The most successful home based business is something that you’ll never find in your life! Why? Because it’s not the idea that makes it successful, it’s you! Obviously you are going to get a lot of ideas from the internet. A few of them are really good. But depending on your skills and type of work you like to do most, success can come from any type of business. However, there are several home based businesses that I would really like to include here but I’m only going to focus on one which is affiliate marketing.If you are specifically looking for something that has lower risk than a conventional business and can bring you much profit, you should start looking into affiliate marketing. You want to be careful because there are a lot of scams out there and you need to really be mindful to find the right program. A program that offers education and mentoring, something that is not going to leave you hanging asking the questions “how do I get started?” Or, “what do I do next?” Even with the most successful home based business you will go through trial and error. With the right program that teaches you and mentors you, trial and error will be minimal.A lot of people all over the globe are now earning thousands and even millions from the comfort of their homes working this business. It’s an online business, so you’ll need a computer, an internet connection, and some knowledge of Pay Per Click and some very basic HTML coding. The start-up budget is relatively low and in most cases you’ll need about $100 to start affiliate marketing. The steps to start affiliate marketing are really simple. Just join an affiliate marketing program and choose suitable products that will attract customers. Become a master at advertising your products on the internet and you are well on your way. It’s all about driving traffic to your products. Make sure to treat this business as if it were a full-time job and you shall be successful. If you can work regularly the potential with affiliate marketing is endless!Although it is not guaranteed that you will make thousands or millions of dollars through affiliate marketing, it is very possible! If you have the drive and determination to make it your own business and work the business day in and day out with a sense of compelling passion, then I am confident you will make this the most successful home based business for you and your family. Find out for yourself with a simple online search and you will see some of the success stories and the people who are making this happen everyday.

Internet World Statistics tell me that there are over 6.7 billion people living on this planet. The latest figures show over 1.6 billion of them use the Internet while in the year 2000 there were just under 361million users. That is a growth rate of almost 450%. In the US alone and back in 2005 there were 13.8 million Home based Businesses (info. provided by Entrepreneur.com) and in my own country, Australia in the state of New South Wales there were 254,000 in 2004. Today there is more. Tomorrow there will be more again!

The idea, concept, consideration of a home based business is for the most part is a noble and popular one. The reason so many people are thinking about or have already started a home based business is as varied as the individuals that choose it. However, for the most part it can be said that most home based businesses are borne out of convenience.

Single Mums find it convenient to work from home while they can still care for their children. Stay at home Dads are much more common in today’s day and can find it convenient to keep an eye on the “little ones” while they do business from home. Maybe commuting is a problem and navigating the hallway in ones own home is far more convenient than the city streets or country roads. Whatever it is though the thought is there – “work from home”. This doesn’t mean though that we have a “Home Based Business”.

Of course there is a difference between “work from home” and a “home based business” and often (I think) we get the two confused a bit. We speak “home based business” but think “work from home”!

The differences are considerable and may be found in the definitions themselves. You see when you research the word “Business” you will find something like this (depending on your source):-

Business: The purchase and sale of goods in an attempt to make a profit (Macquarie Dictionary).

We also see in association a Business Name:

Business Name: The name other than a surname under which a person carries on business or profession, such name being necessarily registered.

If we dig a little deeper from the same source we identify the people that do business are described as the following:-

Businessman /woman: A person who engages in business or commerce.

And

Businesslike: Conforming to the methods of business or trade; methodical; systematic.

And finally:

Business Plan: A formal statement of business goals, the reason why they are believed attainable and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organisation or team attempting to reach those goals.

Work on the other hand is something different. (According to Wikipedia) being thus:

Work:(1) Exertion directed to produce or accomplish something; labour; toil. (2) A productive or operative activity (3) Employment; a job; especially that by which one earns a living.

So this is what I’m getting to. Sometimes we focus on the hole in the middle of the donut and don’t look at the whole thing! We can say we have a home based business but we don’t see the big picture and therefore we are working from home instead. If we are serious about a home based business then we must see the whole thing. Build from the right foundations and bring clarity to our vision.

There is nothing wrong with work from home at all. In fact if we are to have a home based business we will indeed work from home. It will be an integral part of our business but, if we don’t have a business plan, a registered business name, or if we are not attempting to buy (or create) and sell something for profit, conform to business principles and conduct ourselves in a businesslike manner we don’t have a business at all… we are just working?

You may have started like a “bull at a gate”, you may be going “great guns” or you may be struggling to get your focus or organise your day. Don’t fret! Take a moment to reflect on your foundations. Have you got a business plan with goals and a systematic approach to achieve them? Are they realistic? Are you structured properly? If not then take a little time to get these things in order. Then get back into it and gain the rewards you deserve for having a go, not giving up and enjoy the lifestyle you have chosen.

Just a word of warning! If you don’t have a Business Plan you can lose your way. If you don’t have a Business Structure you may well have problems with taxation in the future and if you don’t have a business mindset you will struggle to enjoy and achieve your dream. I heard this saying today and can’t remember who quoted it but it goes like this “Goals are in concrete, plans are in sand!”

If you are interested in getting educated in the successful use of the Internet and additionally want the opportunity to market top tier education material may I suggest that you visit the website below?

Hi, my name is Walt. I’m an auctioneer with 25 years of experience in the auction business and licensed in the state of MA. I own Quick Auction Service, a company that specializes in building and running custom auctions, I’m also the webmaster of my own site and have been on eBay for 8 years. Besides eBay, the types of auctions I run most frequently are antiques and on-site estate auctions, although I’ve run everything from business overstock auctions to charity & special event auctions.

I enjoy sharing my knowledge and stories of the auction business. My goal for article is to help folks get the absolute most out of their auction experience.

Whether your fresh out of the package or a seasoned dealer I think I can offer something in this article to help you with your auciton adventures.

There may be as many reasons to attend auctions as there are types of auctions to attend. Maybe you want to attend an auction to buy items for re-sale on eBay, or some other market. Maybe you want to furnish your home with wonderful antiques, or you want to furnish your home as inexpensively without sacrificing quality.Some folks are just looking for a fun night out. With a little perseverance all these things are possible.

There are antiques and estate auctions, auto auctions, overstock auctions, absolute and no reserve auctions, real estate auctions, specialty auctions where only one genre of items are sold, tailgate auctions, live auctions, online auctions, sealed bid auctions, silent auctions, charity and fund raising auctions and many more.

Can you really buy for pennies on the dollar at an auction? You bet! Many times I’ve seen folks buy and re-sell at the same auction on the same night for a good profit, although be advised, this should only be done after the auction is over.

There are a lot of ways to find an auction, but here are some tips on how to find and attend the best ones.

Visit the genre of shops in the area that apply to the type of auction you want to attend. IE: If your looking for a good antique auction to attend, stop in the local antiques shops and ask for what there are for good auctions in the area. Sounds obvious right? But listen to what they don’t say as well as what they do say. Oftentimes when a dealer speaks poorly about an auction he or she attends, it may be likely that they are trying to keep a good thing secret. Think for a moment, why would a dealer keep attending a lousy auction?

Newspaper ads: I personally like to find ads in the classified ad section rather than flashy display ads. Flashy ads are usually indicative of an auction that will be high priced, may have reserves, (a set price on an item), and usually an enormous crowd. While any auction can be profitable to attend, it is usually best to steer clear of the glitzy ones, at least for the beginner.

Here’s the minimum you want to find out before you go. If there is a phone number in the ad, call and ask for the terms of the sale. What forms of payment do they accept? Is it an absolute auction? An absolute auction is one that has no minimum or reserve bids on items. These are the best auctions to attend! Is there a buyers premium? A buyers premium is like a tax that everyone who makes purchases at that auction must pay above the winning bid price. Most auctions these days do charge a buyers premium, 10% is not unreasonable but I feel much more than that is greedy, and the auctioneer that charges over 10% is counting on most bidders not doing the extra math as the bids quicken in pace.

A fair auction will have ample time to inspect the merchandise, usually at least 2 or 3 hours. Find out when inspection starts and make sure to attend! Never attend an auction if you can’t make the inspection, not unless your prepared to gamble. Most auctioneers sell at a rate of about 100 items per hour, which is why they sell “as is”. They simply don’t have the time to give a detailed description of all the items. Since almost all items at auction are sold AS IS, there are sure to be some damaged, refinished, fake and incomplete items at any given auction. Beware of any auctions that offer very little or no inspection time.

Good auctions will usually have 150 to 400 lots. A lot may be one item or a group of items. The exception to this are specialty auctions, auto auctions, real estate auctions etc.

When you attend your first sale, take note of the 1/2 dozen or so dealers that buy the most often. See if you can find out about other area auctions they attend.

When you do find an excellent auction, attend it as often as possible. By frequenting good sales, you help increase the bottom line of that business. It’s difficult for many auctioneers to keep the quality of merchandise consistent, so good attendance certainly helps. And when an auctioneer gets to know you as a buyer, he/she will go out of the way to accommodate you, to keep you coming back.