We’ve all heard the horror stories. Many of us have experienced it personally. Getting excited about some fantastic home-based business that will make us millions…only to actually end up losing hundreds, (sometimes even thousands!), of dollars!

Yet there are countless numbers of people who have started businesses from home – and now make a very good living doing so! So the most important question of all becomes…

"How do you go about choosing the right home-based business?"

With so much information on the internet, (not to mention the fact that we all have at least 5 friends who are dying to give their input on the subject!), it can all seem slightly overwhelming, or just downright confusing. There are actually just 3 main things to consider when choosing a home-based business.

First things first…the product. (Or products). Keep in mind – excitement is contagious! Many a person has started a home-based business because a Sales Rep, or a company video made it all sound so exciting! As a rule of thumb – it’s best to start with the product and ask yourself a few key questions….

• Is the product something I currently have or use?

• Do most of the people I know have or use the product or service?

• Is the product priced so that customers can immediately see a huge value?

Asking these 3 questions about the product are extremely important. Too many times people end up trying to sell something that very few people want or use. A home-based business can only be successful if you are offering a product or service that is in demand.

Another thing people don’t consider, but has a huge impact on your home-based business success, is timing. The timing of the product and company is crucial. Now is probably not a good time to start a business selling cassette tapes! And the time for selling VHS tapes has probably passed too!

You get the point…

• Is the product or service you will be offering being replaced by something newer or better?

• How long has the company been around?

Though you want to be sure that the company is going to be around, choosing to work with a ground floor opportunity can mean big bucks for your home-based business! Microsoft stock is still valuable. But some of the original stockholders are millionaires now because of the timing!

You get the point…

Lastly, you have to look carefully at how you will make money.

Oddly, many people don’t pay this enough attention. How you will make money often determines if you will make money. There will always be promises of you being able to make a million dollars. So you want to consider…

• According to the compensation plan, how long should it take the average person to get their investment? (Notice I said, "the average person". Often times they only will answer about what the super-producers will do!)

• For the dollar amount that you want to make a month, exactly how much product or service needs to be sold each month?

• If you decide that you do want to make the big bucks, what does it take? (Is the compensation plan set up so that only the heavy hitters can make the heavy money?)

These questions need to be asked before you start to invest time and money. Asking these questions before you start can save you a lot of headaches.

Owning your own home-based business can be a fantastic thing. Time flexibility. Great tax benefits. The power of being your own boss. Just to name a few of the perks. It can also end in disaster if you aren’t careful, and make your decisions too hastily. Just remember that you can make it a success story taking your time. Asking the important questions before you start. And being sure that your decisions in starting a home-based business aren’t based solely on an exciting sales pitch.

Following these simple steps will go a long way toward ensuring your success!