It Costs Money! Is It Legitimate?
I've always felt for the people who are trying to get started working from home
. It's tough. You hear about and find more scams than you do legitimate opportunities. And when you find something you think might be good, there's a price tag attached.
Is it a scam or isn't it?
The trouble is that costing money isn't as clear cut a pointer to a scam as you might like. If they say it's a work at home job, that you'll be employed by them and so forth, then yes, most likely it is. But if it's a home business, there are no guarantees.
Not All Work at Home Expenses Mean It's a Scam
This is the hard part. Many work at home jobs are in fact independent contractor opportunities. That means that you aren't an employee. You're running a business. They have certain things they need you to buy or pay for.
Some legitimate employers expect you to pay for your own background check, for example. I've never been too happy about this one, as the search for employees should be a cost of doing business.
Most legitimate work at home jobs will expect you to have certain things already, such as a computer, high speed internet access, possibly a dedicated second phone line, a headset and appropriate software. These are all things you will probably be buying if needed on your own, not through any potential employer.
So When is It a Scam?
Some things in a work at home "job" opportunity flag it easily as a scam. Being expected to pay to prove that you're seriously interested, for example. Jobs do not have application fees. As I said above, sometimes you will have to pay for a background check, other times your potential employer will do so, but that's something different.
If you have to buy software from your potential "employer" it's likely a scam. Generally speaking you'll either be using software you can buy elsewhere or the employer will provide you with their proprietary software at no expense.
If they're sending you a check to go buy supplies I would also consider that a big red flag. I had this one come up on my forum recently. If an employer needs you to have particular equipment, it makes plenty of sense for them to send you the equipment, not a check for you to go buy it yourself. There are too many scams involving check cashing out there.
What If You Can't Tell If It's a Job or a Home Business?
So many home business opportunities like to talk up the opportunity as though it's a job. Sometimes jobs really are business opportunities. If you're going to be an independent contractor, strictly speaking you're running your own business. That said, pay attention to IRS rules about whether or not you're really an independent contractor or an employee. Many businesses are having to be more careful about who they call independent contractors and who they call employees, as this impacts how taxes are paid and by which party.
But other opportunities call themselves work at home jobs yet have nothing to do with being employed by that company. I've seen people advertise network marketing opportunities, affiliate marketing opportunities and more as work at home jobs, when it's perfectly clear that they're really home business opportunities.
My own rule of thumb is that if they can't be upfront about the work being a home business opportunity, I'll find someone else to learn from.
It's Hard to Tell the Difference Sometimes
Even the most alert job seeker will sometimes have trouble telling if an opportunity is a work at home job, home business or a scam. Some of the people who advertise these things are very good at obscuring the truth.
When in doubt, ask around.
Ask on work at home forums. Ask anyone in your life who understands that there are some legitimate work at home jobs out there. Just get a second opinion before you take too big of a risk.
In many cases, searching for "opportunity name scam" isn't going to get you the results you were after. Too many marketers have figured that one out, and positive reviews abound for many questionable products under titles such as "Is Opportunity Name a Scam?"
It's not easy to find legitimate work at home jobs out there. There are way too many scams, and too many businesses trying to get your attention by pretending that they're jobs. But there are great opportunities out there for those who find them.
by: Stephanie Foster
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