The uncertain global job market is forcing people to find alternative means of making a living. Statistics show that approximately 8,000 new home-based businesses start daily in the U.S. alone. This means that a new home-based business starts every 11 minutes! It is estimated that by 2010, a whopping 69% of all households will support themselves from some form of home-based business, and an affiliate business is a proven vehicle for testing the waters without needing to have the usual infrastructure and financial backing that a new business normally requires.

So why are people still hesitant about the affiliate home-based business industry? Security! People are afraid to leave what they see as a secure job for an affiliate home-based business. Yet analysts have proven that people who work from home are in better control of their destiny and therefore much more secure.

Unfortunately, many people who are uninformed about the nature of online affiliate businesses have the mistaken belief that starting an online home-based business is expensive. Sure, there are online home-based businesses that cost a fortune to start and run but they are not the norm. When you take a closer look at what is needed to start an online home-based business, especially an affiliate online business, you will see that the arguments advanced purporting great expense fail to stand up under scrutiny. Starting an online business is simple and inexpensive.

Presumably you already have a computer, a printer and an Internet connection, and know how to use them. If you would like to take the plunge into the field of affiliate marketing, find a few programs that you are interested in and sign on as an affiliate to sell their products. Most of these programs cost nothing to join and in the rare cases where there is a fee involved it is typically less than $30.

So what are the real costs?

Membership Fees Most affiliate programs are free. Others charge a small fee of $10 - $30 per month

Domain Name and Hosting: If you are going to be successful at the home business industry even if you are selling affiliate products and services, you need your own website with your choice of a domain name, and web hosting (maintenance service). To register a domain name costs between $9-$30 per year with discounts if you sign up for 2 - 10 years. Good website hosting costs from $9 - $25 per month. Choose a hosting package to suit your pocket. I would advise against free hosting. Not only are free-hosted websites not taken seriously but with free hosting comes the hosting service's ads on your site.

Building your website Free, to as much as you wish to spend. I had my first website built for me and quickly learned to build my own. It really is not that difficult.

Autoresponder An autoresponder is a must if you plan to stay up to date with communicating with your customers. Plan on spending $4 - $20 per month

Advertising your business $50 - $100 per month

To set up your own affiliate home-based business can range from $70 - $205 with on-going monthly operating costs of $65 - $175. Have you ever heard of an offline business you can start for under $100 that has the potential to earn you thousands each month? Of course you can spend much more, but compared to the cost of setting up and running an offline business, the costs of setting up an online affiliate home-based business are minimal. Most people spend more money eating out each month.

A prudent approach would be to begin while you still have a job and continue in your job until you start making enough money to allow you to work at home full-time.

Janice Sharman

A former restauranteur, Janice Sharman now lives in the Caribbean where she runs a design, print and publishing business with her husband. She still finds the time to run three Home Business websites. She thoroughly enjoys the thrill of helping people get their own home business started and making a profit. When she is not running business, she enjoys scuba diving, traveling and doing gospel concerts.