During these difficult financial times job losses are on the rise and having any security with your nine to five job is crumbling. Because of this fact a lot of people have decided to experiment with starting a home based business.Another good reason as to why people are starting to create their own home based business is the personal freedom of being their own boss.But there are a few things that you must know before taking off on the adventure in starting your own home based business in order to be successful.You should always develop a plan. Make sure that your manage your time very carefully so that you can decide when you start and when you finish. Being your own boss means that you absolutely must have a routine to go by, including your break times, because you are running a business even if it is at home.Also, writing up a ” to do” list is very helpful for people when they start their own home based business. This list will guide you as to what you need to do while working from your home.Thirdly, because you are working from home, you will have to eliminate any distractions that might get in the way of your work. Many times family members and spouses may feel that you are too readily available to them when you are at home, so you have to learn how to tell them nicely that you cannot afford to be distracted while you are working in your home office.Lastly, creating an environment that is conducive to working is vital to running a successful home based business. Having a comfortable work station with a good chair, phone, computer, fax machine, printer and other tools will greatly assist you in working more efficiently in your home. You may also want to keep your files organized in a file cabinet, or set up a filing system that works well for your business needs.Too many times its easy to become too laid back on this when you are working in your own home, but remember that being your own boss means that you are in charge of your work station and how much you are going to work on a daily basis.Having a home based business is a very good alternative to working from nine to five, and you can be successful at it if you follow these methods on a consistent basis.And remember that being your own boss and having a home based business is something that thousands of people dream about but are rarely able to implement into their working lives. Therefore, remember that the key to success if having the environment, self discipline, and organization are vital to your success.