What do like to do in your spare time? I suppose something relaxing and soothing comes to mind. When you are trying to relax and breath do you ever get bombarded with thoughts about how you are going to send your children to college, how are you going to afford finishing college, how to pay off debts and be financially free, or how you can be in charge of your own destiny? Well I know these thoughts have come to my mind, time and time again so I decided to do something about them.

I have applied, and researched many different work- at- home opportunities, you name it, and I signed up for it. With the knowledge I have now I want to share with you how you can narrow down you search and find legitimate work that you can do from home and receive a satisfying monthly paycheck.

There are some questions you want to ask yourself when considering a work- at- home opportunity. For example:

Would I want to buy this product or service? If you don't have faith in what the company's has to offer, it is going to be that much more difficult to sell someone else on the product or service. Consider how long the company has been in business. Companies that have stood the test of time are usually reliable and have a strong business foundation.

Is the company willing to assist me with how to obtain customers, marketing, and start up tips?
Once you find your opportunity to take on also consider how you are going to get started. There are some companies that give their associates marketing ideas and tips like, flyers, business cards, websites, etc. There are even some businesses that offer free leads to get you started.

Is the company asking for an unreasonable amount of money up front just to get more information? Don't be fooled by gimmicks, if you have welcome to the club. I am writing this to prevent others from being mislead like I have in the beginning of my work at home pursuit. The company should provide all the information you need up front in order for you to make the decision on if their company is the one for you, or not. Make sure you read everything carefully and ask questions if you need more clarity.

Can I put the time and energy into this to make it profitable?
Many people who are new to the web-based business arena try to bite a little more than can be chewed. It is often best to focus on one company in the beginning and once you have the desired results within that business, go after another opportunity to increase your income. It is important to write down your goals so you can see what exactly you want to achieve with the business. Also a little bit of dedication goes a long way. Decide that no matter what comes your way you will not give up but push even harder to meet your goals.

Successfully working from home with a legitimate company is possible. If you use these tips you will find that you will have a profitable, reliable business with a monthly check you can rely on. I hope you have much success in all of you endeavors.

-Maria Robinson is a mom who works from home via the internet. If you would like more information on reputable work at home opportunities, please email your first name and last initial to: procardMariaR@aol.com .