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One of the decisions that you have to make when you decide you want to work from home is do you want a work at home business or a  work at home job?

Work At Home Job

A work at home job is, simply put, a job where the workplace is your home.  In a work at home job, you are not the boss.  Often times, the hours that you work are defined, as well as your work tasks.  You typically ahve a boss, and you tend to get paid by the hour, although there are some cases where you get paid per work product.  Examples of a work at home job are telecommuting in your present work position, working as a customer service rep for a company, working at home as an inbound sales rep, or many others.  While some may call them a “home based business” opportunity, in essence, you are not the boss, and so it is a work at home job.

Work at Home Small Business

As a work at home small business owner, you are the boss.  These are typically many of the MLM opportunities, home day care, home beauty providers, etc.  You get to define the product you wish to carry (although the quality will determine the price and volume of business).  You also get to define your business hours.  You are the boss AND the employee.  Typically, if you don’t work, you don’t get paid.  Many small home business owners find they work more hours than they did as employees, however, since it is doing something they enjoy, many don’t mind.

Work At Home Business Owner

I’ve added a new category here.  After reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money–That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!, I realize that there is a HUGE difference between owning your own small business and owning your own business.  If you own your own business, you have other people working for you.  You are the boss, but not the employee.  If you take a break, your business keeps earning you money because you have the systems and employees in place to continue your business for you.  There are some MLM’s that fall into this category.  Owning a franchise can also fall into this category.  I am also convinced that many of the internet businesses (and even blogs) can fall into this category once you have built enough readership and momentum that you don’t have to handle the day to day maintenance and upkeep of the site.

Which do you want?

Now many people may ideally want to own a business, after all, many would rather have money come in without having to be the one to do it, even if you like to work, there is a true freedom in not having to work if you don’t want to.  However, with each of these types of businesses, there is a difference in risk, control, and traditional comfort level.  We will talk more about those factors next.