Cottage Industries

With the proliferation of the computer, many people are realizing their dream of working from home. Just think - no more commuting; you can work when you want to, and be your own boss.

Well, for some this dream has turned into a nightmare. They have run afoul of local government which has laws prohibiting business in a residential community. The fines for doing this can be quite severe - a thousand dollars a day for every day you are in non-compliance is not uncommon. So what is their gripe? You're not setting up a high volume walk-in business in your home?

Most cities and towns don't have their zoning officials come looking for businesses run from home, but will act on a complaint. So who would make a complaint about you running a business from your home? Well, unfortunately there are a lot of "self appointed" guardians of the world. They run the gamut from the "pooper scooper" patrol to those who are just obnoxious. They may not be your next door neighbor, but they are out there.
If you have people working for you, or your customers come to your home, and you live in a condominium with limited parking, you will most likely have a problem. If your customer or employee takes one of their parking places, you are probably "dead meat". This can also be a problem if you live in a private home, and there is increased traffic in the neighborhood because of your business.

If you do have employees doing work for you, your choice is to rent a facility for them to work in, which may not be affordable, or have them work from their home. Meet your clients away from home - a mutually convenient "coffee shop" might be a good alternative. In other words, keep a low profile.

Many people cannot afford the cost of a commercial facility, and have no other alternative. Well, state and local governments are becoming more sympathetic to this problem. A bill called the "Home-based Business Promotion Act", is pending in the New Jersey State Senate. This would make home businesses legal, as long as they do not disturb the neighborhood, employ no one other than family members, and do not post advertising signs on their property. New Jersey appears to be the only state trying to legalize home businesses.
This is a long overdue change in the law and hopefully will solve the problems that many face. For many people, especially single mothers with small children, this is their only alternative. Let's face it - working at home is a fact of life. According to the National Association for Home Based Business, there over 17 million American home based entrepreneurs and almost half of all small businesses are run from homes. While certain professionals, such as doctors may be exempt, the majority are breaking the law.

These laws were spawned during the "Industrial Revolution" and were designed to keep smoke belching factories from sprouting up in tranquil residential neighborhoods. The cottage industries however have changed. Isn't it about time that our laws reflected today's technology and not that of a hundred years ago?