Avoid the Home Based Business Scams
and Find a Legitimate Business!
By Michele Miller
Nowadays, there are so many scams around! People who take advantage
of innocent people since they know so many of us want to work from home.
Remember: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! But, you
need to know more than that if you are to truly avoid getting ripped off.
I think it's good advice to give when I say, AVOID anything that talks
about stuffing envelopes, pyramid schemes, and people that say you can
make $2,512.16 cents working in your pajamas in the next 24 hours etc.
Yes, you've heard about these golden opportunities before, I'm sure. Now
there may be some legitimate stuffing envelope opps out there, but most
are just a way to get your money and give you a list of companies that
might pay you to stuff envelopes, but they don't give you the actual opportunity!
Usually the information you're given is to place the same type of ad yourself.
Don't pay for lists of companies that provide work at home. If somebody
needs an employee, it's up to them to advertise where people can find the
opportunity, and not where people have to pay to see the opportunity. These
lists are usually a list of companies straight from your phone book and
these companies have no idea they are even on a list that has been sold
to you!
If anybody tries to pressure you into joining a multi-level marketing
company, take the time to think about it and make sure it is a reputable
business opportunity that you even want to consider joining. Don't let
yourself be pressured into anything. A lot of these are legitimate, but
some are not.
Ask for references, testimonials etc. Check there have been no complaints
against the company by checking with the Better Business Bureau etc. Most
larger businesses do belong to this association. Also, check with the National
Fraud Information Center http://www.fraud.org You can also check http://www.groups.google.com
and see from the newsgroup postings if anybody has reported a scam.
The US Chamber of Commerce now apparently has more members than any
other small business association. This can be an important resource when
it comes to your business. They offer members all kinds of advice about
starting and maintaining a business, and even have workshops you can go
to. They also help their members get discounts on various products and
services, from office supplies to health insurance.
Look around your area for other small business associations before joining
the Chamber of Commerce. There may be other associations better suited
to your needs.
The SBA (Small Business Association) has been around since 1953. http://www.sba.gov/
They have helped provide many small companies with business loans and other
professional advice. Definitely worth checking out their website. http://www.score.org/findscore/
This is an outstanding association.
The SCORE Association is a national nonprofit organization. SCORE’s
10,500 volunteers provide small business counseling and training through
a network of 389 chapters, 800 branches and its Web site is a resource
partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
There are legitimate work at home opportunities available, but you must
do diligent research before succumbing to any of them, especially the ones
that seem too good to be true.
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