Just a few pointers on avoiding scams

Many websites claim to offer home business opportunties. Some people do make money at home through online jobs, but many of these so-called opportunities are scams. How do you know the difference? Here are some tips for avoiding home business scams.

First, use some common sense. If you are looking because you''re short on funds, it can be easy to talk yourself into believing the promises you will read online. Try to look at the offers objectively. Many scams try to convince you that you will become wealthy with little effort, and you might even see on the website that this is some "secret" for making money that is just now being revealed. Much later they reveal the cost for learning the secret. Before buying this kind of information, take a moment to wonder why it''s being sold. If it''s really that effective, the person selling it should be wealthy and not need to sell anything.

Second, don''t get involved in a pyramid scheme. These are programs that pay you to recruit but don''t really have a product to sell. You make money by getting other people to join the system. This only works for those who start the pyramid scheme, and is illegal in several states. Note that this is not the same as home party or similar plans where you get a percentage from what you sell in addition to a percentage from those you recruit.

Third, don''t pay to stuff envelopes or make products. In fact, don''t pay to work for anybody.

Avoiding home business scams means avoiding anything that offers easy wealth. It also means avoiding paying to work for somebody. Don''t expect anything online that makes no sense in the real world. Don''t get scammed

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5. Once you have narrowed down your list of candidates, go to visit at least 5-6 different websites to see what each is offering and make comparisons.

Now, at this point, with all this information in hand, you will be in a position to choose the best paid online survey guide company site for you.

6. Do your part. A paid survey guide company can only point you in the right direction. You have to go there by yourself, no one can do if for you. Once you have selected your paid survey site guide company you will need to:

A. Apply to all of the recommended survey makers on the list you receive from your guide company. This is critical. If the survey makers do not have your application on file, with your contact and demographic info, then they cannot send you surveys to fill out. You will need to apply to each one individually.

B. Set up a new e-mail address especially for your paid survey business. Use that address in all your applications.

C. Check your inbox daily, answer all correspondence. When you receive invitations for surveys, accept them promptly, fill out the questionnaires fully, answer all questions to the best of your ability. Being prompt and complete will bring in more offers.

D. Be patient. The survey makers will test you to see if you are real, measure how well you respond. When they have more experience with you they will send you more and bigger surveys, focus groups, product testing, etc. You won''t get so much survey work at first, will continue to build momentum for the first 3-6 months.