Looks like your looking to make money from home and your trying to find a work at home based business or a work at home job. Struggling to see any difference?  I’m the first to agree there is a lot of confusion about which is which and what the major differences are between a work at home based business and an at home job. I’m slightly bias to starting your own business but I’ll try to explain why it really makes more sense. Many people do both and you can too, it isn’t a bad way to go.

What Qualifies as a Work at Home Based Business?

Just like in the offline world the first major difference in the two is how you get paid and this is also is the easiest way to qualify a work at home based business.  The thing is though, even work at home jobs will often pay you as a subcontractor and use a 1099 form to pass wages instead of a w-2 form like most offline jobs.  The top way to qualify and discern whether a work at home based business is a better option for you is to look at who owns “stuff”.

There are many opportunities to make money taking surveys, I’ve never attempted to use this method but I’m using it as an example of a work at home job.  You get paid to do something.  If you do “10″ of something you get paid for doing “10″ and if you do 19 you get paid for 19.  In order to get paid you have to do the “thing” again and this is one of the best ways to tell a job from a business.

These are common characteristics of a work at home based business:

• Usually not an agreed amount for performing a task.
• You own something, usually a website or an agreement.
• You may make something at home that you sell to others.
• You may provide a service like editing or copy writing and get paid based on agreements you make.
• Your responsible for getting your own customers.
• You may have to purchase a license to resell or distribute with a work at home based business.
• If you offer consulting services, you own a business.

This doesn’t cover everything but I think you can see how your idea could either fit or not.

Why do I think a work at home based business is a better choice that a job?

Well for a couple reasons.  The first one being passive income. You see if you own a web property (website) you have an opportunity to make money into the future for content you create today.  You could re purpose the content into an e-book, you could offer ad space and make money from advertisers.  Regardless of what type of work at home based business you find, you should be able to find good ways of making money in a passive way over time.

Many people are introduced to the work at home online business via turnkey work at home business ideas.  Most of these are direct sales opportunities or affiliate relationships in one form or another.  The affiliate business model has made many millionaires online and it’s probably one of the easiest work at home businesses to start.  You may not care about making a million, but affiliate work at home models can really generate some nice chunks of extra cash.  The opportunities are endless with a home business and if you currently aren’t comfortable starting you own business, maybe finding one of the best work at home jobs is just thing to prepare you for whats next.

Many people, in their search to find a work at home based business, come across a network marketing opportunity that appeals to them.  Network marketing is another work at home business model which not only allows a person to make money by offering products or service, you can also earn a commission from the sales team you help develop.  Network marketing can be a smart way to make money now and build passive residual income over time.  Find a good mentor who can teach you the intricacies of Network Marketing, this helps a ton.

I’ve read in forums, gotten emails and responded to comments that allude to the idea that it’s tough to find a work at home based business opportunity that works.  The thinking is flawed and that’s what this post is about. If you have a home business blog feel free to link to this post about “A Work at Home Based Business Opportunity That Works”

The concept is flawed….

I mean business opportunities don’t “work” or “not work”…

There is this mentality that if you buy into a business opportunity you will start making money, it’s nuts, flat out flawed thinking! It does not work that way!   I think marketing messages really skew the perception of most well meaning entrepreneurs who turn to the Internet for better business ideas.  The whole “SCAM” angle is so over used in online business opportunities that most people probably just turn and look the other way.

As an entrepreneur it is up to you “leverage” or “use” the opportunity to create an income.  Most successful work at home based business ideas are just simple product or service delivery systems and your function in the business model is usually marketer…. Right?

OK, let’s say your lucky enough to hook up with another entrepreneur like yourself and they actually help you get your business rolling…And this DOES happen (not usually) What will they be offering you that has the most value?  Marketing advise, tactics, and lead generation ideas that work for them; That is what they have to offer that will most help your work at home business succeed.

I’m writing this article under the assumption that you want to earn a significant income from home and are contemplating starting a directs sales, or top tier network marketing opportunity.  There are other home based money making ideas besides these type of business models, and I use a couple myself.

Successful Work At Home Based Business Ideas

Most successful work at home based businessideas simply offer products or services that are in demand, provide a means of delivering those products or services and handle customer support.  Home business opportunities that work well do these things very well and they also offer a generous commission to you “The Marketer”….

The generous commission is a big part of the equation to especially if your marting a work at home business on the Internet. The higher your commission structure the more power you have to market. You can bid more for a keyword in pay per click if you stand to earn 1k dollars than you can if you will only earn 100, right?

The basic point of this article is that the difficult thing is not to find a work at home based business that works, it is to create your own marketing machine.  Create a marketing machine that connects with exactly the type of people who will appreciate what you offer and can be successful with any legitimate work at home based business.