With the number of "opportunities" to make big profits working from home, there is good reason to be skeptical. Always take care to thoroughly research a company before investing time, money or your good name. Here's how to protect yourself.
First and foremost, use common sense. E-mails sent to you that automatically float into your spam folder should be the first clue to their authenticity. Unless you have signed up for a specific e-mail list to update you on home-based business opportunities, your best bet is to delete the e-mail without opening it. Use extra caution if there is an attachment. That attachment could very well be a virus that could take more than a subscription fee from you. No one likes a wiped hard drive.
Look for legitimate home-based business opportunities online and you are barraged with websites. How can you tell which is worth your time and which is garbage? Keep an eye out for a few telltale signs.
• The website makes many elaborate claims without any specific information. This is a dead giveaway that things are not as they seem. The likelihood of you making tens of thousands of dollars in a week is the same chance the pope will stop in for dinner.
• Said claims are not supported by any real proof. Real proof does not include shoddily made spreadsheets of rapidly multiplying figures. This goes double if there is a jagged red line shooting into the stratosphere at the center.
• Lots of ecstatic punctuation, poor spelling, excessive capitalization, mesmerizing flashing text, or really big text. This means a couple of things. First, the website was poorly designed and cheaply assembled. Second, the person running the scam behind it is betting that you are gullible and easily drawn in.
• Testimonials that are way too excited. Even if someone does happen to be making a decent living from a home-based online business, it is doubtful they will scream like they've just won the lottery.
Another thing to look out for with any business is upfront fees. If you have very little grasp of what is being offered and they immediately ask for money to get more information, then that is a red flag. You should not have to call a number that will charge high amounts per minute, such as a 900-number. Also, don't provide your personal information to just anyone who asks for it, even if you are promised a grand opportunity in trade for your e-mail address.
Once you have some notion that a company is legitimate, make sure to check them out. Contact the company for the names and contact information of people who have worked with them. Good companies will be happy to give references.
Research the company with the Better Business Bureau. See if any complaints have been filed against the company or firm. This of course requires the name of the company and specific information. Always find out the full name of the company, where it is located, and if there is a larger parent company or corporation. The local state attorney general's office can also provide information about complaints.
Another website you can use for research is the National Consumer's League Fraud Center. They post updated articles on the most recent online and telemarketing scams. Tips on avoiding business scams are updated frequently.
Always be wary if you are pressured or coerced into an immediate decision in any business situation. Raise an eyebrow if someone asks you to attend a gathering regarding an opportunity but won't provide any details. Always stop and reconsider the situation if specific questions are met with resistance.
Got a Question? Ask.
Ask the community a question about this article:
Q&A Powered by:
Latest Home Business Articles
5 Things You Must Do To Benefit From Your Ezine Articles
By: David Ogden | 29/08/2008
Publishing on the ezine carries with it a responsibility to provide quality information. One of the things every good ezine offers is articles that inform their readers on a topic or theme relating to the ezine itself. In this article we are going to talk about five things you must do to get the maximum benefit from the ezine articles you are writing.
4 Top Tips To Increase Web Traffic This Week
By: David Ogden | 29/08/2008
If you are not getting website visitors to your site your business will die a slow painful death. In reality for some of you that could be very quick death! In this article let's take a look at and top 4 tips to help you increase web traffic starting this week.
My Number 1 Top Tip on How To Use Community Forums
By: David Ogden | 29/08/2008
A community forum online is a group of people on the internet who share a common interest and meet online to post user generated content. They are also referred to as discussion forums and they offer a tremendous resource to internet marketers to make a lot of money.
A Money Making Home Business Opportunity Isn't Hard to Find
By: Tess Tackett | 29/08/2008
Are you in search of a money making home business opportunity? There is a way for you to make money at home, even if you aren't sure what it is yet.
How Much is Your Website Worth?
By: Donald N Lombardi | 29/08/2008
Can you make money if you sell it or rent space on it? The real question is what makes you the most money?
How Daycare Regulations Can Help You
By: Fiona Lohrenz | 29/08/2008
Daycare regulations like it or not, are necessary. Many view them as an inconvenience, designed to make our lives more difficult and a constant reminder of the increasing red tape in our day care businesses.
What Is The Best Social Bookmarking Secret
By: David Ogden | 29/08/2008
If you have a blog and you are not social bookmarking your articles you are making a big mistake. As a matter of fact, you are missing out on a tremendous amount of traffic and all of the benefits that go with it. It makes me wonder if this really is a secret that people are not aware of.
Traffic Exchanges- Lazy Way To Get Traffic To A Website
By: David Ogden | 29/08/2008
There really is no such thing as bad website traffic. There certainly are different levels of quality of traffic, but if you get enough visitors to any site you can make money on the internet. This is even true with traffic exchanges!
More from Tom McMULLEN
Networking With Other Home Business Owners
By: Tom McMULLEN | 17/05/2008 | Home Business
Having the do-it-yourself drive is not a bad thing, and a great many things can be done with an individualistic spirit. However, brainstorming and getting ideas from others who run their own home based businesses can help everyone involved succeed.
Essential Contacts for Home-based Business Owners
By: Tom McMULLEN | 09/05/2008 | Home Business
Owning your business is supposed to make you autonomous, right? In many ways, yes. But a one man band can only play so many songs, and only for so long.
How to Generate Website Traffic With Article Marketing
By: Tom McMULLEN | 09/05/2008 | Home Business
So what are the best ways to get traffic to your site? There are many ways to do it, but some are more effective than others, and these are what you should start with. Once you have several hundred new prospects visiting your website every day, then you can start to work on the methods that are less effective, but that you have to work on nevertheless.
The Top Five Home Businesses for Women
By: Tom McMULLEN | 09/05/2008 | Home Business
Women all over the globe want to start their own home business for a variety of reasons Some women like the flexibility of having their own schedules; some want to be home with their children; and others want it all. Today, more and more women are becoming creative when it comes to starting and running their own businesses from home.
Men Versus Women in Home Business Ventures
By: Tom McMULLEN | 09/05/2008 | Home Business
One Uses Impulse and Another Appreciates Advice. Another striking difference between home businesses run by men and women are their choices when it comes to taking advice or making impulsive decisions.
Owning a Home Business While Raising Small Children
By: Tom McMULLEN | 09/05/2008 | Home Business
Laying down the rules. The first and foremost thing that you must do when starting a home-based business is to lay down the rules governing your working schedule and play schedule. Don't simply tell your children that you are busy for a particular part of the day, and you can't be bothered.
The Best Ways to Advertise Your Home-based Business
By: Tom McMULLEN | 08/05/2008 | Home Business
The necessity of the Internet is inescapable for today's businesses. People head straight for the computer when they are looking for something. This goes for businesses, especially. Why go thumbing through a phone book for something you can just type into a search engine?
Health Insurance for Home-based Business Owners
By: Tom McMULLEN | 03/05/2008 | Home Business
It is no secret that the health care situation is in a dire state across the nation. While the first group that comes to mind without insurance may be the unemployed, many others are fighting an uphill battle. Not the least of these is the small business and home-based business owners in America.
Business 
