You've heard and seen a million ads on the internet from people boasting about how much they've earned in a month or less and you're wondering just who is the scam artist and who is the legitimate personality - right?

Unfortunatley the internet has been a great place for scammers to prey upon the need of many. The reason you're reading this now is a need or a burning desire to make more money - change your current lifestyle - become rich - right?

But whom to trust and where do you start?

1. First step is patience. No matter what your current circumstance, or just how desperate you are, "needing" something will simply keep you in a state of need. Be smart. Be prepared to take some time to research companies and opportunites that are offered.

2. Don't trust the BBB. This is both my opinion and researched fact that the Better Business Bureau is paid by their members. If the company that you are thinking of joining is not a member of the BBB, then the BBB won't have any information on them and/or, and they tend to negate those companies that are in direct competition with the organization that is a paying member. If you want a true report on the organization you are joining, contact the Attorney General's office for whichever state the company is founded in and ask them. They will give you an honest reporting on the company and its practices without prejudice.

3.Decide how much you have to invest. This says something for the opportunites out there that claim you can make millions starting with absolutely nothing. If nothing is what you start with, nothing is exactly what you'll get. The best opportunities are, believe it or not, the ones with a start-up cost involved. Don't be disheartened by this however - instead think of it this way. A legitimate online opportunity is much like a franchise - EXCEPT - with a franhise, you will be shelling out six figures up front, for return on investment within 2-5 years. With a legitimate online opportunity, you'll put out perhaps anywhere from $500 to $5000 and the return on investment is more likely 2-5 MONTHS.

4. Don't forget additional promotional costs such as office expenses, advertising and promotion of your product. If the opportunity you chose has inventory involved, likely the amount of money you shell out is for a small inventory of products that you need to warehouse and then re-sell to the end consumer. Luckily, many internet income opportunities have a "virtual" product for sale that doesn't require warehousing! If at any time you feel these "virtual" opportunities can't possibly be legitimate as there is no physical product involved, think again! These companies have spent years and millions developing a product that is usuable by the consumer to promote and maintain any number of business's you may be involved in. It's referred to as "Business in a Box". Having these types of products available is both one office expense taken care of and easy to promote to other "newbie" marketers who would need to purchase these kinds of products anyways, to promote their chosen enterprise. Ensure that you know all the costs involved in start-up with your chosen opportunity.

5. Talk to people who have "made it"! Any legitimate opportunity will allow you to contact the person who will potentially be your mentor. You'll want to talk to her/him and ask them for their honest opnion of the company and how they are doing in their enterprise. If they too are very new, then ask to speak to someone who has been with the company long enough to answer your questions, then go with your gut! You don't have to ask for pay stubs or bank statements to believe someone who is truly making it - you'll know just by talking to them if this is the company for you! Ask them if they are prepared to be your mentor, show you "the ropes", teach you how to market your business and assist you along the way. Any legitimate, caring entreprenuer will want you to be successful - after all, if YOU'RE successfull, then THEY are successful.

6. Learn everything you can about marketing. Unless you are fortunate enough to have chosen a company that is completely automated (meaning the company and its team leaders do all the selling, explaining, closing and marketing - yes there ARE opportunities out there that will do this for you) - then you need to research what methods of marketing you will invest in. Again, budgetary restrictions will apply. Press releases, articles and blogs are very inexpensive (practically free) methods of marketing your business. Ezine advertising is pricier but VERY effective. PCC is even MORE expensive but just that much more effective as well. The host of media advertising available can be even more confusing than the host of opportunites there are out there, so you need to do your research. Ask questions of people who use these promotional tools and find out if it works for them.

7. Ready, set go! Truly, the biggest obstacle is making the decision. Once the decision is made, the action is easy. TAKE ACTION. Market your enterprise like a wild man. Plug your product or opportunity everywhere and anywhere. PROMOTION = SALES = INCOME. The better you are at showing off what you have, the more money you'll make.