Can I Really Make Good Money Working from Home?

It’s a great question, especially in this day and age where the advent of such extraordinary technology has made what was once thought to be impossible not only possible, but oftentimes preferable. Put simply then, the answer is yes.
However, you’ve got to know that the competition for legitimate work-at-home opportunities where you can make a good living while working for someone else is really stiff. So if that’s your ultimate goal, then you’d better get your resume ready and brace yourself for what could be a lengthy search for your dream job.

On the other hand, if the thought of owning your own small business and being your own boss holds some appeal, then you owe it to yourself to learn more about the impressive array of business opportunities, distributorships, licensee opportunities and even small franchises that can be started from the comfort of your own home office. And you should also know that many of them don’t require a ton of upfront money to get started either.
Okay, so on the face of it, that may all sound too good to be true, and you may be wondering if these kinds of business models are in fact legitimate. Are they really on the up and up? Unfortunately, the answer to that question is a little less straightforward than the last one. In fact, it’s mixed…yes and no.
Yes, the business model in each case, in and of itself, is a legitimate one—if it’s done right, of course. And yes, there are hundreds if not thousands of genuine, proven and potentially very profitable business opportunities to be found in each category, many of which are quite affordable in terms of initial startup costs. But it would be disingenuous for anyone to make the claim that all of the work-from-home opportunities that claim they enable you to start your own small business and make great money in today’s marketplace are legit. Let’s face it scams have been around from the beginning of time, and so it will be forever more.
Here’s the good news though. Just because there are shady business opportunities of all kinds out there doesn’t mean you have to fall prey to them, and it also doesn’t mean you have to avoid altogether what could be a really great option for you and your financial future. Quite the contrary in fact.
While it may require a little bit of effort, becoming an informed prospective home-based business opportunity or other small business owner isn’t all that hard and doesn’t take too long. More importantly, any time you spend educating yourself before jumping into something you can’t get out of will be well worth it in the long run, especially if it means avoiding huge amounts of potential financial and personal stress.
So, where to begin?
Finding just the right legitimate, proven and potentially profitable home-based business opportunity is a job in and of itself, one that must begin as so many other job and career searches do—with a resume and an interview. But this time, the onus isn’t on you to perform, it’s on them—the home-based business opportunity seller that is.
When you go looking for a job, the first thing you do is to document your academic achievements and/or professional accomplishments in writing and then go in for an interview, right? You do anything you have to in order to demonstrate for any potential employer what it is exactly that makes you right for the job, and you know going in that your resume and interview can make or break you.
Well, when you’re shopping for just the right business opportunity, work-from-home or otherwise, the tables are turned. Now it’s you who is looking for a careful accounting of what it is that is being offered to you, and that means asking the tough questions:
• What is this company’s proven track record of success in business?
• Is this company sending up a huge red flag by claiming I can make huge amounts of money for very little effort? Is it actually and ultimately selling a worthwhile and tangible product or service, or is it only interested in making money off of people like me recruiting other people?
• What do the Better Business Bureau and/or the Chamber of Commerce have to say about this company? What is its overall reputation?
• Is there a personal history among the owners or ownership partners of successful and demonstrable entrepreneurship, one I respect and that makes me comfortable?
• What is the demand and therefore potential profitability for this product or service, especially in the area or territory in which I live?
• Is the home-based or other small business opportunity owner willing and able to comply with current Federal Trade Commission (FTC) guidelines and provide me with a complete disclosure statement as required?
• Is the business opportunity seller willing and able to provide me with references? If so, what is the caliber of those references?
• Does this business opportunity fit in with my lifestyle goals (which may include wanting to work from home)?
• How will this business opportunity seller support me, if necessary, over time, and what, if anything, will it cost me?
• Have I adequately searched the internet and inquired about complaints against this company, and, if I found any that were of concern, does the company’s owner have a good reason for why I should feel comfortable ignoring them or taking them in stride?
• Am I completely sure about what is expected of me in the way of financial obligation, both at startup and throughout the first year in business, which is when far too many small businesses fail due to lack of resources and careful planning?
If you feel like you’ve answered all of these questions to your own satisfaction, then it may be worth asking yourself the most important one of all…
Am I prepared to go the distance and do what it takes to make this home-based or other business opportunity, distributorship, licensee opportunity or franchise into my very own successful enterprise?
If the answer to this last one is a resounding yes, then you may just be ready to take the leap into home-based or other small business ownership after all.