family member that you ought to think about turning your hobby into a business. The reality of the situation is that people have to want what you are selling and you have to have enough business sense to know how to best produce, market and sell your product. You cannot hope to jump on the bandwagon of instant success if you have no skills or know-how to get you there. You may very well have a good idea, but unless you can put your ideas into action you may not be capable of having a business.

Spend more time with family - Often times it takes a great deal of time and effort to start a home based business. Although you will be in closer proximity to them when you are at home, the reality of the situation is that you will need to devote the majority if your time and effort into the building of your business. Realistically it could take years before your small business is to the point where you can leave it whenever you wish to attend to family matters.

Home based businesses need capital - One of the realities of starting a home business is that you are going to have to make some purchases in order to make your company successful and no matter how good your business strategies are if you do not have the resources to get your business off the ground you have nothing at all. There are a great deal of hidden costs associated with starting your own business. You have to buy your own insurance, plan out your own retirement funding, buy your own office supplies, etc.