For many, starting a home business is a daunting prospect. Regardless of how unhappy you are in the job you are currently in, you know you get a steady income at the end of the month and fending for yourself undeniably scares the majority of us. Stepping out of your current routine seems a little risky, especially when you have a home and family to look after. But there may be easier ways to take that step of actually starting a home business.

Your current employer could be key to helping you starting a home business whilst also helping with a basic financial security needed for paying the bills, providing your home business doesn’t conflict directly with the company you are currently working for that is. Speak to your employer and negotiate working on a part time basis for the first 6 months or year after you leave. This would give you time to concentrate on starting a home business whilst still covering your monthly expenses. There are several reasons that your employer would consider this and in the long run it could definitely benefit both parties.

If you’re respected in your job and on good terms with your current boss, chances are the thought of him loosing you doesn’t appeal to them. Replacing you involves advertising your position, collecting C.V’s, interviewing, training the new candidate, who may or may not be the right person for the job. The company looses valuable production time when someone just leaves so offering an alternative, ie part time working could be invaluable to the company you are thinking of leaving to start a home business.

On a part time schedule you can get all he job basics done quickly and even help train a replacement for a smoother crossover which may be less disruptive to the business. Also your knowledge is invaluable, you know the company and people within it, the clients and services are familiar to you and you understand, from the experience you have gained, what has to be done and when. Many people have already negotiated this type of contract when starting a home business and there is nothing stopping you doing the same.

But what if you’re not on good terms with your boss? In the majority of cases this still shouldn’t cause a problem. Just because you and your boss may not see eye to eye doesn’t mean that you are not classed as an asset to the company and you may be surprised with the response you receive.

Lastly, if your company is downsizing or restructuring this could be the perfect time to approach them. Instead of working a Full Time notice period offer your services over a stretched out contact. Signing and getting tangible work in return for them not having to fire you or pay redundancy is a much better deal for them and in the long run, once their structure is reestablished, could be a benefit to you also as instead of receiving a redundancy cheque you are still working within their new structure, albeit on a part time basis.

Starting a home business is not an easy thing to do but I hope I’ve given you some idea of how talking to you current company might be of benefit to you when dealing with initial costs and paying those all important monthly expenses whilst still being able to devote enough time to get your home business to where you want it to be.