Now, the very first thing you would want to ask yourself BEFORE starting a home based business is: "what is my purpose for  looking at something like this?"
By clearly defining a clear cut goal and purpose, you will know why you're in that position in the first place and therefore knowing the path to take to get there.
 
It is funny how most of the time people don't even know deep down their REAL purpose. This obviously results in a blind short journey online looking for something in which they don't even know why they're after it in the first place! As a result, most people give up on their dream, before they even start.
 
I think it is also very important to ask yourself whether being your own boss is actually suitable for you. You see, to be in a position like that, you would need to be "self driven" since you are in charge of your own destiny as a business person.
 
One other key element is the fact that in order to be "truly" successful, you would need to have a real, genuine desire to  help people in your business. The more people you help the more successful you will become. And I think that's the real beauty of being in business for yourself :)