| You probably get hundreds of emails a | | | | You could have thousands invested before |
| week promising greatriches. "Financial | | | | yourealize you have been taken. Most of |
| Freedom", "Earn Money While You Sleep", | | | | the people trying to sellthis deal, are |
| "Be | | | | only trying to recover the money someone |
| Your Own Boss", "Create Your Own | | | | elseconned them out of, and hope you |
| Destiny", "Escape Your Dead End | | | | will be gullible enough to letthem |
| Job", "Be Able to Watch Your Kids Grow | | | | fleece your pockets. Anybody want to buy |
| Up While Making Money", | | | | a "water filter"? |
| "Work at Home", are all common | | | | I know someone with a garage full. |
| headlines. Are these statementstrue? | | | | With the exception of a naïve minority, |
| First, let's have a reality check. Today | | | | people are "savvy" enoughto avoid the |
| over 90 percent ofstart-up businesses on | | | | majority of these scams. So, if you want |
| the Internet fail within the first year. | | | | to getinto business on the Net, use some |
| The majority of these fail in a few | | | | common sense and do some "duediligence" |
| short months. Why? | | | | investigation before jumping in with |
| The answer to this is simplistic. Many | | | | both feet . |
| people are conned into aprogram that | | | | Do some people make money on the Net? |
| cannot succeed without selling the same | | | | Sure - but guess what? |
| program toother people. This is a | | | | They work for it. Some may tell you that |
| typical example of a pyramid, and | | | | JOB is a dirty word andstands for "Just |
| whenyou run out of suckers to sell the | | | | Over Broke". Working for yourself is |
| program to, you are out ofbusiness. | | | | hard workif you want to succeed. You |
| Others jump into a program without | | | | must run your "Home Business" withthe |
| finding out the particularsfirst. | | | | same discipline you would use in any |
| Envelope stuffing is a perfect example. | | | | other. |
| You are promisedone dollar for every | | | | You must advertise, advertise, advertise |
| envelope you stuff. With visions of | | | | - if people don't knowyou're there, how |
| "sugarplums dancing in your head", you | | | | do you expect them to find you to do |
| figure you could do hundreds aday. Let's | | | | business? |
| face it - machines can stuff thousands | | | | Be prepared to work 60 to 70 hours a |
| an hour. Whywould someone pay you a | | | | week or more if it is a fulltime |
| dollar apiece? They won't - it's a con | | | | venture. |
| -pure and simple. | | | | But how about those who need the |
| Some might stumble on a legitimate | | | | financial security of their job,while |
| venture - yes there are someout there. | | | | trying to develop their online business |
| But they followed the "Earn Money While | | | | - can they hope tosucceed? Yes! But they |
| You Sleep"routine. They believe if they | | | | have to put in their effort in |
| follow some simple directions,they will | | | | theevenings and on weekends. They have |
| be "rolling in dough" without having to | | | | to approach it with the sameattitude as |
| do any work. | | | | someone doing it full time. |
| When the postman isn't filling their | | | | There are a lot of good opportunities |
| mailbox with $20 bills, theylose heart | | | | "just ripe for the picking"out there. If |
| and quit. | | | | you avoid the obvious scams, and do some |
| Others might buy some "obsolete | | | | "duediligence" investigation, you will |
| government reports" on a CD andbelieve | | | | find one. If the first fewdon't work for |
| the "rap" that they can sell each one | | | | you, don't lose heart. Be sure you give |
| for $15 a pop. | | | | itenough time and effort before giving |
| They get a free email account, a free | | | | up. If you are sure itwon't, "cut your |
| web site, and are inbusiness with just | | | | losses" and move on to something else. |
| the cost of the CD. That business might | | | | It maytake some time to find a "fit", |
| lasta week. | | | | but when you do, it will be worthyour |
| The ones I get a kick out of are where | | | | time and effort. |
| they "front load" you withmerchandise. | | | | |