The best home based businesses can help a person say goodbye to the 9 to 5 gridlock routine and say hello to better ROI. More time with family, less stress, better overall health, and a better quality of life. Top companies provide training, ongoing support, and multiple sources of income. Many have exaggerated claims of income potential.

For the most industrious, working for oneself can take two main paths. You may work to help with someone else’s requirements as an independent contractor or consultant. Another path is to start your own small business. While the job market isn’t as awash with opportunities, home-based businesses are flourishing. The avenues for finding these opportunities have expanded along with the home-based workforce. The top home-based businesses are in direct competition with and just as successful as more traditional businesses. It is common knowledge that both “eBay” and Microsoft started at home. Since the rise of the Internet, dot.com and its siblings of the web have seeded businesses that became commercial giants.

The types of home-based businesses that are done for a third party have advantages and disadvantages. Just as an employee would compete for a traditional job, working from home for others means winning the job. This involves market research for job opportunities, applying, winning, and performing successfully. Applying for contracting jobs includes proposing the right mix of job types, responsibilities, costs, and schedule.

Playing the role of consultant or contractor has advantages and disadvantages. Contractors are often responsible for deducting and paying any IRS taxes owed. Contractors and consultants are often responsible for the tasks and deductions that are normally handled by a Human Resources department. Health care and life insurance are critical benefits that attract a lot of interest from the freelance workforce. For the self-employed, self-employment organizations such as the National Association of the Self-Employed can help with payroll, business, legal, marketing, and accounting requirements.

YourNetBiz – Provides products, training and support and is only sold through sponsors who partner with you in business to help you succeed. It allows for greater potential for success if you choose the right mentor or sponsor.

Industry market research data can be critical in establishing which industries are stable, declining, or growing. Occupational research provides critical data on rates and salaries, identifies standard training, education, and staff composition. The data can be incorporated into competitive proposal strategies to become a contractor, consultant, or to win business, contracts, or grants for your own company.

Not surprisingly, the best home-based businesses include administrative support. Freelance job portals often have virtual assistant, admin, typing, transcription, receiving, data entry, and similar job duties. Each of the following sites offers administrative employment and employees:

Guru.com, freelancer.com, iffreelance.com, odesk.com

For the artistically inclined, deviantart.com, etsy.com, and eBay offer marketplaces for selling and buying products. Crafts such as clothing for people and pets, candles, bath and body products are bought and sold from home. These products are among the best home based businesses. Specialty or gourmet edibles like cakes, candies, and cookies are a self-renewing customer need. Coffees, teas or specialty drinks are sold online from homes all over the world.

Technical work such as programmers, coders, developers, and support positions such as web content developers and designers are among the top home-based businesses. Virtually any job website has countless technical opportunities. A webmaster can create himself. Like an artist, technical workers can build a portfolio of work to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities to develop a small business or provide contract services. Anyone who is technically inclined can accumulate credentials and certifications as fast as they would like to progress for a living.

The hiring arena is a wide net. It excludes primary and secondary players, such as those who need a product or service and those who can provide it. In the middle there are other entrepreneurs. Proposal or grant writers, for example, are another cottage business. Just like an artist and a technical person, to enter this world, you can take an alternative route by demonstrating through a portfolio what you can do. However, to gain an edge over the competition, a business must strive to win at least one grant, contract, or award for its portfolio and grow from there. The Internet has allowed many companies to conduct business over the phone, fax, Internet, and online meetings. The Proposal Manager or Proposal Coordinator staff are responsible for guiding grants or proposals through the system. Any of these positions can be made from a home base.

Despite challenging economic times, the good news is that the best home-based businesses are everywhere, where the heart is, and most importantly, in the home.