If you’ve spent more than two minutes looking for business ideas online, you’ve undoubtedly run across dozens of “pay to play” online business offers. Money making systems, online business guides, multi-level marketing strategies…call them what you will, but in the end, they’re really all the same. They get your money and you get left with a feeling of hopelessness that remains after you realize it’s not exactly as easy as they’ve promised in the overhyped sales material. I don’t like to use the word scam, but a huge lesson here for everyone: There is no such thing as easy money, at some point, someone had to work really hard to put themselves into a position to earn it.
So how do you tell the legit online business ideas from the high risk, high cost ideas anyway? Here are 4 reasons why most “Pay to Play” online business packages are probably not the best choice for you:
- They Require You To Buy Product Or Samples.
Many multi-level marketing (MLM) schemes are easily identified by the fact that they require you to pay to be a part of the program, and also to purchase a stock of high-priced – key word here: Low Margin - product yourself. The more money you need to invest in someone else, the quicker you should consider running away!!! The idea might be that you’ll use the product as demos or samples to get others to buy either the product or buy into the program. To make any kind of money at all though, you’ve got to get other people to pay their own way into becoming a representative of the program. It’s not a very easy way to make a buck given almost all do not limit the number of competitors and the margin on the products are so low, it’s hard to justify the sales effort. It’s certainly not saying it’s not legit, it is saying that it’s not necessarily your best choice. I’ve seen a few that require investments of hundreds of dollars, and one that required over a thousand dollar investment. That’s pricey for an MLM scheme.
- They Require You To Pay An Overpriced Monthly Subscription Fee.
Many automated online business systems that ultimately could turn out to be hopeless will use high-pressure sales copy to convince you of the merits of the programs. Glowing, raving testimonials and plenty of hype to get you interested—but in the end, they’re selling you about $15 worth of information for a monthly membership subscription fee of $49, or $97, or often even more! Most of the time, all of information you find here can be found by doing some simple (and free) research online. I recommend using Google Search.
- They Require You To Purchase A Super-Expensive Info Package
Much like the monthly subscription fee “pay to play” tactic, some work at home and online business programs require you to purchase an informational package that often includes a book and maybe some videos that are mailed to your home for several hundred dollars. It’s usually promoting a method to buy and sell real estate or flip houses—and it doesn’t work for 99% of people, especially today with the troubled real estate and mortgage markets. This type of program uses your own desire to make “quick money” against you. For most, the information will overwhelm you with unfamiliar terms and techniques. Many buyers will not have the time or the drive to even try to work this program, and like a friend of mine, the program will sit in a box for years before making its way to the garbage.
- They Require You To Purchase An eBook For 5 Times The Cost Of A Hardcover Book
This is another common scheme—convincing you to buy an ultra-pricey eBook (and to buy it right away, of course…before the offer expires tomorrow). Now there’s nothing wrong with eBooks in general—but the concept of paying 5 or 10 times more for a 50 page eBook than you’d pay for a brand new 300 page information-packed Hardcover at your local book store is a sign that something might be wrong. If the information is worth the money, then fine…no problem. But most of the time, this simply isn’t the case at all. Do your due diligence. I know of a book that is Well worth the money. I also have seen high-priced ebooks I wouldn’t pay a dollar of someone elses money to purchase.
Don’t kick yourself if you’ve already made the mistake—it happens to all of us at one time or another. Just go ahead and write it off as a learning experience. But now that you know better, do realize that so many work at home or online business offers you’ll find online are nothing more than a good old-fashioned scam. The real way to make money online is to work for it and come up with your own unique plan, not by purchasing an online business in a box!
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