Wouldn't it be great if everyone could make money with the Internet? Good news: everyone can. The trick is to find success, not scams.
Find Success, Not Scams
Try looking for "work-at-home" or "self-employment" on an Internet search engine, and you're bound to find anything. Every single site has great hype and all the right catchphrases. Before you know it, you're interested, you're reading more. "Make money from home!" it cries. Usually, the site even shows you some viable-looking figures. "Unbelievable?" - it'll ask - "But so true!" The more you read, the better it sounds.
It isn't until you get to the very bottom of the page that you learn that to use this exciting offer (because it's always an "exciting offer"), you have to first give this Web site your money.
Bad idea.
How to Spot a Scam
Legitimate business opportunities are not going to ask for money. No legitimate employer would ask for money upfront, either. Just because it's the Internet doesn't mean that the basic rules have changed. Anyone who gets a job at Wal-Mart does not have to give Wal-Mart money before they start working. And no one who signs on for a job or business opportunity, on the Internet or otherwise, should have to pay out money before they earn any money, either.
Internet scams are everywhere. In fact, many of those who are getting rich using the Internet are doing so by scamming people! There are many, many Web sites right now offering huge e-book packages. A buyer can get a ridiculous sum of these e-books all at once, from 297 to 8,000 e-books depending on which site it is, almost with the touch of a button. The goal is then to re-sell these e-books, however you see fit at whatever prices you desire. You do have to pay, using a secured credit card over the Internet, before you get any of these e-books. Then, these sites will promise you, you can make one, two, three, and even four hundred dollars a day. That sounds like great success for the self employed.
The only trouble is, these same e-books are everywhere. The market is flooded with e-books right now, and people are practically giving them away. Another problem is, in selling these e-books you have to hope customers come to you. Since your audience is the Internet population, it's difficult to advertise and let people know where to find your e-books when everyone else has e-books, too. This may not necessarily be a scam, as people can legitimately sell, but it's probably not the path to self employed success either.
Make Money with the Internet
Real work-at-home jobs and Internet business opportunities won't require professionals to put up any of their own money. Do not believe all the hype that you read on the Internet. Unless you are self employed and putting up startup capital for yourself, don't buy into all the offers you see advertised online. Most of the time, you're only going to feel cheated. To learn a truly legitimate way to earn some income through the Internet, read about Paypal.
It is possible to make money with the Internet through finding jobs, selling products or being paid for services. These opportunities will offer to pay the professional...not the other way around.
KC Morgan - KC Morgan has been the featured writer in Self-Employment since 2006, using personal experience to create guides to being self-employed.
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