Server: Netscape-Commerce/1.1 Date: Friday, 19-Dec-97 02:53:05 GMT Last-modified: Wednesday, 19-Nov-97 18:44:02 GMT Content-length: 12725 Content-type: text/html Great Ways to Create Extra Income

Great Ways to Create Extra Income

Everyone can use a little extra money, and that’s why American Journal consulted author Jennifer Basye on ways to earn extra cash. The following are tips from Basye’s book, along with warnings from the Better Business Bureau on how to spot the legitimate money-making deals from the scams.

101 Best Extra Income Opportunities for Women is filled with 101 actual small business ideas anyone can use, and is available in bookstores nationwide, or direct from the publisher at 916-632-4400.

 

Working-At-Home: The Perpetual Schemes
source: Better Business Bureau

If you want to work at home, you also have reason to be cautious. Many people are victimized by work-at-home schemes, and they are losing more money than ever. The old schemes in which a consumer can lose ten or twenty dollars are still around, but now there are new schemes, robbing victims of thousands of dollars.

Work-at-home scam artists have always preyed on senior citizens, the disabled, mothers who want to stay home with their children, and people with low incomes and few job skills, but these days they also target people with computer skills and higher incomes. Scam artists are using technical terminology and new ways of reaching people, such as the internet or cable television, but they deliver the same old false promise: "Make big bucks with little effort."

If you are tempted by work-at-home promotions offering "easy money," remember—you have a lot at stake. You can:

Lose Money: Consumers have lost amounts ranging from $10 to $70,000 or more.

Damage your reputation: You may find you have unintentionally sold your customers bad or nonexistent products or services.

Risk becoming the focus of a legal investigation: You may be held responsible if you perpetrate a fraud by promoting or selling a fraudulent product or service to others.

Lose valuable time: You may expend a lot of effort on a work-at-home scheme which gives you nothing in return.

 

 

Steps to take before you sign up:

Ask the company’s representative the following questions. Remember, a reputable company will respect you for being careful and will not pressure you into making a fast decision.

 

Do your homework and your own research.

 

 

Get all information in writing.

Before you sign a contract or spend any amount of money you can’t afford to lose, read all of the contract’s provisions carefully, and make sure you clearly understand them. The Federal Trade Commission, under the franchise rule, requires that the sellers of some types of business opportunities must supply certain information in writing before a contract is signed.

Whether or not this law applies to your specific choice, you should insist on getting the following information in writing, signed by the company’s authorized agent. After you obtain the written information, have it reviewed by an impartial person such as your accountant or attorney. Then ask for:

 

Tips to Remember

If you become a victim of a work-at-home scheme, ask the company for a refund. They may be willing to give it to you. If they refuse, or give you an evasive response, tell them you plan to notify law enforcement officials.

Keep careful records of everything you do to recover your money. Document your phone calls, keep copies of all paperwork such as letters and receipts, and record all costs involved, including the time you spend. If the company refuses to refund your investment, contact:

Copyright (c) 1997
King World Productions, Inc.