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ans Serif">Sick of working for someone else and feel you want to do your own thing? Like the idea of working from home with low overheads and flexible hours? There are many options, all require that leap in faith that you have the personality and ability to enjoy and succeed in your choice of activity.

ans Serif">Whatever you do, do something you enjoy, that you can contribute to with skills and knowledge, and that you can apply yourself to in a disciplined manner. Your success will depend on how wisely you choose, evaluate, and manage the business you get into. Use professionals to assist in getting this right.

ans Serif">There are 3 mainstream routes to owning your own home-based business:
(1) Start a new business.
(2) Buy an existing business.
(3) Enter into a franchise arrangement.
Each has pros and cons, and will depend on your skills, resources, and the amount of risk you are willing to take.

ans Serif">Starting a new home-based business
So you have a new or unique idea, and you are not interested in, or cannot, purchase a similar existing operation. This is high-risk territory and you need to do your homework well. It's important to consider;

• ans Serif">The Market
  Is there a market for it, where is the market at (infancy, maturing, or declining), the size of the market, how will you attract customers, how long to build your business, what about competition?
• ans Serif">Your Resources
  Have you the skills (the vision and the ability to manage and grow this business), can you source the right contacts or staff, and does your home offer an appropriate environment and location to host this activity? Can you easily source reliable suppliers? What are your strengths and weaknesses in getting this up and going?
• ans Serif">The Money
  What are your start-up costs, how long till you break-even, how much is needed for advertising, for working capital, what about cash flow and of course some money for living and contingencies.