So many people have misconceptions about those of us who work from home. Allow me to share a quick moment from my present-day life to make the point. My household is an extended family household, with one adult child, and two grandchildren living here. The grandkids call me “MawMaw” which is the common name for grandmothers here in Cajun country.

Last week, some random adult (I forget who) asked my 4-year-old granddaughter what my job was. She said, “MawMaw doesn’t work!”

Ouch. But that’s the impression most people have of those of us who sit in our little home offices. I’d bet 90% or more think I play computer games all day long. In light of that, I think it’s important to share with the world a few real stats about “homepreneurs” as one study calls us.

Home Business Stats

A few months ago, a study was conducted that gives a clear picture of businesses that are flourishing from home. Of course, stats are never completely accurate, but as long as the numbers are taken as a general guideline, we can be fairly confident in what they represent.

The Rise of the Homepreneur and the New Report from Network Solutions | Grow Smart Business – Small Business Success Index is the study, and it is very interesting. Here are some highlights from the paper:

• Home businesses employ over 13 million people
• Nearly 6.6 million home businesses generate at least 50% of the owner’s household income
• 35% of home businesses generate $125,000+ in revenue; 8% more than $500,000
• Homepreneur businesses are as competitive and successful as businesses located outside the home.
• Half of all homepreneurs have employees

Even smaller, part-time hobby or sideline businesses play an important part in the U.S. economy. While not generating a majority of the household income, these hobbypreneurs and part-timers still augment family income and provide opportunities for work/life balance that might be unavailable otherwise.

I encourage you to download the free pdf, read it, and make sure others hear about the real facts. It’s time we are seen as vital workers and not slackers. There’s no signup or anything required to download. Download the pdf here.

If you’d like to learn a little more about microbusinesses especially (the smallest of all businesses, and the category that most of us fall into), take a look at a related post I wrote here: Microbusiness Stats and Resources.

Prove The Doubters Wrong

So now that we have some stats, what does it mean for those of you who are considering working from home? I hope it encourages you and helps you to see what the possibilities are. I also hope you don’t lose sight of the fact that working from home is still hard work, and attaining the kind of success outlined above isn’t magical or instant. You must treat it seriously, continually motivate yourself, stay on task, and avoid distractions. But if you’re the type who has done all of that while working for corporations in the past, chances are good you’ll work just as hard for yourself.

If you really want to work from home, and make a success of it, then prove to yourself and the doubters around you that you have what it takes to make it happen. Until you prove them wrong, it’s likely that your friends and family will think you’ll just play computer games all day long. It’s up to each of us to show that we’re not slackers and we have what it takes to be successful homepreneurs.