Most of us, if given the opportunity, would love to work from home. We'd save money on gas, we'd be able to go into the "office" anytime we wanted, and our business attire would consist of headgear and foot pajamas. It, in a word, would be fabulous.

Thankfully, working from home is not that far fetched. All one really needs to do is log onto the Internet to gauge the plethora of home based business opportunities: they are around every corner of cyberspace.

This probably leaves only one question: when can you start.

But, let's hold on for just a minute. Home based opportunities can provide you with the opportunity to make money, but they can also provide you with the opportunity to get conned.

To protect yourself, you need to know the red flags. If any of the following start waving, run in the opposite direction.
A business that offers poor compensation : A cornerstone of a good business opportunity is the ability to actually make money. Legit work from home programs will have good compensation plans in place. If the compensation plan is weak, it isn't worth pursuing. This isn't 1979; you shouldn't be working for what amounts to three dollars an hour.

An Idea that Seems Too Good to Be True : Make a year's salary in just one week. Earn a million dollars by working just thirty seconds a day. Get ten of your closest friends to join our program and become filthy rich. All these statements have one thing in common: they really are too good to be true. If a program has "scam" written all over it, write it off.

An Opportunity that Offers No Training : Even if you fancy yourself a jack of all trades, there might be a business opportunity that expects you to do something you've never done before. Thus, you'll have to be trained. Business opportunities that offer little or no training set you up to fail. Ignore these, and move on.

A Business Program that Requires a Large Investment : In business and in life, a good rule of thumb is to never risk more than you can afford to lose. Business opportunities that require a large investment on your part make you do just that. Refrain from joining any of these: you are in business to make money, not to lose it.

An Opportunity that Offers No Tools : A business that offers you no tools, offers you no chance. Tools, such as Internet marketing and Web 2.0, not only teach you new ways of thinking, but they also teach you new ways of doing. Without innovative, up-to-date tools, your business will be about as effective as going door-to-door in an abandoned neighborhood.

Not all business opportunities have red flags. As mentioned above, some are truly valid. But, before investing your time or money into anything, read between the lines and make sure your opportunity isn't one you will be in the business of regretting.