Similar to what frequently occurred during the Gold Rush in days of yore, business people who wish to obtain sales prospects or viable and potential customers made use of business leads (as gold prospectors identified sites that were teeming with valuable ore that contained gold). The importance of leads to almost any type of business cannot be stressed enough, as leads such as these help provide the seller with prospective customers, with which he or she can close deals and finalize agreements towards sales of a companies products or services. Sales or business leads are conventionally thought to be the initial step in any sales procedure or process.As an increasing number of profitable small-scale and large companies in the world today have been started from many an entrepreneurs home, home based business leads are also applicable to these types of businesses. Home business leads may be found in the form of a single individual who can potentially do business with ones company, or by way of another entity that ones company can work with. Sales people, whether these are individuals who work from home or within the confines of an office, may choose to locate business leads independently through various means. Accumulating more home based business leads may result in an actual sale, a business agreement between two companies, or simply the opportunity for one entity to give another a business proposal via a presentation.Leads can also be amassed or accumulated via various modern methods, such as those comprised by Internet lead generation. The marketing term ‘lead generation’ may be defined as the process of creating a list of possible customers or leads through evoking interest in a company or in business products or services, or encouraging any business-related inquiries. Simple lead generation may be accomplished by contacting potential business partners or customers through the phone, or more contemporary means such as e-mail newsletters but the end goal of methods like these is to acquire more revenue with new business contacts such as individual customers or numerous companies.Home based business leads may also be found in sign-up or opt-in forms that advertisers use, as these may require the potential lead to input his or her full name, company or business name, related contact information, and demographic data (which the inquiring company or entity can use not just for purposes of lead generation, but also for the streamlining of the companies promotional or advertising campaigns, and the improvement of ones offered services or products). Home business leads also comprise marketing leads, aside from sales leads.

Home based business work is in high demand. This is good news if you are in need of making more money. The possibilities of increasing your income working from home can become a reality for you if you follow these 6 tips to get off to a good start.1. Separate your home life and your work life. If you have a spare bedroom convert that into an office. If you don’t have a spare room convert a specific space in a room and call it your home office.2. Set up your office with the proper tools. Running a home business does not take much, bu depending on the type of work you do you will need a computer, high-speed Internet, possibly a separate phone line, a computer, and office supplies.3. Schedule your work hours. No in advance every week when you are going to work so you do not get sidetracked. Most people fail to make money at home because they do not consistently get their work done.4. Focus on one opportunity at a time. A good place to start is with affiliate marketing. Do some research on niche affiliate marketing and learn how to implement that into your home based business.5. Join Facebook and Twitter. These are the two largest social networking sites on the Internet and can be a big help to you when you are trying to make money at home.6. Automate as much of your business as possible. When doing Internet marketing use the tools available to you to increase your productivity.If you follow these six home based business work tips you will get started on the right foot and enjoy making money working at home.

A home based business often times seems really too good to be true. In fact, a home based business can be a reality if a person is willing to put in the work to make it worth while. Like any good business venture, success will not come overnight. There is no magic formula that will allow you to create the online home business of your dreams in 24 hours. A home based business takes skill, hard work, and determination, but it is possible. If a person is interested in starting a real home business they will first need to determine the type of business they wish to start.A home based business can come in many forms and one of the most common is having a business of writing online. In a home based writing business the proprietor is not required to sell any products and they are only paid for their intellectual property in the words that they write. For a person that is not geared towards sales or making and marketing a product, this is a perfect fit for a home based business. The first step to developing an online writing business is to find venues where money can be earned through writing. There are two main types of websites that will pay people for their writing. There are content based websites, where people can log in to their account, claim a title, and then write the article for a flat fee. There is also another option for writing online and that is to write for a revenue sharing website.A revenue sharing article website works much like a blog does. There are articles submitted to the websites, people from all over the internet are attracted to these articles, people click on ads placed throughout the articles, and then a small profit is generated from every click. Within a revenue sharing model people who work from home get to share in a percentage of the revenue that is generated by each click of an ad. This allows for a writer to focus on their writing rather than focusing on creating the infrastructure around the blog and managing ad placement.Earning a full salary from home can be difficult. However, if a person is willing to sit down and go through the steps to become an excellent writer, there is a lot of money to be made in a home based business.

Let’s face it, a good salesperson can make an argument for just about any Home Business… they all have good points. Without naming any businesses in particular, here is my list of what to look for and what to avoid.

10) Products

Although there are some Home Based Businesses that exist without an actual product to market, I have to ask “How can you sell something that doesn’t exist?” If you want to get together with your buddies and other “like-minded individuals” to dream big dreams, that’s great… but it’s a social club, not a business.

As for those Home Based Businesses that actually have products, you shouldn’t expect to sell them to your friends and relatives. If you believe that your friends and relatives are willing to pay more for a product just to help you succeed in business, you are wrong. Sure, your mother might do it (but she also bought that horrid lemonade you made when you were a kid), but it is wrong to ask your peers to pay more for a product just because it is coming from you… especially in today’s economy.

You also want to make a reasonable profit on the products and/or services you provide. You can sell thingamajigs all day long, but if you only make a few cents on each one you’re never going to become wealthy… even if you add the small percentage you’ll receive by having a bunch of other people in your downline out selling them as well. Find a product where you keep most of the sale price for yourself and don’t give it away to others.

9) Initial Cost

This one is tricky. I put it at number nine because there are some opportunities that are well worth the higher cost of getting involved. If you were to become involved in a conventional “brick and mortar” type business (where you have to buy, build or lease a building) or a franchise (where the franchise fee alone can set you back over $100,000), you’d have to shell out a lot more than even the most expensive Home Based Businesses, and if the profitability is there, the initial cost of a almost any venture can be worth it.

Inventory

Do you have to take actual possession of the products you sell (that is, IF you are selling any products – see #10)? If the answer is “yes,” then it is a strike against that Home Based Business. With the availability and the low cost of shipping services, if you are a physical link in the distribution chain, look elsewhere.

7) Structure

Does the Home Based Business have a Multi-Level Marketing structure? If so, are your commissions enough that you can actually make money without having hundreds of people in your downline? If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll realize that it’s going to be tough to find anyone who sees the same things in the business that you do… at least for the same reasons… so I’d stay away from businesses where you make a few cents or a couple of dollars based on someone using a product or service.

Do you have to give away any of your commissions to your sponsor? If you do, ask yourself what his motivation will be to help you after he gets his cut of your production. In most cases of the so-called “pass up” programs, your sponsor actually becomes your competition after you have “passed up” your first sale or two… and that doesn’t sound very appealing to me.

Do you get to keep your prospects? In most affiliate programs once you make a sale to someone there is no guarantee that the next time they buy it will be through you. With some of the “online giants” your customer (who buys online through you) becomes a target of their direct campaigns after a purchase! Do you really want to compete with that type of advertising budget? Me neither.

6) Market

Is the Home Based Business in a market that is relevant in today’s society? This is closely tied to the question of products, but it’s different in the fact that the market around which your Home Based Business is structured should be GROWING (which is rather tough to find in today’s economy). The Internet is growing… the market for alternative energy is growing… the need for affordable housing is growing… if you can find a Home Based Business in one of those areas you will be ahead of the curve.

5) Income Stream(s)

What? You want to make money? Sure it is important, but it comes in at #5 because there actually are other things that are more important. In evaluating the income of a Home Based Business you need to look at not only the amount of income, but also the number of income streams available to you. If you get paid a really high commissionfor selling a widget that only a few people want, it’s important to have a few other whatchamacallits that you can provide them as well. Or better yet, have an entirely different income from another source within the business.

You should also look for a Work From Home Business that will provide you with a residual income. When widgets aren’t selling, nothing will help you sleep better at night than knowing that you are going to get a check each and every month based on work that you have already done.

4) System

Does the Home Based Business have a proven system for you to follow? I don’t mean a “here are a couple of books for you to read so you can familiarize yourself with the products (if there are any)” type of system… I mean a system where you have a mentor who will:

actually walk you through the program
hold your hand (if you need it) until you are comfortable
answer your questions
return your phone calls
take a real and sincere interest in your success
If you have a system in place that works, and you can just plug into it and succeed… that’s a good thing.

3) Public Opinion

It’s tough not to mention any particular name when you talk about public opinion. Unfortunately, many legitimate Home Based Businesses have gotten a bad rap because of the public perception of what they are. In most cases, the companies who have the tarnished reputation had nothing to do with it getting tarnished! This is #3 because even if you have a phenomenal product, if the public thinks your product or service is somehow inferior (or that they will be forced into sitting through a “business presentation”), chances are that you won’t get close enough to them for them to see that they have been misinformed.

2) Leadership

We are getting close to #1, and quite honestly this could have easily been at the top of the list. The best way to sum up this point is to say that if you are going into battle, you will best be served by someone who has been there before. You want to associate yourself with a Home Based Business that has quality leadership. The CEO of the company should be well respected in his or her community, have a proven record of success, and be a reasonably normal person. History is full of people who led by example… find one and follow closely.

1) Ethics

Ethics? Absolutely. Your Home Based Business is only going to be as strong as the foundation on which it was built. If the CEO is not of strong moral character, dont walk away… RUN… as fast as you can! Any Home Based Business with which you associate should be based on an “abundance mentality” of people helping people succeed. You need to find a strong mentor who will walk beside you and help you to learn the system; you need someone who will show you what is and is not acceptable; you need someone who will not take advantage of people just to make a sale; you need someone with scruples; and most of all you need someone who truly wants to see you succeed.

According to a recent Forbes.com article, over a half a million small businesses get started each month while more shut down than start-up. With this statistic, it’s not a surprise that some would be leery in joining the almost 30 million small businesses in the United States. It may also come as a surprise that over half of the working population works in a small business and that most small businesses are home-based. Why then do people start small businesses with these kinds of odds? Because many of us are still deciding what we want to be when we grow up. And once we’ve learned that, we choose to make a go of it on our own.

Starting a small business or a home-based business is not something that should be entered into lightly. More often than not you’ll go through a long period languishing while trying to make your business viable. As with many big decisions in life, starting a business is a very big risk. There’s never an assurance of success. Rather, it is expected and statistically likely that you’ll fail. However, if you’re willing to work at beating the odds and fulfill a professional goal, this may still be the route for you.

I’d worked in libraries for over a decade. I spent the majority of that time in library administration. I knew a good deal about how to run a small business because I’d essentially been doing so for quite some time. However, when you go out on your own there are many pitfalls that can be made in your businesses’ infancy. Contrary to the popular song lyrics, the best things in life aren’t free. Shortcuts will likely come back to haunt you and so too will not putting in the sweat equity needed to not only financially succeed, but to also feel emotionally and psychologically empowered.

If you want to start a small business it has to be a deliberate process. However, it doesn’t have to be an expensive one. It doesn’t hurt for you to do some research. The Small Business Administration is a great free resource. So too are the books. Really, there are any number of tools to help you start-up or navigate the waters of small business. If you’re like the almost 75% of all U.S. business who are non-employers (self-employed with no additional payroll or employees), then you can be sure that there is plenty of information to help you achieve your goals.

Running a small home-based business can be inexpensive, not cheap. Don’t scrimp on the stuff that can really make you appear more professional without breaking the budget. Here are a few startup tips for your business:

1. Get a domain name.

You may not need to register your business’s name with the state. The fact is, that process may be unnecessary and It can be costly depending on the nature of your business. However, it helps if you have a domain name so that you can have a traditional online storefront and presence. That isn’t to say that you need to sell products through your site, it just means that you have a place that you can send people to online to find out more information about you and your products and services.

2. Use social media.

No longer can people lament about how they don’t use Facebook or Twitter, being on social media also lends an air of credibility and savviness to your business. Using social media is inexpensive and easy. There are plenty of online tutorials on how to use social media and by getting yourself out there by using the social media networks, it opens you up to more clients and the ability to interact in real-time with them as well. Also, don’t simply have a presence on social media, depending on your demographic, there are still some people who simply aren’t using social media. Thus, you must also have an easily accessible webpage as well.

3. It doesn’t hurt to use old school marketing tools.

Professional business cards as well as marketing items are now nominal in cost. Don’t just settle for free cards, pay that little extra to brand your items. This way you can be fully in charge of the message you’re putting out there. Think about it, what did you think of the person who handed you a business card that were clearly free ones?!

4. Use accounting software.

Quickbooks, Freshbooks, Nutcache and the list goes on. You can even use Excel if you’re so inclined. Regardless, it’s imperative that you start consistent and accurate record keeping from the very start. Make sure that all of your transactions, big and small, are in a place that will make it easy for you come tax time.

5. Work in the cloud and back it up.

Cloud-based software is available for everything. It also doesn’t hurt to use free ones in this case. Google is the gold standard when it comes to free. However, document creation and retention aren’t the only things you can do in the cloud. Accounting software, website administration, almost anything you can think of can be done in the cloud. Plus, it makes your data accessible anywhere that has an Internet connection. And don’t forget to backup your work. If you’re saving your work to your computer or saving it to a virtual drive in the cloud, be sure that you have a backup. Redundancy is key and it can also be very economical. A good rule of thumb is to have a physical and virtual off-site backup because Murphy’s Law always happens.

6. Be virtual.

Depending on the type of services you offer, there are companies out there that can assist you in getting jobs/projects. Companies like Upwork provide you with a place to offer your services to others and provides you with an online workplace. Being a freelancer has never been so easy. As a freelancer, you don’t have to limit how and how many clients you have.

7. You have to pay some to get some.

Yes, you can start a new business with no cost, however, by investing just a little money upfront you’ll almost ensure a return on your investment. Pay for a virtual fax service, marketing materials and other little things that will go a long way in ensuring that your business isn’t like every other “mom and pop” business. Just be careful not to go all in too fast. Recurring costs, though small, can add up fast. If you have recurring costs it means that you have to earn at least that much money per month.

8. Be tax savvy.

You must be cognizant of what kind of tax impact there will be as a result of your business. It’s common, depending on the type of business you have and if you don’t have employees, for you to not withhold any taxes during your first year. Getting a baseline for what your business will be like is important, just don’t forget that Uncle Sam may hit you with a large tax bill at tax time. Visit the IRS website or speak to a tax professional to help you with getting this sorted out before it becomes a very expensive mistake.

9. Make time for yourself.

When you commit to owning a small business the one thing you’re guaranteed is that it’s going to be hard. Despite how challenging it is, you have to take time for yourself. It’s easy to work long hours and to forget that we aren’t machines. Even if it’s just a 15-minute walk each day or something else that will break up your workday, you must not forget that sometimes it’s best to literally walk away to clear your head. This will do wonders for your mood and your process.

10. Be disciplined.

Sure, we all think that working for ourselves would be the best job in the world. But it’s not until you’re actually doing it that you realize just how easy it is to be trapped by the pitfalls of having no other boss than yourself. That quick television break inevitably turns into a television marathon, sleeping in one day turns into not setting the right habits you need to be successful. It’s easy to say that you’re going be disciplined and fully devoted to the success of your business, but old habits do die hard.

Each day brings challenges and uncertainties. You have to be willing to fail spectacularly. But you also have to be willing to love and nurture your business even on the days when you just don’t feel like it. If you don’t work, you don’t get paid. Despite that, the sky’s the limit and your earning potential is limitless when you’ve devoted yourself to doing what it is that you are passionate about. It’s important to remember that you’re not to give up when it gets hard. Those are the times you have to really dig in and remember why it is that you’re doing it in the first place.