It is a common misconception that you can start a home-based business without expending any money. You can find opportunities that do not cost anything, but, there are extraneous expenses that are necessary in any line of work. Think about it. Have you ever walked into a grocery store that did not have shelves to hold the merchandise? Or visited a doctor's office who did not have chairs in the waiting room?

Setting up a home office will be high on your list of priorities when you set out to work from home. The first thing you will probably want to purchase is a computer. Dianne Duffet, author of Help Your Doctor Help You with Your Personal Medical Journal (http://www.RandomInspirations.com) agrees, "(My most important purchase) definitely has to be my computer," she states, "It is so important because of the contacts made and information obtained. It has been my primary source of communication."

But, do not just run out and buy the first computer you see. You must have some type of idea about what you want to do with the technology available for your business needs. Are you going to be doing graphic design? If so, you will need a pretty good sized memory cache and a larger monitor. If you are thinking of going into bookkeeping or accounting, you may need a math co-processor.

After you decide what you want to do, then you need to decide if you want a desktop or a laptop computer. Debra Haas (http://www.HaasPolicy.com) decided she wanted to be mobile, "I bought a Dell Inspiron that was fully loaded with a large screen. I call it my 'business in a box' and it allows me to pick up and go anywhere - to a client's office, or to visit family."

The price ranges for computers are also a consideration to keep in mind. If you buy a bottom-line computer that may be affordable now, will you be able to use it in a year? In two years? How much lost income and/or time are you going to have to endure if you do not obtain exactly what you need now? An informal poll of various home-based working moms has shown that cost expenditures for computers ranges from $1500 to $7500.

If you are looking to start a home-based business, start by looking into the items you will need to furnish your home office and take a little advice from others who have paved the way. You can find work without paying for it, but, you will probably have to pay for a computer. Research all of the possibilities and buy right the first time.