You don't have to stay in a 9-5 just because of the job security (which is exactly why most people do) or the stark realization you may make a mistake starting an online business (most people do. It's not the end of the business). Most times people are so worried to try something new they never even attempt it. Know what? Life is too short to do something you don't like or are forced to do something by the time and location constraints of someone else.
Additionally, how will you ever know all you can accomplish if you're locked into a certain job? You'll never know how many hats you can wear and how good you can do with each one. Running a home business does require dedication, determination and God-given "smarts" to some degree. I've found the reasons people don't take the plunge and are afraid to start a business are many, but two come right to the forefront.
They are:
People are afraid to leave the comfort of a job and their take home pay and they are uncertain about making a mistake that can doom their new business. For each of these "problems" there is but one answer - learning. For the former, prepare yourself by finding out and learning what a successful business owner does, right down to how they pay themselves and pay their taxes and expenses. For the later, every successful business decision you make will build on your success, embolden you and make you more comfortable next time.
People running successful businesses from home are just like you with one difference. They've opted to break out of the "worker" mold and into the "owner" mold. They've chosen to think outside the box and if you ask any of them, they are happier than if they were working for someone else. There are as many different niches for a business as there are people running them.
You can even start an at home business in something you're familiar with such as an online data entry. Nothing says you have to leave home for this either - you can start a data entry job and stay home. When you sit down and think about it, the possibilities are endless.
If you want to keep within the structure of a company and complete "projects", take a look at freelance sites like Freelancer.com or Virtual Office Temps. These companies let you upload your resume and complete a profile which lets prospective employers find you. Depending on your profile, experience and projects completed successfully, employers can hire you for their projects. They can leave a comment telling others how well you handled their project. Be advised though that the competition for these projects is fierce and you can expect to run into a catch 22 when just starting out. Employers are looking for experienced people but it's difficult to get hired if you have no experience. It isn't impossible to get hired, but you should be aware of this before you go this route. After a few successful projects you're on your way. Remember also that employers want their project completed in a certain time frame. If something - anything - comes up where you can't have the project done on time, let the employer know!
If you're new, and want to conduct business completely on your own, try starting out with something like an affiliate business where you just have to promote someone else's product (such as Click Bank) to create an income. When you get your feet wet, try promoting your own product that you create - an e-book or something like that. It's not that difficult and you'd be surprised how well you could do. Think about it like this. With every step you take the more confident you become and the better job you'll do. Confidence shows. Running an online business completely on your own is very rewarding and can be very profitable. An easy way to see how successful online marketers do this is simply find them doing a search and subscribe to their newsletters. About 10 should do it. See how they structure their newsletter, what they advertise and especially how they write it. Does it make you want to click on the link they're advertising?
Here's a tip if you're going to go it on your own that almost guarantees your success. Take a copy-writing course. The cost runs the scale from free to thousands of dollars. As you might expect, you get what you pay for. Top copy-writers such as can charge thousands of dollars to create a sales page for you and it's worth every penny. Perry Marshall or John Carlton, two of my favorite copy-writers charge a couple thousand for their courses. Again worth every penny if you can write and move people with your words alone. You can make your own future..
One thing is for sure. The possibilities to make an online income today are endless. You can keep your current job (if you're fortunate enough to still have one) and explore new income opportunities and even begin earning online to see if it's what you want to do. With today's technology, there's no good reason you need to commute anywhere except your home office.
