You've fantasized about working from home, starting your own business, and spending more time with your kids and family. You are not alone, millions of people just like you want to and do.

There are several ways to work from home. Some of more popular ways are affiliate programs, direct marketing and starting your own business. However it is also possible to find employers who hire people to work at home in various postions such as telemarketing, sales, teaching, freelance writing, etc. I have spent countless hours online searching for work at home jobs and even started a community to list job leads I have found. (http://www.real-home-employment.com)

You may wish you could start tomorrow, but honestly it could take six months to a year until you open for business or find a job. I wish I could offer you some time kind of timeline to success but it just isn't possible. I know we all see alot of ads that offer overnight success or thousands of dollars per hour earned, but honest truth is most home businesses take 5 years of hard work before you may even see these types of returns and higher percentage of work at home jobs you find are on a per need basis or start out part time.

So,as you can see, actually finding work at home opportunity or postion that is right for you can be 1) Confusing 2) Time consuming 3) Not an overnight or immediate success 4) Takes lots of planning, research, time, and patience

The most important thing you should know before you start to look for a postion or business is just that.....Are you looking for a work at home job or are you looking for a home based business. Knowing what it is your looking for before you start will help you find perfect work at home match easier, faster, and may even help you from being or feeling scammed.

You may be asking yourself what are differences between a work at home job and a home based business?

The major differences between a work at home job and a work at home opportunity (home businesses) are: 1) Work at home jobs are just that "jobs", where you have an employer, requirements, and maybe even schedules. 2) Most work at home opportunities (home businesses) require a fee or a set amount of money upfront to get you started.

Virtual Assistants (VAs) are highly skilled professionals who provide administrative support and specialized services to businesses, entrepreneurs, executives, and others who have more work to do than time to do it. Examples of services a VA can do include web design and maintenance, word processing, meeting and event planning, desktop publishing, internet research, e-mail coordination, business start-up consultations and so much more. This can be perfect work-at-home opportunity for many with good computer and Internet skills. Following are several Do’s and Dont’s to keep in mind for starting and operating your Virtual Assisting business.

DO -- Decide on a targeted market and initially focus your marketing efforts in that area. By developing a “niche” in your field, your reputation spreads quickly and soon you become a recognized expert. Several specialties include: medical, legal or business transcription, resume consulting, transaction coordination -- real estate industry, desktop publishing, manuscript preparing, academic typing, e-mail support, internet research, etc.

DO -- Be creative about where you can find business. The Internet offers a large variety of potential for clients just waiting for you to contact them. Actively network and don’t limit your marketing to simply placing a few ads in newspapers or Yellow Pages. You want to find where there might be a need—and go fill it!

DO -- Write a complete business plan and marketing plan. Too many leave out this vital step and waste valuable time unorganized and without a clear-cut goal and direction for their business. When starting a business you will have tons of ideas floating around. You need to materialize all these and put them into a workable plan of action.

DO -- Develop a website that looks sensational! Your website is often first connection a potential client has with your services. It must immediately let them know that they are dealing with a professional. Your site must then have POWER to draw them to you and contact you. Let them see that you value quality by look and feel of it. Additional tips include letting them know what services you offer and why you are qualified to offer those services by mentioning your experience and education. Be sure to include points on why you stand out among rest and are BEST! For example, if you have been featured in articles, radio shows, etc., have them listed with dates. (See my example on www.virtualwordpublishing.com)

DO -- Learn everything you can about starting a business. Knowledge is power and more you know, greater your chances for success. Look to online services and message boards and chats to talk with other Virtual Assistants operating a business. Remember these are often run by pros who have been in business for years and are willing to share their experience. For example, I mentor and manage virtual assisting boards on HBWM.com, Bizymoms.com, Momspreneursonline.com and VAnetworking.com. With 20 year’s experience, I often know what works and what doesn’t in starting a business and staying successful, so my experience can prove beneficial.