Thinking of going self-employed? Want to work from home? Hugh Williams, author of our pocket guide Working from Home , is a self-employed accountant who works from home. Here are his tips on what you need to do to set up your home office.

  1. If you're a homeowner with a mortgage, check with your lender that there is nothing in your mortgage agreement that prevents you from working from home; there may be some regulations you need to meet; likewise if you’re a tenant.

  2. Check your household insurance. Are there any clauses relating to working from home? Do you need to increase your cover for business equipment or stock? If you intend to have customers visiting your home office, there are health and safety considerations.

  3. Carry out a risk assessment. It's a straightforward practice and you can get full guidance from our book Health & Safety at Work - the Essentials , which tells you how to assess your home office for health and safety issues.

  4. Another factor that you may have to consider is one of planning permission. If working from home affects your neighbours or the residential area (e.g. your home office will create noise, a number of visitors and increased traffic, or you need extra parking spaces), then you need to discuss this with your local authority.

  5. It's really important to keep your business life separate from your home life. Arrange for a dedicated area where you can work from home; a spare bedroom is ideal as a home office. Avoid working from the kitchen table or dining room. If you have to share your workspace with your family, ensure that at the end of the day your work activities are filed away, out of sight.

  6. Install a business telephone line in your home office. Firstly, it enables you to keep business calls separate from personal calls and therefore makes it easier for you to claim tax relief on business telephone costs. Secondly, it avoids any younger members of the family using the phone during the business day.

More tips on raising finance, making a business plan, keeping accounts and saving tax can be found in our book Working from Home . The pocket guide also outlines all the rules and regulations you need to follow when you work from home.



Published on: June 2, 2008