You need to figure out what you really love to do before you figure out which is the best home based business that is right for you. If you don’t love what you are doing, especially when you are working for yourself, then you are destined to fail. Having the best home based business can be a wonderful thing. It can give you time to live your life and take care of your family. You can be comfortable and work in your pajamas if you want. But you need to have passion and work long hours if this is going to be your only job. One of the problems with working at home is that you can easily lose your discipline and end up just watching television or eating all day. You need to be self motivated and have some structure to your day in order to succeed.One of the best home based business opportunities is creating websites or blog sites and doing the kind of things you need to do to get as many hits as possible. For most websites that means getting to the top of the search engines, especially Google. There are countless books and advice on how to go about putting up the sites. Most of these so-called advice sites are just scams to get you to pay money to sign up. When you get the actual booklet or video you purchased it does not give you all the info you need and you are led to buy more.This is an old scam and the master of it was Carleton Sheets with his real estate buying guides. Don’t get fooled and research different systems before you buy anything. You can definitely make money with blog sites but this is no get rich quick scheme. It will require many months of hard work before you see any money coming in. You can use Google AdSense in your SEO sites and eventually your PayPal account will grow and grow, but be ready to study and work.If you are a writer there are many sites that will pay you to write for them. Some of these sites pay well and some make you work way too hard to make a few bucks. Unfortunately you need to try different ones before you find out. With them you have to write the articles first and then hope someone pays for them. This is a tough way to proceed and it is too easy for people to rip off your writing and then just say it was theirs. If you do get a writing gig, make sure that they pay you for the work you produce. It does not have to be a lot of money, but it will add up over time and give you one of the best home based business incomes.

Before I got into the home-based business industry I weighed in heavily on the option of opening a franchise. I signed up for newsletters and got daily updates for franchise opportunities that were available. What I found was much like the home business industry, there are many, many opportunities to choose from. I knew it would be tough to decipher the good ones from the bad and spent a lot of time doing so. In the end, I came to the conclusion that none of them would be a good option for me and chose home business instead.Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking on franchises. There are plenty of success stories out there for that type of business, and for many it’s a great option. They just weren’t conducive to my goals and the lifestyle I wanted to live. I’m simply going to show the similarities and differences between home-based business and franchising to give a better understanding why home-based business can be a better option.The similarities between the two are abundant. They both offer an array of different opportunities to meet your budget guidelines. I’ve seen franchise options out there that require start up capital as low as $10,000. Some even offer in-house financing. With a home business you can start with an investment as low as $1000-$2000.They both offer a proven business model to help ensure your success. This includes things like training that are based off of what has worked, and hasn’t worked for others out there. With a franchise you can get in contact with other franchisees for advice on how to run your business more efficiently much like you can contact successful leaders in the home-based business industry.The biggest similarity of all is that they’re both going to require a lot of dedication and hard work. You can’t buy into a franchise and expected to make money the next day. The time and effort you put into it will ultimately dictate your success. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world and get rich quick just doesn’t exist. You have to be passionate about what you’re doing and do it every day to reach your goals. Both of these businesses have a failure rate that can be caused by a number of things. It could be because of a bad business model, or someone just didn’t work hard enough for it to be successful.Though some of the similarities we mentioned may sound great, it’s the differences that can make you second guess whether or not franchising is the path you want to take. With franchises you have a lot of overhead and operating costs. You’re going to have to pay rent for the space you lease, on top of additional things like electric, water, and sewer.In most cases you’re going to need to have employees and the payroll that goes along with them. You’ll have to go through the trouble of finding people you can trust. You want to make sure they aren’t people who will steal from you. If you don’t want to be there all the time you’re going need to hire a store manager on top of that.There’ll also be things like equipment or inventory that will be required to operate successfully. Not to mention the franchise and royalty fees that have to be paid in order for you to stay a franchise and use the franchise name. Normally this is a hefty flat fee and a percentage of sales. Add that to the money you spent to buy into the franchise and you can see how quickly your costs can rise. For a more popular franchise you’re going to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars and be required to have a set amount of cash and assets to even be considered.It could be years before you ever even turn a profit and you’re going to have to work 60 to 80 hours a week. Even when you do turn a profit it could be a very small margin. All of those long hours you put in could be for very little pay.With a home-based business you eliminate all those variables. You have a low start up cost and can work at a pace that best suits your current situation. Like me, most people got started while they still had jobs. There are no additional overhead costs other than what you already have at home and there’s no need to hire any employees. You won’t have to worry about traveling to a brick-and-mortar store every day or what you’ll do if you find the time to go on vacation. With a home-based business you can work wherever you have Internet access.You won’t have to pay any franchise fees and you can turn a profit much quicker. Your profits will be higher and you won’t have to work those 60 to 80 hours a week. The differences are tremendous and the risk is much, much lower.With that said, it’s important to do your research. As we’ve outlined here it’s easy to see why starting a home-based business can be a much better option. I’m not saying franchising is a bad thing. If you’re thinking about opening a store make sure you’re ready for the challenge that lies ahead. The same goes for home business to. Remember to weigh the pros and cons and get educated. Making an informed decision and working hard will add to your success.

You are not alone if you are currently between jobs or working at a job that just isn’t bringing in the money that you need to really live, rather than just exist. As the saying goes; “I’ve been there and done that.” No fun… and it shouldn’t be.

Do you go to bed wondering; when are things going to change? “When am I going to see the “light” at the end of the tunnel?” “What am I going to do?”

Being between jobs is a job with lots of over-time. You have to spend every waking minute thinking, planning, and pursuing your next job. The “shotgun” approach really isn’t the smartest way to go. By that, I mean, going out there and willing to take just anything. Employers can sense that.

If you were an employer and you had a pile of application forms sitting on your desk, would you be more interested in meeting with and interviewing someone who seems focused on what they want, or somebody who seems desperate?

If you’re going to look for work, spend your time and energy on job openings that you have an interest in and really could see yourself digging in and spending a decade or two with the company. It’s even better if you decide which kind of work you would like to be doing and only approach companies in that field.

Here’s a tip; if you’re in the interview and the interviewer gives you one of those; “I’m sorry, but there are other candidates for the position that seem more suited and experienced,” ask, “Who do you know that could use my skills, aptitude, and positive attitude in this industry?” Do not ask, “Do you know someone who could…”

The first is an open-ended question where they will have to give you some sort of an answer. The second question can just be swatted away with a “NO.”

You can’t sleep until noon and stay up all night watching TV. Every waking moment, and I’m talking about 14 to 16 hours a day pounding the pavement, knocking on doors, and getting a little rejection thrown in your face. So many people just send a resume’ out in response to a classified advertisement and then sit back and wait. That’s a waste of time. Let the people that you are competing with wait for the phone to ring; YOU have to MAKE the phone ring, or your ears ring with a loud “YES, we can use you” from an employer you approached.

As far as underemployed goes; I revert back to a saying that I truly believe in and follow to this day; You can sell your time, but you can’t buy it back. You have to get top dollar for everything that you do.

Remember, you’re not paid for the week, or the hour. You are paid for what YOU put into every hour of that week. If you want more money for your labor or brain power, you have to offer more to your employer.

Asking for a raise… is really nonsense. Making yourself more valuable with new skills, management techniques, and communication abilities will be quicker to be rewarded. The days of working for 30 or 40 years for a company and then retiring are past. You have to take care of you (and your family and loved ones).

If you feel you are underemployed, or under appreciated… do a little probing. Talk to the competition, find out if there’s a greener pasture that you should be grazing (working) in.

Another approach, and it’s the basis for this article, is beginning a home based business. Kitchen tables are magical. The successful clothing company ESPIRIT was started by two women on a kitchen table. Two women that knew they wanted to start a business and just sat down (at the kitchen table) and began tossing some ideas around.

Some pointers on a home based business; Really do some “soul searching” and by that I mean, really think about what kind of business you would like to have. Don’t be afraid of the unknown.

You may want to start your own import business, but you know nothing about importing. There are plenty of sources to help you understand it. I began manufacturing items in Asia and importing them to the United States, because it’s something that I just wanted to do… and I began, and I still do it.

Decide if you want a tangible or intangible business. In other words, do you want to make your garage a warehouse and fill it up with stuff and then sell that stuff, or do you want an intangible item or items. Things like an eBook, tutoring, and down loadable software would be examples of intangible items.

Working from home can be great (I’ll warn you that the refrigerator calls often), but working from home can have its limitations, especially if you are raising a growing family. Sometimes concentration is a little tricky, but since you work from home, you can get all the peace and quiet you need after every one has gone off to bed.

Your hours are your own and you can tailor them to your lifestyle. Work a few hours in the morning and then take a break and go to the market. Work a few hours more and tend to the children after school.

Rather than watching useless television, surf the web for new products, product ideas, or information that will help you be more successful.

Just because you begin a home based business, does not mean you can sit around and do nothing. Since you don’t have a commute of anymore than about 3 minutes from your bedroom to the kitchen table, you still have to go to work. But, without the stress of driving on a congested highway and being cut off by some knucklehead. Less stress translates to more productive time on your business.

The absolute greatest thing about a home based business is that you can begin right now, immediately, with a pad of paper and a pencil. Just start writing down things that you can offer from home. (Hint; the internet offers so many possibilities)

See how easy it is to begin. What are you spending your time on right now? If your response is, “looking for a job.” You’ve missed my point. Who says that you only have to do one thing at a time?

Dedicate, and I do mean dedicate, ten hours a day to REALLY looking for a job and another two, three, four hours a day developing your home based business. You’ll never find what you want until you start looking.

In looking for a job, you may come up with an idea for a home based business or vice-versa. It’s easy to begin, but a little harder to keep following through.

Don’t expect to come up with the perfect home based business in thirty seconds; although it could happen. You won’t find it, if you don’t look for it. Wishing doesn’t work, I’ve tried that.

Once you start thinking about a home based business to start, your thoughts will begin to move in that direction. What if? What about? What if I? What if we were to? They all start popping up.

It’s a digital world and trying to make a second income making wooden wagons is a bit laborious. It’s easier to rev up the computer and look for something easy to sell or market to begin with.

If you don’t have a computer don’t worry. Ask a friend, neighbor, or relative for some time on theirs. Computer coffee shops are very common… there’s always the library. More and more libraries have computers for public use.

What I’m saying is; quit putting up obstacles. Tell yourself, better yet, really promise yourself, that you are going to begin a home based business either in conjunction with looking for a new job, or after you come home from your under–paying, appreciated, mundane, useless, boring, and dead end job.

If you are reading this article; you are probably reading it off of a computer screen… some of you might be reading a print out from a friend to help you think about starting a home based business. Which ever the case may be, it all begins with you looking.

It’s, and I can’t emphasize this enough, important that you keep your cards close to your vest. In other words, I wouldn’t announce to the world that you’re going to start a home based business until your home based business is up and running.

People really don’t favor those that are out-shining them… a little thing called jealousy creeps into the equation. You tell someone you’re going to start a home based business and they’ll probably tell you how you can’t do it, it won’t work, and you’re wasting your time… and this is usually before you get a chance to tell them which type of home based business that you are going to start.

Under-achievers always know everything, but it’s funny how they never get anywhere with all that knowledge. Have you ever wondered about that? Protect your goals and ideas like they are the family jewels. If you think about it, they are, because they are what is going to turn your life in a new direction.

It boils down to just a few things; If you go about looking for a job with a lazy, half-trying, waiting for the phone to ring attitude… I hope you like eating tuna fish. If you begin thinking about a home based business to start only five or ten minutes a day, you’re just blowing smoke and wasting your time.

Serious time and effort produces serious results. Once you and everyone around you knows that you are serious, serious and wonderful things will begin to happen for you.

Poor credit is no barrier to small business owners wishing to obtain business finance. When a small business owner plans to expand business and finds that he has already used up available sources of funding and getting additional finance through regular sources may be too time-consuming, then finance from “non-conventional” sources may be a better option.

What would be the requirements for a business owner to obtain small business finance?

A running business

Startups are precluded from obtaining this type of finance on soft terms. In order to be eligible, a business must be in operation for at least a year.

A minimum amount of sales per month

Someone who has started the business recently and is generating revenues of less than $ 10000 by way of credit card sales may not be eligible for small business funding unless the case is assessed and considered on other grounds such as a potential for growth that the owner can justify and support.

Documentary proofs

Small businesses are usually proprietary types. A business owner, even one with poor credit, should not hesitate to obtain small business capital even if it means paying a higher interest amount because it can help him get back on track to fast growth. The documentation is minimal. He needs to submit proof of ownership. The other documents he must provide are bank statements for the previous six months, proof of identity and proof of residence.

An applicant may wish to get small business finance within 3 to 5 days for which he should apply online and keep ready scanned copies of the above-mentioned documents. These may be uploaded along with the preliminary application. Should the application be approved he may be required to furnish printed copies.

What is not required for the small business loan?

• An applicant need not have a stellar credit history.
• He may not have to furnish collateral or mortgage property.
• He may not have to furnish a guarantor.

It is fast. It is easy. However, there are a few things to keep in mind. An applicant must consider the factor rate applied. This is a fancy term for rate of interest though it is not specifically so mentioned. Repayment may range from 3 months to even as long as 36 months and it is tied to the credit card sales as a percentage of daily turnover or a fixed monthly amount. Should sales be high repayment is completed in a shorter time. In real terms, an applicant may end up paying processing charges plus interest that can be as high as 50% because the loan is unsecured. The best thing to do is to examine the offer and obtain such funds only from a lender who does not charge anything upfront, no processing charges and applies a moderate interest rate.