Whenever I tell people how being a marketing consultant really is one of the few home businesses where you can start with no money, no credit and no job...and still make it work...I sometimes get accused of peddling a pipe dream.

But the fact is -- as a teacher and someone who has been out in the field doing this business for over 15 years -- I've seen people from all walks of life succeed at this business over and over and over again. Even people with little or no money and who couldn't even successfully operate a profitable lemonade stand before.

However, I'd be lying if I said just anyone can do this.

Fact is, there are some people who simply fail at it every time they try. And the reason they fail is because they lack a few innate characteristics.

For example, you have to enjoy working with other people.

That doesn't mean you have to be an extrovert or smooth talker. It just means you are going to have to interact and talk with business owners you're helping. So if you're one of these people who just wants to lock yourself in your house all day and never see anyone, this simply isn't for you.

And besides that, you must have passion.

This is NOT a business for people who don't have some kind of fire under them to succeed. If you try to sleep walk through this business, you'll have a career of three blazing weeks and be finished.

And you know what?

Those are really the only two requirements you must have in order to run a smooth and profitable marketing consultant business.

Yes, it helps to have some money, some time and some experience. But it's really not necessary. Because if you know where to look you can learn the skills for a lot less than the cost of a semester at your local community college.

The rest of it, however, is either already in you or it's not.