"Homebased business"used to bring to mind images of ladies sewing up casserole dish cozies while their kids were at preschool. Now, wiith estimates of the number of homebased businesses in America reaching 38 million, that image has to go.

Entrepreneur magazine claims that American homebased businesses generate $427 million in revenues each year -- an average of $63,000 per year for each home business that generates revenue, according to IDC.

Not only are the numbers significant, but most homebased businesses are successful, too. 70% of new homebased businesses are still around after three years, while only 29% ofother kinds of startups survive that long.

There are plenty more numbers where those came form, but they don't change the fact that many people are still imagining that lady making casserole cozies when they think of home businesses. That means that some will expect to pay less for services from someone working at home, will be more casual about paying at all, or may in other ways offer homebased workers less professional respect.

How can you avoid having your clients think of you as some nice guy who does a little work on the side? Make sure that your homebased business looks professional.

• If you don't have an office, then your website can be your place of business. Make sure it's a professional web site.  
• Your email address needs to be a professional one, too, with an @yourbusiness.com address rather than @aol.com or @gmail.com.
• You can use your home phone number or a cell phone -- just try to avoid having lots of homelike background noises (childrem TV, dogs) when you answer it.
• Use a professional ebilling system like SmartPay to send invoices, rather than typing something up or writing it by hand. SmartPay gives you a customized secure portal for a very professional look.
  
• Keep office hours -- or look as though you do. You can work when you please, but answer your phone and schedule meetings only during regular working hours for your industry. If you can't answer your phone during normal working hours, make sure you have a professional-sounding message on your voicemail.
  
• Don't expect clients to accept excuses about childcare, exams, or other personal issues. Even if they don't mind, it reinforces the idea that you're just working in your spare time.
• Pay attention to packaging, advertising, and other elements of your brand -- a consistent look shows that you're serious about your business.
  

Even if being homebased is part of your brand identity,use a consistent look in your website, payment portal, business card, and advertising to convey your professionalism. "Fresh from the Farm Kitchen!" or "Your Mobile Mechanic: Our Low Overhead Means You Pay Less!" are great business messages, but "I do this in my free time for fun, so I don't really care if you cancel appointments with me" is not.