Do you have a hobby? Have you learned how to master a particular program or video game? Can you put together a step-by-step guide to help others gain similar understanding of the process?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions you might have the beginnings of a home-based business.

People are consistently looking for ways to make money using a variety of software products or through an understanding of online auction houses. Dozens of ebooks have been developed to attempt to address a variety of topics that have found a connection with online consumers.

Perhaps the success of ebooks as a home-based business has to do with the immediacy of information acquisition or possibly the low cost associated with ebook downloads. Maybe the success is linked to the portability of the product through hand-held PC devices or it might simply be the desire for new information.

Traditional publishing houses might never consider publishing a book on subjects like online safety specifically at Christmas time or how to breed tropical fish, but these subjects are addressed in ebook form and they have sold very well.

A traditional publisher can take up to a year or more to get your book to market while a completed ebook can be ready to go in a matter of minutes in some cases.

Today's online consumer is used to locating information that answers their questions immediately. If they can locate it online at a cost that is less than a bookstore and without the hassle of trying to get to the bookstore in hopes that they actually have what they want, then you become the hero of the day when you provide an ebook on the subject they are looking for.

Many ebook authors have utilized a multi-pronged approach to distribution. Some sell product exclusively on their website, but many have also (or in lieu of) used an ebook reseller to push their product onto the larger stage of mass consumption.

However, when a home-based business owner determines to make their ebook available the end result is a long-term revenue stream in residual income through payments for downloads of the ebook. The concept is similar to traditional book publishing, but leaves the control of the book in the hands of the owner of the work. You'll notice I say 'owner' because increasingly freelance writers are being used to develop the idea with ownership remanded to the one requesting the material.

Ebooks are a growing product of consumer demand. How are you meeting the demand?

Scott Lindsay is a web developer and entrepreneur. He is the founder of HighPowerSites and many other web projects. Get your own website online in just 5 minutes with HighPowerSites.com at: www.highpowersites.com. Start your own ebook business with BooksWealth at: www.bookswealth.com