By: Darren Hardy in: SUCCESS
Looking to make a change? Want to start doing what you love, but don’t know where to start?
I know how you feel. I have been there myself… several times, in fact.Over the last couple of decades, I have had half a dozen radically different careers and businesses (real estate, television, online media, software, private-equity investing and publishing). Each new venture required a personal reinvention. Let me give you some field-tested advice about how to do it and do it with success!
1 – Leverage Your Strengths
While each endeavor was completely different, one thing was in common with them all—they needed the strengths I had to be successful…
We are ALL born with unique strengths, talents and advantages. There are some things you do that most people cannot do or cannot do as well as you. Those are your special gifts. Identifying these strengths is the first and most important key to your reinvention. Once you identify those for yourself, focus on them, develop them further and there will be no limit as to how successful you can be.
So ask yourself… what do you seem to do better than most everyone else? What comes easily and naturally to you but is something others struggle with? What attribute, skill or ability do people tend to compliment you on?
Resource: Read Discovering Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham in the October issue of SUCCESS
2 - Identify What Exhilarates You
Have you asked yourself the age-old question, "what is your passion"? The answer doesn’t have to be grandiose, Earth-saving, life-changing or revolutionary. It might be something simple. What are the subjects, products, markets, people, activities you really enjoy? What things do you find interesting and stimulating? What fills you with energy just thinking about it? The answers to these questions will usually lead in the direction of a rewarding profession.
Now let’s figure out how to get you in the door of the new profession…
Look down the supply chain of that industry or marketplace. What are the businesses, products, services and vendors involved in that trade? Now, what businesses in that marketplace require the skills, knowledge and expertise that align perfectly with your unique gifts? That is your fit! Either start a business performing that function or present yourself to a business that NEEDS the specific skills and talents you uniquely possess.
Resource: Read Finding Your Purpose by John Maxwell in the August/September issue of SUCCESS or Turning Your Passion Into Profits by Valorie Burton on SUCCESS.com
3 - Be Willing to Take 2 Steps Back
To make the leap into a new industry, you may need to take a step back to learn and study. Be willing to be an apprentice for a while. Find someone who has the success you aspire to and seek their mentorship and council. Be flexible, patient and teachable. Nothing worthwhile comes without effort and paying the price of tuition.
Resource: Read Words of Wisdom from one of the great mentors UCLA legend John Wooden
4 - Be Wary of the Naysayers
Your friends, family and peers have known you as you have been. Change frightens most people. To many, it is especially frightening to watch someone else have the courage to radically reinvent themselves and chase their dreams. Why? Because it eliminates their own excuse for not doing the same. It is much easier to try to talk you out of your reinvention rather than act on their own.
Resource: Read Dealing with Difficult People by Connie Podesta on SUCCESS.com
5 – Build Your Support Team
Find models, mentors and a peer group who share your ambition and will be allies in your new adventure. Also indoctrinate yourself with books, magazines (like SUCCESS!), audio programs and seminars that will support you as you build new skills, attitudes and knowledge in your new adventure.
Resource: Read the 25 Must Read Books for Achievers and 27 Resources for Your Success on SUCCESS.com
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
TIPS TO AVOID FAKE CHECK SCAMS
Internet Fraud Tips by National Consumers League’s Internet Fraud Watch
Tips for Recognizing and Avoiding Fake Check Scams
If someone you don’t know wants to pay you by check but wants you to wire some of the money back, beware! It’s a scam that could cost you thousands of dollars.
There are many variations of the fake check scam.
It could start with someone offering to buy something you advertised, pay you to do work at home, give you an “advance” on a sweepstakes you’ve supposedly won, or pay the first installment on the millions that you’ll receive for agreeing to have money in a foreign country transferred to your bank account for safekeeping. Whatever the pitch, the person may sound quite believable.
Fake check scammers hunt for victims.
They scan newspaper and online advertisements for people listing items for sale, and check postings on online job sites from people seeking employment. They place their own ads with phone numbers or email addresses for people to contact them. And they call or send emails or faxes to people randomly, knowing that some will take the bait.
They often claim to be in another country.
The scammers say it’s too difficult and complicated to send you the money directly from their country, so they’ll arrange for someone in the U.S. to send you a check.
They tell you to wire money to them after you’ve deposited the check.
If you’re selling something, they say they’ll pay you by having someone in the U.S. who owes them money send you a check. It will be for more than the sale price; you deposit the check, keep what you’re owed, and wire the rest to them. If it’s part of a work-at-home scheme, they may claim that you’ll be processing checks from their “clients.” You deposit the checks and then wire them the money minus your “pay.” Or they may send you a check for more than your pay “by mistake” and ask you to wire them the excess. In the sweepstakes and foreign money offer variations of the scam, they tell you to wire them money for taxes, customs, bonding, processing, legal fees, or other expenses that must be paid before you can get the rest of the money.
The checks are fake but they look real.
In fact, they look so real that even bank tellers may be fooled. Some are phony cashiers checks, others look like they’re from legitimate business accounts. The companies whose names appear may be real, but someone has dummied up the checks without their knowledge.
You don’t have to wait long to use the money, but that doesn’t mean the check is good.
Under federal law, banks have to make the funds you deposit available quickly – usually within one to five days, depending on the type of check. But just because you can withdraw the money doesn’t mean the check is good, even if it’s a cashier’s check. It can take weeks for the forgery to be discovered and the check to bounce.
You are responsible for the checks you deposit.
That’s because you’re in the best position to determine the risk – you’re the one dealing directly with the person who is arranging for the check to be sent to you. When a check bounces, the bank deducts the amount that was originally credited to your account. If there isn’t enough to cover it, the bank may be able to take money from other accounts you have at that institution, or sue you to recover the funds. In some cases, law enforcement authorities could bring charges against the victims because it may look like they were involved in the scam and knew the check was counterfeit.
There is no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask you to wire money back.
If a stranger wants to pay you for something, insist on a cashiers check for the exact amount, preferably from a local bank or a bank that has a branch in your area.
Don’t deposit it – report it! Report fake check scams to NCL's Fraud Center, at www.fraud.org. That information will be transmitted to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Tips for Recognizing and Avoiding Fake Check Scams
If someone you don’t know wants to pay you by check but wants you to wire some of the money back, beware! It’s a scam that could cost you thousands of dollars.
There are many variations of the fake check scam.
It could start with someone offering to buy something you advertised, pay you to do work at home, give you an “advance” on a sweepstakes you’ve supposedly won, or pay the first installment on the millions that you’ll receive for agreeing to have money in a foreign country transferred to your bank account for safekeeping. Whatever the pitch, the person may sound quite believable.
Fake check scammers hunt for victims.
They scan newspaper and online advertisements for people listing items for sale, and check postings on online job sites from people seeking employment. They place their own ads with phone numbers or email addresses for people to contact them. And they call or send emails or faxes to people randomly, knowing that some will take the bait.
They often claim to be in another country.
The scammers say it’s too difficult and complicated to send you the money directly from their country, so they’ll arrange for someone in the U.S. to send you a check.
They tell you to wire money to them after you’ve deposited the check.
If you’re selling something, they say they’ll pay you by having someone in the U.S. who owes them money send you a check. It will be for more than the sale price; you deposit the check, keep what you’re owed, and wire the rest to them. If it’s part of a work-at-home scheme, they may claim that you’ll be processing checks from their “clients.” You deposit the checks and then wire them the money minus your “pay.” Or they may send you a check for more than your pay “by mistake” and ask you to wire them the excess. In the sweepstakes and foreign money offer variations of the scam, they tell you to wire them money for taxes, customs, bonding, processing, legal fees, or other expenses that must be paid before you can get the rest of the money.
The checks are fake but they look real.
In fact, they look so real that even bank tellers may be fooled. Some are phony cashiers checks, others look like they’re from legitimate business accounts. The companies whose names appear may be real, but someone has dummied up the checks without their knowledge.
You don’t have to wait long to use the money, but that doesn’t mean the check is good.
Under federal law, banks have to make the funds you deposit available quickly – usually within one to five days, depending on the type of check. But just because you can withdraw the money doesn’t mean the check is good, even if it’s a cashier’s check. It can take weeks for the forgery to be discovered and the check to bounce.
You are responsible for the checks you deposit.
That’s because you’re in the best position to determine the risk – you’re the one dealing directly with the person who is arranging for the check to be sent to you. When a check bounces, the bank deducts the amount that was originally credited to your account. If there isn’t enough to cover it, the bank may be able to take money from other accounts you have at that institution, or sue you to recover the funds. In some cases, law enforcement authorities could bring charges against the victims because it may look like they were involved in the scam and knew the check was counterfeit.
There is no legitimate reason for someone who is giving you money to ask you to wire money back.
If a stranger wants to pay you for something, insist on a cashiers check for the exact amount, preferably from a local bank or a bank that has a branch in your area.
Don’t deposit it – report it! Report fake check scams to NCL's Fraud Center, at www.fraud.org. That information will be transmitted to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
TIPS ON AVOIDING WORK-AT-HOME SCAMS
Internet Fraud Tips by National Consumers League’s Internet Fraud Watch.
Know who you’re dealing with.
The company may not be offering to employ you directly, only to sell you training and materials and to find customers for your work.
Don’t believe that you can make big profits easily.
Operating a home-based business is just like any other business – it requires hard work, skill, good products or services, and time to make a profit.
Be cautious about emails offering work-at-home opportunities.
Many unsolicited emails are fraudulent.
Get all the details before you pay.
A legitimate company will be happy to give you information about exactly what you will be doing and for whom.
Find out if there is really a market for your work.
Claims that there are customers for work such as medical billing and craft making may not be true. If the company says it has customers waiting, ask who they are and contact them to confirm. You can also ask likely customers in your area (such as doctors for medical billing services) if they actually employ people to do that work from home.
Get references for other people who are doing the work.
Ask them if the company kept its promises.
Be aware of legal requirements.
To do some types of work, such as medical billing, you may need a license or certificate. Check with your state attorney general’s office. Ask your local zoning board if there are any restrictions on operating a business from your home. Some types of work cannot be done at home under federal law. Look for the nearest U.S. Department of Labor in the government listings of your phone book.
Know the refund policy.
If you have to buy equipment or supplies, ask whether and under what circumstances you can return them for a refund.
Beware of the old “envelope stuffing” scheme.
In this classic scam, instead of getting materials to send out on behalf of a company, you get instructions to place an ad like the one you saw, asking people to send you money for information about working at home. This is an illegal pyramid scheme because there is no real product or service being offered. You won’t get rich, and you could be prosecuted for fraud.
Be wary of offers to send you an “advance” on your “pay.”
Some con artists use this ploy to build trust and get money from your bank. They send you a check for part of your first month’s “pay.” You deposit it, and the bank tells you the check has cleared because the normal time has passed to be notified that checks have bounced. Then the crook contacts you to say that you were mistakenly paid the wrong amount or that you need to return a portion of the payment for some other reason. After you send the money back, the check that you deposited finally bounces because it turned out to be an elaborate fake. Now the crooks have your payment, and you’re left owing your bank the amount that you withdrew.
Do your own research about work-at-home opportunities.
The “Work-At-Home Sourcebook” and other resources that may be available in your local library provide good advice and lists of legitimate companies that hire people to work for them at home. You may discover that these companies hire only local people and that there is nothing available in your area.
Know who you’re dealing with.
The company may not be offering to employ you directly, only to sell you training and materials and to find customers for your work.
Don’t believe that you can make big profits easily.
Operating a home-based business is just like any other business – it requires hard work, skill, good products or services, and time to make a profit.
Be cautious about emails offering work-at-home opportunities.
Many unsolicited emails are fraudulent.
Get all the details before you pay.
A legitimate company will be happy to give you information about exactly what you will be doing and for whom.
Find out if there is really a market for your work.
Claims that there are customers for work such as medical billing and craft making may not be true. If the company says it has customers waiting, ask who they are and contact them to confirm. You can also ask likely customers in your area (such as doctors for medical billing services) if they actually employ people to do that work from home.
Get references for other people who are doing the work.
Ask them if the company kept its promises.
Be aware of legal requirements.
To do some types of work, such as medical billing, you may need a license or certificate. Check with your state attorney general’s office. Ask your local zoning board if there are any restrictions on operating a business from your home. Some types of work cannot be done at home under federal law. Look for the nearest U.S. Department of Labor in the government listings of your phone book.
Know the refund policy.
If you have to buy equipment or supplies, ask whether and under what circumstances you can return them for a refund.
Beware of the old “envelope stuffing” scheme.
In this classic scam, instead of getting materials to send out on behalf of a company, you get instructions to place an ad like the one you saw, asking people to send you money for information about working at home. This is an illegal pyramid scheme because there is no real product or service being offered. You won’t get rich, and you could be prosecuted for fraud.
Be wary of offers to send you an “advance” on your “pay.”
Some con artists use this ploy to build trust and get money from your bank. They send you a check for part of your first month’s “pay.” You deposit it, and the bank tells you the check has cleared because the normal time has passed to be notified that checks have bounced. Then the crook contacts you to say that you were mistakenly paid the wrong amount or that you need to return a portion of the payment for some other reason. After you send the money back, the check that you deposited finally bounces because it turned out to be an elaborate fake. Now the crooks have your payment, and you’re left owing your bank the amount that you withdrew.
Do your own research about work-at-home opportunities.
The “Work-At-Home Sourcebook” and other resources that may be available in your local library provide good advice and lists of legitimate companies that hire people to work for them at home. You may discover that these companies hire only local people and that there is nothing available in your area.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
The Truth About Work-At-Home Scams
By AARP.ORG
“Work part time in your own home and make $500 to $1500 your first month! It couldn’t be any easier!”
“A genuine opportunity! Guaranteed income!”
“Work minutes a day at home and earn enough to make your dreams come true.”
Con artists pitching work-at-home schemes rake in $427 billion dollars a year. These scams are a favorite way for con artists to exploit people. They use appealing but unrealistic come-ons to lure unwary people into parting with their hard-earned money with the hope of hitting it big financially.
You’ve seen their promotions pasted on telephone poles, easy reading for walkers or drivers waiting for a light to change. Many have tear-off slips with a phone number to call. The ads also show up on supermarket bulletin boards, in newspaper classified sections, in magazines and on TV.
They’re on the Internet and especially chat rooms, bulletin boards and message boards. Since anyone can post to a message board, the promotions can even show up online at the message boards run by honest organizations that you trust, such as AARP.
Let’s look at a message board posting by a fellow named Bill about a work-at-home business. It had glowing praise from an alleged satisfied business owner. Debbie was assigned a personal coach and found “money coming in right away -- $1500 her very first month.”
What Bill’s promotion didn’t include was any idea of what the business was, what its product might be, how new owners would contact possible customers, or what the total costs might be.
Scam work-at-home schemes never do include such information because the salespersons aren’t interested in you making money. They only want to bilk you out of as much money as they can and then disappear from the scene. Many are more interested in recruiting new salespersons than doing the project. They get a bonus or commission for bringing in new recruits; that’s why they sound so enthusiastic about the money to be made.
Common Scams
Work-at-home schemes come in many forms. They include:
Medical Billing Centers.
You send money for software to run a bill collection service from your home. The scam artists promise that the “market is wide open” and they have “lined up” clients for you. In reality, you stand to lose your entire $2,000 to $8,000 investment. The software is only an assortment of forms and collection letters that anyone could design. The names of companies they send you are not clients; they just got names and addresses from the phone book.
Envelope Stuffing.
This is the most common work-at-home scam, says the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. You send money and the “business” will send you information about earning money by stuffing envelopes at home. What you actually get are instructions to sell this scheme to others by placing ads in newspapers to illegally entice new victims. You make nothing unless you recruit others to work for you. Called multi-level marketing, this scam is much like an illegal Ponzi pyramid scheme.
Assembly or Craft Work.
You send money for supplies to assemble into products such as aprons, baby clothes, jewelry, or Christmas decorations. Sometimes you must buy the equipment from the promoter. You’re told that there is a ready market for the products or that the company will buy the products from you. The catch? Your items never meet “quality standards” or you must sell the items yourself.
Business Opportunities.
You send money for information about starting a business from your home. The details are vague but the promises are big and include claims that “we will provide all the training you need.” The catch? The fraudulent salespersons will constantly try to sell you more information about special “training and support systems” and “your personal coach.” Anyone who really had business ideas as good as these claim to be would never offer this information to thousands of strangers.
And sometimes, those who send money for any of these schemes receive absolutely nothing. They just get their money taken.
What You Can Do
Work-at-home schemes appeal to our desires to earn more money, avoid having a boss, work fewer hours, and stop commuting. Often scammers tap into people’s dreams of being rich and famous. “You too can drive a BMW and vacation in the islands.” “All you have to do is spend a few minutes a day and earn all the money you need to make all your dreams come true.”
But you can defend yourself against work-at-home scams. Start by staying alert and using your common sense. If a particular promotion seems too good to be true, it is. Don’t waste your time or money.
In addition, keep on the outlook for these types of claims:
1. Little or no money needed upfront
2. Work part-time and earn a full time salary.
3. No experience is necessary.
4. This offer is unique.
Questions to Ask
Fraudulent promoters of work-at-home schemes leave many unanswered questions. Don’t send any money until you get clear and complete answers – in writing – to all these questions:
1. What exactly do I need to do to earn money?
2. What will I get for my money?
3. Do I have to purchase anything?
4. What are the total costs to get in on the deal?
5. What quality standards I must meet for the products I produce?
6. Will I receive a salary? Or do I work on commission?
7. Who pays me?
8. How do I get paid?
9. Do I have to sell anything or market the product or information?
10. Do I need to recruit others to the program?
11. How do I get my money back if I am not satisfied?
If the answers you receive don’t really satisfy all your concerns, walk away from the promotion. The chances are good that the promotion is really a scam.
“Work part time in your own home and make $500 to $1500 your first month! It couldn’t be any easier!”
“A genuine opportunity! Guaranteed income!”
“Work minutes a day at home and earn enough to make your dreams come true.”
Con artists pitching work-at-home schemes rake in $427 billion dollars a year. These scams are a favorite way for con artists to exploit people. They use appealing but unrealistic come-ons to lure unwary people into parting with their hard-earned money with the hope of hitting it big financially.
You’ve seen their promotions pasted on telephone poles, easy reading for walkers or drivers waiting for a light to change. Many have tear-off slips with a phone number to call. The ads also show up on supermarket bulletin boards, in newspaper classified sections, in magazines and on TV.
They’re on the Internet and especially chat rooms, bulletin boards and message boards. Since anyone can post to a message board, the promotions can even show up online at the message boards run by honest organizations that you trust, such as AARP.
Let’s look at a message board posting by a fellow named Bill about a work-at-home business. It had glowing praise from an alleged satisfied business owner. Debbie was assigned a personal coach and found “money coming in right away -- $1500 her very first month.”
What Bill’s promotion didn’t include was any idea of what the business was, what its product might be, how new owners would contact possible customers, or what the total costs might be.
Scam work-at-home schemes never do include such information because the salespersons aren’t interested in you making money. They only want to bilk you out of as much money as they can and then disappear from the scene. Many are more interested in recruiting new salespersons than doing the project. They get a bonus or commission for bringing in new recruits; that’s why they sound so enthusiastic about the money to be made.
Common Scams
Work-at-home schemes come in many forms. They include:
Medical Billing Centers.
You send money for software to run a bill collection service from your home. The scam artists promise that the “market is wide open” and they have “lined up” clients for you. In reality, you stand to lose your entire $2,000 to $8,000 investment. The software is only an assortment of forms and collection letters that anyone could design. The names of companies they send you are not clients; they just got names and addresses from the phone book.
Envelope Stuffing.
This is the most common work-at-home scam, says the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. You send money and the “business” will send you information about earning money by stuffing envelopes at home. What you actually get are instructions to sell this scheme to others by placing ads in newspapers to illegally entice new victims. You make nothing unless you recruit others to work for you. Called multi-level marketing, this scam is much like an illegal Ponzi pyramid scheme.
Assembly or Craft Work.
You send money for supplies to assemble into products such as aprons, baby clothes, jewelry, or Christmas decorations. Sometimes you must buy the equipment from the promoter. You’re told that there is a ready market for the products or that the company will buy the products from you. The catch? Your items never meet “quality standards” or you must sell the items yourself.
Business Opportunities.
You send money for information about starting a business from your home. The details are vague but the promises are big and include claims that “we will provide all the training you need.” The catch? The fraudulent salespersons will constantly try to sell you more information about special “training and support systems” and “your personal coach.” Anyone who really had business ideas as good as these claim to be would never offer this information to thousands of strangers.
And sometimes, those who send money for any of these schemes receive absolutely nothing. They just get their money taken.
What You Can Do
Work-at-home schemes appeal to our desires to earn more money, avoid having a boss, work fewer hours, and stop commuting. Often scammers tap into people’s dreams of being rich and famous. “You too can drive a BMW and vacation in the islands.” “All you have to do is spend a few minutes a day and earn all the money you need to make all your dreams come true.”
But you can defend yourself against work-at-home scams. Start by staying alert and using your common sense. If a particular promotion seems too good to be true, it is. Don’t waste your time or money.
In addition, keep on the outlook for these types of claims:
1. Little or no money needed upfront
2. Work part-time and earn a full time salary.
3. No experience is necessary.
4. This offer is unique.
Questions to Ask
Fraudulent promoters of work-at-home schemes leave many unanswered questions. Don’t send any money until you get clear and complete answers – in writing – to all these questions:
1. What exactly do I need to do to earn money?
2. What will I get for my money?
3. Do I have to purchase anything?
4. What are the total costs to get in on the deal?
5. What quality standards I must meet for the products I produce?
6. Will I receive a salary? Or do I work on commission?
7. Who pays me?
8. How do I get paid?
9. Do I have to sell anything or market the product or information?
10. Do I need to recruit others to the program?
11. How do I get my money back if I am not satisfied?
If the answers you receive don’t really satisfy all your concerns, walk away from the promotion. The chances are good that the promotion is really a scam.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Beware of Work-At-Home Scams
We’ve all seen the work-from-home Ads in the papers, on the Internet, on T.V. and we’ve heard the Ads on the radio all promising great money making opportunities from home. How convenient….who wouldn’t want the opportunity to make a good living from the comfort of your own home, where you can set your own hours and be your own boss?
As high as gas is these days I’m sure most of us would rather work-from-home and save on the rising gas prices. The current economy has left a lot of us desperate for ways to bring in more income and as a result a good number of us are falling victim to a lot of the work-from-home scams.
I certainly have been a victim of some of these scams my self. I only wish I had this information then, it would have saved me a lot of money. Because of my past experience of being scammed I felt I should share this information on Work-At-Home Scams that I came across recently, and hopefully it will be of some help to a lot of you out there.
Work-At-Home and Home-Based Business Scams
Internet ScamBusters™
By Audri and Jim Lanford
There are two basic types of scams involved here. Scammers using both types are aiming at folks who want to make money from home, either by:
1. Having you work from home, doing envelope stuffing, craft assembly, or other tasks where you are (supposedly) paid by a company as an employee.
There are certainly some legitimate telecommuting jobs, but work-from-home jobs are often just big scams.
Before we go any further, a sobering quote: "There are very few legitimate [work-at-home job] opportunities available," says Beverley Williams, President and Founder of the American Association of Home-Based Businesses.
2. "Helping" you start your own home-based business, as a mystery shopper, network marketer, or other businesses where the only money anyone sees is the money the scammer pockets.
Certainly, there are LOTS of legitimate businesses that can help you start your own home business. We'll help you figure out which are real -- and which are just scams.
Our goal with Internet Scam Busters is to save you time, money and heartbreak before you fall for the scams. Remember -- if it sounds too good to be true... *it probably is*.
Why Are These Scams So Successful?
It all comes down to psychology. Besides the "make money fast" dream that many Internet newcomers fall prey to, home-based "opportunities" scammers mooch off the following groups. Perhaps you belong to one or more of them:
1. The Sick, Disabled, or Elderly
If you are elderly, ill, or have a disability, you may have problems landing a traditional job.
2. The Stay-At-Home Mother
Whether you have a spouse or you're single, you may be looking to supplement or create an income while raising children.
3. The Low-Income or No-Income Family
You or your spouse may have just lost your job, and you feel desperate and anxious to find work as the bills pile up.
4. The Person Without Higher Education
You're not stupid or dumb -- you just didn't go on to college or university. To summarize, these scammers are often preying primarily on the sick, the disabled, the elderly, the unemployed, parents, and people without a lot of money.
The Top 10 Home-Based Business/Work-At-Home Scams
Note: These scams are not ranked by dollars lost or people scammed. In fact, there's nothing scientific about the list. It's just the ten home-based business scams we find the most disturbing.
1. Envelope Stuffing
This is THE classic work-at-home scam. It's been around since the U.S. Depression of the 1920s and 1930s, and it's moved onto the Internet like a cockroach you just can't eliminate.
There are several variations, but here's a sample: Much like #5 and #4 below, you are promised to be paid $1-2 for every envelope you stuff. All you have to do is send money and you're guaranteed "up to 1,000 envelopes a week that you can stuff... with postage and address already affixed!"
When you send your money, you get a short manual with flyer templates you're supposed to put up around town, advertising yet another harebrained work-from-home scheme.
And the pre-addressed, pre-paid envelopes? Well, when people see those flyers, all they have to do is send you $2.00 in a pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope. Then you stuff that envelope with another flyer and send it to them.
2. Chain Letters/Emails ("Make Money Fast")
If you've been on the Internet for any length of time, you've probably received or at least seen these chain emails. They promise that all you have to do is send the email along plus some money by mail to the top names on the list, then add your name to the bottom... and one day you'll be a millionaire.
Actually, the only thing you might be one day is prosecuted for fraud. This is a classic pyramid scheme, and most times the names in the chain emails are manipulated to make sure only the people at the top of the list (the true scammers) make any money.
This scam should be called "Lose Money Fast" -- and it's illegal.
3. Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)
If you've heard of network marketing (like Amway), then you know that there are legitimate MLM businesses based on agents selling products or services.
One big problem with MLMs, though, is when the pyramid and the ladder-climbing become more important than selling the actual product or service.
If the MLM business opportunity is all about finding new recruits rather than selling products or services, beware: The Federal Trade Commission may consider it to be a pyramid scheme... and not only can you lose all your money, but you can be charged with fraud, too!
We saw an interesting MLM scam recently: one MLM company advertised the product they were selling as FREE. The fine print, however, states that it is "free in the sense that you could be earning commissions and bonuses in excess of the cost of your monthly purchase of" the product. Does that sound like free to you?
4. "Turn Your Computer Into a Money-Making Machine!"
Well, this one's at least half-true. To be completely true, it should read: "Turn your computer into a money-making machine... for spammers!"
This is much the same spam as #5, below. Once you pay your money, you'll be sent instructions on how to place ads and pull in suckers to "turn their computers into money-making machines."
5. Typing At Home
If you use the Internet a lot, then odds are that you're probably a good typist. How better to capitalize on it than making money by typing at home?
Here's how it works: After sending the fee to the scammer for "more information," you receive a disk and printed information that tells you to place home typist ads and sell copies of the disk to the suckers who reply to you. Like #8, this scam tries to turn you into a scammer!
6. "Just Call This 1-900 Number For More Information..."
No need to spend too much time (or money) on this one. 1-900 numbers cost money to call, and that's how the scammers make their profit.
Save your money -- don't call a 1-900 number for more information about a supposed work-at-home job.
7. "A List of Companies Looking for Home workers!"
In this one, you pay a small fee for a list of companies looking for home workers just like you.
The only problem is that the list is usually a generic list of companies, companies that don't take home workers, or companies that may have accepted home workers long, long ago. Don't expect to get your money back with this one.
8. Email Processing
This is a twist on the classic "envelope stuffing scam" (see #1 above). For a low price ($50?) you can become a "highly-paid" email processor working "from the comfort of your own home."
Now... what do you suppose an email processor does? If you have visions of forwarding or editing emails, forget it. What you get for your money are instructions on spamming the same ad you responded to in newsgroups and Web forums!
Think about it -- they offer to pay you $25 per email processed -- would any legitimate company pay that?
9. Medical Billing
In this scam, you pay $300-$900 for everything (supposedly) you need to start your own medical billing service at home. You're promised state-of-the-art medical billing software, as well as a list of potential clients in your area.
What you're not told is that most medical clinics process their own bills, or outsource the processing to firms, not individuals. Your software may not meet their specifications, and often the lists of "potential clients" are outdated or just plain wrong.
As usual, trying to get a refund from the medical billing company is like trying to get blood from a stone.
10. Craft Assembly
This scam encourages you to assemble toys, dolls, or other craft projects at home with the promise of high per-piece rates. All you have to do is pay a fee up-front for the starter kit... which includes instructions and parts.
Sounds good? Well, once you finish assembling your first batch of crafts, you'll be told by the company that they "don't meet our specifications."
In fact, even if you were a robot and did it perfectly, it would be impossible for you to meet their specifications. The scammer company is making money selling the starter kits -- not selling the assembled product. So, you're left with a set of assembled crafts... and no one to sell them to.
Ingenious perhaps... but certainly illegal and unethical.
As high as gas is these days I’m sure most of us would rather work-from-home and save on the rising gas prices. The current economy has left a lot of us desperate for ways to bring in more income and as a result a good number of us are falling victim to a lot of the work-from-home scams.
I certainly have been a victim of some of these scams my self. I only wish I had this information then, it would have saved me a lot of money. Because of my past experience of being scammed I felt I should share this information on Work-At-Home Scams that I came across recently, and hopefully it will be of some help to a lot of you out there.
Work-At-Home and Home-Based Business Scams
Internet ScamBusters™
By Audri and Jim Lanford
There are two basic types of scams involved here. Scammers using both types are aiming at folks who want to make money from home, either by:
1. Having you work from home, doing envelope stuffing, craft assembly, or other tasks where you are (supposedly) paid by a company as an employee.
There are certainly some legitimate telecommuting jobs, but work-from-home jobs are often just big scams.
Before we go any further, a sobering quote: "There are very few legitimate [work-at-home job] opportunities available," says Beverley Williams, President and Founder of the American Association of Home-Based Businesses.
2. "Helping" you start your own home-based business, as a mystery shopper, network marketer, or other businesses where the only money anyone sees is the money the scammer pockets.
Certainly, there are LOTS of legitimate businesses that can help you start your own home business. We'll help you figure out which are real -- and which are just scams.
Our goal with Internet Scam Busters is to save you time, money and heartbreak before you fall for the scams. Remember -- if it sounds too good to be true... *it probably is*.
Why Are These Scams So Successful?
It all comes down to psychology. Besides the "make money fast" dream that many Internet newcomers fall prey to, home-based "opportunities" scammers mooch off the following groups. Perhaps you belong to one or more of them:
1. The Sick, Disabled, or Elderly
If you are elderly, ill, or have a disability, you may have problems landing a traditional job.
2. The Stay-At-Home Mother
Whether you have a spouse or you're single, you may be looking to supplement or create an income while raising children.
3. The Low-Income or No-Income Family
You or your spouse may have just lost your job, and you feel desperate and anxious to find work as the bills pile up.
4. The Person Without Higher Education
You're not stupid or dumb -- you just didn't go on to college or university. To summarize, these scammers are often preying primarily on the sick, the disabled, the elderly, the unemployed, parents, and people without a lot of money.
The Top 10 Home-Based Business/Work-At-Home Scams
Note: These scams are not ranked by dollars lost or people scammed. In fact, there's nothing scientific about the list. It's just the ten home-based business scams we find the most disturbing.
1. Envelope Stuffing
This is THE classic work-at-home scam. It's been around since the U.S. Depression of the 1920s and 1930s, and it's moved onto the Internet like a cockroach you just can't eliminate.
There are several variations, but here's a sample: Much like #5 and #4 below, you are promised to be paid $1-2 for every envelope you stuff. All you have to do is send money and you're guaranteed "up to 1,000 envelopes a week that you can stuff... with postage and address already affixed!"
When you send your money, you get a short manual with flyer templates you're supposed to put up around town, advertising yet another harebrained work-from-home scheme.
And the pre-addressed, pre-paid envelopes? Well, when people see those flyers, all they have to do is send you $2.00 in a pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope. Then you stuff that envelope with another flyer and send it to them.
2. Chain Letters/Emails ("Make Money Fast")
If you've been on the Internet for any length of time, you've probably received or at least seen these chain emails. They promise that all you have to do is send the email along plus some money by mail to the top names on the list, then add your name to the bottom... and one day you'll be a millionaire.
Actually, the only thing you might be one day is prosecuted for fraud. This is a classic pyramid scheme, and most times the names in the chain emails are manipulated to make sure only the people at the top of the list (the true scammers) make any money.
This scam should be called "Lose Money Fast" -- and it's illegal.
3. Multi-Level Marketing (MLM)
If you've heard of network marketing (like Amway), then you know that there are legitimate MLM businesses based on agents selling products or services.
One big problem with MLMs, though, is when the pyramid and the ladder-climbing become more important than selling the actual product or service.
If the MLM business opportunity is all about finding new recruits rather than selling products or services, beware: The Federal Trade Commission may consider it to be a pyramid scheme... and not only can you lose all your money, but you can be charged with fraud, too!
We saw an interesting MLM scam recently: one MLM company advertised the product they were selling as FREE. The fine print, however, states that it is "free in the sense that you could be earning commissions and bonuses in excess of the cost of your monthly purchase of" the product. Does that sound like free to you?
4. "Turn Your Computer Into a Money-Making Machine!"
Well, this one's at least half-true. To be completely true, it should read: "Turn your computer into a money-making machine... for spammers!"
This is much the same spam as #5, below. Once you pay your money, you'll be sent instructions on how to place ads and pull in suckers to "turn their computers into money-making machines."
5. Typing At Home
If you use the Internet a lot, then odds are that you're probably a good typist. How better to capitalize on it than making money by typing at home?
Here's how it works: After sending the fee to the scammer for "more information," you receive a disk and printed information that tells you to place home typist ads and sell copies of the disk to the suckers who reply to you. Like #8, this scam tries to turn you into a scammer!
6. "Just Call This 1-900 Number For More Information..."
No need to spend too much time (or money) on this one. 1-900 numbers cost money to call, and that's how the scammers make their profit.
Save your money -- don't call a 1-900 number for more information about a supposed work-at-home job.
7. "A List of Companies Looking for Home workers!"
In this one, you pay a small fee for a list of companies looking for home workers just like you.
The only problem is that the list is usually a generic list of companies, companies that don't take home workers, or companies that may have accepted home workers long, long ago. Don't expect to get your money back with this one.
8. Email Processing
This is a twist on the classic "envelope stuffing scam" (see #1 above). For a low price ($50?) you can become a "highly-paid" email processor working "from the comfort of your own home."
Now... what do you suppose an email processor does? If you have visions of forwarding or editing emails, forget it. What you get for your money are instructions on spamming the same ad you responded to in newsgroups and Web forums!
Think about it -- they offer to pay you $25 per email processed -- would any legitimate company pay that?
9. Medical Billing
In this scam, you pay $300-$900 for everything (supposedly) you need to start your own medical billing service at home. You're promised state-of-the-art medical billing software, as well as a list of potential clients in your area.
What you're not told is that most medical clinics process their own bills, or outsource the processing to firms, not individuals. Your software may not meet their specifications, and often the lists of "potential clients" are outdated or just plain wrong.
As usual, trying to get a refund from the medical billing company is like trying to get blood from a stone.
10. Craft Assembly
This scam encourages you to assemble toys, dolls, or other craft projects at home with the promise of high per-piece rates. All you have to do is pay a fee up-front for the starter kit... which includes instructions and parts.
Sounds good? Well, once you finish assembling your first batch of crafts, you'll be told by the company that they "don't meet our specifications."
In fact, even if you were a robot and did it perfectly, it would be impossible for you to meet their specifications. The scammer company is making money selling the starter kits -- not selling the assembled product. So, you're left with a set of assembled crafts... and no one to sell them to.
Ingenious perhaps... but certainly illegal and unethical.
Monday, December 15, 2008
COST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF ADVERTISING
I’m really curious to know what cost effective means of advertising my fellow entrepreneurs are using in order to attract customers to there Online Businesses. Some of the things that I try to use to attract more customers to my Online Store are as follows:
1. I had some business cards and flyers made which I give out to people every chance I get.
2. I always include a flyer or business card in all the packages that I mail out to my customers.
3. I always upload all my items on Google base.
4. I submit my store url to as many search engines as I can.
5. I advertise my store on my blogs.
6. I advertise my items on forums every opportunity I get.
7. I use my store banner as my signature on all my out going e-mails.
If there any other suggestions out there please feel free to share them, I would really love to hear them.
Friday, December 12, 2008
The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
I found this book very interesting and thought I should share the summary of the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People with everybody, and maybe we can all learn a thing or two from it.
Habit 1: Be Proactive
This means taking responsibility for your attitudes and actions. Proactive people develop the ability to choose their response, making them more a product of their values and decisions rather than their moods and conditions.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
This means living your life with a clear understanding of your desired direction and destination.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
This means organizing and managing your time and tasks around the goals you have identified in habit 2.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
This means collaborating with people to produce outcomes in which everyone benefits - not just yourself.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand Then to be Understood
This means really listening to and understanding another person's point of view before communicating your own.
Habit 6: Synergize
Synergy is where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It results from valuing differences by bringing different perspectives together in the spirit of mutual respect. People then feel free to seek the best possible alternative, often the "third alternative," one that is substantially different and better than either of the original proposals.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
This is the habit of self-renewal.
Habit 1: Be Proactive
This means taking responsibility for your attitudes and actions. Proactive people develop the ability to choose their response, making them more a product of their values and decisions rather than their moods and conditions.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
This means living your life with a clear understanding of your desired direction and destination.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
This means organizing and managing your time and tasks around the goals you have identified in habit 2.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
This means collaborating with people to produce outcomes in which everyone benefits - not just yourself.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand Then to be Understood
This means really listening to and understanding another person's point of view before communicating your own.
Habit 6: Synergize
Synergy is where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It results from valuing differences by bringing different perspectives together in the spirit of mutual respect. People then feel free to seek the best possible alternative, often the "third alternative," one that is substantially different and better than either of the original proposals.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
This is the habit of self-renewal.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
10 Rules for Building a Successful Business
I have an online business and sometimes business is so slow it's discouraging! I can't say how many times I've felt like giving up and just closing my business. However, I'm still hanging in there, giving it my all. I came across this and found it very interesting, it actually motivated me to keep on doing all that I can to make my business grow. It also helped me realize that success does not come easy and sure doesn’t happen over night.
Believe it or not a lot of these big time business men and women that we sit down and admire today did not start from the top. They started from the bottom and worked there way to the top, which was not easy, at some point they were where we are today. But Guess what? They never gave up on there dreams, they faced there challenges and found a way to make it happen.....and look at where they are now! I just thought I should share that with everyone. Hope you find it as inspiring as I did.
Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, grew up poor in a farm community in rural Missouri during the Great Depression. The poverty he experienced while growing up taught him the value of money and to persevere.
Today, Wal-Mart is the world's #1 retailer, with more than 4,150 stores, including discount stores, combination discount and grocery stores, and membership-only warehouse stores (Sam's Club). Learn Walton's winning formula for business.
Sam Walton: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Business
Rule 1: Commit to your business.
Believe in it more than anybody else. I think I overcame every single one of my personal shortcomings by the sheer passion I brought to my work. I don't know if you're born with this kind of passion, or if you can learn it. But I do know you need it. If you love your work, you'll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you — like a fever.
Rule 2: Share your profits with all your associates, and treat them as partners.
In turn, they will treat you as a partner, and together you will all perform beyond your wildest expectations. Remain a corporation and retain control if you like, but behave as a servant leader in your partnership. Encourage your associates to hold a stake in the company. Offer discounted stock, and grant them stock for their retirement. It's the single best thing we ever did.
Rule 3: Motivate your partners.
Money and ownership alone aren't enough. Constantly, day by day, think of new and more interesting ways to motivate and challenge your partners. Set high goals, encourage competition, and then keep score. Make bets with outrageous payoffs. If things get stale, cross-pollinate; have managers switch jobs with one another to stay challenged. Keep everybody guessing as to what your next trick is going to be. Don't become too predictable.
Rule 4: Communicate everything you possibly can to your partners.
The more they know, the more they'll understand. The more they understand, the more they'll care. Once they care, there's no stopping them. If you don't trust your associates to know what's going on, they'll know you really don't consider them partners. Information is power, and the gain you get from empowering your associates more than offsets the risk of informing your competitors.
Rule 5: Appreciate everything your associates do for the business.
A paycheck and a stock option will buy one kind of loyalty. But all of us like to be told how much somebody appreciates what we do for them. We like to hear it often, and especially when we have done something we're really proud of. Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They're absolutely free — and worth a fortune.
Rule 6: Celebrate your success.
Find some humor in your failures. Don't take yourself so seriously. Loosen up, and everybody around you will loosen up. Have fun. Show enthusiasm — always. When all else fails, put on a costume and sing a silly song. Then make everybody else sing with you. Don't do a hula on Wall Street. It's been done. Think up your own stunt. All of this is more important, and more fun, than you think, and it really fools competition. "Why should we take those cornballs at Wal-Mart seriously?"
Rule 7: Listen to everyone in your company and figure out ways to get them talking.
The folks on the front lines — the ones who actually talk to the customer — are the only ones who really know what's going on out there. You'd better find out what they know. This really is what total quality is all about. To push responsibility down in your organization, and to force good ideas to bubble up within it, you must listen to what your associates are trying to tell you.
Rule 8: Exceed your customer's expectations.
If you do, they'll come back over and over. Give them what they want — and a little more. Let them know you appreciate them. Make good on all your mistakes, and don't make excuses — apologize. Stand behind everything you do. The two most important words I ever wrote were on that first Wal-Mart sign: "Satisfaction Guaranteed." They're still up there, and they have made all the difference.
Rule 9: Control your expenses better than your competition.
This is where you can always find the competitive advantage. For twenty-five years running — long before Wal-Mart was known as the nation's largest retailer — we've ranked No. 1 in our industry for the lowest ratio of expenses to sales. You can make a lot of different mistakes and still recover if you run an efficient operation. Or you can be brilliant and still go out of business if you're too inefficient.
Rule 10: Swim upstream.
Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everybody else is doing it one way, there's a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly the opposite direction. But be prepared for a lot of folks to wave you down and tell you you're headed the wrong way. I guess in all my years, what I heard more often than anything was: a town of less than 50,000 population cannot support a discount store for very long.
Believe it or not a lot of these big time business men and women that we sit down and admire today did not start from the top. They started from the bottom and worked there way to the top, which was not easy, at some point they were where we are today. But Guess what? They never gave up on there dreams, they faced there challenges and found a way to make it happen.....and look at where they are now! I just thought I should share that with everyone. Hope you find it as inspiring as I did.
Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, grew up poor in a farm community in rural Missouri during the Great Depression. The poverty he experienced while growing up taught him the value of money and to persevere.
Today, Wal-Mart is the world's #1 retailer, with more than 4,150 stores, including discount stores, combination discount and grocery stores, and membership-only warehouse stores (Sam's Club). Learn Walton's winning formula for business.
Sam Walton: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Business
Rule 1: Commit to your business.
Believe in it more than anybody else. I think I overcame every single one of my personal shortcomings by the sheer passion I brought to my work. I don't know if you're born with this kind of passion, or if you can learn it. But I do know you need it. If you love your work, you'll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you — like a fever.
Rule 2: Share your profits with all your associates, and treat them as partners.
In turn, they will treat you as a partner, and together you will all perform beyond your wildest expectations. Remain a corporation and retain control if you like, but behave as a servant leader in your partnership. Encourage your associates to hold a stake in the company. Offer discounted stock, and grant them stock for their retirement. It's the single best thing we ever did.
Rule 3: Motivate your partners.
Money and ownership alone aren't enough. Constantly, day by day, think of new and more interesting ways to motivate and challenge your partners. Set high goals, encourage competition, and then keep score. Make bets with outrageous payoffs. If things get stale, cross-pollinate; have managers switch jobs with one another to stay challenged. Keep everybody guessing as to what your next trick is going to be. Don't become too predictable.
Rule 4: Communicate everything you possibly can to your partners.
The more they know, the more they'll understand. The more they understand, the more they'll care. Once they care, there's no stopping them. If you don't trust your associates to know what's going on, they'll know you really don't consider them partners. Information is power, and the gain you get from empowering your associates more than offsets the risk of informing your competitors.
Rule 5: Appreciate everything your associates do for the business.
A paycheck and a stock option will buy one kind of loyalty. But all of us like to be told how much somebody appreciates what we do for them. We like to hear it often, and especially when we have done something we're really proud of. Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They're absolutely free — and worth a fortune.
Rule 6: Celebrate your success.
Find some humor in your failures. Don't take yourself so seriously. Loosen up, and everybody around you will loosen up. Have fun. Show enthusiasm — always. When all else fails, put on a costume and sing a silly song. Then make everybody else sing with you. Don't do a hula on Wall Street. It's been done. Think up your own stunt. All of this is more important, and more fun, than you think, and it really fools competition. "Why should we take those cornballs at Wal-Mart seriously?"
Rule 7: Listen to everyone in your company and figure out ways to get them talking.
The folks on the front lines — the ones who actually talk to the customer — are the only ones who really know what's going on out there. You'd better find out what they know. This really is what total quality is all about. To push responsibility down in your organization, and to force good ideas to bubble up within it, you must listen to what your associates are trying to tell you.
Rule 8: Exceed your customer's expectations.
If you do, they'll come back over and over. Give them what they want — and a little more. Let them know you appreciate them. Make good on all your mistakes, and don't make excuses — apologize. Stand behind everything you do. The two most important words I ever wrote were on that first Wal-Mart sign: "Satisfaction Guaranteed." They're still up there, and they have made all the difference.
Rule 9: Control your expenses better than your competition.
This is where you can always find the competitive advantage. For twenty-five years running — long before Wal-Mart was known as the nation's largest retailer — we've ranked No. 1 in our industry for the lowest ratio of expenses to sales. You can make a lot of different mistakes and still recover if you run an efficient operation. Or you can be brilliant and still go out of business if you're too inefficient.
Rule 10: Swim upstream.
Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everybody else is doing it one way, there's a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly the opposite direction. But be prepared for a lot of folks to wave you down and tell you you're headed the wrong way. I guess in all my years, what I heard more often than anything was: a town of less than 50,000 population cannot support a discount store for very long.
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