Many people grew up with the idea that you go to school, find a good job, and retire from that job after many years of loyal service. That scenario is now the exception rather than the rule. An individual working at a job in corporate America can expect to be there for three years, on average.

Companies are bought and sold regularly, economic downturns are forcing massive layoffs in just about every field, and many jobs are being outsourced to other countries where the labor is much cheaper. You may be loyal to your company or institution, but don't be surprised if and when that loyalty is rewarded with a pink slip.

You can already see that earning a pension from most companies is becoming more and more unlikely, so don't count on that for your retirement. If you think Social Security is going to bail you out, think again. The fund is expected to run out by about 2040, which may seem like a long way off, but even if you're 60 now you could live to see your retirement funds run dry. Chances are good that when it comes to retirement, you'll mostly be on your own. So, why pay into a system that you won't get the full benefit from?

The Real Estate boom of the late 90's and early part of this century forced many people to buy homes far away from their workplace, in order to find something they could afford. Often this led to a commute of an hour or two in each direction.

Gas prices have doubled in that time, and for many this has added an expense of $100 or more per week just for the commute to work! The time spent getting to work combined with the high price of getting there is making that daily commute a LOT less appealing, isn't it?

Improvements in Computer and Internet technology have drastically improved the ability of the average person to earn a healthy living from home. Here are just a few of the developments:

1. Virtually anything may now be purchased online
2. Home computers can handle an incredible amount of information and send and receive it very quickly over the internet
3. Web 2.0 is making it possible to reach a very large audience interested in your services in a very short amount of time
4. Improvements in video make it possible to connect with your clients across the globe as if you were right there with them, either in real-time or on high-quality recordings (see example below)
5. It is now possible to receive very thorough training in the comfort of your own home through webinars and recorded tutorials


These are just a few of the improvements in technology, and there are surely others not mentioned here. Clearly, though, the improvements in the home computer and the internet have created incredible opportunities for those with the vision and the courage to take advantage of them.

If you have the self-discipline to set your own hours and stick to them, working from home can be the best decision you ever make for the health of your family.

Since you are your own boss, you can decide to work more on a Sunday so that you can take the family to Disneyland on a Wednesday, when it's less crowded. You also don't have to worry about missing your son's school musical, or playoff game due to work conflicts. You simply plan ahead and make up those hours elsewhere.

Having the office at home means you can squeeze an hour of work in while the kids are taking a nap, or work on a project outside of normal work hours, such as a Sunday evening.

This kind of scenario isn't for everyone, and it will require a lot of personal growth for many to be able to handle this much freedom. Once you master the skill of self-discipline, though, you'll never want to work for someone else again.

You'll need to decide what type of home business you want to run. Unless you have a product or service that you make yourself (in which case you're probably already running a home based business), one of the best options is to find a product or service that you love and represent it as a distributor. From a financial standpoint, you'll want to leverage your time and effort as much as possible, granting you the freedom and flexibility that financial independence provides.

This may be a new concept for you, or perhaps you have some reservations because you think it means recruiting friends and family into your business. You can relax, because the days of 'opportunity parties' and hotel meetings are giving way to a better, more professional approach to building a successful home based business.

Before you even pick a company to affiliate yourself with, though, you'll want to learn what it takes to be successful in today's marketplace. The best way to do that is to join people who are already ahead of you on the path to success. They are consultants, and they have a sincere interest in helping you achieve your dreams. Using the knowledge they have acquired, they can guide you in the learning process to hasten your development.

The best consultants work with a system that helps them to help you in the most efficient way possible. By utilizing such tools as webinars and recorded tutorials, everyone learns at a pace that is comfortable for them. The consultant's role is to then fill in any gaps and answer any related questions. This allows them to leverage their time and help more people in the process.

One such system is Renegade University, which is free to join and will allow you to begin learning the steps necessary to run your own home-based business right away. The content places an emphasis on internet and network marketing training, but the lessons can be applied to many different fields. Because you proceed at your own pace, you can either ease into the process or dive in head first, whatever feels right for you.

If you have further questions, please refer to the contact information at the bottom of this page. I will be happy to speak with you to help determine if a home-based business is right for you.

To learn more about Renegade University, click here
For more information, or to schedule a free consultation please click here or write to Lane@LaneReiss.com