Real Home-based Business Opportunities that Aren't Scams

Most of the home-based business opportunities you see in online advertisements are simply not real. In most cases, they are elaborate pyramid schemes, many of which you would find yourself not only on one of the bottommost rungs of the pyramid, but also culpable in any criminal proceedings that might take place as a result of the business "opportunity." One of the most popular and widely-used schemes is to sign up as a home-based businessperson marketing out of your home. You pay a small fee and are delivered a packet which contains a flyer advertising for a home-based business opportunity. Your job is to make copies of, and then post this flyer where it is likely to be seen by passers-by, who then call a phone number and are sent a packet with the same flyer in it. You then receive a commission for each of the packets that are sold as a result of your flyer. The opportunity is in fact, posting flyers. There is no real opportunity aside from this.

Not all home-based businesses are so shady, though. In an economic market in which there is little job growth and a large number of people out of work, it becomes extremely important that you be able to separate the wheat from the chaff when it comes to a home-based business, what could arguably be the next logical step in the evolution of American economics- a movement back to small businesses and innovation as opposed to large businesses. To begin with, you have to identify your interests, and then proceed from there. Are you interested in helping people with disabilities? Running a vending service business? What about writing? Any of these can be good opportunities for running a home-based small business, but there are literally hundreds out there.

If you have any experience with marketing, you know that demand is very much influenced by companies or individuals knowing that your product is available and desiring to use that product. Your job is to get that information to them so that you can sell your product or service to them.

Freelancing is a good starting point to begin considering a work-at-home opportunity. This work gives you the opportunity to do what you are good at on a contract basis whether it be writing, photography or even business consultation. Look at the rates that are charged by your competition, and then find something that they don't have. If you choose consultation, for instance, you might consider trying to get several articles published with major business magazines, and then attend trade shows so that you can begin to meet people in your field of interest or who might be interested in your services. Your consultations may be something as simple as increasing employee productivity or as complicated as boosting corporate revenue. In any case, you must display a specific knowledge base to make your consultation marketable, and in turn build a name for yourself.

Freelance writing online is an excellent opportunity to get your feet wet in the publishing world without quitting your day job. Utilizing content-supply sites such as Associated Content and others, you can write short articles about what you know, practice your writing skills, and eventually proceed to writing for traditional print media or even working on that novel you've been saving up for all your life. The best part is that many content sites pay a small per-article fee for your work, and some even pay for page views you earn.

Vending services is an at-home business opportunity that can be easily seen as a "gateway" opportunity. You can choose to either lease or purchase vending machines, and then you work with locations such as grocery stores, corporations, and other places where you can locate your machines. When they are placed, all you have to do is occasionally restock the machine with product, and remove the earnings from the coin or bill holder. Maintenance on vending machines is typically not very high, and experienced operators may be able to perform routine service themselves. Vending is an excellent gateway business because it is relatively inexpensive to get started in, and successful penetration of a market area with vending services is often seen by banks as being an overall successful business venture, making you a more likely candidate for approval of SBA-backed loans when and if you decide to branch out and expand your business.

Not all at-home business opportunities are scams, but be wary of those that promise high wages for relatively little or no work. Any opportunity that advertises itself as being "easy" should be thoroughly scrutinized before you make plans to invest your money and your future into it. If you're careful and conscientious about your new enterprise, your chances of success will be much greater.

Scambusters.org: Home Based Business Scams: http://www.scambusters.org/work-at-home.html