As the economy takes a downward shift more parents work at home. I’m not just talking about the mom who would like to earn some extra cash but both parents trying to make ends meet by starting a home-based business.

The cost of starting a business from home is small and marketing can be free. If you don’t know where to start. Let me tell you how to begin.

Starting a business in 2009

Look to yourself first.

-Work Ethics Can you motivate yourself? Will you be treating this as a second or full-time job? Are you well motivated? Are you easily distracted? Do you have any weaknesses that need to be resolved? Make a plan of how to resolve these issues beforehand so they don’t set you back.

-Research your business. Is the product a good product? Would you feel comfortable using it yourself? How much competition do you have? Who is your competition? Is the person who introduced you to the company making a substantial income? Is this company reputable? What is there compensation plan? These are all good questions to start with.

Once you’ve picked your business:

-Market your business. What kind of marketing do you want to do? Are you going to sell to family and friends? Are you open to online marketing? Do you want to post ads? Are you comfortable with home parties? Look at other successful people in the company. How are they doing it?

-Find A Mentor. Online you can find lots of people willing to you advice for free. Look them up. Find a mentor you can be accountable to and personalize with. Keep an open mind and educate yourself.

Both parents can work from at home successively with the right tools.