Working at home is an attractive concept to many people, including parents of young children, laid-off employees, and those who face challenges in finding transportation to a job. But finding a reliable opportunity to make money from home that fits your time requirements and skills is not easy. Avoiding home business scams altogether is the first step to finding home business success.
A simple Google search for “work at home” will fetch nearly two billion results. Quite a few of them are scams, some of them are scam warnings, and a surprising number are opportunities disguised as scam warnings. How can you separate out the good from the bad, and find the income you need? It is possible to prevent a fast home business failure with some research; here are a few simple concepts to keep in mind:
- Don’t buy what you can’t see. The first warning sign of a possible home business scam is a lack of useful information about the opportunity on the web page that is hawking it. The author may claim that he or she is trying to protect a “proprietary system” by not revealing the information unless you “invest” (i.e., send money) in their system, but any legitimate business opportunity will stand up under close inspection. If you can’t get information from the web page, use the internet in your favor. If you have discovered something that is suspicious, there will likely be all manner of forums and blogs devoted to discussing the company or opportunity and its problems.
- Beware of hidden costs. Many work-from-home opportunities involve more money than the initial outlay that is advertised. There may be training or marketing materials you must buy directly from the company, or you may have to buy sales leads, office supplies, postage, or advertising online to promote your business. Ask questions about the costs associated with the business – even a legitimate business may not be cost-effective for all people, and the home business scams you are trying to avoid will usually funnel those hidden costs directly into their bottom lines.
- Time is money. You’re not going to make thousands of dollars a month sitting on your duff; working from home is more convenient, but it doesn’t mean working fewer hours. The more effort you expend, the more money you will make in any business. How much time must you invest in a business before it turns a profit? How many hours per week or month should you expect to work in order to get the advertised income claims? Find people that have tried the business out for themselves, but take any testimonials provided by the company directly with a grain of salt.
- If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. This statement can’t be made enough, because those who are actually trying to rip people off or mislead them have often spent years studying how to lure people in. The home business scam industry succeeds when you fail, so caveat emptor – let the buyer beware. The Federal Trade Commission has a web page with some excellent questions to ask before getting involved in a home business opportunity.
- Make a plan. Write up a plan for your home business and see if the opportunity makes sense in your own words. This will strip out the marketing jargon and allow you to analyze the business opportunity objectively.
Terence P Ward - Terence P Ward has a business writing website, but spends a bit too much time writing press releases, blog posts, and thought leadership ...
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