We live in a different age. Entrepreneurs abound on the web and some know very little about business. And what about the people who are good at business in the traditional sense but know very little about technical stuff on the internet. There is a pathway to success but there are realities and options we have to consider.

The internet entrepreneur needs help? There is a road to financial success.

Many people want to own their own home based business. But, there are so many different ones and how do we know for sure which ones are right for us?

Most people want to be paid directly for sales. If this is the case the site should be pre-configured for direct payments. It should be turnkey and if possible have some form of recurring payments as part of your offer. It would be nice to have full marketing and infrastructure support, but you can outsource much of this for a small fee.

You must approach the potential business with caution. I have been scammed more than once and it is painful, especially when there is nothing you can do about it. It is not like you can run around the block and grab the crook. If you lose your money the chances of getting it back are extremely SLIM.

What do you look for when starting your own work at home business? We must have a basic list of things that ensure we are on the right track. Here are a few suggestions:

SUBSCRIPTION BASED SELLING IS GOOD - With so many scams out there, one thing to look for is a revenue source that builds. This makes sure you do not have to start from scratch every month. Each month you retain a membership of paying customers and build on this the next month. This allows the income to build nicely.

WHAT PRODUCT will you be offering to customers? Is it something

most people need? Try to put yourself in the customer's position. If you would not find it necessary, would others keep paying for the product or service? Is it digital? If not, what problems are there with shipping? You must spend a lot of time thinking deeply about your product. There are millions of products getting offered daily. There are many ideas out there. Try and make your product unique in some way.

OUTLAY - How much does it cost to join this opportunity, and is it an ongoing cost? How long will it be before your costs are matched by revenue received? Many people outlay a fee and don't start making revenue, and then face another monthly fee. How does the compensation plan work? How long does it take before I at least break even? You MUST address these issues up front before wasting time and money.

MARKETING - It is not enough to find a company with a product or an opportunity that you really like. You must learn how to market it properly. You must also weigh up the pros and cons of doing things yourself, or getting professional help. You can literally waste months trying to accomplish what sometimes can be done properly by a professional for a reasonable fee.If you search thoroughly enough you can generally find a solution to almost any marketing need. But the internet is very fickle. You may get carried away with your own idea only to find a similar or better one on the next website.

PERSISTENCE- Some people think that because of the nature of the internet, results can be instantaneous. In fact that is what many businesses promise. The truth is there is no short-cut to long term wealth. It takes a lot of patience and putting in the long hours. But if it's the right opportunity for you and you believe in it, the success will come. But you must be prepared to put in many many hours researching, searching the web, comparing offerings and relearning.

COMMUNICATION- Can you get in contact with other successful members in the business? Business forums are a special place to communicate with others, as well as marketing and team building calls. Are they real people? Can you chat or email them? Can you trust them? Chat rooms, blogs and message boards are also useful, but you must look for credibility. But in general there are people out there willing to help you with almost anything. In fact I have become friends with people who have given me hours of their own free time. You only have to be humble, appreciate what others are doing and you will get help.

INFRASTRUCTURE- Many new entrepreneurs have no idea what kind of infrastructure is required for developing a long term business. You should not underestimate the power of using other marketers for help. You could spend years just going from one marketing site to another. You must allow your marketing strategies to build on each other. What is the purpose of blogs, article marketing, directory submissions, classifieds or banners? How do they fit together and build off each other? And how can I track results?

The main thing is to take your time and look at all the above factors before coming up with your plan. And take heart, there ARE many real people making money out there.