False claims abound everywhere, especially with business opportunities. The following article is designed to help you to discern when an opportunity is legitimante and when it is not.
If you're like me, you've seen alot of business opportunities out there, either when you're surfing the web or receiving an email. Alot of these opportunities look very good on the outside, just like pretty wrapping paper on a gift. However, just as you wouldn't judge a gift by its pretty wrapping, so don't judge an opportunity by the way it's presented. Unfortunately, there are alot of scams out there that will promise you the moon, but, in reality, won't even get you off the lauch pad.
I have been burned more than once (I'm a very slow learner) by these "opportunities" that stated that they was going to make me rich, but in the end, I lost more money than I made. The sad part is that these scams have a tendency to frighten people away from legitimate opportunities that are still out there. Someone said about a cat who, if they sit on a hot stove and gets burned, will not only not sit on a hot stove anymore, but also will not sit on a cold one. The application here is that alot of people that get scammed by these junk offers, will not take a second look at other opportunities out there, even if they're legitimate, for fear of them getting "burned" again.
Before you sign up for any opportunity, do some research on who they are. Here are some "heads up" tips to see if an opportunity is a scam in disguise:
1. Does it sound too good to be true? In my experience, as well as others, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
2. Does it promise you an unrealistic income in a very short time? Let me say that there has been stories of people making a huge amount of money in an opportunity so I'm not necessarily saying that an opportunity that makes this statement is a scam. I'm just saying to use caution.
3. Does it say that you don't have to do any work? I only know of two ways of making money without doing any work: a) inherit it, or b) win the lottery. If an opportunity tells you that you don't have to do work (ie. no promotion, no "getting the word out" etc.), run as fast as you can away from it!
4. Does it say that you don't have to spend money? There are some free offers out there that are good, but for the most part, you are going to have to invest some money to make money. Again, do your research.
Yes, there are some good opportunities out there but, like I said, there are also scams too. Do research, check and see if an opportunity is on a "Ripoff Report" (your search engines are an invaluable tool in this matter), call the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and use common sense. If your gut feeling about an opportunity doesn't feel right, then stay away from it. You may not avoid all the landmines of scams out there, but if you will exercise caution and do your homework, your chances of being a victim of a scam can be greatly reduced.
