There's plenty of home business opportunities on the Internet, but we all should know very well by now that Quantity doesn't necessarily mean Quality. Everybody's screaming that they have the opportunity of a lifetime that's sure to make you financially F*R*E*E* (some even claim Riche$ overnight will be easy). Not legitimately it won't. Don't believe the hype! -- These are just bogus "get rich quick scams".

But how can you r e a l l y tell the real from the fake...the legitimate from the scams...the true *Home Business Opportunities* from the shady Home Business OpportunitTEASE?... Maybe you can't. Maybe it's hard for you to tell. But I can assure you that after you read this hubpage you'll definitely develop a keen eye that will enable you to decipher the real-deal from some joker just blowing smoke up your a_ _ (you fill in the blank).

8 Critical Checkpoints To Consider When Choosing A Home Business:

1.) History/Track Record - Does the company you're considering have a track record of success? How long in business? Who's the founder and management behind the company? Is the company in a lot of bad debt? These are some of the critical questions that you should ask yourself before getting involved in any business opportunity. Going into business for yourself always holds some risk, but being a guinea pig for a company can hold even greater risk. If a company can't prove past success, then your future with them may be very shaky.

2.) Market - What kind of market does the product/service appeal to? Is it a growing or declining market? How is the supply and demand? Do you foresee yourself being able to profit from the marketplace? These are all critical evaluations you must make. Slow down and deeply consider these questions before you invest you hard-earned money, time and effort into any business venture.

3.) Marketing Materials - What kind of marketing materials does the company provide you with? (the best companies will already have some quality Free marketing materials in place to get you started. (And some materials you can invest in as you grow). What's your first impression of the marketing materials... Do they grab your ATTENTION!, or are they shabby and run of the mill. Do they stir your emotions and motivate a drive to action, or are they bland and boring?.. Is there a variety?... Chances are if they don't move you, then you can't expect them to move your prospects.

4.) Contact Info. - With the best companies you should feel like you're in business for yourself - Not by yourself. Does the company provide you with a way to contact them? Furthermore, do they provide More than one way for you to contact them for assistance? (i.e., phone #'s, email address, fax number, support forum, instant messenger, etc.). If a company doesn't provide at least two options for you to contact them, then this may be a recipe for frustration --especially if you have a payment issue or other pressing matter that needs urgent attention.

5.) The System - The System IS the Business! It's the entire strategy to make the whole thing work - enabling YOU to make money. So ask yourself... Is the system simple and streamlined enough to be done by the average person -Or- do you have to be some sort of 'Guru or Expert' in order to get effective results. Any business worth it's weight in gold will take some effort, but if it's so complicated that it's virtually impossible for you and/or your team to duplicate - then that just may not be the best business for you to get involved in (at least not at this time).

6.) Training & Support - How about the training...does the company provide you with effective training to get you started on the right track, or do they leave you lost and confused? Training is everything. Without proper training chance are very likely that you will get frustrated and fail or quit. As stated earlier, with the best companies you should feel like you're in business for yourself - Not by yourself.

There should be a system in place where training can be available to you 24 hours a day 7 days a week. You should have several options like a website you can go to, people you can contact, or a combination of other methods that will enable you to have "around the clock" access for training & support assistance. The best companies understand that they have a vested interest in your success. They know that ongoing training will help YOU make more money- - And when YOU make more money THEY make more money -- It's a win/win situation!-)

7.) 3rd Party Reports - Is the company a member of (or at least in good standing with) a reputable third party reporting agency? (such as the "Better Business Bureau", "Chamber of Commerce", or other). Find out what these respected sources have to report on the business. It's a plus if the business you're investigating is a member as well --but it's not necessarily a requirement for a business to be a member of any outside agency in order to be considered legitimate.

The main thing here is that you just want to gather as much information you can about a company - in order for you to be able to make an educated decision for yourself. This is called doing your due diligence. Get the facts, weigh everything out, and then decide if you want to commit to the business. And remember: Always base your decision on facts only.

- Other resources to check with: Federal Trade Commission, Better Internet Bureau, etc... (Complete Reference List Below*)

8.) Payment - This is one of the most important areas to consider - because I don't think you just want to go into business for play, right?.. The bottom line is that you want to make money, correct?

Therefore, it's very important to understand how a company will pay you for your efforts. what methods do they use i.e. check, paypal, direct deposit, etc. How often do they pay (daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly?...) Is there a minimum dollar amount that you must reach before being able to request funds owed to you? Is there a charge by the company to receive your funds - and if so - is there any way to avoid it.

How are your sales tracked and has it proven to be a reliable tracking method? Is payment made in US dollars or foreign currency? (different currencies often represent different dollar values). These are some critical things to consider. Don't be afraid to ask, these are sensible questions and details that you need and have a right to know! The last thing you want to do is work your butt off and not get paid fairly.

The best opportunities usually offer more than one payment option for your convenience.

{ Click Here for a legitimate home business recommendation that meets all the above criteria.}

NOTE: The above is for guideline purposes only. It does not mean that a business opportunity that doesn't match all the criteria is not legitimate. This is simply a guideline for you to take into strong consideration before investing your time, money and effort into any business opportunity. It can greatly reduce your risk of falling victim of a scam or shabby operation.

Report Internet Scams, Home Business Scams, Get Rich Quick Scams, and any other type of scam you can think of below.

"Let's join together to DESTROY the sHaRks!!!"

• Better Business Bureau

This is hailed as the leading organization that alerts you about complaints on different companies worldwide. You can research a business or file a complaint here.

• Federal Trade Commission

This governmental agency's sole purpose is to protect you as a consumer against scams. They offer very good education materials to help you spot them a mile away.

• Better Internet Bureau

This company is set-up to promote ethical business practices. They have a public forum where complaints and opinions can be filed.

• Dun & Bradstreet

This company offers insightful reports on millions of companies worldwide. You can look deep into a company's inner-workings & background here.

• Rip Off Report

This is a website and public forum that is for consumers, by consumers. If you feel you've been ripped off you can surely voice your opinion here for all eyes to see.

• Internet Crime Complaint Center

Learn about the various internet crime schemes. And if you believe that you have been a victim of cyber crime than you can file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). (Co-sponsored by the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center).

• Online Business Bureau

This online consumer protection operation says that they're not the Better Business bureau - but Better! You can be the judge of that. Either way this is yet another weapon that you can use in protecting yourself from home business scams.

• Complaints Board

Here's another online community to report Scams. It is a search engine optimized board "made by the people for the people". I discovered this compliant forum while browsing through the search engines, which is a good thing, because complaints that you submit about a company can also be found for others to BEWARE! And that's what it's all about, us all protecting each other by Alerting about Ruthless Scams!

>>>> SCAMMED by a company in the UK? Visit Here...

--------------------

In addition, you can do an online search to 'dig-up' information on a company by entering the following format in any search engine: company name+reviews or company name +complaints. Also your local Chamber of Commerce can be a helpful resource for doing further investigation on a business (simply refer to your local business telephone directory - usually under governmental listings)

NOTE: The reference list above is provided to assist you in choosing a legitimate business opportunity. Do Not make snap judgements though...as some information may be partial, biased, inaccurate or opinionated. A fair approach is to weigh out all the information that you gather and then make your own 'educated' decision. A good rule of thumb: If you see the same complaints appearing over-and-over again from different sources - then it's probably holds true.

_________________________________________________________________

ATTENTION: No Content on this page can be copied or reprinted on any other website, blog or other. That is prohibited. This is exclusive content here in the HubPages Community. However, feel free to 'Link to this page' or 'Email this page' using the buttons found at the bottom of this page. Also feel free to bookmark this page. Thank you for readership and cooperation.

_________________________________________________________________