Why would you want to work from home? More to the point, why wouldn't you? Working from home certainly has a lot of advantages - no having to get up before the crack of dawn for the daily commute, no having to wear business attire every day, or do your hair and makeup to perfection (or shave, if you're a bloke). In fact, you can work in your pajamas if you so desire!

But there are some disadvantages to working from home that you also have to consider. For starters, you'll miss that daily camaraderie that comes from being surrounded by others in the workplace. You'll miss going out for lunch or coffee with workmates. You'll miss...actually, I'm struggling to come up with anything else... Well there's always the medical insurance that a good job provides, and a steady stream of income (that is, if you're freelancing or beginning your own business), but work hard enough from home and you'll never have to worry about either of those again.

The biggest issues with working from home tend to be a) what sort of work you want to do, and b) getting started. It's all good and well to decide you'll work from home. Lots of people have home-based employment after all, why not you? Unfortunately, there are some jobs that just don't lend themselves to working from home. Of course, many people who decide to work from home would rather "go it alone" than work for someone else. And who can blame them? In going it alone, you've got a couple of options: do freelance work or start a home based business (or perhaps a combination of the two!)

There are quite a few opportunities for freelancers, depending upon your expertise. These days, especially, more and more people are looking to hire Ghostwriters, so if you've got a good grasp of the language and love to write, you're sure to find at least some work in the field. There are also opportunities for programmers and other computer professionals (including web developers). If you can type, more and more companies are outsourcing their transcription work, and the list goes on. If you want to see what other sorts of freelance jobs are available, visit http://www.elance.com or http://www.rentacoder.com.

Then there's starting your own business. Here the opportunities really are vast! However, with that vastness comes a degree of confusion...what is it you really want to do? Many people jump online with the idea that they'd like to make money from their computer. So they do an Internet search, and end up with a plethora of opportunities (some viable, others complete scams). If you spend a bit of time in the world of Internet Marketing you'll soon learn about affiliate programs, Adsense revenue, eBay and selling your own electronic products online. Unfortunately, a lot of people start out dabbling in all or a combination of these, without really focusing on one business idea. Unfortunately, for many this is their downfall. If you can't focus specifically on one thing, you'll find that your results will suffer as a result.

The moral? Do your research before you start. Really look at what each type of earning opportunity requires, and think very carefully if that's the sort of work you want to be doing for the next few years. If it isn't, then you'll be able to eliminate that as an option, and move on to the next. There really is something for everyone online, but don't make the mistake of jumping on the bandwagon without taking some time to research your options first.