| I once knew a guy whose great idea for | | | | If you plan to do anything medical, then you'll |
| 'legitimate work at home businesses' was to run | | | | probably need a license. When I say medical, I |
| poker tournaments from his house. Needless to | | | | mean doctors, dentists, opticians, and even vets. |
| say, that didn't last long once the police heard | | | | You might think it'd be fine to turn your home |
| about it. | | | | into an 'animal hospital', but you need to be |
| If you think you've got an idea for work at home | | | | qualified and licensed. Of course, if you've |
| opportunities, legitimate or not, that's going to | | | | previously been a doctor, dentist, or whatever, |
| make you big money, there might be a reason | | | | then you shouldn't have too much trouble getting |
| why everyone else isn't doing it - and that reason | | | | licensed to do the same thing from home. |
| could be related to the law. Many types of | | | | Children. |
| businesses are strictly regulated and controlled by | | | | People get jumpy around children, and you're very |
| governments. | | | | unlikely to be able to look after any as part of |
| Gambling. | | | | your work at home opportunities without jumping |
| However fun and profitable it might be to put | | | | through all sorts of legitimate hoops. Just to be a |
| fruit machines in your house, run a mini card | | | | nanny, there are all sorts of courses to take and |
| casino or just invite the local old people over to | | | | regular inspections to go through. If you ever |
| play bingo, it's almost certainly illegal without a | | | | wonder why there's a shortage of small-scale |
| license. Gambling is an industry that's almost | | | | childcare, it's because it's so hard to keep within |
| always strictly controlled - it might be fine to | | | | the rules while making any profit. |
| gamble privately with your friends (or, depending | | | | Food. |
| on where you live, it might not be), but as soon | | | | If you're going to sell food, you usually need to |
| as you start running it as a work at home | | | | register, for hygiene and safety reasons - imagine |
| business you're on very dodgy ground. You'll also | | | | if just anyone could sell you food, without any |
| find that most places have laws against for-profit | | | | checks! For various reasons most local |
| lotteries - sorry. Applying for a license to turn | | | | government agencies are especially strict if you |
| your home into a gambling premises is unlikely to | | | | plan to handle raw meat. It's usually fine to sell |
| succeed. If you wonder why, consider what would | | | | cooked meat, but raw meat is considered more |
| happen if people in your area could do that. It | | | | dangerous. Food licenses aren't too hard to get, |
| wouldn't be pretty. | | | | anyway, provided you have a relevant hygiene |
| Alcohol. | | | | qualification and you're willing to have your kitchen |
| Yes, it seems odd to some people that you need | | | | and products inspected at regular intervals. |
| a license to serve alcohol - after all, you can invite | | | | More. |
| people round to your own house for a drink | | | | This list is nowhere near exhaustive - it just |
| perfectly legally, can't you? As soon as you start | | | | covers some of the most common kinds of |
| charging them for those drinks though, as in work | | | | businesses that people think of. If you're planning |
| at home businesses, the legitimate nature of what | | | | to do something more unusual, then you really |
| you're doing changes drastically in the eyes of the | | | | need to check your local laws whether they are |
| law, and you're going to need a license. If you | | | | legitimate work at home businesses. |
| don't get one, then you could be heading off to | | | | Should I Bother? |
| jail for quite a while. | | | | Most home business owners don't know about |
| Again, you're going to have trouble getting an | | | | the rules that apply to them, and don't especially |
| alcohol license for your home, unless you're holding | | | | care either. Every day you operate in a regulated |
| some kind of event there and the drinking is just | | | | industry without a license, though, you risk being |
| incidental. Alcohol licenses are usually subject to | | | | shut down, or worse. It's only going to take one |
| appeals from people who live near the premises | | | | upset customer or neighbour to get you into big |
| being considered, and you can guarantee that | | | | trouble - so unless you want to be worrying all |
| your whole neighbourhood is going to turn out to | | | | the time, make sure you're properly licensed for |
| say what a bad idea it would be. | | | | whatever you want to do. |
| Medics. | | | | |