Let’s be honest. Honest online business opportunities are getting harder to find. The Internet is a sea of manipulative advertising that targets the ingrained desires that most of us have. We want something for nothing, even if that opportunity doesn’t really exist. We want to earn money overnight sitting on the couch in pajamas. We want thousands of dollars to appear in our bank account at the touch of a button. Honestly, it just doesn’t happen that way.
Even if people are honest, advertising itself is a form of manipulation that skews our perspective. Scams are everywhere. Perhaps the secret we need the most is a way to find out what is a scam and what is a genuine opportunity. Using critical thinking skills will allow you to evaluate an opportunity and reduce your risk of being scammed.
First, let me define what I consider a ‘genuine opportunity’. I think that what you get from life, you should put it first. From experience, nothing comes from doing nothing. You must put in time, planning, strategy and effort and even money if you hope to be successful in your business, whatever it may be. So I define a ‘genuine opportunity’ as one that gives you a basic business idea (perhaps a product or service) that you can take and apply your time, planning, strategy, effort, and money to make money. The amount of money you make will depend on how much time, planning, strategy, effort, and money you contribute. It also depends on the value of the product or service offered. If you have a bad product or service that no one wants or needs, no one will buy it.
The many scams that circulate on the Internet take into account that you want something for nothing, so they advertise their opportunity as such. Many of these business opportunities are simply selling you on false promises. Some don’t even have a product or service that you can promote. They lack that essential basic business idea.
Another sign of a scam is the resources and supports that are given or not. Some of these opportunities offer training on how to use your “system.” The scam opportunity, or the source, will provide resources that they are affiliated with and promote to you so that you can get the affiliate income from the source. Actually, honest shows do too. However, the difference is the value of the resource. Can these resources really help you? Are there better ones available that weren’t offered because the source is not affiliated with them? Does the source offer a broad informational education that you can learn from, or is it just targeted advertising in disguise?
Another element to check is who offers the business opportunity. Do some research on who owns the business. Are you an expert or someone who is self-proclaimed? If you can find reviews or information about them from another objective party, then it is a good sign. If all you find is the owner’s own proclamations about how great their business opportunity is, I’d look a little further before handing over my money.
When evaluating an opportunity, look at the evidence offered that shows that it is a viable business opportunity and whether that evidence is verifiable. Many scams offer row upon row of “testimonials.” Look closer. Are testimonials followed by “Mary from Detroit, Michigan” or “Dick Weaver, www.dickswebsite.com?” Mary from Detroit will never be traced. You can easily and quickly go to Dick’s website. If it’s legitimate, you will be able to contact it by email or even by phone. Given the choice between opportunities, the one that provides verifiable testimonials is the safest option.
Finally, does the opportunity come with a guarantee and what is the quality of that guarantee? Do you have full access and at least an unconditional 30-day money-back promise? Take the time to check the Better Business Bureau online for more information. Unfortunately, most businesses are not members of the BBB, so this is not always a fruitful search. However, if they are on the list, you can feel much more confident doing business with them, as long as they are in a positive position. In addition to its guarantee, of which I always like to keep a copy for reference, pay with Paypal or a credit card. This just gives you a little more security and can possibly help you get your money back should you need to exercise the money back guarantee.
When evaluating a new business opportunity, critical thinking skills can help you evaluate what is presented in more detail. Find out if the advertising is based on vague and ambiguous statements or on solid and verifiable information. A real opportunity provides you with a valuable product or service that you can put your time, effort, and money to promote. How much and how well you promote your business will determine its success.
