subject: Starting An Internet Business: Warning Signs [print this page] Starting an internet business is an exciting and fun way to make a living and there are certainly many opportunities to make a living online. However, there are also a number of scams out there and those who are not careful can easily get sucked into an online business that won't only not make them any money, it may cost them money. The good news is that there are plenty of warning signs and those people who take the time to educate themselves will be able to spot the warning signs and avoid opportunities that aren't legitimate.
The first warning sign to look for when starting an internet business is offers that look too good to be true. If an offer states that you can make thousands of dollars in a few hours just by replicating a website or posting a few classified ads, it's probably not a true offer or a real way to make money online. The fact is that starting an internet business takes both time and work. There are definitely ways to make it easier, but just like in real life, doing nothing won't get anyone very far online.
Another warning sign to look for when starting an internet business is opportunities that cost money upfront. There are many affiliate programs that will pay people to sell their products, but if any of those programs request money to allow a website owner to sell products, chances are it's probably not a legitimate opportunity. This is much different than paying for a course or for learning material that instructs new online entrepreneurs on how to earn a living online. It's wise to become educated on what works and what doesn't, and purchasing an online course from a reputable source is a great way to do that. Buying into a questionable business or paying for the rights to sell someone else's products often is not.
When starting an internet business, it's also important not to get caught up in all the noise. It's extremely easy to begin a day searching for a piece of information and then spending the entire day reading information written by hundreds of different internet gurus. Many of these people have quality information, but when entire days are being spent gathering information and advice from a ton of different experienced internet marketers it becomes a problem because time that should be spent building a business is being spent reading. The smart new online entrepreneur will choose one or two reputable sources to gather the information they need for starting an internet business and will spend the rest of their time working on building their business.
Taking the time to learn about legitimate ways for starting an internet business and using common sense to spot common warning signs will help to ensure that any online business starts off on the right foot.
