In my experience, situations like your can't be resolved even if you bring in truckloads of case studies, research reports, etc. I suggest the following:

- Figure out (based on what you know of your boss) exactly what you think his concerns are about your move, then go into him with a highly detailed proposal that lists and responds to all those "what if" situations. Many people fail in requesting telecommuting because they simply REQUEST it, rather than PROPOSING it. The latter implies a thorough business plan.

- This seems like an obvious suggestion, but if he is concerned about your ability to supervise the five people in your current office from a distance, why don't you "simulate" that by working from home while you're still living there for, say, 2-3 days a week? Start off with only one day a week for maybe 2-3 weeks, then increase to 2-3 days. If you and he can't agree that you can't do it successfully while you're still there, it will be futile to even consider doing it from further away.

- Last, be creative about suggesting the various ways you will be able to supervise and be accessible to your staff from a distance. Your boss is probably thinking in terms only of your periodic on-site visits - but you need to show him how a coordinated use of real-time voice, voice mail,email, fax, conference calls, etc. all blend together to make you functional and accessible.