When you are looking for a way to make money online, you should make sure you have your fraud detectors on full alert when you read through any proposals being presented. In most instances, it should be pretty easy to figure out if someone is trying to rip you off. Just remember the old advice that if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. So when those unsolicited offers drop into your email promising exorbitant amounts of income for only a few hours work a week, chances are it is a scam just to separate you from your money.
Some of the red flags to watch for are the type of proposal being made. Offers that say you have nothing to do to start earning big money immediately, will come with a cost. You will have to pay for someone else to set up your business and heck, all you have to do is keep sending in the monthly fees and you can earn money off all income received from your website. They forgot to mention that if you do not advertise your site no one will know about it and you can not make any money if you have no sales.
Look for contact information before clicking on any links that take you from the main page. If the online business offers you a phone number and a name, do not hesitate to call and ask for that person. While it could be single line into someones basement, at least it has a contact information. However, if the call is answered in an unprofessional manner you may be better off apologizing for calling a wrong number and hanging up. Some legitimate businesses do work from their homes, after all that is what you are hoping to do, and if a child answers do not ask for mom or dad, ask for the name on the website.
Look at the testimonials that are bound to be included on any website offering a chance to make a lot of money. They are usually tucked in between the pictures of a mansion and a new car or two, supposedly of the person that sent you the email. Just remember, you can take your digital camera on a road trip to an upper class neighborhood and take pictures of cars and houses. Be skeptical about investing in an online business opportunity and do some research.
Run the business name through a couple of search engines. Chances are, if it is not a legitimate offer, there will be a few pages that show up of complaints from others that lost money investing in a scam. The company may claim the complaints are from disgruntled people who were too lazy to spend even a few hours a week working in the business, but a reasonably intelligent person can read through several complaints and see a pattern develop. By using due diligence in your research of companies offering business opportunities you can limit the opportunities of someone else of getting their hand on your wallet.
Many online business opportunities are, in fact, only opportunities for the individuals selling them. Countless books, software, e-books and other media are available in cyberspace and will promise you everything imaginable. You can make $1000 on your first day. Start your own company and have a six-digit profit margin within a year. You can become a real estate magnate with no money down, a stock tycoon with the help of a $69 e-book or an affiliate who earns $200 an hour.
These claims are both amazing and fraudulent. They are also emerging at epic proportions online. With such tantalizing claims as "work from home," they often use the angle of more money for your children or family as bait. They flash banners, buttons and commercials boasting of your earning potential. You can get paid to fill our surveys, test video games and even stuff envelopes. If you decide to take the plunge into working from home, take several steps to protect yourself. The best adage to bear in mind is, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.
The first step is to explore what options you have available. Will you sell your own product or service? Will you work with another company? Selling your own products requires little attention to other companies and is fairly straight forward. Many home business owners will go into business with affiliates or other programs, and this process does require investigation.
Give yourself plenty of options before deciding on a single company. Create a list of various companies of interest and explore them as much as possible. Be certain you are excited about the company and the product or service they offer before choosing one. Never opt for something merely because it looks like a good deal. Always choose the program that looks the most interesting. Also each company should keep their information posted online, including an address, telephone number and e-mail addresses.
It's time to start thoroughly researching when you have narrowed your choices to three or four. Your first stop will be with the Better Business Bureau. Visit their website and check all listings both nationally and in that company's region. Look for warning signs, such as complaints over abuse or fraudulent behavior. Are complaints against the company over a lack of service, attention or pay?
Even if the records have a clean listing, or no listing with the bureau, you still need to look through a good online search or two. Look for complaints in forums, message boards, blogs and newspapers against the company. A good listing with the Better Business Bureau is a positive factor; however, it doesn't mean every bureau will be attentive to consumers on a local level. One or two minor complaints should be expected if the company is large. Look elsewhere for an opportunity if the complaints start to add up.
Once you have checked for public complaints of malfeasance, you should visit the website or sites of the companies left in good standing. How are they arranged? As an affiliate or associate, you should have access to many free tools to help you sell. Many companies offer a free Web page or small site to associates to get them started. Do they provide your first leads? Do they help you with new leads starting out? Are they eager to offer training and advice on promotion?
While most of these opportunities require some form of financial investment, at some point, they should offer you a great deal of free information upfront. Beware of a company that requires you to pay anything just to look through their website. There may be a secure section for members only, but this should concern only those who are signed up with the company. You shouldn't have to pay $9.95 to have access to the company's history or other such general information.
You should ensure the company you are interested in has a proven return. It should be in operation at least five years before you sign with them. Many dubious companies that scam consumers for "at home work" seldom last longer than two or three years.
A final way of evaluating a company's regard to their business is the way your concerns are handled. Are you given prompt attention? Are your e-mails returned quickly and professionally? Are the answers written in professional sentences with a personalized salutation and signature or are they automated? Are you given a ticket of any kind and told to wait 48 or more hours for a response? This is a final way of investigating how a company will interact with you once you are working with them.
Consumers need not fear the work-at-home field with these methods. With common sense and some investigation, you can avoid much headache and anxiety over a dubious or questionable company. Working at home is a goal that is both realistic and attainable.
Both Obinna Heche & John Cantu are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.