First let me cover the paid programs that you can find on the Internet and then I will cover the free programs that are there for your choosing. The paid programs are indeed worth the minimal cost because they can save you time and help avoid the costly mistakes most make when joining the work at home arena. If you can afford it I would recommend adding a couple of these to the mix.

Can you start working from home for free? Of course you can. That's the good news. It takes time, effort and a lot of patience, but it can be very gratifying in the end. Here are a couple of things I would do if I were going to go the free route when working at home:

* Identify companies that offer step-by-step guidance on how to develop their business.

* Look for companies that offer phone, chat or other good support. Not programs that take a week to respond

* Look for programs that have the option of upgrading once you have earned the money to do so. This normally will speed up your growth rate.

* Look for companies that have a track record of paying on time.

* If you join a program whereby you have an up line, email them first to ensure that they will be available to help you. If you cannot get a timely answer to your first email I would avoid them like the plague.

Find programs that can be worked during the available time you have to put into a home job. Look for companies whereby you have the skill sets to do the tasks required. Ensure that in the end the company or companies that you join have the potential to meet you income objective. The last thing is to ensure that you feel comfortable with the task required and the company you are working with. I have found that these areas are very important whether joining a free program or a paid program.

A few of the Top Affiliate Programs for 2008 that I have found when doing my research are as follows:

1. Top Ad Markets

2. Strong Future International

3. Ignotius

4. Biz Opps Network

One way of doing the research is to join as many free programs as possible, read the information, and filter out the good ones using the areas l listed above. You can then choose the best programs available for you.

It will take longer with free programs, but it can be done if you work hard exercise patience. Do your research on all companies and do not just jump into the first one you find that sounds good. When doing my research I found many free work at home programs. Some offer upgrades later at your choosing if you want to speed up your growth process, others do not. I would recommend setting up a separate e-mail account for you free work at home job. This will keep your private email address from getting loaded up with business emails.

Take your time and enjoy the journey. Think about ways in which you will spend the extra money. Keep your dreams and goals in front of you daily and do not be denied. Please feel free to read both this article or one of my many others by visiting my link in the resource box below. I always enjoy getting emails pertaining to my articles or my site. Your feedback is important to me.

I wish you the very best.