I want to highlight some tips to help you wade through the countless offers online and offline on how to make a fortune in no time at all. Incredible, I know!!! My first instinct when I see those proclamations now is ‘if it’s that easy everyone will be doing it’. It’s nice to have an additional income to support your family needs especially in this economic climate. A word of warning, do not be desperate enough to try anything without carrying out adequate research.
Extra Income Comes In Handy
I got burnt many years ago by a company that offers toner for printers. I was looking for an easy to do business to support my regular income. I got my business cards and everything else organised to start my distributorship for the low-priced toner. The company simply stopped responding after I paid my first instalment. No response to emails (obviously you can’t call them as they don’t have a number!). I had to cancel my credit card to ensure they stop charging me for service that was never provided.
To avoid getting burnt like I did, the following tips should help you separate the good from the bad and the outright ugly:
Information Overload
There is so much information out there especially online, it is mind-boggling! Offers for everything from diet pills to face cream that can make you look ‘40 years younger’. Most of them also come with a deadline – TODAY ONLY offers!!! You can get lucky and find a business you will enjoy but you aren’t sure if it is a scam. In order to find the right home business for you, you need to do your own research.
Once you identify a business you will like to do, find information about them via the search engines.
Is there any information about the company apart from the one on their website?
Are there any customer review of their products and services?
Do the people who write the reviews actually exist?
Google is God-sent as you can find almost anything that has a web-entry online.
Is There a Need for The Products?
Are the products legitimate products or services?
Do they meet a need?
Do you know people who will buy them?
Is there a sample available to see, feel and touch?
What makes them difference from what is in the market?
Are they cheaper, better, bigger or simply a lie?
Hello, anyone there!!!
Contact Information
Do they have a website? (Especially those roadside claims to wealth)
Are there valid contact details on the site?
Is there a person at the end of the phone or an automated response?
Guarantee and Returns
Does the company offer any guarantees and what are their return policies? If you are buying a service returns may not apply, but find out what they are willing to offer if you are not satisfied with the service.
What Costs Involved?
What costs are involved in starting up? Make sure you go through these details with a fine-tooth comb. Read the information and look out for the catch (if any), do not be too eager and forget to read the small print.
When you take time to research and read through the information about your choice of business, it will help you make informed decisions. Remember it is also easier to sell things you love so in your search look for products or services you can easily offer to others. If you are not a coffee drinker like me, I am not sure you will be able to adequately sell the benefits of coffee…except you are an exceptional salesperson.
There is no quick fix to starting a business online, more likely a quick way to get scammed.
Carry out due diligence as often as required for every opportunity that come your way. Remember as you get smarter, so do the scammers. I hope you find the right home business for you.
Wishing you every success…Temi
Business First Steps Blog 
Thanks Temi for this tips . Is very nice for someone like you to give tips to others. God Bless!!
You are welcome
Thx for this really helps as I’ve been looking for some “working from home” jobs/business for a while i.e. something that would fit into my “spare time” i.e. something that won’t eat into the ministry time.
Bless you Temi!
Thanks for your kind comments
Great advice. You have to be so careful to avoid the scams, but I’ve also seen plenty of legitimate, legal, reputable direct selling schemes and franchises that are unlikely to make you back your initial investment, let alone a steady income. Always do your homework – check out the level of support you’ll get, put some figures in a spreadsheet to work out how many items you need to sell to make the money you expect and remember you’re a customer not an employee, so you’ll be on the receiving end of a marketing campaign – some of them are very persuasive, too.
You are quite right Helen, they sound great but don’t do much for your bottom line.