For Owen Jones, running a home-based property management business means juggling the roles of marketer, webmaster, bookkeeper, handyman, rental agent, gardener, and sometimes even graphic designer. But his most challenging trick is walking that fine line between being at work and being at home.

Owen launched Dreamcatcher Properties of Idaho, LLC just over two years ago and loves it. “I like being the one who makes the decisions,” he explains, “knowing that whether I fail or succeed is completely up to me.”

Working 16-hour days in the corporate world taught Owen that life should be about more than making money. That’s why his definition of success or failure goes beyond the bottom line. “Balance is more important to me now than profit, so I’m intentionally growing the business at the right speed to provide great service and still have a personal life.”

Keeping Overhead Low

Like many of us, Owen works from home to keep costs down. He has also found creative ways to leverage what he’s good at and likes doing. Thanks to job experience as a bookkeeper and proficiency with QuickBooks, accounting is no stretch for Owen. He even enjoys it, saying, “For me, the complexity of the accounting is what makes it fun.”

Years in computer programming gave Owen the expertise to build, design, and populate his own website. He even owns his own server. Being both host and webmaster enables him to keep his website current without paying for tech support or a web developer. And because of his skill with the Linux operating system, he can use free, open-source software instead of having to invest in pricey applications.

When it comes to hardware, Owen looks for opportunities to buy used equipment, especially from companies going out of business. That’s how he scored bargains on two Internet-based phones, as well as a high-end HP all-in-one printer.

Investing Now for Payoffs Later

Despite being such a do-it-yourselfer, Owen is willing to spend money where it counts. He’s convinced that hiring a professional accountant to prepare his tax returns is an absolute life saver. “My accountant finds deductions I never would’ve known about and saves me money, stress, and headaches,” he explains.

He advises other small business owners to, “keep track of everything you do that can – legally, of course – be funneled through the business. You can’t be lazy and say, ‘it’s no big deal, it’s too much work to track that’ or you’ll miss some great opportunities.”

Making the Leap

Even though Owen has always wanted to work for himself, he didn’t initially set out to be a property manager. While in his early twenties, he and some friends tried launching a computer consulting business, but soon realized that there was more to it than they were ready for. “That was scary,” he admits. “We found out pretty quickly that we really didn’t know what we were doing.”