When trying to start a home based business, a lot of people just come up with an idea and they try to implement it. The don't do any research into the industry and don't talk with people who are already doing it or already doing something similar. This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make and is one of the biggest factors contributing to the failure rate of start-up businesses.

Experience has shown that the more research you do before starting a business from home the more likely your business will succeed. Research can be done in many ways for a home based business. Some of my favorite resources are:

• Overture.com - They can help you determine the online market.
• Local Government - Often they have statistics on how many businesses exist in a particular industry in your area.
• Home Based Business Site - They review businesses and make suggestions on good home business opportunities
• Google - Find out what the competition is doing in your industry. See what is already working and what isn't.
• Local Library - Read up on what is going on in your industry. Find marketing books, accounting books, management books. The more you read, the more you know.

Along with these resources for doing research on your own, often local or state governments will have programs that will help you do research. Often these are free workshops guided by people who have successfully navigated the waters of having a home based business before.

When doing research, you might also want to look at your local college or university for resources. Often professors in the the business department are people who have run businesses before and they are teaching for the fun of it. They are often very willing to show you how to do more research.