The first thing you should consider in starting a home-based business is the type of business you are interested in beginning. Is it multilevel marketing, is it direct selling or marketing, is it internet or network marketing, or something in between those previously mentioned, or something else all together? The type of home-based business you choose will determine what kind of foundation will be more advantageous for your business. When you are starting out, it is very important that you have a complete understanding of each of the most common types of home-based businesses. You need an understanding of the way the business will be run. Will it depend entirely on your own efforts or will you have affiliates, down-lines, or up-lines or other agendas to follow? Is it really a business you own and that you control, or are you just a player in the line of a money flow in a business that belongs to someone else?There is a lot of material written on each type of home-based business. No home-based business has to be a mystery and each type has principles of its own. Each type has its own pluses and minuses. You may not like them all, and you should know the differences. The different types may indicate things or requirements like the amount of work that you will be required to do, the amount of money required to get started, or the amount of time necessary to be spent and when.How will you attract leads or make sales? How much of the money that you generate will be yours? How many down-lines or up-lines are allowed and from how many levels can you generate money? How much inventory will you be required to keep on hand? What kind of company support can you expect or are you on your own? How much client contact will be necessary and how are you expected to do it; cold calls, evening and weekend meetings, knowledge of internet or network marketing, or something else?The products and services of a home-based business are just as important as any other aspect. The more interested you are in the product or service that you are going to be involved with, the more effort you will put into being a success. At this point, I should say that the number one rule for starting a business should never be to make quick money. To consider a successful business, you must be serious about the foundation you have in the beginning. It is wise to have a strategy in mind as you begin your business. You cannot start out on a trip without a road map. Beginning your own home-based business can be as exciting as you want it to be or you can fall into pitfall after pitfall and loose hundreds of dollars and your interest in the business itself. With a little time spent researching the different types of home-based businesses that are available can save you money and disappointment. Sometimes the frustration suffered from a lack of research before you begin a home-based business can be the determining point when you give up.This may seem like a lot of effort before beginning a home business. Consider though, the effort you put in before starting a home business will allow more time toward making money once you get started. Money and success are the goals for every business. There is a learning curve for everything in life. The things that seem simple or unimportant, may be the road blocks on your road to success. Money is not the first and only measure of success. It is not even the beginning. There are so many things to consider before beginning your home business. There are schemes everywhere out there that are just waiting for the unformed person looking for a quick buck to buy into their hype. P. T. Barnum said, “There is a sucker born every minute.” He made a fortune on those suckers. Do you want to be part of that fortune?Do not be a sucker. Know what you want and know why you want it. Be aware of the most important areas that will make your business a success. You cannot be too serious about what you put your time, effort and money into. Whatever the outcome of your efforts at a home-based business are yours own. Take the time to make every effort to be a success. Learn the ropes and go into your business with your eyes open. A surprise does not have to be lurking around every corner. That is not to say that you will never be surprised, just that you will be prepared and not totally discouraged. It is as easy to be a winner as it is to be a loser, it just takes more preparation and awareness to be a winner. Think it over.