How To Budget For Success If you're like many start-up homebased business owners, you haven't budgeted enough for marketing expenses. Our homebased expert reveals why you can't ignore this crucial element to success.

In her book due out this month, Bringing Home TheBusiness (Perigee), our "S.O.S." columnist Kim T.Gordon reveals 30 "truths" every homebased business ownermust know, from marketing your business to living and working underthe same roof. This exclusive excerpt discusses a particularlyimportant part of entrepreneurship: start-up marketing capital.

Truth: Most homebased business owners use their own money toget started and often undercapitalize critical areas likemarketing.

Imagine your same business, but in a different location--aleased office space. What would your rent be? What would you do towin business? Anything you're not doing now? The only realdifference between your homebased business and any other smallbusiness is location. But because many people consider home a safehaven, it's easy to become comfortable and complacent. Youforget to run your homebased business like any other, withestablished budgets for key programs, including marketing.