Anyone doing an internet search these days and looking for ways to make extra money from home knows how difficult it is to find a legitimate home based business opportunity.
After all, you can't just jump at the first thing to catch your eye.
Here are some keys to guide you in your search.
The first key to identifying a legitimate home based business opportunity is the start up cost.
Usually this entails purchasing a sales kit or system of some kind.
Most companies want to make these as inexpensive as possible to encourage more people to join them.
On the other hand, pyramid schemes make their money on recruiting new members, so high start-up costs could be a warning sign that the company you are considering is not legitimate.
The second key is the return policy for any products you purchase.
You should be able to sell any products that you purchased within the last year back to the company for at least 90% of what you paid for them if you decide to quit the business.
If any company encourages you to buy large quantities up front (aka "front end loading") in order to earn advancements or bonuses, you should run the other way.
The third key is the real or perceived value of the products or services you will be promoting.
Are they considered good quality? Are they competitively priced? Would you buy the product or service if you were not a member of the sales organization? These are questions that you will need to answer before you move forward with any opportunity.
There are other ways to find out if an opportunity is legitimate.
For instance, ask others who are already using and/or working in the opportunity about their experience so far.
They will be able to provide invaluable insight not only into the workings of a company, but also within their particular team.
Also, you will want to get copies of all the literature and then read it.
If there are any limitations to your ability to promote, you will want to be prepared by knowing about it up front.
Ideally, you want to look for companies that allow their associates to use the internet somewhat freely in their marketing.
However, keep in mind that while some companies have strict internet policies, there are usually ways of working around them in an ethical way.
It is important to investigate and verify all information coming from the company and the people you interview.
Just because a document looks official does not necessarily mean that it represents the policies and procedures issued by the company's officers.
Several 3rd party entities exist which protect consumers and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Before you send any money to anyone, we recommend you check with at least a few of these: * The local and national chamber of commerce for the area in which the company is located * The Direct Selling Association (DSA) * The Distributor Rights Association (DRA) * The Better Business Bureau (there is even one of these for internet businesses) * State Attorney General's Office * Federal Trade Commission * Consumer Product Safety Commission Of course, you don't have to start your search from scratch.
There are lots of organizations like the Income From Home Network that have already done the hard part of screening for legitimate home based business opportunities already.