Work at Home?

Check List to Separate Real from Bogus

The information in the previous posting (Want to Work at Home? The Tigers Are Lurking) was not meant to discourage you. It was meant to protect you.  Unfortunately, there are far too many work at home scams that can be described as the lurking tigers in the Internet jungle that are waiting to take advantage of anyone who does not recognize them for what they are.  The traps are baited and set with the promise of great job opportunities. The check list in this post should help you separate the legitimate opportunities from the fake ones.

There are good choices for home-based businesses.  The challenge is to find the legitimate job offers or to connect with an idea for one which you can build yourself.

The very first thing you should do carefully consider every link and e-mail address in the advertisement. The experienced work-at-home scams will try to appear legitimate by using what appears to be a legitimate web address. If it is legitimate, you should see a primary domain name. If it looks suspicious in any way, type the company name into Google and see what pops up. If it is an individual’s name or if the company name has extended characters – delete immediately.

NEVER, NEVER send your personal information or resume to a Hotmail or Gmail address. Those are free accounts that anyone can open. If they were a “real” company, they would have a “company.com” address.

If you find a company that seems like a solid potential employer, give them the Q & A Test. If they can answer the following questions to your satisfaction, you are most likely good to go.

1. Is there a cost involved? Legitimate jobs do not require an investment. They should pay you for your time, talent and experience.

2. What is the job description? What will is required in order to get paid? Every job has a job description of some kind. If they can’t give you a reasonable description in a few sentences, walk away.

3. Will there be training to get me started? The answer to this question will vary depending on the responsibilities involved.

4. Is the position salaried, commission or hourly? For commission – what is the percentage and are there quotas? For hourly – how will it be reported and frequency of payment?

5. Who pays me and when? Every legitimate company or individual employer has regular and specified pay periods – every week, every two weeks, on the 1^st and 15^th, or every month. Any of those pay period options are perfectly legitimate.

6. Where are you located? This is very important when you will be connected with your employer electronically rather than physically.

7. Do you have a Website? This is critical. You should start with the Website to get a clear understanding of who they are and what they do – checking their credibility.

8. Who will I report to? Many times there will be more than one partner in an online business. You need to know who it is that will supply you with instructions and directions.

9. How will I receive instructions? You may receive instructions by email or by way of an instant messaging service.

Finally, it is critical that you check the Internet for any negative “press” the company may have received – including any reported scams: http://www.scambook.com/search and a thorough check for free through the Better Business Bureau: www.bbb.org.)

Always use a reputable resource in your search. 

Websites and/or Forums that may help in your search for legitimate businesses.

http://www.Undress4Success.com/

http://www.WorkOptions.com/

http://workplacelikehome.com/

http://www.wahm.com/forum/

The above sites have been included for informational purposes only.  Be wise in your use of them and in your acceptance of anything that you read.

Remember the tigers are lurking.

Related posts:

Dangers for Internet Newbies Who Want to Work at Home Working at Home on the Internet Internet Scam Baiting – Lions, and Tigers, and Bears . . . Oh, My! Internet Crooks – Sneaky Snakes in the Internet Jungle