How to Create a Team

Members of any group will develop, over time, different modes of interaction. As in any organization there are many groups. Stages of the construction of a working team:

-the construction: Since the first moments in which the group is formed, its members begin to familiarize with each other. This period is one in which relationships are build with knowledge and explanation of the situation. Often this period is characterized by uncertainty due to the fact that individuals do not have sufficient information about each other. For this reason, the leader will have to intervene and decide all these uncertainties that may occur.

-the tension: This period is characterized by relatively large number of conflicts and tense moments generated by misunderstanding or questions, despite the fact that group members feel more secure than in the first stage. Unit group is still not consolidated because their members have not yet clarified the roles that they have met. The leaders are the ones that are designed to generate a good mood inside the group. The members are encouraged to communicate, and to decide issues, to understand the real situation and most importantly, to mobilize to achieve its objectives. Leader with the ability to determine these actions can be an advantage of the strategists.

-the normal stage: This period is installed immediately after the roles are well established and accepted by all members and the previous problems have been cleared. In this stage the team is formatted

-action: Represents the period in which one becomes mature and is focused on achieving goals and solve the challenges faced. He is able to perform complex tasks and work to resolve internal disagreements in creatively. In this stage the members know each other and previous issues have been resolved, the atmosphere is relaxed and interactive.

-the dissolution: This stage is not present in all groups. Some groups are formed specifically for the fulfillment of tasks in a limited time. Is important for the group members to have the ability to quickly assemble team for a clearly specified objective, to dissolve soon after reaching it and to be able to form a new team if necessary.

Why It's Crucial to PLAN Your Exit

The strategy behind of any type of proper planning is to visualize an endpoint, anticipate the actions needed to get there, and mitigate risk along the way. An exit plan accomplishes the exact same objective. However, as you may have seen in our survey last year, 90% of all business owners have not initiated the exit planning process. Unfortunately, most clients come to us when they are ready to sell their company, but without having done any advance planning. When a comprehensive exit plan has been implemented and validated by your various business, tax, accounting, and personal advisers, you are likely to have increased shareholder value, improved the chances of a sale, reduced your future tax burden, and increased the wealth to pass on to subsequent generations.

Every entrepreneur is told that they should create an exit plan at the same time they create their business plan. However, most people think that an exit plan only encompasses when and to whom they want to transfer their business and don't actually go through the planning process. As skilled and as successful as most business owners are, they cannot, working alone, create and execute their exit plans. Even your attorney, CPA or financial and insurance representative, individually, are usually unable to craft a successful exit plan. Successful exit planning is a multi-disciplinary effort that requires you and your advisers working together. For your exit plan to succeed, you need your legal, financial, tax, and investment banker input. In addition, having an exit planning professional on your team should help you lower the costs incurred by these professionals and assist in keeping your exit plan on the right track.

Whether your endpoint is a sale to a third party, a transfer to family member, an orderly liquidation, or something in between, each outcome will have a separate set of actions needed. For instance, if you are selling to a third-party, your end objective should be to maximize value. Alternatively, if you wish to transfer to family, you would want to minimize the transfer value.

You will also have to address as part of this planning process, what would happen to the business and to your family in the event your death or disability preceded your planned exit.

Below are the most common objectives of a thorough exit plan:

• Minimize taxes now and/or following the transfer of the business
• Minimize estate taxes when you transfer your wealth/business to family
• Determine how to meet your retirement goals
• Prevent business value from crashing upon your death or disability
• Communicate your goals and expectations with your family and keep them on the same page, supportive, and cohesive
• Build value within the company to maximize eventual sale price and terms
• Improve chances of sale because of certain features implemented
• Understanding the value of your business
• Determine who would be the best type of buyer (family, third party, employees, management, partner, etc.)

Once you have finished your comprehensive exit plan, it is important to implement it otherwise that plan is only an expensive piece of paper. Save your money on getting a plan done if you have no intention of implementing it. Just like your business plan, your exit plan will probably change along the way and it is important to adjust it accordingly. However, that isn't an excuse to avoid the planning process. Remember, now may be a good time because you may have more time on your hands and might be able to negotiate for some leniency on rates from professionals.

Employee Problems - Why the Problems of Your Employees Are Yours As Well

If you have been running your own business for any amount of time, you have probably realized how valuable your employees are to the running of your company. When one of your employees has a personal problem that affects their work or work output, you will realize that it is your problem as well. Your employees are the base and structure of your business and if there is an employee with a problem, you will feel the impact of that problem. Many times, these personal problems are thought to be a flaw of that person's base character, but this is not always true. If one of your employees has a personal problem, it must be addressed to find out why or where the problem is occurring. Only then will you know if the problem has to do with a character flaw or if it has to do with a problem on another level.

Studies have shown that the true cause for most employees' performance problems has nothing to do with their character. Of course, there are always exceptions to this rule, but if you are having problems with an employee who was otherwise fine, you may want to look deeper into the problem before jumping to conclusions. Many times, the causes of these problems root in a few basic categories. The employee's problem may have to do with their home environment, training or ability problems, job design problems, work environment problems, personal problem or expectation problems. When investigating a problematic employee, these are the places you will want to start. You will come to find out, that if any of the employee's problems are rooted in the work place, that this is very important and must be fixed. If their problems are in the work place, their personal problems are definitely yours as well. Many times, an employee may not know what is expected out of them on every level and this is where expectation problems come in. If you are running a relatively new company, this is a good place to start. In fact, an employee may not even know that there is a problem if he or she does not know all of what is expected from them. There simply could have been some communication errors at their hire and they have no idea that they are not doing all of their expected tasks. If one of your employees is not doing all of their job's tasks, you will certainly feel this personal problem. Expectation problems can usually be easily remedied with a review or a simple talk.

An employee's work environment is the next big thing that you will want to take into account if there is a personal problem. Their work environment entails both the physical and mental environment. Make sure that your employees are being treated well at their jobs. The better your employees are treated, the better work that you will bet from them. If there is a problem amongst your employees, these must be addressed to correct any problems on this level. If an employee is having a problem becoming motivated on a personal level, you will have to address this problem with a review or talk as well. Always talk any problems out with your employees before firing them, as most problems can be easily fixed.

How to Create a Positive Work Environment

In any office where there's commission salesperson, there's the potential for a battlefield. However that doesn't need to happen. Strategies can be incorporated into the office environment that fosters exceptional working conditions.

Depending on the number of your staff, there's often the situation of some people forming cliques and office friction occurring. There's a variety of reasons for this, including gender, age, cultural and personalities. However, involving some 'bonding' activities can help to eliminate this.

Create a Team Spirit

In a team where people are working together competitively, it's essential to incorporate activities that foster unity and healthy relationships.

You've probably heard the saying "A team that plays together, stays together". Well that's also the case in creating comradeship. Here are a few tips to do that.

Socialise together - Organise a regular time when you can share some fun times together. Try different restaurants, have a group booking at the latest movie, attend sports events together...even re-create the progressive dinner.

Exercise together - Start a sporting team that enters competitions. It may be ten pin bowling, the local half marathon, or plan to walk one of the local walking tracks. If there's nothing suitable, challenge a local business group to a top team competition where you have a variety of unusual activities (remember the Top Team television programme).

Help the Community - Find a project or people in your local area that need assistance and get involved in charity work. You can organize a concert and donate the proceeds, sponsor people in activities or paint a house for an elderly resident. There's loads of alternatives and there's the universal law of what 'you give comes back to you in greater amounts'...so it opens you to abundance flowing back into your life.

Value Fellow Members

Research from the United States and Europe reveal that the easiest and best way to create the 'feel good' factor is give a compliment. Heart beat monitors have proven this and it's as easy as sharing words of appreciation.

This also lets people know that they are valued and reduces any barriers of discord that may crop up in the office.

It's important when giving compliments that they are genuine and from the heart. It's easy to pick up on falseness. These can be given either face to face at the appropriate time, or at a weekly sales meeting, or people draw a name of another member of staff from a hat, to pay a compliment to. A copy of it can also be displayed on a board in the office or on their desk. People re-create the 'feel good' factor whenever they re-read them.

One important message for the receiver is for them to 'thank' the person who gives them a compliment, rather than 'shrug it off' as unimportant. Society once deemed it as derogatory to accept one's good. Thankfully the importance of this gesture has been recognized, especially in the matter of boosting one's esteem or belief in themselves.

Awards and Prizes

These are great for creating a positive environment and lots of variety for other ideas on this theme. Here's one: each staff member donates a dollar per week and from the draw (which people must submit an entry about a good deed from a fellow worker) a name is picked and that person wins the weekly coffee shout. You can also create some fun, with people bringing unusual gifts (home grown tomato, baked cake or balloon for everyone's desk) to include some light-hearted 'blackmail' so they're entered in the coffee draw.

Top Salesperson Award

Some offices may have this idea and it gives people something to strive for. However a word of warning. A real estate client I coached continually won this award. She was a grandmother who had started her real estate career by default. As a people's person, her natural manner was to help people and she'd been doing it naturally for over 60 years...in fact, an expert. Other staff members asked for her secret. "I just help people" she answered. Unfortunately, people started to disbelieve her. This caused her grief because integrity was important to her. They had also started eliminating her from some office activities, when she came to me for coaching. We analyzed the situation and she learnt about herself and her personality, then her co-workers. The situation improved for awhile, however a year later she was working for another company who were benefiting from her expertise.

Sharing stories

People only usually become acquainted with each other when they first start working together. Consequently there is lots about each others past that they are unfamiliar about. I.e. where they've travelled, sports achievements, hobbies, or past goodwill deeds.

To add variety at meeting have people (draw a name from hat again) and be nominated for the next meeting to share something about themselves. It may be they've visited the Taj Mahal and were in awe of the architecture, the love story behind its creation and the reason for their journey to visit it. Any of the above or a heartfelt story about
something they've sacrificed for to achieve or a shared success or the funniest moment of their life, are all strategies to create harmony and positive vibes in the workplace. The added bonus is people improve their skills in public speaking and boost their esteem level.

The above tips may not be new, but try sharing the organization of them, rather than dumping it on one person. This will also have a motivating effect. Positive people work in optimistic environments. Eliminating ego and working from the heart, will have a constructive affirmative edge to your workplace situation, thus creating a harmonious team.

Information About Incorporating Online

This article is intended for those business persons that wish to incorporate online. In this article you will find information that the author feels is most important to keep in mind while incorporating your new business, including a short glossary of corporate terms, an overview of the incorporation process, and a couple warnings that one should be aware of.

Summarized glossary of terms:

Annual Report:
This is a report that lists the directors and officers of a corporation. It is required to be filed with the division of corporations every year so as to maintain the corporation's "good standing" status. This Report may either be mailed or completed online.

Corporation:
A corporation is a legal business entity that is established for a company with perpetual duration. The corporation is allowed to borrow money and to enter into contracts that are separate and independent of its owners (stockholders). Owners receive profits and elect the directors who run the company through officers that conduct the day-to-day activities. Owners are protected by a "corporate veil" which prevents debts against the company from being held against the owners.

Good Standing:
This term describes a company that has performed certain required tasks, including: filing all necessary reports and documents, having a registered agent (a.k.a. resident agent) and being current in terms of all penalties and fees owed to the state.

Limited Liability Company (LLC):
An L.L.C. is a type of entity that is owned by members, operated by managers and run by an L.L.C. operating agreement. The LLC has the status of a Pass-Through Tax Entity and defaults to a partnership. It is especially suitable for holding investment assets like real estate.

Operating Agreement:
This is a partnership agreement that establishes the rules and regulations of an LLC (Limited Liability Company). The operating agreement is similar to the bylaws of a corporation, but also includes some provisions that are found in Shareholder Agreements.

Registered Agent:
This is the person designated to receive a company's Series of Process on behalf of a company. The registered agent must be located and available at their provided address (in that state of business). A registered agent is required if a company is to remain in existence.

Overview of the incorporation process:

There are three basic steps to incorporating online:

1. Get the info. This is possible the greatest skill a business person can acquire - getting the information he or she needs. Using search engines such as Google or Yahoo is a great first step in this process, and can be further helped by combining that information with information obtained from reliable sources - government officials, registered agents (un-biased ones), and from others. Only after all of the information is obtained, is the next step possible.

2. Make the corporate decisions for the future - Once you have the information, you can decide what type of formation is best - an L.L.C., a corporation, a partnership, etc. You can also then pick the state that best suits your tax and other needs. If you don't feel you can make all of these decisions yet, perhaps you should think about going back to step 1.

3. Make the corporate decisions for the present - Much like step 2, in step 3 you must make some decisions based on the information you gathered. Unlike the all-important step 2, however, step 3 involves picking the agent and package that are the best for your budget. Now here's the key - the one that is best for your budget is not necessarily the cheapest package. In fact, it is usually one of the expensive packages. The reason for this is that many packages leave out some essential, and often required, pieces of the corporate puzzle which you will have to make up for later on. Instead of going through this hassle, pick the most complete package, which will undoubtedly turn out to be the cheapest for you overall.

Warnings:

There are two warnings (or you could say two pieces of advice) that you should be aware of before you venture out into the world of incorporation.

1. Never underestimate the power of Step 1 (above). Now matter how much it is stressed, the importance of step 1 (getting the info) will always be understated. You will never be taken advantage of or make the wrong decision if you are able to get all the information you need.

2. You are the best thing for your business. Only trust yourself - everyone else will be biased in one way or another. Only you truly know what you want in a package, in an agent, in the future, etc.

With all this information now stuffed into your cranium, I will close this article and bid you farewell.

"Good luck on your corporate journey."

Jumpstart Your Business (and life) With VISION!

Most successful business people have what I call VISION.

Having vision means you picture in your mind where you want to be in your life in 6 months, a year, or 5 years. I'm not talking about wishing you would be there.

This is what most people do...they only wish they could change their life. No one ever told them how to actually DO IT!

Here are helpful tips about how you can start to change your life by changing your thinking...

You have to actually create in your mind a picture of what you want in your life. You have to make this picture as real as possible. You have to think about it and keep it in your mind on a daily basis. This helps develop your vision.

Whether it means expanding your offline business, being successful on the internet, having a certain house or car, working from home, finding your lifelong partner, losing weight, or whatever else you desire to happen in your near future you must "see" it in your mind before it will happen. You practice to develop your vision.

Anyone can do this and I promise you it does change lives.

What happens when you begin to "see" this mental picture of yourself on a daily basis? It begins to sink into your sub-conscious mind and this leads you to begin to think and do things differently than what you're used to doing.

All the experts tell us that we only use 7%-15% of our brain power. Our sub-conscious minds rule the other 85+%. Successful people have learned to tap into their sub-consious mind to make it expand and work for them. There are many different methods and systems available to accomplish this.

But all seem to agree that you must practice "seeing" yourself accomplishing your desires in the future, and using repetition of positive affirmations on a daily basis. There are many programs offering audio tapes that work great also.
This is how you begin creating your vision.

By positive affirmations I mean writing down on paper what you want in the next few months and years and reading it several times daily to yourself. Simple isn't it? But it's something most people just will not do. They think it doesn't work. They think it's too simple to produce any results.

Wrong! This is very powerful in a subtle way.

By combining a mental picture with your written affirmations on a daily basis you cannot fail to bring change into your life. And if you commit to doing this on a daily basis you WILL see results in your life very quickly.

By practicing your vision daily there is no way it cannot work because you are re-directing your sub-consious mind in a way that it has never been directed before! (I'd like to mention here that I use the powerful audio CD programs from thinkrightnow.com They are absolutely fantastic and they can change your life. Check them out.)

How do you think a professional athlete gets so much better at a sport than most people? Practice. What is practice? It's the constant repetition of physical movements, positive affirmations, and mental images.

Take Larry Bird, former great player for the Boston Celtics NBA team as an example. Larry Bird had vision. He was a slow teenager who couldn't jump and lived in the southern hills of Indiana. There was no way he could compete with his limited natural abilities against more naturally talented players.

But he spent hours upon hours, day after day, of constant repetition of the movements needed to play basketball. It was on his mind constantly. He had a vision in his mind of becoming a successful player. These movements became second nature to him because of repetition.

Most of the players he competed against would not take the time he took to improve themselves. They relied on their natural talents and had no vision.

He outworked them all. He practiced more than they did.

He became one of the greatest players to ever play the game. He kept his dream alive in his mind and he performed the repetitive movements necessary on a daily basis to get what he wanted.

And it worked! And it can work for you also. If you don't believe me spend the next few weeks trying it out. You have nothing to lose by doing this and everything to gain.

Write down on paper something you would like to have in the next 3 months. Be very clear and specific about it. Don't just say something like I would like to lost weight. Say I WILL lose 15 pounds in the next 3 months.

If you want money write down that you will earn $1,000 more per month within 6 months.
Be specific.

Writing it down on paper is very important. Read this paper to yourself 2-3 times per day and while you're reading it "picture in your mind" what you will look like 15 pounds lighter. Think of how you will "feel." How much more energy you will have. Make this mental picture as real as you can. Create your vision.

If you don't need to lose weight pick anything you want. It doesn't matter what the subject is. As long as you write it on paper and picture it in your mind and do this on a daily basis you will get results! You will begin to think differently about this subject. You will have it in your mind daily.

Your sub-consious mind will begin directing your thoughts and actions and move you toward this goal. You won't just be wishing for something, you will begin to take small steps to actually accomplish the goal. You will notice that you are thinking differently and taking actions you normally do not take.

I challenge you to take the few minutes per day this requires and see what happens if you do this daily for just 2-3 weeks. You will see the difference in your thoughts and actions. Your attitude begins to change. I guarantee it.

Once you experience how powerful this simple technique is you will recognize it's potential and how it can change your life. It can be used in all areas of your life including your financial situation, your health, your family, and all else that's important to you.

Getting the Credit You Deserve?

Have you ever wondered why so many businesses fail within 1-2 years... or even after 5 years in business?

To many business owners, this question is scarier than finding a burglar standing over your bed at night. So, here's some common sense advice that can save your business, regardless of how long you've been in business.

First of all, building a solid business credit rating is possible regardless of your personal credit scores. Obtaining the right types of corporate credit is vital to: the protection of your personal assets, the risks associated with personal lawsuits affecting your business, and your business' ability to weather economic changes that seem to occur overnight.

All business owners must make it a weekly priority toward developing relationships with the right types of lending institutions. You usually want to start your application process with out-of-state, national (or international) lenders... not your local or regional banking institutions; because these larger lenders typically won't require a personal guarantee or your social security number.

However, there are many steps you'll need to take before you start applying for any type of business credit. Ultimately, it's in your best interest to find a competent professional that can help you navigate through the murky underworld of building a strong corporate credit rating... giving you a head start on your competition & also letting you focus on running your business' day-to-day activities.

An excellent business credit score can help your company's image, overnight. You need to be able to answer some very basic questions, before you apply for any business credit.

1. Is your business strauctured as a sole proprietorship, C-corporation, S-Corporation, Limited-Liability Corporation (LLC), Partnership, or Trust?

2. How long has your business been recognized by your State & Local government?

3. Has this company ever had any derogatory information provided to the most popular business credit reporting agencies, Dun & Bradstreet or Experian?

4. Does your company have the proper permits, licenses and registrations necessary to conduct business in your jurisdiction?

5. Does your business have a physical address?

6. Does your business have a landline telephone number that's recognized by directory assistance?

7. Are your incoming telephone calls professionally answered in your business name, or is it answered as if incoming calls are personal conversations?

8. Does your business have a business checking account?

9. Does your business have an Employer Identification Number (also known as an EIN)?

If your answer to the first question was a sole proprietorship, partnership or trust; I urge you to re-establish your company as a corporation or LLC. I'm not going to provide you with legal advice, but many CPAs and attorneys highly recommend LLCs (Limited Liability Corporations) as a way of protecting your personal assets & estate... in the event of any lawsuits being filed against your company. As a sole proprietor, your personal assets are at direct risk of seizure or forfeiture when faced with most types of legal action. Additionally, most lending institutions will not require you to provide any personal guarantee when applying for credit in the name of an LLC.

A corporation can still face difficulties applying for business credit, if its been in business less than 2 years or if its had previous credit problems reported against it... although its not impossible to overcome. Here are some common fixes. You can purchase a "shelf" or "aged" corporation that's been recognized by your State government for longer than 2 years. You can attempt to repair your business credit rating by writing dispute letters to Experian or Dun & Bradstreet, which isn't always possible. A few corporate credit experts will sell you "shelf" or "aged" corporations, some of which already have strong credit ratings established in each entity's name... saving you alot of hassles.

I cannot stress this enough... you MUST have a physical address (not a PO Box) if you want to establish a solid business credit rating. The same thing is said for telephone numbers & the way incoming phone calls are handled. You don't have to act as if your company is a Fortune 500 company. You just need to put yourself in the lender's shoes for a moment & ask yourself, "Would I lend money to a company that I can't find a physical address for?" or "Would I lend money to a company that answers their mobile phone with your favorite musician's answer tone & is answered in a non-professional manner?". I hope your answer was a resounding "NO!". If not, can I borrow $1,000,000? You can always find me wherever my mobile phone is at the moment. (Get my point?) And, don't forget to get the proper paperwork to go into business & keep these documents current.

Moving on, business checking accounts are a must. Again, this proves stability to your potential lenders. Here are some possible solutions, if you've had checking accounts closed in the past. Pay off the outstanding balance (if any) that's being reported by the bank, or open a checking account at a bank or credit union that doesn't use the ChexSystems credit reporting system. Most credit unions don't use ChexSystems, and you can always find a list of banking institutions in your area that don't use ChexSystems... by simply doing a search on Google, Yahoo or MSN.

Corporate credit ratings are tracked using your business name, business address and employer identification number (EIN). It takes less than five (5) minutes to apply for an EIN at http://irs.gov which is the IRS' website.

Next, you'll want to obtain a D-U-N-S number from Dun & Bradstreet, the largest business credit reporting agency. You can apply for this without any fees at http://dnb.com which is the Dun & Bradstreet website, and you'll usually receive this number within thirty (30) days. Do not apply for this number until you've prepared your self thoroughly, because any information you give to them... goes into your credit file... permanently.

After you've obtained your D-U-N-S number, you're probably ready to start establishing some vendor credit. Vendor credit is where many business owners start establishing business credit ratings. Simply go to http://staples.com, http://officemax.com or http://officedepot.com to get started. Then, you'll also need to fax your business telephone bill & the credit application to them... on your business letterhead (which you can create using your favorite word processing software). They usually don't require any personal guarantees (if you've followed the outline above), and you'll usually receive a starting credit line of $750.

Be sure to always pay your invoices before the grace periods begin. This is critical, especially on unsecured credit cards. Dun & Bradstreet issues what's known as a Paydex score (your corporate credit score), and a score of 80 is very good... with 100 being the highest score you can achieve. Your Paydex score is issued once you've established a known vendor/credit relationship with at least five (5) creditors... and it reflects negatively on your credit score if you pay a bill after you've entered in the grace period & even worse if you pay after the due date.

Again, there are shortcuts that will help you get much more than $750 alot faster. I've seen hundreds of people start with vendor credit equaling $25,000-$50,000 and open credit lines of $50,000 up to $1,000,000... in as little as 45-90 days... by using a corporate credit expert's knowledge of the application process & "shelf" corporations. In fact, the best corporate credit experts will usually already have "shelf" corporations for sale... with pre-established credit ratings & lines of credit.

In summary, I've given you most of the tools & information you need to obtain corporate credit lines. Are you going to let a "cash crunch" put you out of business? Are you going to try to establish a business credit rating yourself & build your credit slowly? Or, will you utilize the services of a knowledgeable corporate credit expert to establish your credit rating & secure large credit lines... overnight? The choice is yours.

How to Avoid Job Related Stress by Becoming Your Own Boss

Stress in the modern work place has grown greatly in recent years and has spurred many studies among agencies of the federal government, namely the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Perhaps now more than ever before, job stress poses a threat to the health of all workers.

Job related stress has many psychological and physiological effects. Stress affects worker health and in many cases, worker safety. The stress brought on by poor working conditions, coworkers, demanding bosses, or stressful job duties causes physical symptoms such as headaches, muscle pain and muscle spasms, tension, ulcers and other digestive disorders, loss of appetite, loss of sleep, and fatigue.

Lack of financial security is also another major factor that contributes to job related stress. Regardless of what your income level is, you still may not earn enough money to pay all of the bills, build up a savings account, put money into investments, handle emergencies, and cover basic needs like housing, food, and clothing.

Many individuals, frustrated with the lack of financial options, are finding alternatives to being unsatisfied in their current occupations by starting their own home businesses. People from all walks of life are finding more satisfaction by selling their own products and services instead of working for an employer.

Despite the demands that owning a business may place on an entrepreneur, the freedom that comes with being in command of your daily life and daily decisions is often less stressful than being employed by someone else.

Your earning potential is as unlimited as the goals that you set for your business.

Starting a business is easier than you may think, and with the right planning, and the right information about how to start your new venture, you will be well on your way to a more fulfilled life.

Avoid Being Scammed with Work At Home Opportunities

Working at home online is expanding rapidly as is the Internet. There are thousands of options for net entrepreneurs who make money through creating web sites, offering web services, or selling products online. The market has expanded rapidly over the past few years as the Internet has grown and there is something that everyone will be interested in and profit from.

What Are Scams

Unfortunately, there are a number of people on the Internet that are out to scam you and take your money without giving you any value or what they promised. This is a real threat that prevents many people from pursuing creating an online business but is one thing that you should not let bother you. The key is to be careful with whom you deal with online and to do your homework before you make a purchase. The key is to identify the scams before you spend any money.

How to Identify the Fraudsters

Identifying the scams is very easy. You just need to make sure you get a number of unbiased reviews on the company or individual you are dealing with. A great way to get this information is to search the web on the company you are looking to make a purchase from and check what other users are saying about them. Make sure you are getting these reviews from an unbiased 3rd party or your information will be incorrect which could lead you directly into a trap. Use Google or Yahoo! to get the information you need quickly and for free.

You should also be sure to check the latest reviews on forums as they are the best place to get multiple reviews quickly.

Identifying scams will only take you a few minutes and could save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars annually. Pretty soon, you will be able to identify the scams and help others save their time and money.

Places to Report Scammers

When you do read about somebody getting scammed or get scammed yourself, get back at the company and protect others by reporting them. You can report them to the FTC, Federal Trade Commission, so that they can deal with the matter legally, but be sure to visit forums and other online communities with users who may be interested in the product that the scammers offer and are subject to their trap to warn them about the scam so that they can save their time and money. After all, others are doing the same thing for you so you might as well return the favor. Reporting the company to the BBB or Better Business Bureau is also a good option. Just be sure to let others know of your experience.

Getting Refund from Scammers

If you do get scammed by scammers, be sure to get your money back. One good thing about online payments is that you do not have to use cash to buy products, but rather, must go through a third party payment gateway such as PayPal or eGold among others. These systems are well aware of the scams and do everything in their power to get the money to its rightful owner. So, if you have been scammed by someone online, be sure to make every attempt to get your money back. Contact your payment gateway support team or credit card issuing bank, tell them about your situation and open a dispute. They will take the time to look into the matter to assure that the rightful owner is awarded the money that they lost.

Legitimate Ways to Find Genuine Work At Home Jobs

There are legitimate ways to make money online, just be sure that you do not fall into any sort of trap. Always deal with reputable companies over other unknown programs and be sure to be very careful in what your purchase and who you purchase it from. To avoid scams, put the time that is required to research the company you are dealing with and be sure to get multiple opinions from multiple unbiased sources so that you can be sure you are not getting scammed. Also, check the BBB, Better Business Bureau, records to get official information about the company you are dealing with. If you are dealing with an individual, be cautious and make sure that they have a good reputation as you will not be able to find many reviews or anything in the BBB or another official resource.

Last but not least - Do your homework and you will be fine in your online endeavors.