|
|
The Editor's Desk - From Beneath the Clutter
Feature Article - How do you spot a scam?
What's happening on the discussion boards?
Guest Article - Being Frugal without Being Cheap
Free Offers
Classified Ads
Ah, my kitchen is almost done! The new countertops are beautiful. Ok, so it belongs to my sister, it being her house, but they're so pretty and we live here too. Just have to wait for the plumber to come this afternoon and I'll have a fully functioning kitchen again at last! It's only been a bit more than 3 weeks.
Being pregnant, this meant I had to spend the installation time out of the house. No way am I hanging around unfamiliar chemicals right now. I went down to see one of my other sisters. She's going to be launching a website of her own shortly here. I've been talking with her quite a bit and have helped her get her template together for her site. I'll tell you more about it when its ready.
Don't forget, you can contribute your articles or tips anytime for consideration. Just use the contact form.
It’s not always easy to spot a scam. Many times, checking with the BBB and other resources simply is not sufficient because the scam is too new. But when you are looking for a work at home opportunity of any kind, it helps to know what red flags to be aware of, whether in a job or business opportunity.
The first rule of thumb is can you follow the money? That is, can you figure out how the company will be earning money from your efforts? If you’re offering lifetime free services to someone and earning a large commission every time someone signs up, where does the money come from? It’s easy to tell yourself it can’t be a scam because no money is being spent, but you need to consider more possibilities. What information are you giving them? What about your customers? Can that be used against you? Do you have to download anything at any point? Spyware and/or affiliate commission theft could be the goal.
Second, is the pay commensurate with the effort you are putting forth? If they are offering 2-3 times the going rate for a job, but you have to pay for training, it’s probably a scam. They’re relying on your need to earn money and desire to earn lots of it with little effort to cloud your judgement. Similarly, if you are earning commissions for your efforts, does it look like the company you will be representing can possibly be making a profit? This is very similar to point #1 above, but worth considering on its own.
Next, what kinds of promises are being made to you and to the customer? Are they even remotely possible? This can be either a bad case of exaggeration, which may concern the FTC, or a sign of a scam. In either case you do not want to be involved.
In the case of home business, I am always wary of pre-launch hype from marketers I have never heard of. If they don’t have a name in the business, how do I know their product will be any good? It could just be a way to get information, get you to download something, etc., rather than the introduction of a real, quality product. Pre-launch marketing does get used by reputable marketers too, but not very often. After all, if you’re offering a quality product do you really need to get people excited about it before they can see it. It might be fun, but not all that necessary. Pre-launch hype also has a way of annoying potential customers, as they wade through months of excessive advertising and spam about the product. It generally makes much more sense for a company to launch a product when ready, rather than give a buyer time to change his or her mind because they’re tired of the hype.
There is no guarantee, however, that a given opportunity is a scam just because it looks like one. It is possible to misjudge, but you have to decide if you would rather miss an opportunity that could hurt you financially or destroy your reputation if it is a scam than take a chance on it. If too many warning flags go up, it is probably not worth it in my opinion, but you have to decide for yourself.
Stephanie Foster is the owner of Home with the Kids, a resource that knows that there's more to staying home with your family than just business. From money saving tips to parenting and marriage tips, to work at home jobs and businesses, you can get information and support here. You can visit the site at http://www.homewiththekids.com.
Add to Your Social Bookmarks:
Del.icio.us
Furl
Reddit
Simpy
Spurl
Y! MyWeb - Netscape
Mother's Cookies closed in General Chatter - stephfoster, Fri 10-Oct-08 (0 Replies)
NEW MEMBER in Introduce Yourself - stephfoster, Fri 10-Oct-08 (1 Reply)
Falling down in Parenting - stephfoster, Fri 10-Oct-08 (4 Replies)
I thought it was the woman who did the nesting in General Chatter - stephfoster, Fri 10-Oct-08 (0 Replies)
Aloha from Hawaii!!! in Introduce Yourself - stephfoster, Fri 10-Oct-08 (1 Reply)
Have you ever noticed how frugality is often confused with being cheap? Isn’t it a shame that those who choose to live frugally are sometimes accused of being selfish and stingy?
Although these accusations may be justifiable in rare cases, I’ve found that with most frugal people, quite the opposite is true. The thrifty people I know are very generous; they just choose to give in ways that are different than their spendthrift counterparts. Let's look at some of the differences between being frugal and being cheap.
1. Being frugal means making smart spending choices.
Let’s say that for your friend’s birthday, you give her a book. You paid only 50 cents for the book at a yard sale, but it was in like-new condition and it is by an author your friend loves. Some would say that it is cheap to only spend 50 cents for a gift, but if it’s something you know the recipient will love, why does it matter how much you spend? Why spend more on a gift if you could get something the person would enjoy just as much for a lot less? This kind of gift giving is not being cheap; it’s just good money management.
2. Frugality is getting the most for your money.
Suppose you don’t have Internet access or email. Rather than making long distance phone calls to your friends and relatives to stay in touch, you save money by writing letters instead. By doing so, you get more for your money. For the cost of a 37¢ stamp, you could practically write your life history, include pictures, and even send small goodies like a bookmark or comics you’ve clipped from the newspaper. But how many minutes could you talk for 37¢ of long distance charges? Not too many. Besides, a letter is something the recipient can read over and over and enjoy many times. Thus, you get much more value and enjoyment by writing the letter.
3. Frugality is making your dollars go farther.
Suppose that to save money on your utility bill, you keep your thermostat at 68 degrees during the day in the winter. Your kids complain that it is a little chilly in the house, but you tell them to put on sweaters. Some might feel that this money-saving technique is an example of being cheap. However, making your dollars stretch this way is smart for the whole family. If you spend less on utilities, you’ll have more to spend on other things such as fun outings with your kids.
4. Frugality is showing you care without spending a lot of money.
Let's say it is Mother’s Day. Instead of buying a gift and greeting card, you use your time and creative talents to make something special for your mom. The gift doesn’t actually cost you much except your time and a few supplies you already had on hand. Some people might think this is being cheap because you didn’t buy your mother anything. However, the frugal person knows that giving of her time and talent is much more valuable than spending a lot of money without giving it much thought.
BYLINE: Nancy Twigg is the editor of Counting the Cost, an ezine about simple and frugal Christian living. She is also the author of two books on the same topic. For more information about how to be frugal without being cheap, visit Nancy online at www.countingthecost.com
New feature here. You may have to fill out a survey or give out personal information for your freebies, so decide if the offer looks worthwhile to you.
If you offer a freebie, let me know! I will consider it for inclusion here and in the freebie section of the website.
Want to find more free offers? Search here to see if there's a freebie for your needs.
============================================================
The Internet Marketing Center's top rated Affiliate Program
is 100% free to join and gives you the ability to INSTANTLY
GENERATE AN ONGOING STREAM OF INCOME without any cost or
obligation on your part.
To start maximizing the profit-producing power of your web
site in the next 10 minutes, click here and take advantage of the arsenal of Internet marketing
tools they provide you with just for joining!
============================================================
Make bundles of Cash on Google P/T F/T
Let us tell you about people who are doing it and how you
can do it too… It's fast, easy and can be done from home
part or full time (no previous experience necessary).
Click here to start making money on Google.
Site Map - Press Room - Disclaimer - Disclosure
Copyright © 2003-2008 Stephanie Foster unless otherwise indicated
Enter to win a FREE SBI website! Drawing held on the first of each month.