Did you know that "home based business" and "work from home" are among the most frequently requested phrases on the search engines? I just entered the term "work from home" at Google, and I got back 4,730,000,000 results. What does that tell you? It tells you that there are plenty of websites around trying to keep up with the demand for information related to working from home. It also tells you that there are plenty of people promoting business opportunities. Network marketing, multi level marketing (MLM), and direct sales organizations and their representatives are trying to get your attention.

OK. So you have this plethora of information, you narrow it down to a few choices by sending emails or making a few phone calls, and you decide to join Company A. But wait! Wasn't this company on TV recently for being involved in some type of fraud? So you do a little more online research, and find out that yes, your business opportunity is on the verge of a meltdown, and you breathe a sigh of relief for not being drawn in before its demise.

That's just the best case scenario. The fact is that a large number of opportunities for the home based entrepreneur will fail, and drag down a number of poor innocents with it. Case in point: Brixdale.com. If you go to this website, what will you see? Nothing! This company was served a Cease and Desist order from the State of NY order last year, and closed up shop immediately, and the income stream that the distributors were enjoying stopped immediately. And there are many, many other stories like this.

WELL WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR IN A HOME BASED BUSINESS?

You may know a number of people that are very successful home based entrepreneurs, so you know that working from home is possible. Now we need to narrow it down to a business that fits your personality. So what should you look for first when evaluating a network marketing or direct sales organization? Very simply, longevity. Yes, I know there are so many more variables to consider, but longevity is a big one. And you know why? Well, if a company has been in business for over 1 year, then you know they've overcome a number of hurdles. If you talk to individual distributors and see that they are actually getting commissions on time and that support is very responsive, then you know you have a seasoned opportunity. We know that the first year in any long term endeavor is often turbulent, but getting through that first year means something good may come the next year.

Now if you are a belt and suspenders type of person (like me), one that puts in a little more effort to make sure everything stays in place, you would naturally want to take this reasoning a step further and reason, 'Well... if a one year old company is good, then a three or five year old company would be even better.' That is absolutely true.

The more time a company has to deliver products, respond to feedback, and upgrade services, the better they get at it. Take your average fast food franchise for example. How often do they upgrade their dining area? How often do they change the menu? Progressive organizations know that keeping in tune to customer satisfaction is the key to their success. Any business opportunity that you consider as a potential money maker for you should follow the exact same pattern.

There are so many variables to look at when you're considering a home based business. Evaluating the longevity of a company first will eliminate a substantial amount of research on your part.