When I started my home based business, it was both overwhelming AND exhilarating. Here are some tips for those of you getting ready to start your own online and/or home based business:

Take Note of Your "Home Business" Personality

Basically - make sure you HAVE one! There are some specific skills you will need to work at home, so if you don't already have them you need to start working on them!

The three most important skills, in my opinion, are self-motivation, organization, and the ability to work alone for long periods of time.

Some people flourish in a solo environment, but many discover - often too late - that five or six (or ten or twelve!) hours of silence drives them batty!

It's certainly better to find out in advance if running a solo home business is something you can live with.

Choose the Right Business for Your Needs and Personality

There are hundreds of kinds of home based business you can start, ranging from transcriptionist to eBay or Etsy store owner, to ghostwriter, to internet marketing.

Before you start work on a home business, be sure to take enough time early on to learn as much as you can about it. An ideal home based business will be something that fits YOUR needs, personality and interests. For example, don't choose to be sell blue widgets online if the whole widgets business bores you to tears!

Ideally, you'll be working in your selected home business for years to come, so it's worth spending the time up front to make sure it's something you'll enjoy.

Bone Up on Available Technology and Resources

When you're working at home you'll need to be your own "techie." Make sure you take the time to learn the ins-and-outs of the technology you'll use - how to set up programs on your computer, how to choose and use your favorite email account, how to set-up any shopping cart software, how to do your own computer backups, etc.

It's wise to set aside some time each week devoted to learning and using computer and online technical resources.

Plan, Plan, and Plan

When you start your home business, you'll find that having a business plan is a necessity. To create and run a successful business you’ll want to outline things like:

• Your reasons for being in your specific business
• Your budget and start-up monies
• Your goals
• Your assets
• Your competition
• Your strengths and weaknesses
• Your marketing strategy.

Learn to Operate Your Business As If You Weren't At Home

Sure, you can choose to stay in your pajamas all day if you have a home business, but should you? Probably not.

Although it's tempting to let things like showering, dressing and brushing your teeth slide when you're working at home, you'll find that you'll feel better and be more productive if you treat your home business as a business - with regular hours and a dress code of some sort.

You don't need to wear a suit, but geez... at least put on some clothes you wouldn't be ashamed to be seen wearing at the supermarket.

Some sort of set "business" hours are also recommended. They don't need to be 8am - 5pm, but it's best to carve out certain periods of time when you close your office door (or sit down at a desk) and devote yourself to work.

Choose a Role for Yourself

Just because you have your own business doesn't mean you should fulfill all the roles in that business. For example, resist the temptation to be everything to everybody - your own lawyer, your own accountant, your own sales team, your own marketer.

If you do, you'll never have enough time to devote to the most important tasks - those that will actually make money for you.

Remember - you are the CEO! Your job is to build and grow your business, and to delegate whenever possible!

Maintain a Balanced Life

You'll find it all too easy to let your home business consume your personal life. Making a point to lead a balanced life will keep you from burn-out, and will help you remain creative and productive.

Make sure that you build time for fun and self-care into your schedule. Take the time to celebrate your successes, both business and personal, celebrate life, and spend time with friends and family.

Following these seven tips will help your home business get off to a great start and help you keep it running well for years to come!