Hello Christina!

I hope I can help you today.  The first thing you need to determine is if you want a job or to start a business.  A legitimate work-at-home job is tough to find.  I would recommend looking at this link before taking one on.  http://workathomemoms.about.com/od/workathomescams/a/scamhub.htm

However, working from home with your own business is, believe it or not, a better fit for many moms.  Building a business doesn't have to mean creating something new.  Partnering with a legitimate company means that you use their platform to build.  That means that you must be very choosy about who you team up with, of course.  Working with your own business should give you flexibility and pay you well for your achievements, but it's not a wage. 

If you are interested in a job, you should never have to pay anything to them to earn money.  They are employing you, period.  If there is any kind of fee to be employed with them, don't do it.  And check out their employee payment history at least 3 years back.

If you are interested in a business, there will almost always be a startup fee.  You should definitely get something valuable out of paying that fee, however, and it should be very reasonable.  There should be good, free training, mentoring from successful team members and I personally don't believe in having to buy inventory.  I respect the fact that there are many who are loyal to MLM companies, but there are problems with the MLM business structure. 

No matter what you decide, I hope you take the time to ask questions, do your research and choose something that not only gets you excited and motivated to do your best, but pays you well for it!