I participate in Yahoo Answers on occassion and I see so many people asking where they can find a work at home job or business that is not a scam.

I wonder if they realize that most of the answers they get are probably from people already being scammed? They post an answer that asks the questioner to join their program that is probably not working for them either.

Alternatively you have the people who answer stating, "They are all scams," or, "There is no such thing as a work at home business." That is simply not true.

I just feel bad for the person that asks the question. They are either getting bad responses or discouraging responses.

I try to provide resource links to those that ask the work at home question, but so many people ask and I can only respond to so many. I wonder if they ever search before they ask...hmmm...guess not.

If you are looking for a work at home business or job that is not a scam search the web for work at home mom sites. Many of these sites have forums (and men participate in the forums too) and many people that participate in the forums will tell you if something is a scam.

You can't trust everyone, but these forums are very popular and you will get some unbiased opinions on opportunities. Of course you will get some biased opinions too, but there is a little more safety in hearing opinions from many people as oppossed to hearing the opinion of one person who may be getting scammed without even knowing it.

Yes, you can make money from home. All opportunities are not scams. You need to really research an opportunity before jumping in.

Join some home business networks and start asking questions.

Many people become confused about business opportunities and jobs. They heard that they should never pay anyone up front in order to make money.

It helps to know the difference between a business opportunity and a job.

A business takes money to start. A free business opportunity is rare. Even if you can start free you will likely want to invest some money in the products or services you are selling.

Some of the businesses mentioned in this lens are free to join, but it is still wise to purchase products in order to see first hand the quality of the product and the customer service the company provides. Satisfactory products and transactions will help you get excited about your company and share the opportunity with others. It is difficult to give a testimonial without personal knowledge.

Direct sales companies that charge a fee to join offer something in exchange. Typically it is a kit that may include a variety of items like samples, business materials, and website services. In this case you are paying, but you are getting something in return.

A job is different. You should not have to pay someone to hire you for a job.

After a long search and some bad experiences I finally found a candle company for me. I'm loving everything about Scentsy.

I have tried other candle companies and have been dissapointed either by packaging, quality, shipping time, or expensive shipping costs. Really, who wants to pay more shipping than the actual cost of the product?

I learned about Scentsy some time ago but I had a lot of other business tasks going on so I put of joining the company. After going back to the site several times and asking questions of current consultants I finally decided to take the plunge and join the company. The strange thing is I was almost prepared to be let down. I am so happy to report that I was wrong!

My experience with Scentsy has been so great. I knew I liked the professional clean look of the products and materials but there were still many tests to be passed in order for me to be completly pleased.

I ordered some product and thought, "Now I hold my breath and see what my shipping is going to be like and what my product is going to be like and when I will get it."

Well the shipping was so affordable and I was so happy. Then the product came within a week...YES! They passed again with flying colors. The product looked awesome! I just love the look! Then I used the product and I have to say that I am super pleased.

You will see a past post from me talking about how great it would be if someone came up with a truely awesome candle company. Well, I found it! I'm now an Independent Scentsy Consultant and if I continue to be as pleased with Scentsy as I am now all will be right in my candle world.

http://www.scentsy.com/aroma

There are advantages and disadvantages to joining a new direct sales start-up.

If you join early you have the advantage of introducing the new company to prospective recruits. This may help you build your team quickly and take advantage of the benefits of earnings from your downline.

However, you should also consider that new companies may take some time to get established. Although you want to make sure they have a business plan in place, there will likely be some areas that they will have to tweak as the business grows.

Think about the obstacles that arise and watch the company to see how they go about overcoming the obstacles.

Keep in mind that you will not agree with every decision the owners make. You may not understand every decision because you don't have access to all the information they are dealing with.

However, you do want to observe and determine whether they are making progress. Long term unresolved issues, repeated bad decisions, or decisions that don't make sense (without explaination) may indicate trouble.

The great thing about getting involved as a direct sales consultant is your ability to remove yourself from the business.

There are several companies that sell candles, jewelry, bath & body, etc. It can be very confusing when trying to decide which company is right for you.

Here are some considerations when you are faced with companies selling similar products:

* The quality of the product (order a sample from the company so you can see the quality first hand)
* Shipping time (see how long it takes the company to get the product to you)
* Shipping costs (make note when you order samples)
* If quality is similar, compare the prices of the products
* Customer service and support (how does the company respond to you as a customer and potential consultant)
* Commission (what percentage of sales do you keep, how and when are you paid)
* Selling methods (can you sell online and offline and in how many ways)
* Quotas (are you required to sell a determined dollar amount of product to remain active in the business...typically monthly or quarterly)
* Minimums (are you required to purchase a determined amount of product)
* Inventory (are you required to purchase the product up front and sell your stock)
* Advertising restrictions
* Fees (website, materials, hostess gifts, etc.)

If you haven't seen Tupperware in awhile than you need to know it's hot. People like Tupperware, they want Tupperware, and they buy Tupperware.

Are your kitchen products worn out? Are you having a problem finding good long lasting quality products? Did you know that Tupperware as a lifetime guarantee?

There are two ways you can get fresh and innovative products in your home -

1. Host an online Tupperware party. Tupperware makes it soooo easy. You simply go to Tupperware Independent Consultant and click on the right hand Start Your Online Party Today box. You simply register and you will receive a website link to email to all of your friends and family. They simply place their orders through the link you provide and you can watch your party orders grow. The more orders you get the more FREE Tupperware you will receive!

2. Join the Tupperware team today! You can start your business for as little as $69.99 (plush ship). You will receive a great variety of products and business materials that will give you everything you need to get you started. You can join right from here Tupperware Independent Consultant and be in business today!

Tupperware is more than practical and useful, it is innovative. You can find everything from exceptional cookware to simple snack cups. If you need to get organized you need to get Tupperware. You will find a vast array of products to help you organize your kitchen and clear out the clutter.

Your kids can enjoy Tupperware too. Check out the character products including Disney Princesses, The Little Mermaid, Winne the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, Blue's Clues, Dora the Explorere (and Diego too), and Shrek. These products are both fun and functional.

With Tupperware you can earn money, trips, and cars. For more information visit the Independent Consultant site at Tupperware Independent Consultant.

As I am a work at home mom, I frequent the work at home groups on various sites often. I just wanted to send a cautionary message out to all the mom's looking for work at home opportunities.

I am not an expert but I have been online researching opportunities for 10 years and I have learned quite a bit. Here are some tips:

Never pay for a job - A "job" pays you. You shouldn't have to pay for anything including, and especially, more information about a job.

Do not waste your time on opportunities where "all you have to do" is share the business with other people and get them to join. If the company does not offer a real product or service than it is probably a scam. It may not cost you any money to share the opportunity but you are wasting time that could be spent on earning real money.

If you see an ad in a paper or online and you can't find the name of the company than the ad is probably a scam. There are real companies that offer real jobs and they will list the name of their company. If you see an ad that is not written professionally it is probably a scam. Real companies do not place ads with exclamation points and dollar signs and make claims about all the money you can make.

If someone contacts you, or replies to your message, with information on their company they should be able to explain what the company is about and what product and/or service they offer. If it is confusing to you than there is probably information they are leaving out or the program is probably not going to work.

If you are considering an offer, do your research. Once you have the answers to the questions from the person presenting the offer, do a search online and see what other opinions are out there about the company or business.

There is a difference between a work at home job and a work at home business. You will likely have to make some investment to start a business. Please do not start a business based on how much it costs to get started. If you happen to find one that you are really excited about and it doesn't cost very much to start than that is great. However, if you join because it was free or cheap and nobody wants what you have to offer than you are wasting your time.

I could go on and on about how to choose a business, but this post was about avoiding being scammed. Sorry this is a long post, but I do want to protect people when I see offers on the site that are just scams.

I haven't been here much lately because I have been changing my website over to a blog format. While I was updating my blog I came across Zlio and thought I would post on it, incase anyone is interested.

You can create your own online store for free and earn commission from sales. Products come from various merchants, including Amazon, and the merchants handle all shipping and customer service.

You are paid through paypal.

I created two stores (so far). If you create a store I would appreciate going through the affiliate link, http://www.zlio.com/?r=50152, or using my affiliate ID 50152.

Here are my stores:

http://www.workathome.zlio.com

http://www.babykids.zlio.com

thanks

When looking into a business opportunity it can be difficult to sort between fact and fiction or reality and hype.

First, look at the facts the company has to offer. Then do your research and observe what the consultants are saying about the company. If a company has direct sales consultants you can usually search the web and find many different views.

Consider that many people that enter the direct sales arena have no previous business experience. They may not be experienced with how to run a business.

For example, if a company has a shortage on a product a more experienced business person may stop marketing the product until the company has announced a satisfactory re-stock. A less experienced person may continue to sell the product and then post complaints when the product is not delivered.

The bottom line is an experienced business person can see a potential problem and take pro-active measures. Many people that post negative comments about a company may not have taken pro-active measures, or may not have been staying up-to-date on company information.

On the other hand you have the cheerleaders. You have to watch out for those who post positive, positive, positive, even when serious problems exist. Some people may be too emotionally involved. You want to keep business just what it is...business.

Companies expect a certain level of performance from you and you should expect a certain level of performance from the company in return.

In the end, you will have to take the good and the bad into consideration and determine whether joining the company will be worth your time and money.

When someone approaches you with a business opportunity, or you come across an offer, you should be able to walk away knowing some basics.

1. The name of the company
2. What products and/or services will you promote
3. If it is going to cost you any money and how much
4. How much money you will make (typical not a dollar amount, but at least a set percentage)

This is bare minimum information someone should be able to tell you up front. If they are vague about these items than it is likely that they are trying to reel you in and hope you will get caught up in the hype.

Are you thinking about starting a home business? Following are some things to think about:

1. Get over your fear of selling - You will be selling something to somebody whether it is through your own business or for someone else in a retail store or office. Direct sales is a great option to start a business with little investment. You can determine how much or how little you sell.

2. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is - If you see ads that say you don't have to do anything and you will make money, be very cautious! You will likely be spending a lot of time making very little money...if any money at all. Those ads are selling the business to you and you will likely have to SELL the business to others.

3. Don't put a big bulls eye on your forehead - Here is how you put a bulls eye on your forehead, "I want to work from home but I don't want to do any selling I just want to do typing or something on my computer all day." You just opened yourself up as a target for scammers or people who will make their opportunity sound so great and "easy" that you will likely waste your time trying it. Or, even worse, you will will spend money and then come back to the web and say you have tried several things and they all turned out to be scams. Not surprising.

4. It takes WORK - There is no easy money out there (legally or morally). Anything you do is going to take effort and time on your part. Building a business takes time. You need to build a customer base just like any regular business. Don't give up if you don't have overnight success. Give your business a chance to grow. Ask for help from your resources.

5. Choose the right business for you -
Do you like the products and would you be happy or excited to show the products to others?
Are the prices reasonable for the product and can your local market afford to pay the prices?
Are you able to be upfront with people about what you have to offer?
What expenses will you have? Every business has expenses. Find out how much supplies are going to cost you and if there are any other fees charged by the company.
Is the shipping cost and time reasonable?

6. Don't be fooled by high upfront commission - You need to determine what the company is going to take away from your commission. Do you have to pay for credit card processing? Do you have to pay hostess benefits? Is there an annual renewal fee? Do you have to buy an inventory upfront? Do you have to file sales tax? What other fees and/or expenses are going to take away from your commission? Look beyond the upfront commission and do your research.

7. Do your research - When you find a company you are interested in do your research. Search the company on search engines like Google, Yahoo, etc. and read what people are saying. Ask questions in forums and other areas where you can get some unbiased opinions. Just be cautious of the negative Nelly's who will say that everything is a scam. If they don't have a specific opinion on the company you are considering than they can't really offer anything valuable.

8 You can make money right away in Direct Sales - If you make the right choice when choosing a company you will make your initial investment back very quickly. Most direct sales parties will result in at least $100 or more dollars in profit. So, if you go out and hold one party you will likely make $100 or more that very day for just a few hours work. If the company allows you to keep your profit upfront than the money is yours to keep that day, otherwise the company issues a check or direct deposit, etc. It wouldn't take very many parties or sales to make up for the money you spent buying the starter kit.

9 Choose a good sponsor - When you find a company you will likely have many questions. When you start asking questions of someone already with the company they will likely become your sponsor. A sponsor should be able to answer your questions promptly and help you get started in the business. Your sponsor will also help you while you are in the business by providing information and advice. Make sure you are comfortable with the person you choose, if you want help growing your business. Beyond the sponsor the company should provide some great training and assistance. You don't want to start and have no sense of direction. Get involved with your sponsor and the company.

10 Don't be afraid to start - Don't be afraid to start a direct sales business. It will be your business and you will have control. If you decide that the business is not right for you than you "quit" the business. You are not signing a lifetime contract. Don't be held back by fears of what you don't know. A good company will have the support network of people who are helping each other and providing advice on how to succeed. You don't have to be in business alone. You can make many friends in a new business. You have to start in order to succeed. Doing nothing results in having nothing.

Good luck with your search. I hope everyone can find something that is fun and profitable. It can be done if you are willing to put in the effort!

Enjoy!

BlessedToys.com is a wonderful opportunity to teach children the Bible through Messengers of Faith character dolls. They are adding new products too.

They recently added P31 dolls and plan to offer Veggie Tales items in the future. You can sell directly from the website the company provides.

Orders placed through your website are shipped directly to the customer. You also have the option to sell products offline. BlessedToys.com is free to join and there is no purchase necessary. Independent Messenger

Just about every day I come across people online who are looking for a business or job opportunity they can operate from home.

I can't stress enough to people to please do some research before you get involved with an opportunity. Search for a work at home community or forum, join, and ask about the opportunity.

Many people that work at home have already been there and done that when it comes to dead end opportunities and scams. Or, they have heard of or investigated the opportunity when it was presented.

Try to get an opinion from several people that are not with the company you are considering. Of course everyone will have their own personal experience and you will need to determine if a negative review is due in part to the person or the company.

There are experienced people online who are willing to help you avoid wasting your time and money. Just seek them out and ask for help.

ebooks are digital books that you can download to your computer and read on the screen or print.

The great thing about ebooks is the instant information they provide. There is no waiting for a book to be shipped through the mail and you don't have to run out to the local book store. Or, maybe your local bookstore doesn't carry a book on the information you need.

I provide some links to ebooks on various businesses. I have not read the ebooks because I am not interested in starting another business, but you are welcome to take a look and I hope you find the resources helpful.

It's up and running pretty smoothly now. Check it out the new look at http://www.zoozanne.com.

The focus is on information for WAHM's, stay at home mom's, and business women who are interested in advice and resources for work at home businesses and jobs.

Got typing skills and want to earn extra money? Start your own transcription business from home by clicking here.

Love special occasions AND want to earn extra money from home? Learn how to start your own candy wrapping business from home by clicking here.

If you frequent the business boards in my small world you will see that candles are big. So many people want to sell candles. The problem is finding the perfect candle company to join.

So, here is my view of what the ideal candle company would offer:

1. Awesome, Awesome, Awesome packaging (it is so hard to find a candle company that has great packaging)

2. A professional looking website

3. A reasonable shipping time (two weeks or less would be great!)

4. A reasonable shipping cost (preferably less than what the product costs)

5. Free affiliate websites for consultants that allows customers to shop online from the consultants

6. Stick to candles. Why do all the candle companies have to throw in bath & body products?

7. No quotas, no minimums unless you build a team

8. Great training materials and communication from the company to the consultants

9. Able to handle the volume of orders

10. Low start up fee

Commissions are not really an issue in the industry because they are all generally 25% to 30%.

So, if you are a candle company ready to enter the direct sales arena we're waiting.

Not all direct sales companies require you to do home parties. Most of the businesses I list on this lens and my website allow you to choose how you want to sell.

Some representatives sell strictly online, while others choose to hold home shows, participate in craft fairs and flea markets, etc. Many people opt to sell using a combination of methods.

Companies that offer flexibility in selling methods are the best fit for busy women.

Some people will only join direct sales companies that have been around for many years and have an established reputation. Some people prefer to get in on the ground floor of new businesses.

An established business does have many advantages. They have gone through the growing pains and they know what works well and what doesn't. They often have more money to invest in technology, products, and materials.

Established businesses usually have more employees to process orders. They may also ship items at a lower cost and faster than new businesses.

However, established businesses may have many more consultants or representatives. This can cause some saturation in the market by having too many consultants for the same business in a geographical area.

Established businesses may require greater quotas from their consultants.

With a new business you have to put up with the growing pains. They may offer great incentives to join with discounts and the ground floor opportunity of recruiting other consultants.

Consider that many direct sales companies come and go. You may do well with recruiting, but the company may not stand the test of time.

Established companies offer security, but you may not grow as quickly as with a new company.

As with many things in life you have to determine if you want to take a leap of faith or play it safe.

When you are ready to stop looking for the free ride, easy money, no investment, etc., etc., then you will stop spinning your wheels and wasting your time trying to earn money working from home.

Invest in yourself. Invest in a business. Invest in something that will actually give you are return (money) for your time and troubles.

When you are ready to get serious contact me to get started in getting down to business.