1) How much to you need to make? Too many people falsely believe they need to replace their current incomes in order to stay or work at home. In reality, most people can earn less yet live better while working at home. But to know for sure, you need to run the numbers. It's boring. It's tedious. It's usually depressing. But failure to understand what it would take financially to work at home is irresponsible and can get you in financial trouble. So, first you want to determine how much of your current expenditures are related to your job. These are expense you won't have or will be lessened by working at home and include childcare, commuting costs, clothing, dining out, etc. You may be surprised at just how much your income actually funds your job!

Next you need to do a detailed budget of your expenses, minus your job-related expenses. This is a good time to see what areas you can save in such as groceries, non-essentials, and utilities. The more you save, the less you have to earn from home!

When you know your monthly expenses, subtract the income your partner brings in or is paid to you outside your job. The number left over is the amount you need to earn from home. If you need $3000 a month to cover your expenses, and your partner earns $2500 per month, you need to earn $500 from home.

2) What can you do? You wouldn't use a search engine and sign up for the first thing that sounded good in a traditional job search; yet, so many people take this approach to working at home. People who are successful at working at home maximize their skills or interests. So the next step is to outline all your skills and experiences, as well as your interests, talents and hobbies. An employer with a work-at-home job is like any other employer; he wants someone with skills to do a specific job. The only way to know what jobs you can do is to create a resume. The same is true in a home business. Many people turn their talents and interests into a home business. But they didn't do it just by signing up somewhere. They took an inventory of what they had to offer the world.

3) Search and Research. Once you know what you have to offer an employer or customer, you need to determine if there is a need for your skills. You may be the best typist in the world but if no on wants a typist, it won't matter. You can use job search sites to learn about what jobs are most prevalent. If you re thinking of a home business, identify the people who would most likely use your service, and survey them to find out what they need and what they would pay. If you are interested in building a website, joining a home business opportunity or working on eBay, research how to make money at it. Millions of people jump online to do these things and most of them don't make money not because they join scams but because they don't do adequate research to determine what it takes to be successful.

4) Make a Plan. There is a great saying that goes, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." No statement is truer when it comes to finding a way to work at home. Plans are the road maps that provide focus and direction to your goal. How will you find a telecommuting job? Where will you look? How long and how often will you search? Plans are necessary for home businesses as well. What product or service will you offer? How much will it cost? Who is going to buy it? How will you find them and let them know of your offer? This is probably the area that most people's work-at-home dreams fall apart. Whether you believe in goal-setting or success principles or not, you need to know what to do every day that will result in your earning an income at home. It only happens with a plan.

5) Do it! Plans are only good if you actually take action. You must make a commitment to your plan and then do it. Our lives are so busy that often our work-at-home goals get set aside. I can't tell you how many people I have helped start a job search or a home business that never found success because the kids got sick, the weather turned bad, the mother-in-law came to visit, the oven broke, and so on. On the other hand, they had time to watch Oprah or ER. Perhaps they finished a newly released hardback book or found time to make crafts. The reality is that life happens to everyone, but there is always enough time for your dream if they are important enough to you. You must schedule time for your job search or building your business. Get up an hour earlier or stay up an hour later. Stop watching television or give up relaxing time. Just find a way to do it.

The reason only 2-10% of the human population ever achieves huge success in any thing whether its business, sports, or entertainment is because only 2-10% are willing to do what it takes. They sacrifice things. They plod on even when it seems hopeless. They prioritize and work efficiently. And they never, ever quit!

You can be one of the 2-10% who live the dream of working at home. All it takes is following the 5 steps outlined above.