How to Find a Work at Home Opportunity, Not a Scam

Let's face it, people work outside of the home because they don't feel they have any other options. They've heard the stories of the many men and women who have been scammed and are afraid they will be, too. You can find a work at home opportunity; it's all in knowing where to look.

It would be silly to say that all work at home opportunities are on the up-and-up. Unfortunately it seems there are more online scams than legitimate opportunities. But there are still plenty of places to search online for legitimate work at home opportunities.

Before jumping headlong into finding the perfect work at home opportunity, begin by doing some research. Head over to your favorite search engine and type in "online work from home scams" and you'll find page after page of ways to recognize online scams, how to avoid online scams, and what to do if you fall for online scams.

Take the time to do some homework and find out how to recognize the "false" work from home opportunities before you go looking for the legitimate ways to make money from home. If you're in a hurry to avoid a scam without doing your homework, here are three sure-fire ways to recognize one:

1. If it sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. This means that you can't believe everything you read in online sales pitches. If they promise you you'll make a ton of money with little or no work, steer clear of it.

Jobs stuffing envelopes or painting craft figures will NOT make you money from home. The only thing they will do for you is take your money (they usually require a fee to start) and waste your time. Your work will never be good enough or fast enough, so you won't be paid.

2. Be careful when payment is required. This isn't to say that you should never pay a fee of any kind, but that you want to be very careful when shelling out money for an opportunity. Read the sales pitch thoroughly and see if there is a physical product you'll be selling, or if you'll be trying to "sucker" other people. There are some good programs out there and usually for a small fee, they will show you how to successfully work from home for other online companies.

3. Perhaps you'll find something that sounds good. Be wise and do some checking before signing up. Find a physical address of the company in question. Then go to the Better Business Bureau in that city and check to see if they've had any complaints. If they check out, call and ask if you can get some names and telephone numbers for people in the business. If they are legitimate, they shouldn't hesitate to give you more information.

After you can readily recognize a scam, you can go to one of the many online directories to search for a work at home opportunity that meets your needs and your interests. Find some work at home forums and sign up. Ask around to see what luck others have had in finding a work at home opportunity. You may also find information about which companies and opportunities to avoid based on other people's experiences.

Don't think that finding a work at home opportunity is a lost cause. There are legitimate ways to make money online while working from home. Determine what your skills are, what time you have available to work from home right now (don't quit a full-time job until you are making enough money at home to replace what you're currently paid), and then do your homework.

If you truly want a work at home opportunity, for whatever the reason, you can find one with a little bit of homework, time, and effort. Then, when you find it, you'll be able to rest assured knowing that the opportunity is legitimate and will meet your work from home requirements.

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