Thinking about a home business? Suddenly you're immersed in a whole new language: affiliate programs, residual income, leveraged income, pyramid scams, html, gateway websites. It's really not all that difficult, and a mentor can be a trusted guide through the home business labyrinth.

There are only three main ways to work for yourself: sell your own product or service and keep all the profits; buy the rights to sell someone else's product and keep all the profits; and sell someone else's products and keep a commission. This article is all about the third way, which is affiliate marketing.

Residual Income is income that keeps coming in month after month, year after year, from work you do just ONE TIME. You sell a membership or a customer places a standing order for monthly shipment of a product and you receive a commission every month thereafter.

Leveraged income is earning money through other people's efforts. We choose to be affiliates because when we sign someone up under us to sell, we profit from their sales too.

There are many reasons why you may be interested in starting your own affiliate home business. Are you having difficulty finding a job? Afraid of being laid off? Worried about your retirement savings? Wanting to stay home to care for a loved one? Wishing you could say goodbye to your boss forever?

Whatever the reason, and whatever your financial situation, a mentor can help you build an online income over time. It won't happen overnight, and it will take hard work.

How do you know if being your own boss and working on the internet is for you? How do you choose what kind of business to start? Here's an article that can help you decide.

A mentor can help you decide if an internet home business is for you. And if you're new to computers and the internet, she can suggest some great resources for learning the basics.

How do you choose which affiliate programs to join? I only recommend those I have joined myself, and therefore know from the inside out. I made my choices based on products in which I have personal interest, the programs' track records, and recommendations from entrepreneurs I respect. Careful research is the key. Knowing a scam when you see one is helpful.

Once you have signed up for affiliate programs, you may want to start out simply promoting the affiliate gateway websites you are given within each program. Gateway websites are personalized websites given to you by an affiliate program. They are the same for every affiliate, and you are not able to change them in any way. They include code that attributes all sales to you, and they allow for your contact information to be included. A mentor will show you how to promote these websites. Directing visitors to them is how you make your sales.

Eventually you will want your own domain name and website. I unequivocally recommend the Plug-In Profit sites and would strongly suggest that you get a personal website right from the start if you can. When you sign up for a PIP site, you also sign up for 5 affiliate income programs, so be sure to check out any free website building program closely before you sign up for your affiliate programs.

When you are the proud owner of your own website, you can add your own product pages, articles, testimonials...you're only limited by your imagination. A mentor can set you in the right direction and get your business profitable sooner than you might believe possible.