You've finally decided that you're tired of enriching someone else, but you're unsure how to start. What do you look for in a home business or an online business? How do you know you won't be scammed? Where do you start?

Where to Start

This is easier than it sounds! You need to sit down, and think about your strengths and weaknesses, making an honest evaluation of yourself. Write these down on a piece of paper or on your computer. Are you a good salesperson? Do you work well with people? Would you want to do all the work yourself, or have employees to manage? Are you good with money? What kind of skills do you have? After you've had some time to sit down and really think about it, it's time to move on to the next step.

Picking the Right Home Business for you

After you've evaluated all of your weaknesses and strengths, it's time to choose your business! For example purposes, we're going to just say you're selling things. But, how do you know a business is any good? The following things are what you should look for:

Great Products and Services

No matter how much money you sink into a business, if the product or service you're selling aren't useful, interesting, or great, you aren't going to make money. Think about the product or service offered, and ask yourself, would I buy this? Would I pay X amount of money for this? If no, keep looking. If yes, great! Time to move onto the next step!

Great Training and Support For New Business Owners

Even if you have a great product, if you don't know everything about it, you won't be able to sell it. When weighing the pros and cons of a business opportunity, take into account what kind of training and support the company will offer you. Do they have online seminars that will teach you about the products or services you'll be offering? Can you reach a trainer daily for help if you need it? If so, these are signs of a reputable business, and it's time for the next step.

Regular Payments

This is very important! How often does the company you're operating through pay you? Weekly, bi-monthly and monthly payments are a must when you're handling products and services. If you can't find this information on their website, it's a bad sign. Google the company with keywords like "scam" or "payment problems" and see if you can find anything out. Don't be afraid to research and opportunity! If the payments are infrequent or don't occur monthly, don't bother with them. Remember, you have to cover your overhead and costs, and those costs are monthly! If they do pay frequently, this is another great sign, so continue on to the next step.

Business Track Record

Check out your opportunity on google, see how long they've been around. Search for them on Ripoffreports and the BBB website, see if they have complaints from operators or consumers. You want to sign on with someone who is going to help you succeed, and the best measure of that is their own success and reputation. You want to sign on with a business that has been around for longer than a few years, and the longer the better. The old adage "getting in at the ground floor" doesn't apply to home businesses and online businesses, so ignore the hype!

Trust Your Gut and Start Small

If you have a feeling something is not right with the opportunity, trust your instincts. If you think you might not be up to the task with a certain business, it's alright. Don't let salespeople pressure you into getting into something you're not ready for. Try to start small, build up money from your first venture and invest it into your second, and so forth. Success doesn't happen overnight!