In my previous Home Based Business - Wannabe's Survival Guides Parts 1 and 2, I laid out some guidelines the inexperienced online marketer can follow to avoid be taken advantage of when searching for an online home based business. In this installment, I would like to talk about the dollars and cents you can expect to lay out to start your business and just as important, the frame of mind you must adopt if you are to be successful.

According to a recent study by Forbes Magazine, over 79 million North Americans would like to start their own business. Our economy is to say the least not as strong as it once was. Many families are struggling to survive even with both parents in fulltime jobs and just the mention of retirement income sends lots of folks scrambling to stick their fingers in their ears. Not a comforting thought.

The vision of being your own boss, working from home and making a sizable income with a prosperous future is justifiably appealing to the masses. The direct sales industry is currently the fastest growing segment in business and budding entrepreneurs and the myriad of online companies are falling over themselves to offer the best opportunities. The chance to make a sizable income working from home is available for the person with the right combination of business choice and mindset.

So using the guidelines from Parts 1 and 2, you've done your research, asked your questions, found a company and a sponsoring consultant with integrity and you're ready to get started. Now for the big one - how much should you expect to pay to start your new business? The dollar amount depends on a number of factors: the company, your comfort level and how aggressive you want to be. A review of what I would consider to be legitimate opportunities shows that you should be willing to invest a minimum of $2000 - $3000. This will likely include an initial product purchase, some limited administration fees and a small marketing budget to get you started.

If this sounds like a lot to you, this should be a warning bell because you're not being realistic. Keep in mind a bricks and mortar business will cost you considerably more (usually a minimum of six figures) and the wonderful thing about working from home is the ability to keep your day job while you do it part time, learn the ropes and start to turn a profit. It's not realistic to expect to spend less than this and make a decent income with a legitimate opportunity. Bottom line, if the thought of spending $2000 on your potential for a prosperous future after you've done all the research leaves you cold; keep the money in your bank account because what you are looking for is a job not a business.

Okay, enough harsh words. This is supposed to be a positive experience. You're now up and running and eager to start making a profit. Undoubtedly there will be some tough times ahead when you will question your decision making skills. Just about everybody who gets into this business has them; the point is, are you're mentally strong enough to weather the storm or will you cut and run back the "safety" of the old job. Sooner or later you have to trust your gut instinct to tell you you're on the right path. When this happens, you've got to dedicate100% of your mind to being successful. Easy to say isn't it? Who hasn't seen the movie or read the book The Secret? It tells you to visualize yourself in the position you want to be in and good things will happen. The authors explain that to achieve great wealth and balance in your life, your first have to train your mind to allow it to receive what it is you want and only then will begin to achieve. To the uninitiated it might sound a little strange but it's essential advice if you choose to succeed.

You're going to have to adopt the attitude that failure is absolutely not an option. Again, it sounds easy but this process takes time and experimentation. Friends and family will offer unlimited advice on what you should or shouldn't do. They will tell you "it's nothing but a scam." You will learn to completely tune out the naysayers in your life. Most important of all, you will have to surround yourself with like minded positive and successful people from whom you can learn. This is where a decent company can make all the difference in the world. Rarely if ever does an individual achieve great success solely by their own actions. On this subject, I highly recommend one of my absolute favorite books. "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill. It was first published in 1938 and is still readily available. You can pick it up for less than $10 so just do it. It has gone on to become the number one success book of all time and is still every bit as relevant today as it was when first released. This book is a step by step guide to training your mind for success. At the very least, it will open your mind to concepts and ideas that if you allow them to work for you, will lead to unbelievable results in your new venture. I wish you all the best of success.