***Three Legitimate Home-based Business Ideas For Moms: Personal Services,

For stay-at-home moms, finding a way to create extra income can be challenging. There are hundreds of work-at-home-moms web sites with thousands of different money making ideas. Sorting through them all, you will discover that some work-at-home schemes are just that -- a scheme. Most of the truly legitimate home based business ideas will fall into one of three categories: Services and Virtual Assistants, Direct Sales and Network Marketing.

Capitalizing on your own talents, skills or ideas, you can create just about any type of service business. Charge clients by the hour or by the job for such things as dog walking, personal shopping, home decorating, bookkeeping, closet organization, in-home child care, music lessons, math tutoring, landscaping and more. You may be able to start up a personal services business strictly by word of mouth. Start-up expenses may be minimal--perhaps just the cost of a box of business cards.

Direct sales opportunities are a good fit if you are comfortable meeting new people and presenting your product to groups of people. Examples of this type of business would be scrapbooking, costume jewelry sales, kitchen gadgets, cookware, specialty candles and designer handbags. Sales are sometimes generated using print catalogs and showcasing limited quantities of product samples. Other opportunities have you sell your products by hosting in-home parties for friends and family. Personal referrals are an important part of this type of business. Start-up costs for this type of business usually range somewhere around one hundred to three hundred dollars.

Network Marketing and multi-level marketing opportunities enroll independent distributors, sometimes referred to as independent consultants, to sell products on which they earn a commission. Additionally, they receive commissions based on the sales efforts of people enrolled in their downline. If you are successful in creating a large downline, the monthly residual income can grow into a full-time income. Additional compensation plan details vary with each company. As with direct sales, you need to have some comfort level with personal selling and networking. Thankfully, the internet provides a great way to locate other like-minded business builders.
Contrary to what your upline might have told you, ‘warm market’ is not the only way to grow your business rapidly. I personally recommend two different online systems to my new reps who express any interest in the internet network marketing angle.

Though some MLM businesses have suffered in the past from image problems, the business model itself is legitimate and the residual income has huge potential. Network marketing business opportunities are available in various industries: health & wellness, beauty products & skin care, travel, electricity providers, telephone services – there is even a chocolate MLM company! (No joke) Some businesses will require online marketing and others will thrive simply through one-on-one recruiting. As with direct sales, little to no inventory is required. Start-up costs vary from as little as twenty dollars up to several thousand dollars.

Regardless of what home business opportunity you ultimately choose, make sure to always do your due diligence. If you choose a direct sales company or an MLM, check out the company, the pay plan -- and most importantly, interview several different sponsors. This leader will be critical to your success.