'Iron Discipline' and Other Tools Needed to Start Home Business

Mario Sarafraz, who was featured in FOXBusiness.com’s Small Office Home Office profile series, travels the world for work – from Botswana, to France, Prague and Tanzania – promoting clients of The Luxury Group.

As executive vice president of global operations & managing partner, Sarafraz certainly racks up the miles traveling for his job in the luxury hospitality business, but when he’s at either of his homes in California or France, he’s conducting all of his business from a desk in his living room. This career track started for Sarafraz after 12 years in an America corporate environment; he said by then knew he didn’t want to spend his life 9-to-5 in a cubicle with two weeks’ vacation a year.

“I set out to start a business operating in the industry that I loved and knew about as a result of my extensive world travels,” said Sarafraz.

When Sarafraz isn’t working from home, he’s working in cities throughout the world, utilizing tools like WiFi on his iPhone to stay connected. Although his job can require a lot of travel, Sarafraz said he “wouldn’t change it for the world – this is where I belong.”

Here are his tips for people trying to make their home-based career successful, particularly if they want to get in the hospitality business.

No. 1: If you are considering working from home, you must have the discipline to be focused on your work and not get distracted by TV or others thing that can steal your attention.“Iron discipline is a must,” he said.

No. 2: Be prepared to work long and odd hours if looking to enter the hospitality industry, particularly if you’re looking to go global.

No. 3: Be comfortable with the idea that you may not receive a steady paycheck.

“This is not for people who expect a paycheck on time every two weeks and paid vacations,” Sarafraz said. “It’s for those who value the enormous rewards of working all hours and basically doing what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, in exchange for not taking orders from anyone or having to answer to anyone. And if you love the industry you are in, then it won't even feel like work.”