My
husband, retired for a few years now, has decided he wants to have a home
business. He only wants to work around
10 hours a week, and he is not a “high tech” type of guy. He can do searches on the Internet and send and
receive emails. He does not know “computereze.”
Anyway,
since he is asking me to review everything he finds, I have been thrown back
into the search for a home business. I
am once again reminded how difficult it is to find a business that fits
specific criteria.
There
are hundreds, probably thousands of good businesses from which to choose
online, but there is not a single one that is right for everyone. There are a few important things I consider
when searching for a business opportunity.
1)
Is
the business a reputable, legitimate company?
2)
What
costs are involved – upfront, monthly or at a later date?
3)
Is
it a good fit? Will I be able to be
passionate about the product or service the company offers?
It
can be very time consuming and challenging to find a business that is a good
match, but I know it is necessary to spend that time and effort. Just
because I have heard of a company does not necessarily mean it is reputable. On
the other hand, just because I have never heard of them, it doesn’t mean it is
not a great company.
I
always check on third party sites about any company I am considering, not only
on the company site or those of their distributors. What do those OUTSIDE the company say about
them?
I do
not rely too heavily on the Better Business Bureau. Some businesses simply choose not to pay for
BBB membership. In addition, while many
very good organizations are accredited and highly rated by the BBB, a while
back, there were questions about the validity of the BBB grading. The situation
may have been rectified. Watch this
video of a 20/20 Investigation into the BBB to learn more. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo8kfV9kONw
If a
company or one of its distributors promises or guarantees a huge income, I will
run the other way! In the network
marketing industry in particular, some people will never apply themselves. Some don’t have the right skills for the
business. Therefore, there is no way EVERYONE
can be successful, let alone earn a huge income, with any company. That old
line, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” definitely applies
when researching business opportunities.
Many excellent companies have complaints filed against
them for various reasons, so a few complaints against a company do not
necessarily mean the company is disreputable.
However, if I find many complaints about a company, I will not consider
them.
I carefully research the product or service being
offered. Would I buy it? No matter how great the product, if it is too
expensive, I not likely make many sales.
I do my best to learn the TRUE cost of operating any
business. Most business opportunities
have a fee involved at some point, whether it is an up-front cost or a monthly fee. When a company claims it is totally free to
start and operate the business, I am skeptical.
There are companies that tell you there is no start-up cost, but then
they charge hundreds of dollars for training. OR, after joining, you discover that there is
a required upgrade to be able to earn money.
It is important to me to “feel a connection” with the
company rep with whom I speak. If I
believe they are evading my questions or are not being totally honest, red
flags go up!
I like a simple-to-understand comp plan. I am not seeking
“multiple streams of income.” I must be
able to explain it to prospects myself.
I know there are many who want a binary, matrix or other types of (to
me) complicated comp plans. I do not.
When it comes to a business for my husband, it must be
simple, simple, simple. He must be able
to do it himself, without much help from me.
We have looked at several businesses already, none of which fit his
criteria.
And so, we continue our search…
