I am writing this article in my home office dressed in flip-flops, a T-shirt, and yoga pants with my hair up in a clip and no makeup. Not my usual professional persona, but a very comfortable one. There are days when I barely get dressed or even groom myself while I put in my eight plus hours working on a project while logging in plenty of phone time. The funny thing is, a decade ago I never would have guessed that I would be running two businesses based out of a home office, let alone owning the space to do so. Back then I had just retired from the rat race after working for twenty years in several areas and was trying to sort out what I wanted to do when I grew up. Times have most definitely changed.

Small businesses are the backbone of this country’s workforce and women-owned businesses are growing by leaps and bounds. In light of the fact that women are still being paid less than men for the same position in most companies this is a very good thing. For instance, four years ago, in one of my first trend classes for FIT, I reported that coaches and consultants were becoming a significant wave of the future and now we seem to be inundated with them in every sector.

What’s the reason behind this big switch from corporate structure to independence even if it means a much lower salary for some? Besides the obvious more-time-for-the-family, the consensus with many baby-boomers, specifically 50+ women, is to fulfill a highly personal need for meaningful work and accomplishments in a more level playing field. Along with another growing trend for the desire to buy experience instead of the latest handbag, there are major changes in the winds of advertising and the way that businesses are catering to their public.

Personal priorities are also obviously shifting as women become a certain age and no longer feel the need to have to prove themselves in the world of work. But there is also the matter of downsizing and restructuring to consider. Many are being forced to not only reinvent their sources of income, but their work ethic and core values as well.

Hence, the self-employed emerge and are hatching whole new niche markets in their wake. The home office can be a veritable incubator for marketing ideas and an incomparable networking haven right at our fingertips. We all know that referrals are the best way to build our businesses, better than any advertising could ever hope to be, but they are not always easy to collect.

I recently started a second business as an insurance agent. Working with my clients has opened up a whole new level of consciousness that carries over to my first business and has frankly enhanced it in ways that I had never imagined before. It’s like a magnet for opportunity. I have also learned a lot from discussions with other agents and women that I meet in their own home offices. The consensus from most is that it’s important to set priorities and focus individually on each task at hand. Multi-tasking has recently been proven to be counter-productive in many ways and a real drain on energy. Less can be truly more on the road to success.

On the flipside, some essential tasks these same people especially don’t like are cold calling and networking. Preparing a script ahead of time to use on phone calls and bringing a pal to networking events can help build confidence and technique while getting used to working without a net. Having a mentor, coach, or support group can also be beneficial.

Working from home can be liberating and fruitful, but it can also be scary and stressful without positive guidance and support. With more and more women eschewing the boardroom for the converted bedroom, or closet for that matter, expect to see more big changes along the way as the female face of business continues to reinvent itself.

Some excellent sources, and just a few of many for tips, networking, and referrals, can be found in publications such as Crains, Women for Hire, and The New York Enterprise Report. You can also google websites for Downtown Women’s Club, Savvy Ladies, and Bernardo’s List.