Almost everyone would love to work from home and make lots of money doing almost nothing.
However, unless you are very, very lucky, you probably won't find an opportunity like that.
Most serious home businesses require hard work in order to succeed.
Is it worth it? The people who work from home in their pajamas say it absolutely is.
Here are some things to bear in mind when considering a home based business opportunity.
Is the business ethical? This will take care of a lot of the scams out there.
Basically, you want a business where people are interested in helping others succeed.
If a company is following "the golden rule", there is a good chance that it is a legit, successful venture.
The leadership in the establishment should have a history of success in their industry.
Why would you want to take the risk of joining an enterprise that doesn't have a history of success? What is the public opinion of the home business? This can be a tricky one, since there are some legitimate opportunities that have bad reputations, but for the most part, public opinion can help you discern a good company from one that will take advantage of you.
It usually doesn't take a lot of time to discover what the people think and it might make a difference in your decision.
How is the business structured? Many opportunities thrive off of a pyramid structure that makes it virtually impossible for newcomers to succeed.
If you lose a substantial portion of your profits to commissions for the person who recruited you, the venture will probably never be lucrative for you.
Affiliate marketing can sometimes be structured so that it is impossible for you to gain off of repeat customers, since you lose them to the direct marketing of the company.
Along with the structure of the company comes questions about the system; does the business have an established system for you to follow? Is there someone available to answer your questions and help you until you are proficient? If the company has someone who will take an interest in your success not only will that motivate you on days when you don't feel like working, it will also give you a huge head start into becoming profitable.
Another quality to keep in mind is the initial cost of starting a new home business.
Are you required to keep an inventory? Is the product something relevant and useful for today's market? Will the income you make be a constant stream or will it be erratic? The answers to these questions will obviously be dependent on your specific situation, but keep in mind a company that requires you to keep an inventory will probably not help you liquidate your remaining inventory if you decide to quit the business.
While there are many legitimate and successful serious home business opportunities to be had, there are just as many scams offered.
By being informed about the specifics of a possibility and "looking before you leap", anyone can find the right prospect for their situation and start working at home in their pajamas.