Home: Message List - Am I just too skeptical?

Re: Am I just too skeptical?

Iwrite — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:35:15 GMT

This has been an interesting thread for me.

Do I believe you can make money from home? Yes.
Will everyone? No.
Do I believe all the claims being put out there? No.

Not all home based businesses are suspect. Many are legitimate but people should invest some time and energy in researching the business they would have a better picture of what they are getting into. I find it interesting that if you attend the meetings or seminars or whatever you want to call them, the people hosting the event push hard to close the sale before you leave and have time to think things through. If the idea is so strong, giving people time to consider what they are getting into would not be a problem. NOT ALL HOME BASED BUSINESSES PITCH THIS WAY BUT A LOT DO.

I mean, look at all the programs or systems being presented on this forum. Everyone has a sure fire way to make money. Not every home based business idea is a great one, just like not every brick and mortar is a great concept either. We should all approach these things with a healthy bit of skepticism.

Would you really run and tell everyone if you discovered a diamond mine filled with diamonds instead of mining it? I believe the real diamond mine is in the selling of a home based business - people are making a lot more money selling the system than they ever could working it. Selling home based businesses has become an industry within itself. Just like motivational speaking and coaching.

Re: Am I just too skeptical?

work4home — Fri, 09 May 2008 05:02:35 GMT

You're not being too skeptical; you're being smart. Here's something I learned through agribusiness (growing up in a farming-and-ranching rural area probably qualifies) while in primary and secondary school is that some people really are *others*-oriented, enjoy helping other people, and find it rewarding in-and-of itself.

Thanks for being honest about being uncertain if you would tell everyone else were you in "a real money maker" and were making money off of it. How many people would pause long enough to ask themselves that question?

For someone who was raised doing business face-to-face and "advertising" through word-of-mouth, the web contradicts that entire thought process. It takes away the "Hey, Frank. I've got 75 head of yearling heifers (female cattle that never had a calf) that are springing (pregnant). You know anyone who might be interested?" for an example. Frank might use the web or might not. What if there might be a buyer in Helena (Montana) looking for 25 or so, another in Lamar (Colorado) interested in 15, and someone in Witchita Falls (Texas) needing 35 but the seller is in Moscow (Kansas)? Around Amarillo, Texas, Frank might do pretty good advertising over the internet, which might help to explain why there was such a strong reaction to a comment made about beef. There's a lot of beef (real money making) in agribusiness, but it depends on the person.

There's a web-based program that has a lot of real money-making potential, which many people who I know up here in Oklahoma City who want to share this program with as many people as possible because they know what this program can do for people, but it's not really the real money making potential that motivates them. One man was on the verge of filing bankruptcy due to debt when he was shown this program, and it helped him so much that he wants to help others, too. I looked at the same program and knew what I saw when I saw it, and I was still skeptical about the program. It works, and I've thrown everything I know from inside the mortgage banking business against this program.

But I still wanted other people who I do know and know I can trust to help me analyze the program further.

Again, you're not being too skeptical; you're being smart.

Al

Re: Am I just too skeptical?

ShearGenius — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:12:04 GMT

This company has been around for 20+ Years let me know what you think of it. I love to get feedback. www.luxuriousamenities.com. I am still working on a goodsite name. Trueful but a little over the top. let me know if you have any thought on one.

Re: Am I just too skeptical?

Peter63 — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:45:02 GMT

Yes, IMHO, you are being too sceptical, as indeed I was, before I started to understand and learn it! I headed in the online business direction , as opposed to the MLM - which I looked at ages ago. MLM didn't appeal to me because it's the numbers game of approaching people; forcing a product onto people - yuk!

Online is not an easy ride, but I'm enjoying the experience enormously, and the scope's incredible.

Hope that helps.

P

Go to http://www.helenian-products.com/tga.htm for over 3.5 hours of complete, hands-on Internet Marketing Training... for free

Re: Am I just too skeptical?

intechspecial — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:57:52 GMT

Apple Graphics -

You are most certainly not being to skeptical.

For any home based business to be profitable, you are going to have to work hard, and have a good product to offer.

It is never as easy as paying a fee and you are rich.

Re: Am I just too skeptical?

Uncle Leon — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 21:38:59 GMT

<<<<I always see these make money from home businesses and immediately ignore them; am I being to skeptical?>>

NO.

Re: Am I just too skeptical?

intech — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 20:39:37 GMT

In my opinion, the problem is the mentality people have is that somehow there is a profession or job that is "work at home." No, the profession or job could be the same or similar to what your normal job is. You just need to figure out how to take what you already know and do it at home. For example, Luckiest is an accountant who works (or worked) from home. He is not a "work-from-home" who happens to do accounting. I am an engineering recruiter who works from home, but I was an engineer working in an office long before I ever thought of using my knowledge and contacts to start a recruiting business working out of my house. The key, to me, is to figure out how to do what you already do (or something related to what you already do) from your house.

Re: Am I just too skeptical?

iVerve — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:44:07 GMT

If this helps at all...

I have been self employed for over 10 years. I was fixated in web design and development for most of that time, and ventured into various other "obvious" choice businesses to generate extra income. The biggest problem that I had was that though I was self-employed I was still working for "linear" income, or exchanging services for dollars. Well the problem is that if I decide to stop designing, I stopped making money. Now I always knew this BUT it was safe in my mind.

Then a Mentor of mine challenged me about Network Marketing, MLM whatever you wanna call it. He mad me grab a book by Paul Zane Pilzer, that absolutely changed my life. When I opened my mind to the basics of Network Marketing - it changed my perspective about not only how I was earning income but also "Building" it... There is a HUGE difference.

To make a long story short... Network Marketing has become VERY sophisticated and people are making HUGE amounts of money with the advent of the web. We are connecting with more people, faster than ever before - giving the MLM or Network Marketer a HUGE advantage. NOW only a few months later I a FINALLY starting to enjoy being self-employed and I am building a strong residual income that is a lot more attractive then the Linear income I had before.

my 0.02USD

Re: Am I just too skeptical?

Revitalize — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 18:56:42 GMT

Hello,

I would like to add that with today's technology it is possible to run a profitable business from home. I am currently starting my business based on being a facilitator for other businesses by networking a need with a company that has a solution (B2B). My background supports my venture so I would say "open your mind" to how people are changing the way they communicate and conduct business. I could open an office and charge my clients for the overhead but why?

Re: Am I just too skeptical?

Lighthouse24 — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:11:50 GMT

For a home-based enterprise, at least four of the keys to success are value, profitability, viability, and sustainability (as that term was defined before the "green" movement claimed it).

The product or service being sold has to be worth more to the customer than the purchase price (value). The price the customer pays for the product or service has to be more than it costs the business to produce and provide it (profitability). Enough customers have to buy it to keep the company in business (viability). Customers will either have to buy the product or service again, or have the desire to augment, enhance, or upgrade the product or service at a later time (sustainability).

Any skepticism is totally justified because most of the home-based businesses that are pitched here almost daily (e.g., legal plans, supplemental health coverage, travel agencies, information services, and e-commerce websites that basically sell from someone else's catalogue) fall short in one or more of those regards (often, all four!). That doesn't mean that they're "scams" (or even that a few people are not making money at them), but it does mean that the opportunities they offer are limited for someone who is just getting started.

I understand the passion and motivation for launching a home-based business, yet a simple four-question "business plan" would save a lot of folks a lot of money, disappointment, and grief:
1. Will people really buy this from me?
2. Can I make a profit from what they're willing to pay?
3. Will enough of them buy it so I can stay in business?
4. Will at least some of them buy from me repeatedly (or will I perpetually need all new customers)?

Unless all the answers are "yes," it's probably not the right opportunity.