While some bootstrap entrepreneurs like Robert Dobrient and Aurora Pucciarello have gone to great lengths to create the impression of a professional business address (read their story at Inc.com), the move toward working at home, especially for a bootstrap start-up, is undeniable.

According to Erica Orloff and Kathy Levinson authors of The Sixty-Second Commute: A Guide to Your 24/7 Home Office Work Life, more than 60 million Americans already work at home, and in September 2000 the BBC reported that by 2020 one quarter of the UK's workforce would be home based.

In fact, fellow Creative Weblogger Noel Bautista and home-based entrepreneur Tony D. Clark even edit blogs completely dedicated to the subject.

For the bootstrap entrepreneur, the advantages of working from home are obvious including lower costs and lower initial start-up investment.

Here are my own "Five tips when starting a business at home", and some comments from readers left on previous posts:

Venture Capitalist James L. Chen at PureVC notes:

Most people starting a new business tend to think that they should "appear" larger than they are - Renting an office space, getting a mailbox address, hiring someone to answer the phone, having a jazzy website. I tell all entrepreneurs the same thing - do not waste your time and money appearing larger than you are. We will find out what is behind the smoke and mirrors no matter what. We actually favor entrepreneurs who don't have an office, only use their cell phone, and outsource or hire sparingly. This is for several reason - the most important being that a good entrepreneur knows that what matters the most is the real business, not the appearance of the business. If you look at Ebay as an example, you will see one of the most well run and profitable web companies with perhaps the ugliest and most horrible looking website! Functionality is sufficient and they are smart not to mess with a good thing. Another simple reason why we look for these types of entrepreneurs is that when it comes to selling your business, your acquirer will take a close look at your debts and future obligations. No lease? No full time employees? No contracts? All great things that will make the transaction occur very quickly.

Matthew Brown of GloballyLocal.com says:

Working from home - is there any other way. My "office" is a titchy bit of space at the end of the bedroom where the PC "lives".

And BJ at "Adventures in Net Marketing" adds:

There are also the significant tax advantages once you do start getting income coming in. I started out in a home office more than ten years ago, and I've never looked back since!