5 Things to Avoid When Looking for Work at Home Opportunities

Whether you choose to work from home out of necessity or because you want an easier lifestyle, finding the right opportunities can be difficult. There are many people on the Internet that are looking to scam people like you by offering “secrets” about how to get your foot in the door of making money online.

Unfortunately, most of these so-called secrets wind up being information that anyone can find using a Google search. They are often filled with useless information that you can't benefit from. How can you protect yourself from those who look forward to taking advantage of others on a daily basis?

1. Fees

Truly legitimate companies that will put you to work online will never ask for an upfront or “account setup” fee. If you are working for someone, they are already making money off of you. It's a bad practice to charge your staff to work.

If a setup fee is involved, then you should run a search on the company name and/or your representative. See if they have been involved in recent complaints.

2. Unsolicited Emails

Be wary of those who seemingly contact you at random stating that you are a perfect candidate for a special opportunity. Many email marketing campaigns are developed from third-party lists of addresses in order to mass-message everyone on that list in the hopes to get a sale.

Unfortunately, many legitimate companies will use these lists as well. Again, Google the company if you're in doubt.

3. Pay For Shipping Only

There are a lot of “opportunities” that will state that they made all of their money and all you need to pay for is the shipping. If that was true and these people are rich, then why do you need to pay for shipping? Besides, this is the 21st century – digital copies cost nothing to duplicate and email.

4. The Sob Story

A large portion of these work from home stories begin with how someone was destitute until they discovered a secret. These are well written or even acted in a video, in order to pull on your heartstrings and make you relate to this person's plight.

Never be suckered into a good story no matter how much you see yourself in their shoes. That is the purpose of the story, to begin with.

5. Surveys

While it's possible to make a few dollars on surveys, they are not a practical method to compensate for a full-time paycheck. Too many variables are in surveys and anyone guaranteeing that you'll make loads of money is not telling you the truth.

First of all, proper surveys are based on the requirements of a specific client. Perhaps someone needs a survey concerning men over the age of 40 who golf. If you are a 25-year-old woman who plays soccer, you're not taking that survey. Your bio has to match the criteria of a client before a survey is even offered to you.

There are a lot of ways you can legitimately make money from the comfort of your home on the Internet. Most of the more profitable and lasting methods will rely on your own hard work and determination.

Just remember to watch what you spend your money on and make sure your purchases are in the best interest of your own goals.