7 Tips To Finding a Legitimate Home Based Business
There are so many websites offering home based business opportunities and work from home programs, it's hard to know where to begin. How do you choose the right program for you? How do you protect yourself from getting scammed?
After much thought on this subject, I have come up with a seven step screening process that I use when searching for a business opportunity. I have listed these steps in detail below.
Tip #1: Trust your first instinct.
This one is easy. If something sounds too good too be true, it usually (but not always!) is. When looking at a home based business opportunity, ask yourself these questions.
• Does this company sound legit?
• Is what they are offering a sound product or service?
• Would you be comfortable selling this product or providing this service?
• Does what it promises sound to good to be true?
• Do they have testimonials from satisfied customers on their site?
• Do they have any credentials listed?
• Do they offer a money back guarantee?
• Do they list their contact information?
As stated in the heading, trust your first instinct. It is always best to go on your gut reaction. If you're not sure, ask someone you trust to take a look at the program and give his or her opinion.
That first rush is always great. Reading through some of these opportunities can be very exciting. The money they promise you will get your heart pounding. But ask yourself, "Does this sound right"?
Think on the opportunity for a day or two and then go back and read it again. This will allow time for the initial excitement to die down and allow you to put some serious thought into pursuing this particular program.
Tip #2: Make sure they offer a money back guarantee!
This is listed in the first tip, but this rule is important enough that it deserves its own heading. This may even be the most important rule in this process.
If the company does not offer any kind of guarantee, they are most likely not a reputable company. There should be a minimum 30 day guarantee. Of course, 60 or 90 days is better, but no less than 30 days is acceptable.
A guarantee shows that a company stands behind its product. If there is not a guarantee, the product will probably not be very good.
Tip #3: Don't be taken in by one time offers or timers!
On some business opportunity sites, you will see a limited offer, such as "This offer only available until date below." And more often than not, it will be whatever date you are viewing the site. Don't be fooled by this. It is a tactic to get you to buy now without asking any questions or putting any thought into your purchase. You should not be rushed into buying anything. Especially not something that you are hoping will provide at least part, if not all, of your family's income.
Another tactic is a timer on the site. It will state that you must order before the timer runs out or the product will no longer be available. Again, they hope to get you excited and that you will 'buy now before its too late'. They are using aggressive sales tactics, but they may still be a reputable company. If you feel it is a good opportunity to research, continue with the steps.
Tip #4: Ask Questions!
Sometimes when you are reading a companies pitch page, you might find something missing. They may only give a vague idea of what you would be selling or doing if you order their program.
Never be afraid to ask questions. If the company is legit, they will not mind answering your inquiries. Search through the site to find their contact information. A phone number is best, but an email address will do.
Make a list of questions. Think carefully of what you need to ask. This is your hard earned money they are wanting. You have every right to ask for more information.
You would do the same if you were applying for a job. You would want to know exactly what you would be doing, how often you would be paid, what benefits you would receive, what tools are required to perform your job duties.
Sample questions you might ask include:
• What type of product or service will I be offering?
• Does this program involve advertising or marketing for it to work?
• If so, do they provide promotional tools?
• How will I be paid and how often?
• Will there be support? Do they sell you the program and cut you loose or will they help you out with getting started?
• Will I have to spend additional money after ordering the program? (i.e. monthly fees, additional information, or tools?)
• Will a website be required and if so, will they provide it?
• Ask them about their guarantee and refund policy. Even if this info was listed on their site, it would not hurt to ask and have it reiterated.
Include anything else you can think of depending on the type of program you are looking into. If something is not answered on their site home or FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page, or it is very vague, ask!
Now, you can not expect full disclosure of their program. They would not be in business very long if they gave away all their information for free. But you should expect a little more detailed information than they provided on their site. If you are not satisfied with the answer, ask again in a different way or with questions that are more detailed. Again, if they are an honest company, they will provide answers.
If you send an email and do not get a reply within a day or two, your email may have not gotten through their spam filter, or they may have missed it in their other mail. Send it again, maybe with a different subject line, such as Membership Question. If you still do not receive an answer, they may not be a reputable company.
Tip #5: Don't take their word for it.
When looking at a company offering a business opportunity, you do not have to take their word on it. There is so much information available on the internet. Use it to your advantage.
• Check out the company with the BBB Online.
Note that not all companies (especially those that are internet based) will be listed with the Better Business Bureau. The BBB requires a rigorous and costly certification process to become a member in good standing with them and not all companies find a BBB listing to be necessary for their business. I just wanted to point this out to avoid any misconceptions. If a company is not listed with the BBB, that does not mean that they are not a legitimate.
• Google it! Do a search on the company name or program and see what you can find.
Another good search engine is WebFerret. It searches 10 search engines at once, including Google. You can download this at www.ferretsoft.com.
• Check out work from home member sites and forums. You can ask if there is anyone who has tried the program and receive feedback.
See what information you can find on this company or product. You might even find posts in forums where someone has actually bought the program and tried it out.
• Search for review sites that review home based businesses or work at home opportunities. Just make sure the review site is reputable, too. Email them and ask about their experience with the company you are researching.
A very good review site is http://www.consumer-rated.com. If you do not find the company you are researching listed on their reviews, email them and ask if they have reviewed this company or a similar one. If they haven't, look for another review site that has.
• Search until you are at least satisfied that you cannot find anything negat
ive about the company.
Please note that this is an important step. It will not guarantee that you won't be scammed, but at least you will have done your homework and protected yourself as best you can.
Tip #6: Search for similar programs.
Let's face it. There is not a lot of originality left, even on the internet. The work at home program or business opportunity that you are checking out is probably not the only one of its kind. Search for other company sites that are offering a similar product or program. You may find one that you like even better, depending on information provided and benefits listed. Remember to take each company your are interested in through the screening process listed above.
Tip #7: Review your program.
Once you have decided on the company and ordered your program, you will then want to review all the information and tools provided. Read through it several times. Then ask yourself:
• Is the program informative?
• Is it made clear what product you will be selling or service you will be providing?
• Does it give you step by step instructions on how to work this program?
• Does it provide all the tools necessary to work this program?
• Does it state exactly how you will earn money with this program?
• Are you comfortable doing what is required?
• Does it still sound like a legit program?
If you answered yes to all these questions, then you have probably found yourself a good program. If there is one or two you're not sure on, don't despair just yet. If you found a good company, they will offer support. If you are not sure about something in the program, contact your support team and ask. A good company will help you to sort out all the information and answer any questions you have on getting started.
If you do not get the support you require, then you may have been scammed. If you are not able to get help with your questions, then you may also have trouble getting a refund on the program.
Use best judgment when assessing the legitimacy of a business opportunity.
