5 "Must Do's" When Evaluating an Online Business Opportunity

Are you wondering which business opportunities can produce a real income and which ones are scams? Whether you are looking for a good affiliate marketing program or a real estate investment course you need to cut through the chase. With the overwhelming promises that are out there today, it seems almost impossible to know which way to turn for real information.

I have spent the last 8 years researching, testing and reviewing business opportunities. Most of them have been scams or programs with lots of promotion but little potential. Here are the 5 things I found to be important when evaluating business opportunities.

1. Who is Behind the Business?

You can learn a lot just by picking up the phone and calling. But don't be surprised if 90% of the business opportunities out there don't have a phone number associated with the website. 2.5% have a phone number with a poor quality answering machine. And the other 2.5 % have 'slick willy' ready to burn up your credit card.

Yes, it will cost you a few nickels to talk with the business owner but it is a cheap investment in your future. Here are some things to note when you do get a live person. First, ask if he/she is the owner. Second, if they don't have a clear website explaining what their business opportunity is about ask about the things you feel are missing. Remember, if you do get a hold of the owner, they will probably give you about 5-10 minutes of their time so know your questions before you pick up the phone.

Other tips to remember are: If they try to sell you in the first minute, they are more than likely just trying to get in your pockets. If it is an associate answering questions, ask to speak with the owner. If someone is hiding it is either because they truly are too busy to talk with you or they have just hired someone who is adept at punching in your credit card number.

Most people who do provide a working telephone number are legitimate but use your good instincts and ask intelligent questions and you will learn a lot.

2. Are there any lawsuits pending?

When I have been researching different business opportunities I often type into Google the company name followed by the word 'lawsuit.' If there is a lawsuit pending, it will usually show up in the first 20 listings. Whether you are trying to find out if the hottest real estate guru is the real deal or the latest internet marketer, the ones to avoid usually flush themselves out quickly. One important point to remember is to verify the lawsuit. Sometimes people are slanderous and just out to make a good person look bad. It doesn't happen often but it does happen.

3. Does the business opportunity promise you're the World?

You've seen the infomercials or read the ads for business opportunities that make claims like "Make $10,000 next week and click here to see how Bob did it! "or "Sally worked only 1 hour a day and made $5,000 her first week!" It is obvious they are trying to get you to read further or act and make a purchase. And there is inherently nothing wrong with marketing. People expect to be sold. But, be skeptical when the offer says you can make a lot of money in a short amount of time. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. All businesses require work and have a time period that it takes to get up and running and most importantly, profitable. Get rich quick schemes are usually scams.

4. What is the guarantee?

This one is kind of tricky because there are business opportunities which offer a guarantee but don't honor it. And getting a refund can be next to impossible. You can protect yourself by using an American Express business card or go to Google newsgroups, type in the business opportunity and see if there are any complaints of that nature. Again, I would call and talk with the business opportunity owner. If you see a complaint, question him/her about it.

By and by, most businesses standby their guarantee. Go for those guarantees that exceed 30 days. And generally speaking, those that offer a year's guarantee are solid business opportunities. A good thing to do is print out their guarantee just in case it ever changes. That way you have physical proof.

5. Ask for Proof?

Again, most people make claims about their business opportunity without providing any proof. If you are looking at a network marketing opportunity, the company has to provide a yearly report of income breakdown among its representatives. You will find that very few network marketing business opportunities have a great number of people making a lot of money. Some business opportunities post bank statements with important information blacked out. This can be useful information. But for the most part, the majority of business opportunities make claims that are difficult to substantiate. This is where all of your research comes together and you have to use your best judgment.