WATCH OUT FOR THAT SCAM!

Are you tired of the scams, the hype and the bogus rip-offs
that fill your mailbox? We are too!

You need to know how to spot one, what to look for and what
to avoid!

Follow these simple tips, listen to that little voice within,
do a little research and you'll be fine.

There are many great programs out there that ARE legitimate.
Here are some things to avoid....

First of all, don't believe anything that promises to make
you rich overnight. I'm not saying it can't happen, but
odds are it won't.

Also, some phrases to watch out for:

"You don't have to DO anything, just join and we'll build it
for you."

"I went from welfare to millionaire in a few months!"

"Get paid for doing nothing. Just sign up."

"One time only offer."

"#1 Ground Floor Opportunity"

Along these same lines, watch out for the following:

Any offer that comes from a free email service such as
hotmail, yahoo, etc. I'm not knocking free email services,
but if the offer is that great and the deal is legitimate,
the person wouldn't hide behind a virtually anonymous
email source.

Any website or email that has no live contact person listed.
If you have to jump through hoops to find the person
responsible for the offer, be suspicious. What are they
hiding? Never sign up for anything without having some
correspondence with a live person, either via email or,
preferably, over the phone.

Anything that simply requests money, with no exchange of
goods or services. And, I mean valid goods or services.
Not a report on how to stuff envelopes for money or a
listing of businesses that will pay you to work from home.

How To Check Out A Company

These are some steps you can take to research a company
with whom you are considering getting involved.

Find a contact person with the company that will talk to
you. Have a list of questions such as length of time in
business, annual revenues, publicly traded or privately
held, name of CEO and other company officers, names and
contact info for other company representatives that you
may call.

Check to see if the company is a member of the Direct
Selling Association by visiting their web site at
http://www.dsa.org

Check with your state's Attorney's General Office.

See if they are listed with Dun & Bradstreet,
and if so, check their rating.

Talk to 3 or 4 representatives and find out how long they
have been with the company and get general feedback.

If you have found the company or opportunity from a web
site, look for contact information of the person owning
and representing the site.

Make sure you get all of your questions answered to your
satisfaction. Don't let anyone pressure you into making
a decision.

Find out all up front costs. Also, find out if there are
any recurring monthly or annual costs that you can
anticipate.

What exactly is expected of you? Are there monthly sales
quotas? What do you have to do to get paid? When will
you get paid? Is there any fine print that you need to
be aware of?

Listen to your gut instincts. They are usually right!

There are many profitable, legal and fun work at home
business ideas both online, and offline. Just do your
research.

Don't allow the "bumps in the road" to stop you from finding
the option that will work for you. Keep me moving in the
direction that will allow you to create a life that you
love! It will happen, just keep looking!

About the Author

Jackie Ulmer, a veteran Home Based Business Owner,
has coached and trained thousands of representatives
both inside and outside of her sales organization.
One of her primary goals is to help others succeed.
She can be reached through her web site at
http://www.streetsmartwealth.com/