Avoid the home based business scams and find a legitimate home 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. 


 

Michele Miller is a home-based business owner and a medical transcriptionist.  She is also the author of an E-book about how to become a home based medical transcriptionist.  You can visit her website at:  http://www.medical-transcription-at-home.com