If you are not busy living, then you must be busy dying. Most of us do this subconsciously and are unaware of which side of this equation we reside on. It must follow then that if you have lots of money, you are probably busy living and living well. Everybody wants more money. But is it the money itself or is it the freedom it buys? Lots of money = lots of freedom.

On the opposite side are the people busy dying. It must follow then that their income falls short of the mark. They cannot meet their obligations, their debts are growing, and there is more month at the end of their money. Yet fuel prices, housing costs, taxes, even groceries keep rising. How do you budget an inadequate income? So they add on a part-time job to make up the deficit. Lack of money = lack of freedom.

In one month alone, nearly 400,000 people went to Search Engines for "self help".

* 1,324,817 for help with depression
* 910,029 for help coping with divorce
* 355,077 for help with anxiety
* 276,647 for help with an addiction
* 131,850 for help with anger management
* 73,183 for help with panic attacks

So, how do we correct this? More money is the only solution and there are many ways to do this. For most, it is not how much they earn but how much they are able to keep. This is the single most important difference between becoming wealthy and staying poor. Spending more than we earn leads to certain financial disaster, yet most people do just that.

The poorest people would never think to buy knowledge or invest in their greatest asset - their brain. Certainly the easiest way to gather financial knowledge is through educational publications on the subject. Yet the ones who desperately need this knowledge almost never read it. They think poor and so do nothing to change it.

All too often we entertain the thought that there may be a shortcut to wealth. We dream about winning a lottery, or investing in a popular trade, or jumping into an Internet wonder-business that promises you a license to print money - (been there, done that).

I'm sure by now you think I'm going to come up with the perfect solution to this problem and I wish that were even possible. But I'll offer my two cents for what it's worth. Let's start a new generation with one parent staying home with the kids. Like the old days we seniors like to say. And it doesn't always have to be the at-home-mom; plenty of dads can fill this need and do a superb job; I happen to know a couple of them first hand.

We live in a new millennium where dotcom millionaires are made every day. So I will make earning a living online my solution, because it is the only way a parent can stay at home without fracturing the family budget. And I'm not talking about paid surveys, stuffing envelopes, secret-shopper, or (god-forbid) telemarketing! Usually this is too little, too late.

To realistically run a business from your home, you must set aside some funds for start-up costs. Free is swell, but in the end it will not pay the bills. Compared to a brick and mortar business $1000-$2000 is not unreasonable. Currently, a McDonald franchise goes for 3.5 million! And what good are profits if you are imprisoned by your business. There is no freedom in the food business (been there done that too).

You will need some tools to run your business proficiently. Don't start out with a handicap like some one-armed paperhanger. You will need everything going for you if you are to succeed. Properly equipped, you will appear to be a serious business person but more importantly, you will feel like one.

Start with a domain name, a hosting company and unlimited phone service. A lot of your time will be in conference and follow-up calls. You will need a toll-free number if you want prospects to contact you - most will pass on a long distance call. You should automate your business as much as possible because you will be splitting your time between home and office duties. A Lead service and Autoresponder would be beneficial. A secluded place for your new business would be ideal and should be labeled "off-limits" during your scheduled work-time.

Working at home can be challenging if you don't have discipline. You have to resist morning TV shows and learn to say 'no' until friends and relatives realize that you do have a job with a schedule to keep. A structured day is almost mandatory, especially with small children. It does get easier when they are in school. Your day can match school hours and the many camp-options can eat up the summer months. And oh yes, you will be able to afford it by then.

So the next step is to search for the perfect home-business. Personally, I like independent sales so I don't have to share my profits with several upliners. I also like residual income to be the larger part of my earnings. What is residual income? It's when income continues to flow automatically as a result of your efforts months ago. It takes no further effort on your part and rewards you generously.

Put high priority on a company's product. If you've never claimed to be a 5-star sales person, you will need a superior product at an irresistible price. But once you discover what works you will stop doing what doesn't, and never look back.

© 2005 Esther Smith - Free Reprint Granted

About the Author: Esther Smith publishes a syndicated Newsletter every Sunday: subscribe here: clendon@charter.net. More articles by Smith here: http://www.thepermanentventure.com/articles.htm

She is a proud member of the Profit Masters Team - the power and simplicity of this business earns $3k - $5k weekly in a very short time. Creating wealth is fun if there is no struggle attached to it. http://www.exec-lifestyle.com