There are thousands of advertisements on the Internet – in opportunity publications, in news papers, on television and radio, all claiming to have the SECRET to getting rich in a home based business. Is it possible that at least some of these claims are real?The truth is, there are many people doing very well operating a business from home. But are these people the exception or the rule? What chance does the average person with no business experience, and very little money to invest, have to get rich within five years operating a business from home? To be honest, based on my 19 years of experience, most people have very little chance of making any money at all.There’s a reason most people fail in their attempt to start a home based business. It’s because the marketers who sell these “make money from home” opportunities have no real interest in helping the new home business entrepreneur succeed. They know that their money making plans won’t work in the real world, so they entice people desperate to make a little extra money, into purchasing unworkable money making schemes.Because of today’s tough economy there are many thousands of people looking for home based money making opportunities. Just log on to any search engine and type in the terms: “How to start a home based business” and “Work at home jobs.” You will see that there are tens of thousands of web sites claiming to have the secret formula to almost instant riches working from the comfort of home.How To Separate the Wheat From the ChaffWith all of the many thousands of money making opportunities out there, how can you recognize a legitimate opportunity?First, tune out the hype, take off the rose colored glasses, get your head out of the clouds, and get both feet firmly planted on the ground!

You must understand that there is no way that you can make $100.000 in six months to a year without the help of an experienced mentor.

You can’t make money by doing nothing, as some of those easy money ads would have you to believe.

In order to make money, you have to sell something. There are money making plans that don’t even have a real product or service.

When you read an advertisement that asks you to pay money to find out what the secret wealth formula is, keep your credit card in your wallet. The REAL secret formula is to make you curious enough to get you to spend your hard earned money for some worthless, unworkable scheme.How To Identify a Legitimate Home BusinessFor those who are just starting out looking for a way to make a little extra money, it is very confusing to know what might work for you. If you’re willing to take the time to do some serious research, you will find it a lot easier to make an intelligent decision.There are many web sites that review home business opportunities just go to any search engine and do a search on “Home Based Business Reviews.”The best advice that I can give you in searching for a legitimate home business opportunity is to find an experienced entrepreneur who is willing to share some honest straight talk on what you will need to do to build a successful home based business. If you can find such a person, and follow their advice, you will dramatically increase your chances for success.