The ultimate lifestyle must be one in which we are free to honor and have time for that which we consider important, such as our kids, our spouse, our families, our beliefs, and our own spiritual needs... and to have the opportunity to earn money by delightfully indulging ourselves in work that is rewarding, satisfying and truly pleasurable to do.

When you work at home, this ideal lifestyle is a goal that becomes realistic, as hard as that may be to believe for all those office-going Americans who are voluntarily enslaved by their externally-mandated schedules and long, wasted commutes.

So how do you find that fantastic work at home job that will improve the world, make your life an absolute joy to live and will fit in with all of the other important parts of your life?

First, do some soul searching... quiet reflection on who you are, what you REALLY enjoy doing, what you REALLY believe in, in addition to recollection of your past experiences, training, past professional strengths, and education. Invest a couple hours in yourself. If you do, your entire future may be the better for it. There are also different personality tests you can take to help you identify strengths and weaknesses as they relate to starting your own business. One website we found was located at: http://www.davideck.com/ but there are many others, as well as books on the subject. Some schools, universities and job fairs also offer this type of career counseling.

In addition to really getting in touch with your aptitudes and desires, recall some of the tasks you performed, some of the experience you acquired, at earlier jobs and note which ones you particularly enjoyed. You may be able to build a very lucrative home-based business out of those experiences. The newsletter you researched and wrote on one of your jobs...… the time the boss was sick and you organized that huge envelope stuffing project... the mailing list you did such a good job keeping accurate at your last job... how much all your co-workers begged and groveled for you to teach them to use their computers... how much fun and what a great job you did organizing your company's grand re-opening. All of these experiences tell you, if you listen, what types of things you're good at, what you enjoy doing, and perhaps even more importantly, skills and experiences you may have that you can use to earn money. You may not have even known you had them. Ask yourself questions like: What was my favorite job? Why? What was my least favorite job? Why? What was my favorite part of that particular job? Why? If I could make up my own job it would be (fill in the blank)... work doesn't seem like work when... Time seems to fly by when... If it paid better, I'd like my job to be... If I could go back to school I'd study... I wish I could get a job doing... What I think the world really needs is...

So you get the point. To find your mission in life, you ask yourself many, many questions.

One of our members reported being so fed up with the rigid 8 to 5 schedule she'd had and the confines of working in an office every day that she made a deal with herself. She saved money, quit her job, and now runs a business that she can, literally, do from anywhere in the U.S. as long as she has a phone line. So much for that rigid schedule and stuffy office!

Another member reported wanting to start a business so bad she asked all her friends for business ideas. She got lots of ideas, but none of them seemed very promising until one of her friends, said , "Why don't you start a little business making calls for people?" The woman had previous experience managing a phone room part time for a roofing company. The small idea grew roots and then grew stronger. A few years later the woman was CEO of the fifth largest telemarketing and answering service company in Iowa.

Another member, a high school dropout, had early job experience as a survey taker on the phone. When he wanted to start his own business, he asked himself why he couldn't make his own business out of that? He never found an answer to the question, so he bought every book on market research that he could find and he self-educated himself. Then he got himself some clients and ended up with more market research work than he could handle. Now he has several operators working for him doing what he used to do and he STILL gets to work at home.

It's really amazing how easy it can be to start your own business. Sure, it takes courage, risk, hard work, a willingness to learn and make sacrifices if necessary, but that's the stuff entrepreneurs are made of. If you're not sure you've got what it takes, get some books on the subject. See what develops.

So as you can see from the stories we've gotten from some of our members, it doesn't take a great education to start your own business. It doesn't necessarily take tons of money, although sometimes it does. What is takes is desire and willingness to work hard. When the right idea sparks that burning desire, watch out for that huge explosion of enthusiasm and energy!

This is our list of nearly 400 different types of businesses. Your new home-based business may be something on this list, or, it may be something that was inspired by something on this list. Perhaps the best use of this list is to see what other ideas it inspires in your mind.

Before you start your business you should also discuss your ideas with an attorney and an accountant, and check your local city ordinances and State laws to learn of any licensing or bonding requirements you must comply with.

Open your mind. Dream of wonderful things. Expect the positive. And see if any ideas on this list spark your interest.