The very first step is to learn what the most common scams are, as well as the symptoms of scams. This will help you as you narrow down your selections.

The next step is to think about what it is that you really want to do from home. What would you like to do? What skills do you have? How much time can you spend?

You also need to set realistic expectations for yourself. You need to know not only what you are really capable of, but how much support you can expect from your family. Will the kids really be quiet for you or can you work only when they're asleep? Will your spouse understand why sometimes you have to work late at night, early in the morning or need him or her to make dinner after working all day?

Then comes the big question - work at home job or home business. You have to decide how much of a chance you want to take, how sure you need the income to be, what kind of investment will be tolerable, how much flexibility you need, how much you want to deal with order fulfillment and other such considerations.

Now you can start really looking through the possibilities. Out of what can seem like an overwhelming number, you can quickly write a bunch off as probable scams, many others as simply not what you want to do, and end up with a few ideas to check out.

This is the point where many people go from feeling like the options are overwhelming to feeling like there's nothing out there for them, especially if it's a work at home job they're after. And in the case of work at home jobs it's true in many fields that the jobs are tough to get. This may be your time to get creative.

While you may have selected a work at home job, you can be better off starting your own freelance business. Many of those scarce jobs are more easily found if you do the legwork contacting businesses that might need your services.

The companies that regularly hire at home employees tend to be swamped with applications. Get creative and you can make your own jobs as a freelancer. Small companies in your area may well need someone to do data entry, customer service, bookkeeping and so forth, but not want to hire even a part time employee. Get them thinking about you as a freelancer and you've made your own opportunities.

Similarly it can be hard to select that perfect home business. The options for home business are simply amazing, so you can often find the right direct sales, affiliate marketing or other opportunity to suit, but sometimes you'll decide to go your own route.

As you can see, once you know more about what you want to do, you have a better chance of finding what it is you are looking for. Working at home is in many ways just like working outside the home. If you have a goal and a definite plan to work toward, you'll make more progress than if you just try random things hoping for success.