With the decline of the dollar and today’s economy being in such an uncertain and unstable position it’s not surprising that more and more people are looking for ways to safeguard their financial future. Today’s job market is plagued with a high unemployment rates, salary cuts and company doors closing daily. Today many people are seeking a plan that allows them to introduce more certainty to their future. So they scratch their heads and pose two very important questions: What am I good at? How do I turn that into making money? Once they are able to identify the answers to these two questions they now have the foundation to starting a successful home business.Research is one of the most important things you can do to plan for success. Always research both the successful and unsuccessful businesses in the field you are interested in. When looking at the successful examples think of ways to customize those positive points into some unique and even more successful strategy. When looking at those businesses that were not successful examine the things that seem to be responsible for the business failing. Think about things that could have been done to avoid the mistakes you can identify.Next, when starting a home business make sure to develop a solid business plan. Identify the goal that you have with the business and visualize how to get there. Look in the local newspaper and check in with the local colleges for classes offered on starting a home business. Don’t forget that the local library always provides access to materials that can potentially offer a wealth of knowledge. Often times community based businesses will offer internship and mentoring opportunities that may be useful to someone interested in starting a home business. There are many infomercials on the television that offer access to information from others professing success. Finally, the internet has a wealth of knowledge in various careers.One of the primary concerns in starting a home business is the investment capital you need. Some of the research that you do should be on topics surrounding available capital opportunities. There are so many untapped resources when looking for funding on starting a home based business. In many cases there are grant opportunities available for those starting a home based business. Sometimes there may be certain social or economic criteria to qualify for funds. They may also require you to submit an essay on starting a home business and explaining how it relates to their organizational mission statement.