1. Most business will have a way of contacting them including an email address, telephone number and business address. This is particularly true for online business opportunities.

If you can pick up the phone and contact them this is a good sign. It does not have to prove they are not a legitimate business, however today most businesses do have a way that they can be contacted if they are.

2. In many areas there are local associations that complaints can be filed with. For example the Better Business Bureau is a good place to check if you live in the United States.

Regardless of where you live you can check with your state attorney general or the local consumer affairs office to see if they have any complaints filed against them.

3. You can check if the business is a member of any professional association. You can contact the association directly. A lot of businesses are a member of professional organisations and it is a straightforward exercise to check this.

4. Are they a member of HonestEOnline.com? Also look for the TRUSTe certification on their business's internet home page. Legitimate businesses online now go to extra lengths to reassure their visitors that they are in fact legitimate.

5. Use online forums to find out more about a business opportunity. Many business opportunities are well known within the Internet marketing world.

You can quickly and easily register for an online forum for free and do some research. You might see specific information posted online about a business you are checking out.

You can also post a question about a specific business and find out if it is legitimate that way. Often members of online forums can be extremely helpful and truthful.

Sadly there are many businesses that are not legitimate and are looking to scam you. Make sure that you do your research first before you spend any money with them.

This is smart and necessary in today's worldwide economy. These five tips should give you a few ideas on how you can find out if the business is legitimate or not.