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Internet opens new horizons, brings us loads of opportunities and vast
possibilities of all kinds. As everything, it has two sides: it can be a
dangerous weapon for anyone not knowing how to handle it right, and a great,
helpful and obedient servant for everyone knowing how to use it.
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One of the major problems is scam and waste of time because still too
many people don't recognize it in time, before they lose either their money
or credibility or even all business. It is crucial to tell the hype, scam
and waste of time, and protect yourself, your business, your time and your
money. To protect your name, your business, your brand, and in the first
place your credibility is the same important as to protect your money and
your time.
First, let's try to clarify the mysterious words 'scam' and 'hype': it is
an activity aiming at getting other people's money using unethical tools.
Purposely I don't say 'illegal' but 'unethical' because many of the tools
are legal. However, the result is scam or waste of time anyway. And the
result decides.
It is also necessary to realize that there are basically two kinds of
'scam': intentional and unintentional. I consider the latter even more
dangerous. I will explain this in a minute.
Second, your credibility: All of us make mistakes. It's OK, but the way
you treat your mistakes decides about your success or failure. Once you are
in business, you must care about your name and your credibility. Sometimes
it may happen that you lose some money. It's 'fine' if you yourself lose the
money, but you can survive and no one knows. You at least know the way
wasn't the right to take. You received your lesson, and will be more careful
next time.
However, you must be extremely careful to lead people trusting you into
such a loss. Even if you can survive financially, mentally, your business
will not because your credibility is ruined. So, be very cautious before you
recommend something to another person.
And in spite of this, we can see literally thousands of people claiming
to be netpreneurs recommending scams and hype all over the Net. If we
suppose that most of them don't do it intentionally, then there are only two
reasons: carelessness or inability to recognize scam. And both are
absolutely unacceptable within an entrepreneur.
So, how to tell the scam and not only on the Net. The immediate signs:
Now, you say you can't imagine much.
So, let's have a look at the individual items:
Unrealistic promises, one-time opportunities
- this says it all. If
someone claims you can develop a steady income of thousands of dollars
within a week without work, you must know it's a lie. If someone invites you
to copy a one-time opportunity, he's either a liar or not a professional,
business person able to recognize a one-time opportunity. Of course, you can
sell scam, even be making some money on it though not for long, but
definitely you can't successfully copy a one-time opportunity.
Upfront payment to join an opportunity
- you should realize that
once you join someone's opportunity, you help to build his business, you
take up the obligation to work for him, you endorse his business, so never
pay for this. The other point is that it is an opportunity for you to build
yours as well, a chance for a successful business relationship -what quality
the co-operation will be is up to both of you, and beyond the scope of this
short article.
Unprofessional
behavior
- a couple of examples: a) you receive an
ezine singing chorals about a hype and/or having your first name all around
the issue, b) you come to a website and you can't make out a business theme,
the actual offer, their business line (please don't confuse with the
technical side, nor the products offered, we're talking about the people
behind now), c) showing your checks.
Lack of proper communication
- a couple of examples to get the
feeling: a) you receive a reasonable email offer, you reply and that's it -
no response b) you come across an interesting service or product on a
website, you contact the webmaster for more info, and again, no response c)
or you receive a response but it's clear that the person just replies
without reading your mail at all d) correspondence containing bad language,
no structure, no names, no facts, you don't know why the person writes you,
just advertising.
Misleading information
- e.g. if someone promises something free to
you but you've got to pay a membership fee or any other cost to get it.
Hype advertising
- as soon as you see an ad or receive an email
promoting hype or scam you know that you're not dealing with a proper
business professional, so it's a waste of time for you to start a
co-operation.
Fraudulent conduct
- a completely different category is a person
intentionally trying to get your money i.e. a person who knows he's promoting
hype or scam or behaves fraudulently on purpose, trying to rob you of money
or time and credibility - just a little example: companies trying to make
you promote them, work for them or offering a service or product but knowing
that you wouldn't for a reason, so they don't tell you but they (=the better
ones) state this in their terms of use, knowingly expecting that you won't
read it, others (=the worse) don't tell you at all until you sign up a
contract and learn yourself on the way, companies not paying out your earned
money within an acceptable period though cashing their commissions and using
your money to finance their business.
The above are just little examples occurring in thousands every day. And
now you're asking how to cope, what to do to avoid it and to protect
yourself, your time and your business.
The only way to go is to develop your sense to know at once, as soon as
you come across such an item.
How to learn: experience is the answer. Learn, read, apply, test, take
your time to study, listen to others, learn from others, stop your chaotic
run from one opportunity to another, don't think you miss something if you
stop for a day, a week, a couple of months and study and grow. The vital
point is to read, and to learn how to read: once you utter you have no time
to read, you're finished. The real start is to grow yourself into a true
entrepreneur, and you can't without reading and studying. It needs a
complete change in thinking, in the attitudes, in the life values,
responsibilities, discipline.
An entrepreneur is not a person making a few bucks for a couple of months
without working, but who is able to work hard, to accept risks, to be
responsible for himself, for his business in good and bad, for the people
dependent on him, to develop and accept the lifestyle he imagines, and
support it and retain it not for a couple of years but for a couple of
generations. An entrepreneurship is not a seasonal job, it's not a job at all,
it's not a business opportunity, it's a lifestyle, a specific way of
thinking, it's the ability to accept obligations, hard work, discipline -
the bigger and tougher, the higher the lifestyle you want to have for
yourself and your people, not only your family.
The good news is that it's not necessary to be born an entrepreneur
(though it's much easier if you are) but you can grow yourself into one. And
the other good news is that good, real opportunities will always be around
because true entrepreneurs invent them all the time, and as soon as you grow
into a real, professional, a true entrepreneur, you will discover your own
inventiveness, you will be able to develop your own ideas into opportunities
for yourself and the people you want to help to achieve what they imagine
for themselves.
About the Author:
Irena Whitfield is the webmistress
of http://www.thecassiopeia.com
- Internet Business Consultants for 3rd Millennium helping people to succeed
in their online home business. If you want to make fast progress, subscribe
to her successful Ezine 'Pathway To Success' mailto:ibc3000-subscribe@thecassiopeia.com?subject=Subscribe
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