Working at home with no rules but your own has been the dream of most people. Who would want to work for a demanding boss if he or she has a choice of staying home and earning the same or more than she would make slaving in the office from 8 in the morning to 5 in the afternoon? However, starting a stay at home business could be a bit daunting for most people. A lot of people would be intimidated by the thought of not receiving their monthly paycheck and would opt to simply stay with their present job.

Where many people would simply not pursue their dream of having a stay at home business, there are a few brave souls who would take the risk of starting out. For people who are brave enough to pursue their dreams, their first challenge would be to find the right kind of stay at home business that is profitable and enjoyable. Finding these profitable and enjoyable stay at home business is a matter of ingenuity and creativity. There are not hard and fast rules as to where to get your business ideas.

Some of the most creative business ideas came about through accident so you can never be too specific as to where to find them. However, there are places like the Internet, the library and you local trade and industry office, which can be good sources of inspiration.

Once you find the right stay at home business, you need to study all its aspects. Just because you have a stay at home business does not mean you don't have any competitors. On the contrary, you could be facing stiff competition from fellow work at home business people and those companies with established commercial offices. It is therefore important that you study you competitors well and learn from them. In business, one of your best teachers is you competitors so take advantage of their experiences and learn from them.

As soon as you are ready to start, clear a space in your home where you could set up an office. Stay at home businesses need designated office space in your house where you can organize your files. If you have kids, it is better to have a door on your designated office that you can close to keep them from snooping on your work. Having kids running in front of you while you work could be very stressful so make sure that you have a stay at home business office where you can work in peace.

It would also be a very good idea to get another telephone line, which you will designate as your business phone. You use that phone number in your business card instead of your house phone. Having a business phone will make you sound professional.

Finally, there are many home business opportunities that you can start in your spare time that can eventually grow into a full time income while you work to pay the bills. If you know you want to eventually start working at home full time, you should take steps to get your home business started while you have a stable source of income from an outside source