Many of us want to work from home and make money but it's hard to know what business opportunities are worth our trouble. Most of us don't have a great deal of cash to invest, or much time to dedicate to building a home based business. But with bills piling up and mouths we need to feed, running an online business working from home seems like a viable way to earn some extra cash. And it is!

Before deciding on a new business opportunity, however, you need to decide if the opportunity is truly legitimate. Diligently do everything you can to be sure it is before you invest your time and effort, not to mention your money. Don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions, even if you verge on being annoying! Make sure the opportunity is something you will truly be able to do, something that will interest you, something you won't get bored with, and something that won't interfere with your family and lifestyle.

There are several potential, legitimate online businesses you can start and run from home:

• Web Content Writer

Every website contains web content. They couldn't possibly survive without it. But many webmasters don't have the time, energy or ability to write sharp, snappy content that will attract clients and customers. All you really need is an ability to write clear, precise and error-free articles and you can start your online career today.

• Affiliate Marketing

 If you want to run a website but don't have any marketable products or services, consider affiliate marketing. By joining an affiliate marketing program, you are basically allowing a company to advertise their products and services on your website free of charge. They get this "free" advertising in return for paying you a commission for any sales or click-throughs made on their links.

Joining affiliate programs won't get you rich quickly, but as long as you keep your website content up-to-date and make it interesting and relevant to the affiliate programs you place on the site, your home business should slowly begin to blossom after a bit.

Read more about affiliate marketing here: How Affiliate Programs Work

• Website Management

Website management is an important part of every business. Small businesses, in particular, can't often afford to hire a webmaster to update their sites or databases so they hire freelancers to do the work--either on a one-time or ongoing basis. This greatly benefits the company because they don't have to pay taxes, vacations, sick leave and other benefits that quickly drain their revenue. And it benefits home business owners by providing a viable means of earning a living working online.

• Epublishing

If you have experience or knowledge in a particular subject area you can sell your expertise to others in the form of an ebook or short report. Think you don't know anything? You may want to reconsider. What have you been doing the last 10 years?

If you've worked--whether as a legal secretary, an ad agent, a retail store manager, or a short order cook--you have knowledge that can be sold as part of your online business. And ebooks and reports are easy to write and compile. You can find detailed instructions by visiting online writer's forums and websites.

There are many ways you can use the knowledge and skills you have to build a legitimate home based business. The best one for you is the one that fits your personal needs, your personality and lifestyle.

Tags: Affiliate Marketing, affiliate program, ebook publishing, home based business, make money, work from home

posted by Chris Simpson