working at home, but you have some concerns. You've heard all the myths, negative talk, etc. that others throw your way when you enlighten them about your new-found dream.

Don't let negative people stop you from going after your dream of working at home. If you really want to work from home, you'll find comfort in knowing that millions of people are already doing it with success!

Preparation is the key to a great work-at-home experience. Below are a few simple steps you can take to prepare yourself for the work-at-home experience and avoid potential pitfalls.

Step One: Preparing Mentally and Eliminating Fears

Mental preparation is the first step because success begins in your mind. You should eliminate all fears of working from home because ultimately, there are absolutely no guarantees in the business/employment world. Keep your mind on your goals, not on all the things that "could" happen. If you have a comfortable nine-to-five job and fear losing that security in order to work at home, that's perfectly normal. However, when you decide to start your own home business, you'll need to keep your goals ever before you. When fears creep up in your mind, remind yourself that any job could be terminated at any time in the business world. So why not have your own business where you're free to make the decisions which determine your future?

Prepare your mind by eliminating fears and keeping focused on your business goals. Work daily to reach those goals, and you'll reap the rewards.

Step Two: Preparing for a Roller Coaster Experience

One thing that's guaranteed with owning a home business is the roller coaster ride experience. Be prepared to experience ups and downs with finances, customer demand, product or service availability and everything else that goes along with a business. If you're the type of person who loves adventure, this probably excites you. If you're more of a steady, even-flow type of person, then this may sound a little scary.

A great way to prepare for the ups and downs is to have a budget. Learning to budget for a business is a great stress reliever. Why? Because a budget places the financial burden on paper instead of on your shoulders! A budget will free you from the temptations to overspend when profits are up as well as from temptations to quit every time things are down. It can actually be fun to watch the trends of your business each month, and eventually year by year.

Step Three: Preparing Physically for a Change in Pace

If you're leaving a very active job in the workforce to start a computer-based business at home, then you're in for some surprises. You might not realize how active you really were on the job until you're confined to the computer all day.

Never stop being active. There's a temptation to stop all activity when you begin working from home. Unfortunately, activity is what stimulates the mind and enables your body to keep functioning at the right pace. The less active you are, the less energy you will have. Prepare yourself by committing to at least a small frame of time each morning for exercise. Take a thirty-minute walk in the morning and during your lunch break to clear your mind. Go to the gym daily, or take the kids to the park. Keeping yourself active also keeps your mind full of fresh ideas for business expansion, promotion and producing
quality service.

When you're prepared, working from home will seem less stressful and more enjoyable. Your focus will be clear and you'll be able to reach your business goals.