Prior to launching a home based business, you need to ask yourself a number of critical questions. The answers to these questions will tell you if you are ready to take the plunge, or at the very least point out what you need to do to get ready. Be honest with yourself to save yourself stress down the road, and read on for what you need to have a conversation with yourself about.

The first thing you need to ask yourself is what exactly do you have to offer? You may have heard of day traders or online booksellers that make thousands a week in part time hours, but would this really suit you? What are you good at? What do you know? What do you love? What can you personally make money at? If the same thing comes up in response to more than one of these four questions, you may have something unique to offer in a niche market corner.

Think hard about whether or not you have the skills and education necessary to be competitive in a marketplace environment. You may know a lot from working at successful businesses or companies with others involved, but could you have done the job of anyone there? Can you manage yourself and handle all business matters that arise from end to end?

Consider current economics. How does your product or service potentially fare in such an environment? What implications are there for marketing? Is there demand and market for it already? Or are you going to have to carve out a niche for yourself?

Can your business handle a weak economy? Some sectors, states and communities are doing quite well. However, a number of depressed pockets are littered across the continent. Are you in one and affected by local factors? Or are you going online into the national marketplace where money can flow easier but things need to be cheap? Is your business something that might thrive in a downturn but actually fade in boom times?

Have you thought about where you will set up your home office? You are probably going to need one, just even a corner of a room where you can concentrate and collect your thoughts. Is there a good computer, comfortable chair, online connection and sufficient lighting? Do other members of the household know not to bother you in that space?

Check your schedule. What kind of times and hours do you have available to devote to your new business? In the early going, your time is the only thing you are going to have to invest in it. You might not even have any money to put into it at first. Can you handle this commitment long term without impacting your existing personal and professional obligations?

Most home business start-ups that fail do so because they were not set up well, and/or the owner did insufficient homework and preparation before jumping in. Answer the questions in this article honestly so you can do your best in making sure that your home business endeavor is not a part of the failing statistics.