D.B.
I didn't exactly start from scratch - i fell into it through personal experience and then embraced it. I will tell you that in-home businesses are the only sector of the economy that is growing. Direct sales is a huge business as people take control of their finances and their schedules, and because the corporate world no longer has any loyalty to employees.
Advice I can give you - make sure it is a product or service absolutely necessary and that it applies to everyone (men, women, kids). Otherwise you cut your prospects down by 50% or even 90%! Make sure it's something that is consumable so people want to reorder every month - if it's a one-shot deal, then next month you start all over finding new customers. Make sure it's not something that is seasonal - for example, if it's something people love as holiday gifts, you have a great November and then struggle all year long. If it's a luxury item, people will give it up in tough economic times. If it's something you offer through home parties only, then be prepared for your friends not always wanting to host for you - they may be reluctant to coerce their friends into attending something where a purchase is 'expected' especially with so many people out of work.
Make sure there is training from any company you sign up with. Investigate the compensation plan - make sure it's wide open and not just a binary system (you get 2 people under you, then they get 2 people, and so on). You won't make any money if it's all hinged on 2 people. Make sure the company is part of the Direct Selling Association, which is an invitation-only watchdog organization for the top 200 companies among the thousands out there. The DSA ensures ethical business practices. See if the management team is stable or if it's a revolving door. If the company trades on the stock exchange (NASDAQ or any other), then they aren't a scam and are validated by the Attorneys General of all 50 states. Check the distributor retention rate - if it's only 20%, you know people don't make money or don't get support/training. If it's 60%, that's great.
Wellness is the next $1 trillion industry as baby boomers are aging, and as people are more disappointed by the medical establishment. Despite supposedly "good nutrition", we have epidemic rates of diseases, from diabetes to allergies (food & environmental) as well as ADD & autism, to name a few. Thirty years ago, every kid took a PB&J sandwich on white bread to school, and bought a carton of milk. Now we have peanut-free schools, gluten-free families, lactose intolerance, and too many kids with "adult" diseases like depression, diabetes, high cholesterol, and obesity. Something's wrong here!
I am a nutritional consultant for a visionary food science company. I don't charge for my services but I make a commission if people purchase products. I pride myself on customer service and follow-up - I'm not out to sell something once. I spend a lot of time doing training, and my company's training is open to the public who want to take a look at it - that tells me a lot about the company's honesty and openness. The company is research-based and not into fads or trends. There's never been a legal claim against it or an injury/death, and the FDA inspections have been stellar (FDA uses them as a model for other companies). Those are the types of accolades you want your company to have. You also need to be sure that the company is committed to its distributors. For example, one nutritional company is now moving its products into WalMart - what happens to all those at-home people who wanted and invested in a business from this company? Their careers are shot. Another filed for bankruptcy and is reorganizing. So you need to be sure you have a business that is solid, well-run, and didn't go for quick profits over the well-being of its distributors. You need a company with a good history. And not one that is already saturated with distributors in your area.
Any in-home business is based on your commitment and drive. So you need to analyze your strengths as well as your desires, and find a good match. You need to be committed to it and figure out how you're going to market yourself and find customers.
If I can give you more info, let me know. Good luck with your search!