Financial Realities:

>Cash Reserves: I have little cash reserves and manage to stay afloat.There are times when I have it and times I do not. I need to keep my telephone, Internet Service Provider, and website paid to date.They are my top priorities and advertising is a must.

>Retirement Planning: Definitely a must, IRA's work and so do 401k plans and savings accounts. Examine possibilities.

>Health Insurance: You definitely need to find some coverage. I am covered under my husband's plan for now.

>Vacation: No Pay...Yep, that's right! Be prepared before you schedule a vacation. It's Christmas Day and I am writing an article at 3 am.!

Situation Realities:

>Hard Work-Long Hours: It must be nice to work at home!..how many times have I heard that? Too Many! I am sick of home! I still spend on average, eight hours a day on my computer as compared to twelve-fifteen in beginning. A kind word of warning, take breaks often..it's tough to move after a few hours at computer. Health problems will develop if you sit too long. Also remember to get enough sleep, a must!

>Interruptions: Plenty of them. Not only from kids and spouse, but dogs and cat and phone and door and everything in between.This requires concentration above all...stay focused on whatever it is you are doing.

>Distractions: Alot like interruptions..but last longer usually. I learned to do those household tasks along side business tasks. This may not work for you. I find it serves as a break in monotony and refreshes your mind. In fact, I do several tasks throughout day and keep my computer booted.

>Isolation and Loneliness: In addition to Elena's ideas, often a trip to a friend's house or a walk may cure blues. Another tip is to play music in background as you work.

Make 2002 year for your home business startup or not...

I will move forward in my business even though my first year was a bit scary at times. I have overcome scary part and learned to deal with ups and downs, good times and bad, and unsuspected wrong turns. But overall my business has proved to be successful through first year and "Yes", I did make money. Enough to pay some of my bills, but it was an improvement and that's why I continue to work at home.

THAT'S how author makes HIS fortune. By lining up an army of patsies, most of whom will be lucky to sell a single copy of product. But because he has THOUSANDS of you out there, he still makes a fortune. If each of thousands of resellers sells only one copy, he still makes commissions on thousands of sales. You don't get that opportunity.

And one other piece of vital information. You need to be one of very first marketing these products to generate any income from them at all. They have a VERY short shelf-life.

Now, these types of products certainly have their place. I promote one of them from my site, in fact. But I don't promote it as something to generate an income with. I promote it instead because of what it can teach you about internet marketing in a very short time. And I say so.

Information products can do very well online, indeed. But not these sort. Think instead in terms of creating your own content-rich site that attracts targeted traffic (the more specialized your niche better) and then write your own e-books and sell them from your site. Establish an affiliate program to get others to sell your book for you. There is a veritable army of people out there looking for a product to sell, and any product, so it sometimes seems, will do. In time, they will wake up and smell coffee but until then, put that salesforce to work for YOU. Just don't promise them moon though, OK?

Think also in terms of publishing a newsletter on subject of your choice. Not only does this help spread word about your website, vital to all-important traffic generation, your newsletter can become quite a lucrative source of advertising revenue once your subscriber base reaches a decent size (of several thousand).

Or you might decide instead (or as well) to launch a subscription-based newsletter to generate subscription income as well as advertising revenues.

Another approach is to create a members-only area of your web site and charge a monthly fee for access.

All of these ideas involve information products. Start thinking outside paradigm of "selling an information product from your site". Your site *IS* an information product! So is your newsletter. And utilized effectively, they're MUCH more likely to result in a steady, reliable and secure source of income for YOU, not just another internet marketing "guru".