While there are certainly more than 10 things to consider before selecting your new home based business here are those things I believe are of great importance. Please note: they are not listed in order of importance.

1. Training: Yes we all need consistent training. Product knowledge is an absolute necessity. A successful company will have initial training as well as ongoing product and sales training tools for your targeted market.

2. The Back Office: The company’s’ back office is your back office. Your office needs to be open 24/7 real time. Your back office will be as good as the company’s’ IT and sales management departments want it to be.

3. Reputation: Relentless due diligence on the company and the product line is imperative. You will be putting your good name on the product and the company as you take them both to your customers. Is “Made in the USA” important to you. I think it should be but that’s just my opinion. What if you decided to visit the factory?

4. Products: Are the products reasonably priced? Do the products require “new money” or, are the products consumable meaning that people use them then buy more on a regular basis. Do the products have a seasoned reputation for excellence? All these and more should be considered during the selection process.

5. Mentoring: Any success oriented company will provide an exceptional amount of mentoring. Some companies will require a specific amount of training sales to give you the best possible start in your new home based business.

6. Commitment: Are you willing to commit your time, your interest and all your talent to making this opportunity work? Your new home based business will require considerable time and aggressiveness to get started. These types of businesses always require more effort in the beginning. Think of what’s involved in starting a regular business, HR activities, Bankers, logistics, inventories, sometimes manufacturing and on and on. Your new home based business has none of these tasks to perform. It’s all on you and your willingness to do what it takes to be successful.

7. Compensation Plan: Ah yes, everyone’s favorite subject. The comp plan should be solid and easy to understand after all, you may need to explain it to others if you wish to bring them into your business. It should be fair, even lucrative if possible. It should have increasing income levels based on accomplishment. It should be a cumulative plan, that is, you should never need to start over at any time. You will always be building on what you have already accomplished.

8. Guarantee: What will you offer your customers with regard to guarantees or warranties? This sounds very basic however the warranty issue becomes huge when your phone starts ringing with customers wanting to know why the company “you represent” isn’t honoring their guarantee or warranty. Of course, this is the guarantee or warranty you promised, usually in writing, that they received when they bought the product.

9. Web Presence: The company should have a dynamic web presence. Their website and its’ content should be very informative, factual and sales oriented. Will you have a web presence in support of your new home based business? If so, will you create this web presence or will you need to hire someone to do that for you?

10. Honesty: “Just plain honesty” is easy for us all to understand but how do you find out if the management of the company you will represent is “honest?” The complete answer will need to be subject of a separate writing. Consider finding the names of the principals, the upper management then using your own techniques check them out. Talk to others that have a history with the people you will be working for. If possible, visit the facility and meet as many of management as possible.

Ask questions, ask questions, and ask questions. As previously stated there are certainly more than 10 things to consider before selecting your new home based business. You will be the President and CEO of your home based business. The responsibility for making the decisions is all on you. Do your best, do your homework and move forward with a life changing activity, owning your own home based business.