A lot of people want to work from home without knowing the depth and breadth of efforts that are needed, not only to keep the business alive, but starting it from scratch. For instance, some people think that it is very convenient to start up a home business, and that it requires very little watching over in order to maintain. Another common misconception is that you can make millions immediately from your home-based business. True, some people can put their home-based businesses on auto-pilot, and other people are known to have been instant millionaires. However, let’s be realistic: not everyone is going to be as fortunate in the cutthroat world of business in general, and it’s best to keep expectations low, and efforts high.So what should you do to turn your stay at home business into a financial behemoth? You need to see if it’s fit to be there at all. Now we’re not just talking about market studies and money-making efforts: we’re talking about the legal boundaries set for home-based businesses. There are a lot of things that you need to know in order to keep yourself afloat, lest you would like to have the law barging into your office and confiscating everything that you’ve worked so hard for.First, not all work from home businesses are allowable in your neighborhood. There are certain zoning laws that will keep you from turning your home into a place to receive your clients. There are certain parking and transportation laws that will keep you from allowing people to park outside your home, or to drive large trucks in or out in order to get orders or sent them to your clients. There are certain licenses that you will need to have in order to operate out of your kitchen, in order for you to distribute the food that you cook, and even to sell it. You need to know what these laws are before you proceed: some of them will require you to pay certain fees and to make yourself ready for inspections. This is especially true if you need to make products that will require some degree of safety precautions on your part.You can also have a home based business through opportunities that you find online. It is here that the law gets a little bit blurry, and more so because it’s hard to pinpoint which businesses online are actually offering legitimate business opportunities. Some companies may offer what looks like a lucrative business deal that will require you to pay a fee – and then they can run off with your money, and take your hopes of a better future for you and your family. Other companies may actually be engaging in schemes that are hard to make money from. Still, other companies may actually not have the license to operate! So what makes that opportunity real and trustworthy?First, trust your gut reaction. You may come across schemes that promise an easy home based business that you can earn millions from in a week, and that will require very little effort from you – this sounds too good to be true, and for the most part, it is. Make sure that you are not falling for get-rich-quick schemes that promise too many big things in too short a span of time. You can find out more about companies through their About pages on their website, or you can contact them directly. A telltale sign of a bogus company is one that refuses to disclose anything whatsoever about themselves; people who refuse to answer your questions directly no matter how many times you send your polite letter of inquiry; and a website that is all promotion and promise, but with little to no detail.Second, do research! The best home based businesses will stand the test of time, and will spread through word of mouth. Read more about the home based business that you want to engage in and see what other people’s experiences are. Chances are, there will be a lot of resources online to help you weed out the bad seeds from your prospects pool.When looking for a business to start from home, make sure that you are operating within the bounds of the law, and that you are prepared to take responsibility for whatever happens. A business that begins from your home will be no different from any other business out there, and thus, it demands your full effort and brain power to get it started and to keep it running.