Letter to the Editor

Beware schemes

Friday, October 15, 2004

Dear Editor,

My hat is off to Attorney General Jon Bruning.

As a full time network marketer I have seen just about every "get-rich-quick" scam out there and it really hurts good companies with real products to sell. Just as in real estate there are "swamp land" gimmicks, so in the world of home business there are con artists.

Please print this article out and file it away. Then, any time you're tempted to get involved with anything that offers "something for nothing," remember that your Attorney General warned you.

There is NO free lunch. Any legitimate business will involve hard work.

Let's look closer at the advice Mr. Bruning gives.

Tips to keep you from being victimized by scams:

* Beware of high start-up costs.

With any home business you should not have to pay more than the price of a good meal for a start-up kit. On top of that, you'll want enough product to use yourself. Why allow anyone to stockpile you with product when you can have it shipped to your doorstep in a couple days? If a program asks you to purchase more product than you will personally use or sell, RUN from them!

* Resist the temptation to invest because the people selling are your friends or belong to the same organizations you belong to.

If a friend or family member asked you to buy swamp land for twice it's worth would you do it just because they are your friend? Treat your business like a business. Do your due diligence. Return on investment is the name of the game in any business. Don't let sentiment override common sense.

* Check with the Attorney General's Office, the Better Business Bureau and/or the Federal Trade Commission before you invest.

This is more excellent advice. Before you buy a car from a dealership don't you ask around? Don't you talk to other people who have purchased there? You find out if they got a good deal. How's the service? You investigate. Starting a home based business is no different. Check out the company. Who owns it?

What is their history? Are they financially sound? Ask, ask, ask. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! When checking with the BBB, check not so much for if there are complaints (the more customers a company has, the more complaints that will be generated simply due to human nature) but more importantly, if the complaints have been resolved.

That is a great indicator of what kind of experience you will likely have with the company. And if they have been around awhile and do have very few complaints, all the better.

I could go on quite awhile with tips on how to look for and choose an honest, genuine, profitable home business. But the bottom line is, if it sounds too good to be true, then it's likely NOT true.

Here's a quote that sums it up nicely:

"A lot of people miss opportunity because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work" - Thomas Edison

Best,

Jim Bartlett

via e-mail

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