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So you want to find the best home based business to start? Well, before we look at some great home based business possibilities, we need to make sure we’re on the same page here.

Now I’m going to assume that you’re not trying to start an accounting or law practice from home (or something similar, requiring a professional degree/certification). Because if you are you probably already know what to do, as there are plenty of stuff out there teaching you how to get clients, work referrals, etc. You are trading your professional time for money. There are pros and cons to this type of business, but that is another topic for another time.

Chances are, if you are here on this site, you were probably searching for ideas on the best home based businesses you can start and run from home, meaning you are open to new ideas and possibilities. You are probably a regular guy or gal looking for some ideas of businesses you can start from home. Ideally, one which you do not need a large capital to start with, nor require a professional degree.

Perhaps you still have your job but just need something to supplement your current income. Perhaps you are unemployed and finally got the motivation to start a business. Whatever it is, you’ve come to the right place. I’m going to show you some good possibilities that can become reality.

Here are a few things I look for when looking to start a viable home-based business (not an exhaustive list, but some very important points). Whenever I come across an interesting business idea, I’d pit it against these guidelines and make sure it qualifies, having at least three of the qualities below, if not all four. Helps me to fight a winning battle, if you will.

Here are the questions to ask when considering a potential business idea:

1) How many widgets do you need to sell or how many accounts do you need to acquire before you reach your income goal? Can you see yourself get to that number? Can you project how long that might take with reasonable effort? Be optimistic, but be honest and a bit conservative.

2) Does the product/service you are aiming to sell have residual characteristics? In other words, will it keep selling itself even if you are not constantly acquiring new customers? Imagine not having to sell to new customers every month in order to survive, but rather, have customers keep coming back to you due to the nature of the business and or what you are selling.

3) Does it require more than a few hundred dollars to start? Ideally, none of us want to risk any money on a business we have no control over. So unless you know you have a sure thing, a home business should not require much capital to get started. You can always start with no more than a few hundred dollars and use the money you’ll make in to further fuel the business. In the beginning, it’s more about your time and effort rather than some lump sum cash you don’t know what to do with. Visualize yourself doing certain activities that will directly result in revenue.

4) Is it scalable? This basically means once you get it going and start making some money, can you keep growing it? Can you eventually hire/outsource someone to do most of the work for you and walk away while the money keeps coming it? Let’s face it, none of us want to be stuck in a “business” where we are a slave of, and cannot get away from, because we’ve created a situation where no one can do what we do. Perhaps you don’t know all the details involved in the business yet, but do think in this direction and when the time comes, you’ll have created a business that you can scale up and up, even without you having to be there all the time.

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In the next section I will explore some legitimate home business ideas that meet the above criteria and even show you some examples of real businesses that either I started in the past or have observed. If you are really serious about starting a viable home business, I hope this has warmed you up a bit. Part 2 coming up in the next week or so, so stick around.