Home Businesses - Starting a Home Based Business
Streetwise Tips

Streetwise Tips on Starting a Home Based Business

For several years I ran my growing book publishing company out of two different basement apartments in residential neighborhoods in the Brighton section of Boston. In each case, dozens of neighbors were aware of my business, and no one ever complained.

At each address we had daily UPS deliveries. Once a week or so tractor trailer trucks pulled up to make deliveries. My employees described some of these trucks as being as big as aircraft carriers. In fact, at one location I had to ask several neighbors to move their parked cars for these deliveries—the trucks had to back into an alley and unload through my kitchen window! But they were happy to help us out!

* Problems on Cape Cod

Not all home business stories are happy ones. I ran into a bit of trouble running one of my entrepreneurial ventures out of my parents’ summer home on Cape Cod.

The road the house was located on was “Corporation Road,” and half a dozen commercial businesses were located on this street. The road was residentially zoned, however.

On one of my summer vacations I bought and sold used boats from my parent’s home. The boats were concealed in the back and side yards and I wasn’t displaying any business signage on the property. My immediate neighbors thought my work ethic was great and told me so.

Apparently, though, a distant neighbor—half a mile or so down the road—wasn’t quite as impressed. He complained to the building inspector.

My parents received a certified letter from the town demanding that all business activity on the premises cease and desist within seven days. If my business continued to operate beyond this date, the property would be seized and sold at auction.

What an opportunity this presented! I moved all of the boats into the front yard and placed huge placards and advertisements announcing the forced closing of my business. Those boats went fast!

I was amused, however, to note how happy people were as they cashed in on my “misfortune” and snapped up my boats cheap.

I still didn’t give up, though. I began storing boats down at the town boat dock in the local harbor. Unfortunately, several days later the town issued a new ordinance limiting the number of boats any one person could leave at the dock at once.

* Building permits

Get proper building permits before beginning any construction work on a residential home. If your property is in a neighborhood that is zoned residential, try to avoid doing any work that might require a building permit if you think your chances of getting a variance are slim.

There have been instances, in some localities, where construction was ordered dismantled because the proper permits were not obtained.

Also, obtain any appropriate electrical, plumbing, or similar permits. And if you are doing electrical work, use a licensed electrician, or at least get the work inspected and signed off by one. The downside liability risk, not to mention safety risk, of shoddy electrical work is enormous.