You want the financial independence from corporate America. You want to pursue your dreams. You want to work from home. You need help. Who do you call?
Unfortunately, as the web has grown so have the undesirable elements too. The web is a microcosm of the real world. There are honest merchants and trainers. But there are also those looking to prey on inexperienced people.
Every day, I’m certain you receive many emails promising you great work from home business opportunities. The spam emails you receive should trigger the same signals in your brain as the smell from your shoe after a trip through a chicken coop – they stink! A reputable online business will not send SPAM (unsolicited email). So, the first sign of the online scam artist is his SPAM email. Just delete any you receive. But, how do you find the right company or individual to support you?
Start with a search engine, like google.com or teoma.com. Search for terms like “small business forum”, “small business advice”, “small business newsletters”, and “home based business resources”. Looking at the resulting search results, avoid those search results that start with phrases like “great business opportunity” or “work from home and make $50,000”. Come on! You know that just doesn’t sound right. If they knew how to make a fortune with very little effort, do you think they’d be teaching others how to do it?
So, what do you look for? You want websites that offer articles from true professionals in the field of work-from-home (online) business. Try www.ezinearticles.com as a place to start.
Read the articles that interest you. Listen carefully to what the writer is saying. If they are painting a reasonable picture, check out their website.
Now that you’re on their website, what do you look for to determine if this company or individual is right for you? First, read the contents of their site. Is it focused on you, the potential customer? Does it give you relevant information, or just a sales pitch? Is it trying to get you to a free seminar without any other option of contacting the company? Does it give you a clear roadmap of how it intends to deliver on the promises it’s making? If they aren’t attempting to inform you so you can make a decision that’s best for you, RUN! (In other words, skip their site and go to the next).
Once you find one or two options that look good for you, start by contacting the Better Business Bureau where the company is located to research any prior complaints. Go to google.com or teoma.com, or any other search engine, and put the company’s name in the search box. If anyone is really mad at them, results will come back. This is a case where “no news is good news”.
As you feel more comfortable with the company and its offer, sign up for their free seminar, or better, call their toll free number. Ask the questions you need to ask to get enough information for a good business decision. If they are trying to rush you to a sale, they are not there to help you. A reputable company will take whatever time is necessary to alleviate your concerns.
Is it easy to spot a scam artist online? It is if you follow the simple guidelines laid out in this article and if you listen to that small voice in your head that keeps repeating “this sounds too good to be true”.
Michele Schermerhorn has over 30 years experience in the business world and over 12 years running her own successful online businesses. She is President of Online Business Institute Inc. (http://www.obinstitute.com), authors a marketing blog (http://www.imarketblog.com), and regularly conducts free online seminars. Online Business Institute Inc. exists to “Create Successful Online Business Owners One Person At A Time”.
