I was having a particularly stressful holiday retail week over the course of which I had pulled two all-nighters while frantically trying to ship all my items out on time for Christmas. I was working close to 20 hours a day and had stressed myself sick but couldn’t take time off to get better because you don’t get sick days when you run your own business. If I don’t work I don’t make money. Period. I was burnt out, over-tired and with half my mind still on the business when we arrived at my in-laws for the holidays. I was forcing my eyes open as I listened to my husband tell his grandfather that he had the holiday week off.

Working at home (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“That’s good they gave you the time off,” his grandfather said. He then turned to me and said, “Of course, every day is a day off for Hillary.” Considering how long it had been since I had a day off, this comment did not go over well.

There is a certain stigma associated with working from home that seems to come directly from that perception of working from home being a relaxing vacation. You will be working hard to build a company and even those closest to you picture you sitting around doing nothing.