It is imperative you instigate some type of investigation regarding licensing in the area you wish to operate your business and obtain information from your Secretary of State, county clerk and occupational licenses department in your area. You will be guided through the proper channels and paperwork, usually a kit is given to the person operating the business, all that is needed is to follow all instructions properly.

As a sole proprietor you'll need to be aware in the event of a lawsuit, damages could possibly be brought against your personal assets, so it is wise to make smart plans from the very beginning.  The hugh disadvantage is that you are the only one running your business and you alone who holds unlimited liability and total responsibility.

The advantage of a sole proprietorship is you are in complete control of your business which enabling you complete freedom from government regulations and taxes.

Sole proprietorships don't file income tax returns, you are responsible for paying personal income taxes on all profits made and required to pay self-employment tax in addition to income taxes.

The next step is finding a suitable name for your business. What name can you possibly come up with that totally describes your business, makes you unique and stand out from all the rest?

You will also need to find a suitable name for your website, something that is quite easy to remember, but remember to make it unique and not close to another well known business on the internet.

Once you finally decide upon a name, you'll want to have it trademarked from the U.S. Patent And Trademark Office, providing you with protection against others from using your name.

These companies do exist and are not always on the main networks or the first result page of your browser search. These legal and honest working employers are in business profiles, merchant networks, directories, and by word of mouth. Depending on the company, the employer will integrate a combination of Virtual formatting with traditional Human Resource requirements. This process takes time but is spreading like lightening and fire. On an international level, the financial situation is becoming more obvious by the month and daily news. We are indeed in a time of recession and low income periods. Many ads, news, and online articles will suggest we are losing our Middle and Working Class in today's society. Imagine on your day off or down time; sitting in a state of shock, anger, or frustration to see your favorite bookstore, coffee shop, banks, restaurants, or department store enter foreclosure, loss of customers, final sales, and at time bankruptcy.

The signs are revealing themselves in many ways; that we need to desperately remain optimistic. The dream job of working online, saving gas money, controlling your work schedule, having shift independence, while remaining an executive; is more real than ever before. The concept may appear to be a scam or fake due to computer hackers, common thieves, and evil geniuses become smarter than we are. We have to be on alert and just as hard working. If you cannot find a Virtual Company to hire you, I suggest you start your own. Starting a Business can take three to five years, but is very worth it. Join the Path of Pioneering Companies being Virtual, Successful, and earning a good reputation for themselves. Good Luck in your New Job Hunt or Home Based Businesses.

Most programs that you join do have some type of start up cost. However, the good ones offer you a guarantee. So in my research I am going to give you some insight to what some major business articles state on working from home. Then I am going to give you my thoughts, and you can make your own decision. I did some research on home based business. I read articles from the top business magazines and sites. Here are some of my findings.

Dr. Richard Stera Chairmen of Site Review Authority.org wrote an informative article call, "Major Internet Fraud Investigation Reveals Shocking Truth You Must Know Before Choosing a Work At Home Program..." He tested these programs based on 5 points:

1. Return on Investments
2. Money Making Potential
3. Ease of Use and Implementation
4. Privacy Protection
5. Customer Service

He found out that 81.6% of the programs were scams. This is something we should keep in mind. He also found the 18.4% were legitimate. Now he tested over 100 programs. This should let you know the process is slow and time consuming. However the ones that he found that were legitimate did offer a good income. He did list 3 programs in his article that he recommended, however there was a cost to pay for the programs.

Business Weekly printed an article "Professionally Reviewed and Tested Money Making Programs That Work!" They found programs by testing them with their staff. There were a few that did work in a short amount of time and provided a nice income. These programs also charged a fee, yet they did work. They also listed the ones they recommended the most. If you read Forbes 400 they will give you ways and tips to start your own business. They offer articles from starting a franchise, help on starting a home business, and lists of businesses you can start from home.

Be Persistent!!! Don't expect to get rich overnight. This will take time. I don't recommend this if you are in desperate need of money, or don't have the extra money to spend. Home based business can be profitable with time and work. Remember you are doing this for you, so take your time. Don't get frustrated and give up.

Find your niche!! Everybody can do something. Learn how to make money doing it. Find the pros and cons to the business. You will probably fail at first. That is a part of the process. Don't beat yourself up about it. It is not a failure if you try it again. It is only a small part of the world that is successful on their first attempt. It was just a lesson learned. Move on, you can do this!

These were all from articles written this year in 2008. I could tell by the number of articles, the home based businesses are in demand. Due to life, I mean, children, layoffs, illness, etc., people are needing a way to make money from their home. You can be success at building a business at home. Start small and take your time.

Test Your Market

Just because you think that selling Muskrat furs is a profitable business and is mentioned in newspapers, blogs, t.v. etc. as the hottest trend, doesn't mean that this is right for you. Test your market first to see if there is a genuine demand and be the supplier.

Research, Research, Research

Company Z or business opportunity Y may sound like a cash cow. Be careful that you don't end up with regretting spending large amount of capital. Take a lesson from CSI or NCIS television here. Research the company/business opportunity thoroughly and leave nothing unturned (email the company for info, interview those who are already in the business, look at the company's background, etc.)

Count The Cost

Maybe you were fed up with the way the boss had treated you at work and you beat your chest and shrilled, “Enough is enough!” By George, you are going to follow your dream of being a Muskrat fur salesman on eBay or your own website! Whoa there, Tonto. You need to consider how much capital you will need to start your venture and also how much time you will spend to build the business.

Go Long

While goal setting is important, a business plan is even more essential. Have a solid foundational business plan in place so that you can be aware of where you going and where you are at. There is real truth in the saying, “If you aim at nothing, you are sure to hit it.”

Think Big

Being a Muskrat fur salesman (hey, the title is catchy, o.k.!) may have its ups and downs yet do not allow negativity to weight you down. Dare to dream big and bold because you are not getting any younger. Fortune favors the bold.

Crush Obstacles

Don't leave any room for self-pity, negativity, naysayers, or other small-minded Lilliputians stop you from pursuing your dreams. Stay upbeat, positive, and get a strong Mastermind group (individuals of like minded associates who want the best for you and challenge you to be more) to help you lift you from the impossible to the possible.

Do What You Love

If you truly enjoy selling Muskrat furs (I can't resist!), then follow this avenue and see where God can take you. You can probably find a business op or start your own business …as the old adage goes “If you do what you love, the money will follow.”

#1 Assess Your Strengths

Are you a good writer? Practice and be the best writer you can be. If you enjoy kayaking, perhaps you can pitch a story to an outdoor publication. Maybe you are a civil engineer with an interest in green construction practices. Have a knack with computers? A repair service just might put a little more jingle in your pockets. The possibilities are endless - closet organization, auto detailing, business consulting, photographing special events, tailoring - ask a close friend or family member if you are struggling to find your niche.

#2 Determine Who Will Buy What You Are Selling

When Ami Moore, a Chicago Dog Trainer, started Doggie Do Right to coach dogs and pet parents to live together harmoniously, she networked endlessly. “I partnered with veterinarians, gave advice to pet parents of rehomed dogs and looked for opportunities to promote my business in online communities.” Her plan worked. In 2005, she hit six figures. Ami did several things right that you can do to home in on your target buyers. She turned to bona fide plugged in communities and turned them into referral sources to minimize her advertising costs.

#3 Evaluate The Competition

If you want to offer a scrapbooking tutorial and there are five scrapbooking stores offering lesson within a five block radius of you, find a different angle. Maybe you can specialize in a type of book or paper, or you've developed a technique none of your competitors use. Instead of a run of the mill cleaning service, use only all-natural products. The bonus is by positioning yourself as an expert, above all the fray, the perceived value of your services is greater… which means you can charge more.

#4 Pricing

Ami Moore chuckles when she recounts one of her former competitors. “He hung advertisements on doorknobs, wallpapered the community with fliers and had no takers. He reduced his prices and even offered free lessons. When he finally landed a paying dog training client, he was losing money.” Turns out the value of his service wasn't at issue - he was focusing on a planned community that banned dogs. Think about where you are looking for clients and what the marketplace is. Lawyers may have more room to pay $100 for advertising design than a trucking firm. While you build up your business, don't be afraid to be flexible on your pricing strategy.

#5 Promote Yourself

Networking is key, as illustrated by Ami Moore's success. But you need materials you can leave behind with prospects. Ami always carried an extra leash with her website imprinted on it to send home with someone who forgot one, had one too short for the park, or maybe the dog escaped the off-leash area. She had professionally printed business cards and brochures. As the revenue rolled in, she upgraded her dogdoright website and hired a publicist, which she thinks gave her better results than constantly advertising. Promotional items can be excellent if they are relevant to your target audience.

#6 Get Business Help

Most communities have a small business resource center funded by the local government, the SBA, or the Chamber of Commerce. These are all free services, or available for a nominal fee. You also gain access to SCORE, which are retired executives who may have expertise in your field. Why pay thousands in consulting fees if those same services are available at no cost? Invest $1,000 or so with an accountant to set up your books properly if you've never done it before. You will pick up a wealth of information from your consultation, and ensure you are on the right path.

Start your venture part time if you have steady income already. If it starts to take off, evaluate the pros and cons of doing it full-time. Will your gas savings, for instance, offset your loss of a 401k match from your job? Where will your health insurance come from? Once you make your decision to start your home-based business, don't be afraid to follow your dreams!

• Yellowpages
• Konnects
• Kudzu
• Free Press Release
• Salespider

All of these have free options and some upgraded options to get more notoriety. These are easy on the wallet and have great results whether you pay anything or not. The more you are listed in databases, the more people get to know you and want to use your services. Also, it increases the chances for people to Google your company name. The top reasons to implement these Web sites now are as follows:

1. Get known faster than in traditional ads;
2. Save time and money by having a consistent image online;
3. Creates a better opportunity to network while getting new customers simultaneously;
4. Not everyone is using these places as their main advertising avenues yet, so you can be ahead of the curve;
5. It is free and you have control

When doing the press release take a look at free resources that offer guidance. For example, use this. It has samples and is another place to use that is a paid program once you are ready to get more exposure. Joining is free, but the least expensive option is around $40.00 to distribute the press release. The other four include social networking with ad placing opportunities. However, the Yellow Pages ad is strictly a plain listing and it does not include the print version, but most people use the Internet these days anyway. Therefore, try these simple ways of creating a successful e-marketing strategy that home based businesses can use to get the same share of business notoriety as the traditional brick and mortar business.

The pros in starting a home based business is the added financial security it can create done in a full time or part time basis. For instance, a hobby could be easily turned into a money making opportunity. This flexibility can allow other tasks to be completed, like laundry in the home. Additionally, this can save in daycare, eating out lunch expenses, gas, and of course limit road range. Sometimes, the benefits outweigh any possible cons due to the ability to work one's passion. The tax benefits to those using their homes can add up as well. For example, the part of your home that is used for business exclusively can be deducted on taxes. In sum, there are financial benefits that a traditional employee does not qualify for. Entrepreneurship allows for more tax refunds that budgeting households can benefit significantly.

The cons in starting a home based business are the loss in relationships with co-workers. Social interaction will be limited due to working, and organizing strategies to successfully operate the business. The pressure may be more intense if done full time because it is the only source of income. Part time home based business owners may have pressure, if it is desperately needed income. Obviously, there is the notion that one will always be at work because they work from home. Therefore, having distinct working hours is something that should be created. The difficult factors to evaluate could be the loss in direction, decrease in funds for start up, and self employment concerns for insurance may prove to be hurdles too difficult to surmount. Careful planning is required and will take time.

In conclusion, there are reasons to evaluate if a home based business is for the individual. Financial security, freedom, and tax benefits are great reasons to at least consider some type of business from home. Although, there are some people that need plenty of social interaction, or need more direction to be able to work in this environment successfully. Therefore, taking a workshop or seminar may be the answer in finding how entrepreneurship from home fits in on a personal level. After all, over 100 billion dollars in home based businesses are made annually, so it behooves everyone to find out how to grab a piece of the pie. Everyone has the talent to be a home based entrepreneur, but whether they will be successful is the question. Remember the benefit in the freedom, the change in social life, and the financial need are all pros and cons in becoming a home based entrepreneur.

If you're like many, you are probably looking for a way to continue making a good income, while staying home. It's the American Dream, in so many ways: stay home, do a little work, make good money. You're looking for a way out of the office politics and the rigorous schedule of many companies. With all the advertisements, emails and websites out there, it's not hard to believe that your dreams can come true. The problem is finding what's a legitimate home based business opportunity and what is an online scam. These simple hints could go a long way toward easing the pain of having bought into yet another work at home scam:

• If a website promises you'll become a millionaire in thirty days, it is probably a scam. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It's that simple.
• Watch for MLM opportunities. These are the home based businesses that offer a particular product for you to sell, or, you can “grow a team” and recruit people under you to sell, which means there is less for you to do. The concept is fine, but it's important to remember that once you sign on, you are at the bottom of the pyramid, which means that you will be making next to nothing until you are able to recruit people. Then your income depends on how much they sell. Often, the product you are trying to sell becomes secondary to recruiting people to become part of the business.
• Look for money back guarantees. A starter investment for the program is fine, as long as they offer a strong money back guarantee. This will give you some peace of mind that if you've tried your chosen program and aren't satisfied, then you can get your money back. The longer the offer for the money back, the better, it means the company has more confidence in their program.
• Go to the source. Often, you will get an email or click on a sponsored ad and be rerouted to a website offered by a “seller” of the product. If it's a product you're interested in, you should see if that product or company has an official website. Usually, you will be better able to educate yourself about the featured product or website and find other opportunities the business might be offering.
• Be wary of hidden costs. See if there is someone who you can talk to about the ad or product. Find out what it is and the additional costs. If you still aren't clear, don't make the investment. If someone really wants you selling their product, they'll take the time to address your concerns.

Last of all, don't be afraid to work. If you really want to start your own home based business, you are going to have to work. You're going to have to network and get your product or service out there and like anything else, that is going to take time, education and patience. If you really believe in what you are doing, you will be willing to give it a fair try and put forth the effort needed to make it work.

Happy hunting and good luck.

Guerrilla marketing employs aggressive, non-traditional, low cost promotional activities to produce profits, rather than utilizing costly conventional media such as TV and magazine advertising. Like guerrilla warfare, it relies on timing, creativity, enthusiasm, energy, and of course, swift action.

These strategies and tactics make guerrilla marketing ideally suited for small start-up businesses and entrepreneurial ventures. Today, however, it's also used by mega-marketers, even Fortune 500 Companies, as part of their overall marketing plans.

Viral marketing is simply “word of mouth advertising” for the Internet Age. Although initially considered another guerrilla tool for small businesses, it has evolved to become an effective form of marketing for large companies too.

Like its traditional “word of mouth”, counterpart, viral marketing encourages people to voluntarily pass on information about a product, service or company to their social and business contacts.

Conventional word of mouth advertising relies on telephone calls, snail mail, discussions at church socials or random conversations in the grocery store to spread testimonial endorsements. Customers become voluntary brand ambassadors and a free source of publicity. But that's pretty much where the similarity to traditional word of mouth advertising ends.

Viral marketing is designed for today's digital world and its diverse Internet-based social networks. Using today's high-speed technology to communicate with existing online communities, it has the power to reach a potential audience of millions with incredible speed. The effectiveness of viral marketing results from its ability to quickly and cleverly infiltrate these online social networks at little or no cost.

The viral campaign process is simple. A message with a strong, irresistible offer is developed and then passed along through the online community. It spreads the same way a human or computer virus does --- by ongoing contact. Once the message starts spreading, it's propagated and voluntarily passed along from person to person -often in a matter of just days.

One of the keys to success in any “word of mouth advertising” is the ability to identify “opinion leaders” to jump on the bandwagon and spread your message. Traditional “word of mouth” advertising identifies active members of the local community and have extensive “spheres of influence” they interact with frequently. These spheres are groups of social or business contacts that follow the trends the opinion leaders set and try products they endorse or use. Identifying these groups in traditional marketing is a relatively subjective process, time-consuming and a often unreliable process.

Viral marketers, however, can take a more scientific approach. To maximize the impact of their marketing they seek individuals with a high Social Networking Potential or SPN. This Social Networking Potential is an algorithmic representation of the size of a person's social network and their ability to influence it. (For those of us who had trouble with basic Algebra, an algorithm is a series of carefully defined successive steps that need to be completed in order to accomplish a specific task. Algorithms are also the basis of Google's search engine operations.)

A number of different factors enter the SNP equation. They include the number of online community memberships, blogging frequency, web sites visited, content of personal websites, online affiliates, number of articles published, job title, employer, and other relevant data. Once this demographic and lifestyle data is analyzed, a SNP coefficient is calculated and assigned to an individual or social networking group. This rating can then be used to pinpoint people and groups who are prime viral contact points.

Savvy marketers and advertising agencies are also developing their own unique ways of identifying prospects with strong social networks and communicating with them through viral campaigns. There are now also specialized viral marketing consultants and advertising agencies whose clients include Fortune 500 companies. This investment of time and money indicates viral marketing is finding its niche in corporate America.

Many viral marketers simply compile “seeding lists” of high-traffic websites and online communities whose visitors are strong social networker. A typical could include sites like, myspace.com, bebo.com, kontraband.com, borednation.com , linkedin.com and a wide range of others. There are specific social network sites that appeal to teenagers, college students, twenty-somethings, music groupies, parents, and even corporate executives. More sites like youtube.com tare emerging and developing a more broad based audience appeal. Today, there's an online social network for just about everyone.

Viral seeding lists aren't direct mail lists or email lists. Contrary to the belief of many mainstream marketers, viral communications are not confrontational or unsolicited. The objective is not to annoy prospects with “pop up boxes”, “ banner ads” or spam.

“Discovery” is what viral marketing is all about. The idea is to get a prospect to voluntarily find or discover and then interact with a communication containing an offer and branded content, and then pass it along to a friend. The communication could be a website, a video, music, a blog, a photo of the day, an advergame or other message. That's why they're “planted” on high traffic, highly targeted websites and portals, in news groups, bulletin boards forums and other online places where the right people will discover them and pass them along.

“Flying under the radar” is critical to the success of viral advertising. Viral communications cannot appear to be ads. Members of online communities and web surfers in general have become more sophisticated and have developed “filtering systems” that screens out obvious hype. Viral communications need to be very subtle and carefully disguised and strategically planted so they can be found by the right prospects and passed along. The more subtle, friendly nature of viral advertising is what makes it so effective with individuals or market segments are non-responsive to traditional advertising. Viral marketing in this respect is quite similar to “PR”.

Very often, the offer in viral marketing is “Free”. It could be a free email account, a free web page, a free screensaver or wallpaper, free software, video or music downloads, a free magazine subscription, a free T Shirt or product sample. The big creative challenge is to make the free offer appear to be really free with no strings attached and not just another advertising gimmick.

Viral marketing is far more sophisticated that many traditional marketers or even guerrilla markets give it credit for. And an increasing number of large companies are finding a place in their promotional mix for viral marketing as well.

In order to be effective, viral marketing requires a carefully developed plan. The plan is no different that a traditional marketing plan. A basic plan includes:

• Objectives: a clear outline of exactly what you want to accomplish
• Strategies: a detailed plan of how you're going to it
• Target Audience: the market segments you're trying to reach
• Media: What social networks and online communities you're going to use
• Creative Strategy- What are the formats, styles, tones and offers of the communications.
• Budget - How much you plan to spend annually and how the money is allocated
• Tracking and Results Analysis- How you measure the effectiveness of the campaign

One very effective way for any business to use viral marketing is to boost the effectiveness of a TV, print or direct response advertising campaign. It's a simple, low cost and very efficient means of increasing your advertising effectiveness. Viral campaigns can be “seeded” in targeted social network sites and online communities that will “discover” your message quickly and pass it along. The message very often reaches a potential audience of millions virtually overnight. Usually you can see measurable results and a “lift” in your advertising performance in a matter of days.

In presenting the idea of viral marketing to some clients, I've encountered some very strange and humorous misconceptions it. One very conservative client described viral marketing as a “pack of high school kids in garages, techno-geeks in basements and pornography merchants in seedy bedrooms sending out spam that will infect PCs everywhere with deadly computer viruses.” Wow! I never realized viral marketing is destined to bring about the downfall of online civilization as we know it today. Well, thank God I'm a MAC guy and immune to most dreaded viruses. Better abandon your PC right away and get yourself a MAC today!

Viral Marketing has become serious business. Major national advertisers are shifting an increasing percentage of their advertising dollars from TV, radio, print and mail into interactive online media, including viral marketing. Like search engine marketing, pay per click advertising and guerrilla marketing, it's found its niche and is here to stay.

Where is that we who believe that the path to fame and fortune extends from the development/ ownership of a home based or a small business go wrong? More importantly how long should we struggle for and how much in the hole do we allow ourselves to become before we surrender, call it quits and return to the back of the corporate world line or perhaps even further more behind than where we first started off.

Whatever your goal is you need to plan and place targets that you know are within your capacity to perform that will help you achieve that goal. Most people have no clue how to become self made millionaires yet they wish it but unfortunately that just doesn't cut. The law of attraction does not advice that you simply wish.

If you have started a home based business and end up doing exactly what you should not do; neglecting it and watch yourself lose money as opposed to generating it only to finally blame your surroundings for your failure to understand the natural and economic laws then something is wrong in your methods of gaol achievement as well as your understanding of business laws.

Below I will list some of the common factors that result in home businesses disasters. Ask yourself this; Are you selling yourself short everyday because of fear?

The expected but unwanted answer is a YES. The reason being that we lack the knowledgeable action needed which in turn inspires fear and what we do end up attracting into our lives and businesses is what we should have expected.

Humans carry the burden of fear and failure that in many circumstances simply ends up consumes us. In order to achieve the goals everyone else claims to be impossible you must disengage yourself from those emotions. You need to conquer your fears for everything it is that you need; want and desire in order for it all to become you're much wanted reality.

The wizardry of a successful home based/ small business lies in this 5 letter word- FOCUS which stands for (Follow One Course Until Successful). In the end it is essential to know that If you are staying in a job that you neither enjoy or see yourself doing for the rest of your life, for the pure feeling of knowing that each month you will receive a pay check and think that is worth the cost of liberty then you deserve neither the security nor the freedom as our once great leader Ben Franklyn once said.