Home Business Opportunity 101

Opportunity is a word that we shouldn't take for granted because it could mean such wonderful things. Have you ever heard stories of people talking about lost opportunities, and how they missed out of a lifetime's chance that will never come back? It's those kinds of stories that make us say to ourselves, "That will never happen to me. I'm going to take advantage of every opportunity I get!" This is where we get 'hooked' in a manner of speaking because this is where the Internet wizards and gurus join the scene promising opportunity. They have made the word opportunity into a hazy word. It is a word so hazy that we don't even know its meaning anymore. The word is now almost always coupled with the word scam. And that word-without a doubt-means, "Buyer beware".

So, what are we to do now? Do we crawl into the sand and bury our heads? How does one determine if the opportunity before us is legitimate or not? Do we take the word of the charlatan and his groupies providing testimonial after testimonial? Do we hire a legal staff to investigate it for us? Do we rely on news reports or 'as seen on TV' stamps? The whole thing is nothing but a giant quandary. The word opportunity now most certainly resembles a betting institution. It has become a game to decide how much will ride. This puts us in a defensive position wondering how much can we lose vs. how much is to be gained.

Finally, the word opportunity leaves us wondering, "whose opportunity?" Is it an opportunity for me to make money, or is it an opportunity for the founder of this plan to take my money. For the most part now-a-days, people shy away from the word opportunity unless they know a few things first and do their research.

I have lost my share of money due to scams and other issues, and I don't want you to fall into the same traps. So, here are some things to do before taking part in a home business opportunity.

1. Google it, but make sure to read as much into Google as you can because the first page of Google is almost always bought and paid for. (When I was researching the opportunity I am taking part in, I read through 27-pages before I felt comfortable to take on the task, invest the money, and apply for the opportunity.)

2. Look for both positive and negative blog postings to see what both worries and satisfies new clients of this opportunity.

3. Make a list of your own positive and negative reasons to join. Usually, you can let the most number of positive items win. However, there may be that one or two negative items in which you give more weight that cause you to decide otherwise.

4. Check with the Better Business Bureau. However, this-like the first Google page-is something that is bought and paid for. (I have seen companies with thousands of complaints lodged against them that have an A+ rating because they are members of the BBB. And I have seen companies with only a few complaints against them with much lower ratings; and I'm guessing it's because they are not members of the BBB)

5. Check with people you trust, or people who are already in business. These savvy people usually have a knack for finding opportunity and seeing through scams.

6. Find out if there is a business plan on file. This is something that can usually be trusted. This is a document banks look at to give short and long term loans. If a business plan exists this usually means that this particular opportunity has a huge upfront cost to it. It may still be a gamble though.

7. Find out about all the fees upfront. You don't want to be surprised when a monthly subscription fee finds its way to your credit card.

8. Figure out if it is something you will be interested in doing. Let the work peak your interest, not the promise of riches galore.

9. See into the future of this opportunity. Do you see yourself proudly doing it 10-years from now, or is it one of those 'get rich quick' things-be careful of this; research it fully before