It took her seven years, but Caroline Jones finally summoned the courage to leave her corporate sales job & move her corporate office closer to home. Actually, she moved her office into her spare room & joined the ranks of thousands who are working fromn home. As an independent representative with a network marketing company, Sarah enjoys the freedom of her home-based business. She can attend her sn's afternoon hockey game, catch up with clients or read a few chapters from her favorite personal development book. She can even pull a chair poolside & work on a Power Point Presentation with the sun & breeze in her hair.

The Home-Based Business Boom

Sarah's flexible work schedule is just one benefit of this growing trend. Like sarah, about 20.7 million people work from home, acording to the latest fiigures of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Whether its telecommuniting or running a home-based business, working from home offers greater control over time & activities.

According to economic advisor Paul Zane Pilzer, author of The New York Times best seller The Next Millionaires, entrepreneurship is on the rise. "Home-based businesses are one of the fastest-growing segments in our economy, and that teend will only continue, as the age of the corporation now gives way to the age of the entrepreneur," Pilzer says. "In today's world, working for yourself or a small company is actually the safer route, and working for a large corporation has become the riskier proposition."

Direct Selling: A Growing Trend

One segment of entrepreneurship, Network Marketing, sometimes called direct selling, is gaining attention from the world's foremost financial advisors. David Bach, financial planning expert & author of The New York Times best seller The Automatic Millionaire, says direct selling is a turn-key solution. "The beauty of this industry is that it's all done for you. There really isn't any start-up time. You don't have to create a business plan. You don't have to create a product. The only thing you need to do is find a reputable company, one that you can trust, that offers a product or service you believe in & can get passionate about. "

Increasingly, people are realizing their most valuable commodity is their time, & direct selling provides an attractive alternative. A long commutes have become increasingly unpopular & gasoline prices continue to soar, working from home offers a good option for many. Qualified workers who have a physical handicap or people who live in rural areas may find it difficult to commute at all. And family balance & flexible work schedule are uppermost in the minds of many stay-at-home moms.

What is most appealing is that anyone can do it. Today's technology offers many viable options for working from home. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) & web-based applications make the deployment of the work-from-home force an attractive option. The basic technical rrequisites for the home-based business owner are minimal-a Pentium class PC; a reliable high-speed broadband connection; and an analog phone line.

As the ultimate equal-opportunity solution, home-based businesses represent the purist form of equality through free enterprise. That's one of the most striking features of the industry: It involves men & women from all walks of life, all ages, all races, all ethnic & socio-economic groups.

The top earners in direct selling represent a diverse group of successful case histories. According to the Direct Selling Association, the industry's trade group, 24 percent of direct sellers have a high school diploma or less education, 35 percent are college graduates & 8 percent have a post-graduate degree.

The Benefits: Life Balance & Time

Her home-based business gives Caroline Jones the most valuable commodity: time. No Longer is Caroline commuting an hour to work. Instead after a quick sweep through the kitchen for a cup of coffee, she settles into her home office. Her commute is done.

No longer are Caroline's children in costly day care. Instead, she has the flexiblity to stay home with them. Now she takes them to & from school & volunteers as a chaperone for school field trips. She spends more time with her family. No longer is she at odds with balancing work & family life. She can choose her child's school play over an afternoon conference call. She can choose a week-end getaway with her husband over working through the weekend. She has ultimate control over her life because she has control over her time.

Consuelo Campbell is a University Professor and a Home-based busines owner. She specializes in training entrepreneurs for success. She is also a member of the top earning team at a powerful direct sales company. If interested in a direct sales opportunity you can contact her at consuelo.campbell@gmail.com