Is the company I'm investing in registered to sell securities?
Be cautious if the company selling you stock, assets, or partnership units has not registered its securities. Companies that register their securities file prospectuses and annual reports with securities regulators. If a promoter tells you that your investment is "structured" to exempt the securities of the company from registration, you may be dealing with an outfit that's purposely avoiding contact with regulators.
Is it "too late" if I don't invest my money now?
Using sales scripts, scam artists create the impression that only a few shares of stock or partnership units are left. They try to convince you that you'll miss out on a big opportunity if you don't send them thousands of dollars by overnight courier or wire transfer. Once you give your money to a scam artist, it may be too late to get it back.
Does the investment have a track record?
Claiming that their "opportunity" is similar to those of "hot" entrepreneurs, scam artists often use news stories about the success of legitimate companies as bait. Unfortunately, success stories of other companies in the field are irrelevant for your purposes. Get the track record of the company you're considering investing in and the background of the people promoting it.
Where is my money going?
Legitimate companies account for investors? money at all times. Ask for written proof of how much of your money is going to the actual purchase or development of the opportunity and how much is going to commissions, promoters? profits and marketing costs. If most of your financial investment is slated to cover expenses and costs, much less will be available to earn a return. Telemarketing is particularly expensive; if you are investing in a telemarketed investment, how much are your brokers getting paid to talk to you?
Do I have an independent, knowledgeable, trustworthy person who can advise me?
Get an independent appraisal of the specific asset, business or venture you're considering. An appraisal offered by the party selling the investment opportunity can be a fake. Talk to the previous owners of an asset or a business you're acquiring for its value history. Discuss all investment ideas or plans with an accountant or an advisor you know and trust.
Do I know who I'm dealing with?
Can you find published information about the company in which you're investing, proof that the company has registered the securities it is selling with a government agency (if required), or someone you trust who has heard of the company? Have you checked with your state securities agency to see if the promoter or sales person is licensed to sell securities in your state, if required? If not, be cautious. You're giving your money to strangers.
Checking law enforcement agencies and Better Business Bureaus in the community where promoters are located is prudent, but not fool-proof. It may be too soon for the company's victims to realize they've been defrauded or to have lodged complaints with the authorities. In addition, fraudulent promoters can lie about their name or their business history, or even pay people to be "references."
Can I tell a genuine company from a fictional one?
Don't let appearances fool you. For a few dollars, anyone can incorporate an entity. Personal computers and desktop publishing software help scam artists produce slick promotional materials. Phone service providers can put toll-free telephone numbers in homes.
Did my sales representative tell me the risk of losing my money was high?
Sales representatives should tell you the risk of particular investments. Be particularly suspicious of sales pitches that play down risk or portray written risk disclosures as routine formalities required by the government. Believe the risk disclosures that say you could lose your whole investment. When your money is gone, fraudulent investment promoters often use "risk disclosures" against you.
Can I be certain a promoter is not lying to me?
Scam artists lie. Their success depends on having an airtight answer for everything. They inflate the costs and value of worthless investments. They promise you profits years down the road so you won't find out that your investment is a scam until long after they've disappeared with your money.
Do I know when something is too good to be true?
Investing is risky business. Anyone who tells you an investment is likely to turn a profit quickly should have a basis for the claim. Demand written proof of profit projections from independent sources. Be especially wary when someone tells you profits will be big enough to offset the risk of investing. Every potentially high profit investment is high risk.
They are:
Question #1: What is the product or service being sold?
If you cannot clearly identify a specific product or service being offered for sale through the Home Based Business, it may be a Pyramid Scheme or a similar type of Scam.
Here's the reasoning behind it:
If there's no product or service being offered to the public for sale, how can the company promoting the Home Based Business generate a profit? Where's the money coming from to pay you a commission or a bonus?
If they're not making a profit from sale to the end consumer then they've got to generate that income from you and other members like you just recruiting other people who are usually asked to pay some outrageous Application/ Registration Fee, even if they call it by a fancy name.
This is nothing more than a Pyramid Scheme and NOT a legitimate Home-Based Business. A popular example is Gifting Programs, there are no Goods or Services being sold, it's just people exchanging money with other people. Sooner or later somebody is bound to get hurt!
Question #2: How stable is the company?
Why is this important?
Well suppose you found what seemed like a really great company and started building a Home-Based Business with them only to find out 2 to 3 years later that the FTC swooped down on them for illegal practices and shut them down for good?
This actually happened with one company I was working with many years ago.
People became millionaires with this company in a matter of months. It was the fastest money I'd ever made in Network Marketing up to that time, but within months of joining the company it all came crashing down because of problems with the structure of the company and certain practices that displeased the FTC.
I learnt my lesson.
In checking out the company you'll want to find out how long they've been in business and where their headquarters is located. You'll want to ask about any other Companies they're affiliated with, like their Parent Company, Sister Companies or Subsidiaries if there are any.
There's an old adage that goes; "Show me your friends and I'll show you who you are."
That applies here.
You can tell something about a company by the company it keeps (pun intended).
In looking at how long a Company's been in business be careful not to throw away the good with the bad, for instance, a particular program might be brand new but the Parent Company backing that program might have been in business for many years, giving it the stability you're looking for. Look deep and don't be afraid to check behind the curtains.
Question #3: What is the quality of the company's leadership?
Dr John C. Maxwell, international Speaker, Motivator and Best-selling Author says, "Everything rises or falls on leadership."
It has been my experience that a Company usually takes on the characteristics of its leader(s) so, if you want to know what kind of business you're about to join, look at the leadership.
Practically speaking, you'll also want to check out the business acumen of the person or people in charge because they're the ones making the decisions that'll impact the future of the Company - Your Company.
Question #4: How good is the compensation plan?
I think The O'Jays said it best; Money, money, money, money... monney!!!
You're going in business to make money not to look good in a business suit.
And if you have a real Home-Based Business then you won't be wearing a business suit in the first place, Right?
There are so many different types of Compensation Plans; from the sublime to the laughable. There are 2-Ups, 1-Ups, Binaries, Unilevels, 5x7 Expanding Matrices. There are Spillovers, Powerlines, Breakaways and on, and on, and on.
Here's what to focus on:
How much is being paid out in commissions?
Too little and it's not worth your time, too much and the company might not retain enough profit to sustain its continued growth and expansion.
The experts say about 65% being paid out in commissions is the acceptable norm.
Understand the difference between Bonuses and Commissions.
Commissions usually form part of your ongoing residual income. Bonuses are usually temporary financial increases, paid on a specific action, performance or fulfilled quota and as such; do not form part of your regular ongoing income. Focus on good commissions as opposed to bonuses!
Look for passive, residual income.
This is the kind of income wise people seek after. It's the type of income you keep getting long after you've stop working. An author writes a book once and keeps getting royalties from sales years after she stops writing.
The Harry Potter Series made J. K. Rowling a billionaire and now here comes Stephanie Meyer and the Twilight Series - Go sisters, go!
With a Home based Business the same thing is possible.
You can do the work once and keep getting paid forever once you've selected a stable Company with good Leadership and the right Compensation Plan with an easily Duplicatable System.
Question #5: Is it easily duplicatable?
Even if you've got everything else going for you that's mentioned above, if the system CANNOT be easily duplicated it's not going to work.
Your attempt at building a successful Home-Based Business will fail and here's the reason why:
J. Paul Getty said, "I would rather earn 1% of the efforts of 100 people than earn 100% of my own efforts."
This is the axiom upon which Network Marketing, MLM's and Affiliate Programs are built. Zig Ziglar said it this way, "If you help enough people get what they want, you will get what you want."
Either way you look at it, it's going to take a team. Teamwork makes the dream work. So, if the system you're looking at cannot be easily duplicated by the average person who wants to start a Home-based Business how are you going to ever build a successful team?
There are over 475,000 people worldwide starting a Home-Based Business every week, 175,000 here in the USA alone. Most of them don't know how to build a Home Based Business so if your system isn't user friendly then, most likely, they'll find another one that is.
Keep these tips in mind:
We live in the age of Video; this is the YouTube Generation so, if your program makes use of video to help sell the product or explain the benefits that's a plus.
People have become very wary of 'meetings'; that's like a four-letter word to most so, if your business presentations can be done online that's a plus.
We also live in the Digital Age; Digital Products are the fastest selling commodity on the Internet right now. If your business is involved with the sale or distribution of Digital Information Products that's a plus because they're instantly delivered and can cut overhead expenses by as much as 80% for the Company thus increasing the Profit Margin.
This simply means... More money for everyone!
There you have it; my 5 top questions you should ask before joining any Home-Based Business.
Both Lar & Everest John Alexander 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.
Lar has sinced written about articles on various topics from Travel and Leisure, Credit Cards and Hotels and Hostels. Larry Westfall currently has about 50 web sites ? from article sites to web sites. He lives online and has been successfully marketing eBooks | casinos | credit. Lar's top article generates over 201000 views. to your Favourites.
Everest John Alexander has sinced written about articles on various topics from The Internet, Religion and Medical Healthcare. Everest John Alexander is a Minister/Author/Entrepreneur with over 15 years business experience. He discovered Network Marketing in 1994; fell in love with the industry and took his entrepreneurial pursuits online in 1999. He is passionate about the Home-. Everest John Alexander's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.