If you're like many women who want to start a home based business, one of the things that may be stopping you is a lack of funds.

While there are many new Network Marketing and Direct Sales businesses that are free to join, it will take at least some money to get things rolling...money for business cards, inexpensive marketing and advertising methods, postage, your own personal products to experiment with, samples, etc.

Even if you are starting an online business that markets a service, or that has no physical product, you will need money for domain name registration, web site hosting, low cost advertising and the like.

Here are some ideas for raising the needed capital.

Get a loan.

Do you have a relative who would loan you the money to get started? What about that Great Aunt who always said you'd be great in your own business? How about Mom or Grandma?

Perhaps they would accept barter (your new product, for instance...good rejection-proof way to get them hooked on it!) in lieu of repayment? Does Grandma have a shed full of stuff that she's been wanting to sell or eBay but doesn't have the energy? Would Mom like to have her house cleaned for the next few months?

Ask your sponsor for help.

Ask your upline sponsor if they would consider buying the starter kit for you, and then taking the profits from your first parties or commission checks as repayment?

Some sponsors do this already, but if not, she may be so impressed with your drive to succeed that she will say yes.

Have a yard sale

This is what I did to get started in my business. This one has twofold benefits...you're making some extra cash but also have a captive audience of people coming to you! If you're really energetic, go around to your neighbors and tell them that if they leave their castaways in a box on the curb, you will come pick them up. Do this before your sale. Slap a price tag on the merchandise and cha-ching!

Be sure to make a sign advertising your new product or service and plenty of flyers or business cards to give to each shopper.

Sell some stuff on eBay.

Sell things from your own home (name brand kid's clothes and popular book titles are easy and almost always pull a good price). Go to library book sales and buy books for .10 or .25 and list those. Use your my eBay page to advertise your new website!

Use your tax return.

Release the clutter, sell a useless piece of furniture or item in your home.

For me, it was the dusty electric guitar Kitchen appliances (you know what I'm talking about here!) that were going to make your life easier, exercise equipment that makes you feel guilty when you trip over it...

Pre-sell the product.

I got this one from my beloved Kim Klaver, aka Ms. Stud. Go around to your tribe (the people who love you enough to do anything you say), your coworkers, neighbors, playgroup Mommies, and show them a *picture* of the product, tell them what it does, collect the checks, deposit them and order your product. Sell it back to them at retail.

Do a quick, temporary odd job.

A friend of mine just did this one. She put a sign up at a local health food market that said "Non-toxic cleaning services". (Notice that she created a niche). That day she got a call, did a job for an elderly women and made $150. Of course, she used her own nontoxic cleaning product and will probably end up getting a customer out of the deal too! Babysitting for a couple of weeks, dogsitting, housesitting...you get the picture.

Talk to dh.

Notice I'm leaving this one until last! Hopefully you have the kind of relationship where your husband will be overjoyed that you want to improve your financial standing. If you garner his support in the beginning he is much more likely to be helpful along your journey, with the inevitable ups and downs of business life.