“From baby boomers to millennials, working from home is the most sought after work flexibility that job seekers are interested in,” says Sara Sutton Fell, Founder and CEO of FlexJobs. Last year, twenty-three percent of U.S. workers did at least some of their work from home, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are currently 3.3 million workers in the U.S. that work from home full time and many more interested in this type of work flexibility.

Women-owned businesses are growing faster than those owned by men, and more than half of women-owned businesses are home based.

Owning your own business and being home based might just be the best option of all. If that business happens to be something you truly love and are passionate about, that’s icing on the cake.

Independence, flexibility and other benefits

Being home based puts an end to having to follow someone else’s schedule, puts an end to being at your desk or in the store just because that is required, puts an end to having to juggle the boss’ demands against your family needs, puts an end to not being able to go on vacation exactly when you want, and puts an end to a host of other terms set by others. A home-based business means you are the boss and you can make your career fit your lifestyle.

 

Having more flexibility for family and personal time is another huge benefit for many home-based careerists, especially women who are juggling multiple priorities but still want to have a satisfying career. They want more independence to set their own schedule—to be there when children come home from school, to be there for an elderly relative, to be there for a neighbor who needs a hand, and to schedule time for their own wellness. Many want to eliminate that wasteful commute.

Making your own workspace fit your working style is another benefit. Your space should make you feel good while you’re working and that is accomplished easier if it’s not be dictated by someone else.

There are also the financial benefits. You’ll save those commuting and other costs, and there are potential tax advantages to being home based.

Interior decorating is one career that is highly suited for individuals who would like the flexibility and independence that comes from having their own business and working from a home studio/office. It is estimated that one-third of interior designers and decorators have their own business, and many of them work from home.

Entrepreneur magazine puts it this way: “If you have a knack for planning space and coordinating furnishings and accessories, then this is the field for you. Interior decorators beautify, improve and update the appearance and functionality of interior spaces in both residential and business settings.” However, having this ability—even if you have an interior design degree—doesn’t necessarily equip you to start your business.

The keys to open your own interior decorating business

When you get down to the basics, there are really four keys to operating your own business:

• Training—skill training, sales training, product training, and business management training.
• Merchandising—having access to products at wholesale cost, promotional programs, and product support.
• Marketing—the benefit of an established brand, strategies and materials for your own local advertising and public relations for developing your client base.
• Business Support—assistance with business planning, coaching, mentoring from seasoned decorators, a customer relationship management (CRM) system, and other support through technology.

Great numbers of people who want to own their own business find these four keys by becoming franchisees. Many Boomers looking for new careers have embraced franchising as the chance to start a business without having to build it from scratch. The U.S. Small Business Administration says, “Franchising can be a great alternative if you want to have some guidance in the startup phase of the business.”

For individuals interested in interior decorating, there is just such an opportunity: Decorating Den Interiors(https://decoratingden.com/interior-design-business/)

 

Decorating Den Interiors has been helping talented individuals live the dream of having their own interior decorating business for many years. Their franchise partners are in business for themselves but not by themselves. Its interior decorators are provided with total immersion training programs, opportunities to learn from industry professionals, and everything needed to have their own full-service interior decorating business. If you have the talent, Decorating Den Interiors has the tools to help you turn your passion into an independent and flexible career. These tools also can be leveraged by independent interior decorators to grow their businesses to the next level.

The ability to grow larger businesses

In recent years, an increasing number of franchise owners have grown their businesses to such a size that they needed to have an outside office/studio with a team of design professionals and other support staff. They continue to set new milestones for revenue each year.

“Several of our top franchises have as many as five design professionals, along with the owner, working from the same studio,” said Jim Bugg, Jr., CEO and president. “These design pros are supported by administrators and other staff. Not only are these among our leading operators, several of the designers working within those units are among our top sales people in the U.S. and Canada. Our interior design business model clearly enables growth to a size that can provide significant financial returns for several individuals.”

Bugg noted that last year more than half of the company’s top 40 franchises had out grown being home based and operate from outside studios, the largest being 12,000 square feet, including receiving and warehouse space.

“These are not showrooms,” added David Haseley, vice president of merchandising and marketing. “Our design business model is still to sell a wide range of home furnishings without inventorying product. Meeting in clients’ homes is still the cornerstone of our complimentary design service. However, with furniture now our leading product category, many owners want the space and capability to receive furniture thereby eliminating the cost of an outside receiving service.

“Most of our franchisees begin their businesses as home based,” said Bugg. “But, we are seeing some of them move out of their home to a studio more quickly. They see the business value of doing that.”

In either case, it leads to flexibility and self-determination about how to live one’s dream career.