Separating the Potentially Profitable from the Possible Pocket-Burners
People are continuously looking for ways to make money without having to leave their home. With the advent of the Internet there has been a colossal boom of “Work from Home” Business Opportunities. As the global population increases, the individual’s world’s are shrinking. People are reluctant to battle their way through traffic; socializing is now done in ‘chatrooms’, and on interfaces such as Facebook. In a world where media is constantly drumming in the importance of “staying connected”, we are in fact living in an extreme state of disconnect.
The fact is people want to work from home. Either fulltime, or just to bring in some extra cash in their spare time. Financial literacy also plays a part; Passive Income has become the new catch-phrase, people want the money coming in, even when they are not actively working. This desire is not just acceptable, it is smart, and should be a goal for every person.
Unfortunately this ambition has led to thousands of illegal marketing scams, suckering in often desperate people with promises of wealth, only to steal their money with devious dealings. Almost every classifieds section of every newspaper, or business/money website will have at least one advert advertising a great work from home opportunity.
I am not stating that every single online opportunity is a scam, the Internet is a great medium through which to make money, but the illegal ones definitely outnumber the legal ones. All I am emphasizing is: Do your research before you commit!
I have researched scores of these so-called ‘opportunities’ and it is my opinion that MOST of them are scams. And I think it’s time we re-establish a sense of community and warn fellow income-seekers of the potential dangers of chasing online passive income.
Hbiz : I’ve seen a lot of this one, apparently they advertise around the country. I researched them a bit before I contacted them. It was free to receive their info, so I did it. But the first letter I received immediately asked for money up-front to proceed to the next step. And still did not fully explain what the business actually entailed besides loosely stating ‘data-capturing’. I have subsequently heard that 2 of my friends joined them, and were conned out of their money.
Hometrade was another one that was big at one time, although I haven’t seen anything about them for a while. These guys actually got my money. They seemed very professional with nice (error-ridden) brochures etc. They promised to pay for data-capturing, typing labels etc. I received work from them, completed it and sent it back, and awaited payment. Nothing. The more I tried to contact them I got bounced around from person to person, apparently in different ‘departments’.
What Really Works - Nick Laight – seems quite legit, and does probably help some people. Although I have heard that the info he sends is not really worth the fee. I was at one stage considering registering for his newsletter info, but after hearing some other people’s comments I gave it a skip. Apparently the advice he gives contains nothing new or revolutionary, and there is nothing practical to help you implement your plans.
MLM – Multi-Level Marketing/Networking is a mixed bag. Personally, I do believe in the ideal concept of combining buying-power to help everyone out. However, obviously there are going to be people who pervert this system to build Pyramid Schemes. A lot of people have asked questions about Herbal Life, I have seen their product brochure, but I have no first-hand experience with them, so cannot really comment too much. U-Care is another one, except it works on a donation-based system, and involves no products. I went to a few meetings of theirs, and initially was impressed, but I have subsequently heard that in order for a MLM to be legal in South Africa, there has to be some type of product being sold (i.e. people have to get something tangible for their money.) GNLD was big a few years back, but seems to have fizzled out a bit recently; they did have an impressive product range. I am involved in a Networking business which I enjoy, and it does work.
So in summary: Do Your Homework before giving away your money!
written by Rory
Interesting post, I certainly agree. I have found one opportunity that has been running successfully in SA since 2008 and have only heard good comments, do you know it:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bemotivatedtoday.com/58092
Hi frostygirl, thanks for your comment. Bemotivatedtoday is an interesting one, and seems to be a very popular choice at the moment. How have you found it? Are you making money from it? And if so, is the money worth your time and effort?
ReplyDeleteThe company is definitely legit, which is good, and some people seem to find some success with it. My problem is that I feel it is almost too popular and there is lots of competition, which usually means a handful of people will probably be very successful with it, and the rest will be scrounging for scraps.
But that’s my opinion. From someone who is actively involved what’s your take on it?