Automated Blogging

5 “Must Do’s” When Evaluating an Online Business Opportunity

Are you wondering which business opportunities can produce a
real income and which ones are scams? Whether you are looking
for a good affiliate marketing program or a real estate
investment course you need to cut through the chase. With the
overwhelming promises that are out there today, it seems almost
impossible to know which way to turn for real information.

I have spent the last 8 years researching, testing and reviewing
business opportunities. Most of them have been scams or programs
with lots of promotion but little potential. Here are the 5
things I found to be important when evaluating business
opportunities.

1. Who is Behind the Business?

You can learn a lot just by picking up the phone and calling.
But don’t be surprised if 90% of the business opportunities out
there don’t have a phone number associated with the website.
2.5% have a phone number with a poor quality answering machine.
And the other 2.5 % have ’slick willy’ ready to burn up your
credit card.

Yes, it will cost you a few nickels to talk with the business
owner but it is a cheap investment in your future. Here are some
things to note when you do get a live person. First, ask if
he/she is the owner. Second, if they don’t have a clear website
explaining what their business opportunity is about ask about
the things you feel are missing. Remember, if you do get a hold
of the owner, they will probably give you about 5-10 minutes of
their time so know your questions before you pick up the phone.

Other tips to remember are: If they try to sell you in the first
minute, they are more than likely just trying to get in your
pockets. If it is an associate answering questions, ask to speak
with the owner. If someone is hiding it is either because they
truly are too busy to talk with you or they have just hired
someone who is adept at punching in your credit card number.

Most people who do provide a working telephone number are
legitimate but use your good instincts and ask intelligent
questions and you will learn a lot.

2. Are there any lawsuits pending?

When I have been researching different business opportunities I
often type into Google the company name followed by the word
‘lawsuit.’ If there is a lawsuit pending, it will usually show
up in the first 20 listings. Whether you are trying to find out
if the hottest real estate guru is the real deal or the latest
internet marketer, the ones to avoid usually flush themselves
out quickly. One important point to remember is to verify the
lawsuit. Sometimes people are slanderous and just out to make a
good person look bad. It doesn’t happen often but it does happen.

3. Does the business opportunity promise you’re the World?

You’ve seen the infomercials or read the ads for business
opportunities that make claims like “Make $10,000 next week and
click here to see how Bob did it! “or “Sally worked only 1 hour
a day and made $5,000 her first week!” It is obvious they are
trying to get you to read further or act and make a purchase.
And there is inherently nothing wrong with marketing. People
expect to be sold. But, be skeptical when the offer says you can
make a lot of money in a short amount of time. If it sounds too
good to be true, it probably is. All businesses require work and
have a time period that it takes to get up and running and most
importantly, profitable. Get rich quick schemes are usually
scams.

4. What is the guarantee?

This one is kind of tricky because there are business
opportunities which offer a guarantee but don’t honor it. And
getting a refund can be next to impossible. You can protect
yourself by using an American Express business card or go to
Google newsgroups, type in the business opportunity and see if
there are any complaints of that nature. Again, I would call and
talk with the business opportunity owner. If you see a
complaint, question him/her about it.

By and by, most businesses standby their guarantee. Go for those
guarantees that exceed 30 days. And generally speaking, those
that offer a year’s guarantee are solid business opportunities.
A good thing to do is print out their guarantee just in case it
ever changes. That way you have physical proof.

5. Ask for Proof?

Again, most people make claims about their business opportunity
without providing any proof. If you are looking at a network
marketing opportunity, the company has to provide a yearly
report of income breakdown among its representatives. You will
find that very few network marketing business opportunities have
a great number of people making a lot of money. Some business
opportunities post bank statements with important information
blacked out. This can be useful information. But for the most
part, the majority of business opportunities make claims that
are difficult to substantiate. This is where all of your
research comes together and you have to use your best judgment.