More and more people are seeking alternatives to the hassle and drudgery of getting in a car and driving to a job. It takes time and extra money to pay for the gas and operating costs of a vehicle. But developing a business you can operate from the comfort and convenience of your home is easier than you think. So if you've ever wanted to learn how to make money at home, here are some good alternatives to consider.

The advantage to operating a business from home is the freedom and flexibility it brings. In most cases you can set your own hours which give you much more flexibility when it comes to spending more time with your family. There are a number of things you can do to establish a good business from your home.

For example if you have skills in things like graphic arts, software design, or even accounting there are many ways you can offer these skills and identify new customers on a worldwide basis through the Internet. But a great way to start initially is to advertise your services through a local site like Craigslist. There are editions for many local areas throughout the US. You can create ads and place for little to no money.

If you want to reach a larger audience then consider creating a profile for yourself in a site like oDesk. This website contains thousands of people who are skilled in a wide variety of tasks. With this site you can post examples of your work as well as ratings and recommendations from other users. The site tracks the hours you work, collects the money from the customer and pays you directly through a service like Paypal.

Other options to consider might include buying and selling different kinds of products. If you like to visit garage sales, tag sales or estate sales you might be able to purchase some nice items at a significant discount and then offer them for sale on a site like eBay. Or if you have access to new or used products you might be able to set up a store where you offer these items for sale. eBay has a great deal of training and support. A number of people began modestly and eventually developed major businesses right out of their homes. It's a great thing to consider.

Or you can get involved in affiliate marketing. This entails getting involved with a company which offers a product or service and then promoting this to others typically through the Internet. You are usually provided with a website and if someone visits the site and ultimately purchases the product or service you are paid a commission equal to a percentage of the sale.