A home based business is a small business that operates from the business owner’s home office, and is especially available for students, house wives, and retired persons. Nowadays, many people want freedom and more respect for work done, which is why they seek opportunities on the internet to earn. Like any other business, a home based business also needs some time to get established. Though there are many different types of home based business opportunities, choosing the right one and a diligent search is essential.The most commonly sought options include:Paid surveys:Survey companies pay people to answer surveys. There are many sites that pay for taking surveys and can be registered for free most of the time. After registration and email address verification, simple surveys are sent out.Based on the answers, if the person is qualified, the survey is filled out. The points or amount will be shown and payment can be claimed once it has reached the desired level. The payment is made generally by check or PayPal.Data Entry Jobs:There are various companies in the market, looking for people to do data entry jobs. Data entry work from home, offers you an opportunity from home and do not require any special expertise. It needs good typing speed.Once you are awarded a job, you have to agree upon the monetary issues with the service buyer for price and payment method. Once you receive the task, do your best to produce it accurately and submit it promptly.Online copy paste job:The Job involves posting of business ads on various web sites or other tasks that involve copying and pasting from one resource to other. This is similar to data entry and does not require any technical qualification or knowledge.Pay per click:A website will be created for those who join. The company sends advertisement of various companies and once an ad is opened the company pays a certain amount to the website owner.Writing:Writing is another job that can be done from the home. There are many companies that source their content requirements to people who have good English and can write on a regular basis and stick to deadlines.Affiliate Marketing:Affiliate Marketing is another opportunity that is gaining popularity. This also is an opportunity that is done from home. Without any huge investment, without any need for a physical office or warehousing of products or any other efforts related to a business, this unique opportunity offers a successful career.Those with a real job may quit in hopes of a better one, only to find they cannot get their original job. There are many sites that offer home based business opportunities. One must be careful if a site asks upfront for registration fees for training or actually giving them the job. Genuine websites do not charge before giving work. While not all are scams, few end up being legit. It’s important to check the jobs that are genuine and apply for the same. Honest efforts with prudence does get paid! So, if you have a system and internet at home, there is nothing to stop you.

Direct Sales is the perfect home based business model for the part-timer. Selling clothing, housewares,beauty products, nutritional products, and other goods through in-home parties,one-on-one consultations, and online can be big business done on a part time basis. Last year, the 16.1 million direct sales representatives working in the United States generated $28.3 billion in revenue, according to the Direct Selling Association (DSA). With 90% of direct sellers working their home based business part-time. No wonder this is a very lucrative home business model for the moonlighter.So what can a newbie expect when looking for home business opportunities?Be Realistic about SalesTypically direct sales companies pay representatives commission on their own sales and on the sales of any reps they recruit (as well as the sales of their recruits’ recruits) — hence the nickname “multilevel marketing,” or “MLM.” As a result, a common complaint is that representatives, in their zeal to sign up new recruits, skew toward the hyperbolic, promising five- and six-figure revenues that multiply exponentially while you sleep. But that’s usually not the reality.Set Your Own HoursTo be fair, many people don’t enter the direct sales market looking for a full-time job. Instead, most are moonlighters who are looking for supplemental income and usually work their home business about 10-20 hours per week. This kind of flexibility allows more time with kids and family unlike getting a part-time job. Unlike a job where you go to work and always make the same amount of money, as a direct seller you can you create residual income and leverage the efforts of your sales team to work smarter, not harder.Researching Direct Sales OpportunitiesMake sure to research companies before investing any money. A few online resources can help you learn more about MLMs and help you stay clear of any scams. A few to get you started are the Direct Selling Association, Direct Selling 411, and World Federation of Direct Selling Associations. All these resources are great sources for U.S. direct selling practices and ethics,helpful FAQs, glossary,and reputable associations and accreditations for legitimate home based business opportunities.Weed Out the ScamsBe careful not all direct sales companies are honest. Pyramid schemes and other bogus opportunities are common. Watch out for opportunities that are exclusively dependent on recruiting people instead of selling products. Another warning sign is recruiters who are unwilling to share details of the compensation plan. Likewise, your initial investment should immediately yield something tangible, be it product samples or training and marketing materials. Getting started shouldn’t cost you thousands of dollars. Make sure the direct sales company has a buy-back policy, meaning that it should refund you for any unused or undamaged inventory you’ve purchased if you decide to quit.Perhaps the biggest misconception is that you can get rich in a matter of weeks or months without lifting a finger or selling anything in your home based business. Nothing could be further from the truth. Like any honest business, you have to work hard for each and every dollar you make.

If you are one of those who dream of having your own business but until now it has remained a dream, then perhaps this is the best time for you to revive that dream. Regardless of whether you are currently working, a student, a housewife, or even out of work, you can find the best home based business for you from the different options in the Internet kingdom and in the real world.To help you get on the right track, look at the following possibilities so you can choose the best home based business for you from the following suggestions. Keep in mind though that these businesses still function almost the same way as traditional businesses. You also have the option of doing these businesses either full-time or part-time depending on your convenience.Remember the flea markets during the 1980s? Now, with the advent of the Internet you can begin your small scale buy and sell business. There are currently many websites that allow you to auction off or sell directly your products to prospective buyers. What makes this one of the best home based business options is that you only need a computer, an Internet connection, and interesting products and you are already on your way to establishing your own business. Something that you need to consider with this enterprise is the payment and delivery system for your products.Website builder or consultant is another lucrative endeavor that you can do entirely from home. The only problem with this best home based business idea is that you would need a certain degree of technical expertise in creating, designing, and editing websites. If you lack the technical skills but full of creative ideas, then you can opt to be a website consultant instead.Joining affiliate programs is another great way for you to earn some extra money. This is one of the best home based business possibilities you take advantage of because it actually allows you to earn commissions for the rest of your life. Strictly work from home you do not actually sell products to people but rather get people to promote the products. The more people you get the higher your earnings will be.If you are looking for the best home based business that requires you almost no capital at all, you can actually act as a middleman for people who have businesses but don’t know how to promote it. Moreover you can actually market products which are made in your neighborhood.Tutoring is one of the best home based business ever because your clients come to you. You do not need to leave the house and you can easily promote it to your friends, neighbors, and family members who can all refer potential clients to you. There are many areas of tutoring that you can explore based on your interests or education.So no matter what your background is if you are really serious about earning some extra cash or doing it full-time you will always have a huge variety of choices to find the best home based business for you.

The prospect of leaving a regular 8-hour job in favor of a flexible home based business is so inviting that quite a number of people have been making the shift. Nonetheless, there are risks or pitfalls, which you should avoid, when contemplating the idea of putting up a home based business. It is imperative that you stay focused with your vision for your business and be organized in running the day to day operations.

On what kind of home based business to venture into, you are presented with a number of selections. Surveys are constantly being conducted with the reports released on what are the top-ranked or the best home based businesses. From among the cited businesses, choose the one that most interests you and where your strength lies. The ranking signifies only a business? viability and you may pick a business that may not be on the list but which you may think offers potential as a home based business.

To keep you in focus, try to have a business plan as well as a financial plan. By creating such plans to serve as your guide, you will be able to monitor your accomplishments and compare them with your targets. A financial plan could likewise assist you in tracking down your expenditures and keeping them at reasonable levels. While in the process of setting up your home based business, comply with all the legal requirements immediately in order that no legal impediment will disrupt your future operations. An organizer should help you keep organized for your daily schedules and activities. As much as possible, maintain a paperless office and print only when necessary. Keeping your files in your computer system means less paper works for you. However, if unavoidable, your important files will be more accessible and organized if you place them in the appropriate filing cabinets.

Setting up a home based business is certainly a whole new experience for you but keeping it organized and staying focused will help you operate it better.

As we continue to sift dutifully through the over 1,000 pages of the stimulus bill (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009), there is one provision that is not getting much attention, but could be very helpful to small businesses. If you are a small business and have received an SBA loan from your local banker, but are having trouble making payments, you can get a “stabilization loan”. That’s right; finally some bailout money goes into the hands of the small business owner, instead of going down the proverbial deep hole of the stock market or large banks. But don’t get too excited. It is limited to very specific instances and is not available for vast majority of business owners.

There are some news articles that boldly claim the SBA will now provide relief if you have an existing business loan and are having trouble making the payments. This is not a true statement and needs to be clarified. As seen in more detail in this article, this is wrong because it applies to troubled loans made in the future, not existing ones.

Here is how it works. Assume you were one of the lucky few that find a bank to make a SBA loan. You proceed on your merry way but run into tough economic times and find it hard to repay. Remember these are not conventional loans but loans from an SBA licensed lender that are guaranteed for default by the U.S. government through the SBA (depending upon the loan, between 50% and 90%). Under the new stimulus bill, the SBA might come to your rescue. You will be able to get a new loan which will pay-off the existing balance on extremely favorable terms, buying more time to revitalize your business and get back in the saddle. Sound too good to be true? Well, you be the judge. Here are some of the features:

1. Does not apply to SBA loans taken out before the stimulus bill. As to non-SBA loans, they can be before or after the bill’s enactment.

2. Does it apply to SBA guaranteed loans or non-SBA conventional loans as well? We don’t know for sure. This statute simply says it applies to a “small business concern that meets the eligibility standards and section 7(a) of the Small Business Act” (Section 506 (c) of the new Act). That contains pages and pages of requirements which could apply to both types of loans. Based on some of the preliminary reports from the SBA, it appears it applies to both SBA and non-SBA loans.

3. These monies are subject to availability in the funding of Congress. Some think the way we are going with our Federal bailout, we are going be out of money before the economy we are trying to save.

4. You don’t get these monies unless you are a viable business. Boy, you can drive a truck through that phrase. Our friends at the SBA will determine if you are “viable” (imagine how inferior you will be when you have to tell your friends your business was determined by the Federal government to be “non-viable” and on life support).

5. You have to be suffering “immediate financial hardship”. So much for holding out making payments because you’d rather use the money for other expansion needs. How many months you have to be delinquent, or how close your foot is to the banana peel of complete business failure, is anyone’s guess.

6. It is not certain, and commentators disagree, as to whether the Federal government through the SBA will make the loan from taxpayers’ dollars or by private SBA licensed banks. In my opinion it is the latter. It carries a 100% SBA guarantee and I would make no sense if the government itself was making the loan.

7. The loan cannot exceed $35,000. Presumably the new loan will be “taking out” or refinancing the entire balance on the old one. So if you had a $100,000 loan that you have been paying on time for several years but now have a balance of $35,000 and are in trouble, boy do we have a program for you. Or you might have a smaller $15,000 loan and after a short time need help. The law does not say you have to wait any particular period of time so I guess you could be in default after the first couple of months.

8. You can use it to make up no more than six months of monthly delinquencies.

9. The loan will be for a maximum term of five years.

10. The borrower will pay absolutely no interest for the duration of the loan. Interest can be charged, but it will be subsidized by the Federal government.

11. Here’s the great part. If you get one of these loans, you don’t have to make any payments for the first year.

12. There are absolutely no upfront fees allowed. Getting such a loan is 100% free (of course you have to pay principal and interest after the one year moratorium).

13. The SBA will decide whether or not collateral is required. In other words, if you have to put liens on your property or residence. My guess is they will lax as to this requirement.

14. You can get these loans until September 30, 2010.

15. Because this is emergency legislation, within 15 days after signing the bill, the SBA has to come up with regulations.

Here is a summary of the actual legislative language if you are having trouble getting to sleep:

SEC. 506. BUSINESS STABILIZATION PROGRAM. (a) IN GENERAL- Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall carry out a program to provide loans on a deferred basis to viable (as such term is determined pursuant to regulation by the Administrator of the Small Business Administration) small business concerns that have a qualifying small business loan and are experiencing immediate financial hardship.

(b) ELIGIBLE BORROWER- A small business concern as defined under section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).

(c) QUALIFYING SMALL BUSINESS LOAN- A loan made to a small business concern that meets the eligibility standards in section 7(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)) but shall not include loans guarantees (or loan guarantee commitments made) by the Administrator prior to the date of enactment of this Act.

(d) LOAN SIZE- Loans guaranteed under this section may not exceed $35,000.

(e) PURPOSE- Loans guaranteed under this program shall be used to make periodic payment of principal and interest, either in full or in part, on an existing qualifying small business loan for a period of time not to exceed 6 months.

(f) LOAN TERMS- Loans made under this section shall:

(1) carry a 100 percent guaranty; and

(2) have interest fully subsidized for the period of repayment.

(g) REPAYMENT- Repayment for loans made under this section shall–

(1) be amortized over a period of time not to exceed 5 years; and

(2) not begin until 12 months after the final disbursement of funds is made.

(h) COLLATERAL- The Administrator of the Small Business Administration may accept any available collateral, including subordinated liens, to secure loans made under this section.

(i) FEES- The Administrator of the Small Business Administration is prohibited from charging any processing fees, origination fees, application fees, points, brokerage fees, bonus points, prepayment penalties, and other fees that could be charged to a loan applicant for loans under this section.

(j) SUNSET- The Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall not issue loan guarantees under this section after September 30, 2010.

(k) EMERGENCY RULEMAKING AUTHORITY- The Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall issue regulations under this section within 15 days after the date of enactment of this section. The notice requirements of section 553(b) of title 5, United States Code shall not apply to the promulgation of such regulations.

The real question is whether a private bank will loan under this program. Unfortunately, few will do so because the statute very clearly states that no fees whatsoever can be charged, and how can a bank make any money if they loan under those circumstances. Sure, they might make money in the secondary market, but that is dried up, so they basically are asked to make a loan out of the goodness of their heart. On a other hand, it carries a first ever 100% government guarantee so the bank’s know they will be receiving interest and will have no possibility of losing a single dime. Maybe this will work after all.

But there is something else that would be of interest to a bank. In a way, this is a form of Federal bailout going directly to small community banks. They have on their books loans that are in default and they could easily jump at the chance of being able to bail them out with this program. Especially if they had not been the recipients of the first TARP monies. Contrary to public sentiment, most of them did not receive any money. But again, this might not apply to that community bank. Since they typically package and sell their loans within three to six months, it probably wouldn’t even be in default at that point. It would be in the hands of the secondary market investor.

So is this good or bad for small businesses? Frankly, it’s good to see that some bailout money is working its way toward small businesses, but most of them would rather have a loan in the first place, as opposed help when in default. Unfortunately, this will have a limited application.

Wouldn’t it be better if we simply expanded our small business programs so more businesses could get loans? How about the SBA creating a secondary market for small business loans? I have a novel idea: for the moment forget about defaults, and concentrate on making business loans available to start-ups or existing businesses wanting to expand.

How about having a program that can pay off high interest credit card balances? There is hardly a business out there that has not been financing themselves lately through credit cards, simply because banks are not making loans. It is not unusual for people to have $50,000 plus on their credit cards, just to stay afloat. Talk about saving high interest. You can imagine how much cash flow this would give a small business.

We should applaud Congress for doing their best under short notice to come up with this plan. Sure this is a form of welcome bailout for small businesses, but I believe it misses the mark as to the majority of the 27 million business owners that are simply looking for a loan they can repay, as opposed to a handout.