Setting up Your Home Business: Sole Proprietorship, Partnership or Corporation?

If you are thinking of starting a home based business, first off, you’ll have to think about how you will set up your business.

There are three types of business structures:

• sole proprietorship
• partnership
• corporation

Sole proprietorship

Chances are if you are starting a home based business, you will want to go with the simplest kind of business structure -- a sole proprietorship. This is an unincorporated business that is owned by one person.

If you're a sole proprietor, you pay personal income tax on all revenue generated by your business and you assume all the risks of the business. Keep in mind that these risks extend to your personal property and assets.

A sole proprietorship is easy to set up. If you operate as an individual, all you need to do is bill your customers in your own name. Otherwise, you can operate under a registered business name and bill your customers in the business's name. Be sure and remember that you’ll need a separate bank account to process cheques payable to your business name.

How does a sole proprietor pay taxes?

As a sole proprietor, you pay taxes by reporting income (or loss) on a personal income tax and benefit return.

Partnership

A partnership involves two or more individuals, corporations, trusts, or partnerships that join together to carry on a trade or business.

Like a sole proprietorship, a partnership is easy to form. In fact, all you really need is a verbal agreement to form a partnership but it’s always a good idea to have an agreement in writing!

How does a partnership pay taxes?

A partnership by itself does not pay income tax on its operating results and does not file an annual income tax return. Instead, each partner includes a share of the partnership income (or loss) on a personal, corporate, or trust income tax return.

Corporation

A corporation is a separate legal entity that can enter into contracts and own property in its own name, separately and distinctly from its owners.

To set up a corporation, it’s a lot more complicated and costly. You need to complete articles of incorporation and file them with the appropriate provincial or federal authorities. As well, filing tax returns is mandatory and must include complete financial statements and schedules.

Work at Home Business Opportunity For Couples: A Recipe for Success or Separation?

Even for happy and compatible couples, maintaining a healthy relationship can be hard work at the best of times.

But if partnering to run a home business is added to the mix, is it likely to result in conflict?

That depends, say the experts, on a number of factors. Here are some tips for keeping harmony at home and in the home office:

Tips for Couples Considering a Work at Home Business Opportunity

Carefully define each partner's role

From the outset, sit down together and write out a business plan that includes clearly defined roles for each of you. Think about what each of you does best and then decide together who does what.

Think partner, not employee!

If one of you is used to being the boss at work, be careful this dominant role doesn't play out in your home business.unless that's how you both want it.

Respect each other's ways of doing things

While you may not like certain methods in the way your partner conducts business, unless it's a biggie, try not to inflict your business style or work habits on your spouse. Chances are you wouldn't do it to a coworker so don't do it to your soulmate who happens to be your workmate.

Have your own work stations

When it comes to personal space, we're all a bit territorial, and that includes where we work and how we organize our clutter. Even better, if possible, have separate offices. That way, when you're on the line with clients, background chatter doesn't make it sound like a call center!

Be careful to share household and family duties fairly

If in the past, while you were out taking care of business, your spouse looked after the home and family. Once you become workmates, however, sharing childcare and household responsibilities will be a necessity in order to keep harmony in the house.

Don't let work become the only thing you share

Business is about competing but a personal relationship is about love. Make sure you include "give a little love and affection" to that daily to-do list.

Just as not all relationships and marriages survive, the pressures of working and living together can sometimes spell trouble for couples. But, for every couple who decides against starting a business partnership, there is a happy pair successfully sharing a work at home business opportunity. Only you and your partner can decide if you have what it takes to find success together.

Together, you might just find the motivation to make it work!

Stress Breakers at Work

Picture this: You’re in your slippers, wearing your favourite comfy sweat pants, sitting in an ergonomically-correct desk in your fabulous new work at home office. What could be more relaxing, right?

Well, maybe not. That’s because no matter where you work, or how much you love your work at home business, it’s normal to face stress on the job.

It’s called work-related stress and it’s pretty much unavoidable – unless of course your name is Mr. Spock and you’re riding on the Starship U.S.S Enterprise!

Assuming you are of the human variety, undoubtedly you face feeling stressed out from time to time and can use some stress breakers at work.

Here are some proven ways that will help clear your mind, relax your body and rejuvenate your spirit:

Stress Breakers at Work:

1) Get up and Go: Exercise relieves stress

If you’re in the habit of spending long hours at your desk, no wonder you’re stressed out! Imagine the impact it has on your body holding itself in the same posture for hours at a time.

Give your muscles and joints a break! Take the time to stretch out and circulate oxygen-rich blood throughout your system.

And if your head feels as if it’s going to explode, chances are it’s time to step away from the pressures of work. No matter how comfortable your home office is, it’s a good idea to remove yourself for some fresh air and get a new perspective on things.

2) Take a Deep Breath and Stretch...

If you’re not really into working up a sweat, how about a relaxing and peaceful yoga class? Research shows that yoga is an effective way to lower blood pressure and reduce your heart rate. Yoga let’s you slow down, stretch out and unwind while you energize your mind, body and spirit.

3) Lie Down and Get Naked

For a professional massage, that is. A therapeutic body massage is a sure way to detangle your tension and release your anxiety. Book one today and you’ll be sure to make it a regular part of your stress breakers at work strategy.

4) Change Your Environment – It’s good for you!

Probably even more important than the cardiovascular exercise you get from a brisk walk around the block at lunchtime, is the change of scenery you will benefit from by leaving your home office for a bit of midday exercise or any other activity for that matter. It’s true, change is good!

5) Eat Well and Stay Rested

Garbage in, garbage out is the old adage and it’s true when it comes to your diet. A healthy, balanced, nutritional diet can help keep your head clear while you focus on your work at home business.

Last but not Least: Get Organized

Probably the biggest cause of work-related stress -- other than having a boss from hell -- is the feeling that you’re falling behind in your work. Focus on improving your project list-making and prioritization skills and it will relieve some of the pressure that’s getting to you.

As you can see, the best stress breakers at work are simpler than you might have expected. Once you are re-energized, you can get back to your cozy work at home office and expect the best from your work at home business.

Scams - Work at Home

The typical pattern of the scheme is that the consumer or applicant receives information either by wa y of a classified ad in the newspaper or from a flyer through the mail offering them huge earnings with no experience necessary by working out of their homes.

There are primarily two types of work at home schemes - stuffing envelopes and assembling products. There are also directories available that the consumer may purchase which contain a list of companies offering such schemes under the guise of legitimate business. All work at home schemes have one thing in common - they all require an upfront fee.

Consumers should be realistic when considering the likelihood of such an offer. For example, have you ever had to pay money to a company in the past to receive employment? In the province of Alberta, it is against the law to charge a fee for hiring.

In terms of stuffing envelope schemes, there are machines that can stuff up to 10,000 envelopes per hour when a person can only stuff a maximum of 300 per hour. Therefore, why would somebody pay a person to do a job that can be done more efficiently by a machine? Better Business Bureau experience has revealed that after responding to a stuffing envelope scheme, one of two things will happen. The consumer either receives no reply from the company, or the consumer receives information instructing them to place an ad similar to the one that they had responded to. The respondants then earn their money by requesting that others send them money for information on how to stuff envelopes at home, as they had initially done. Recruiting others to send money for no exchange of a product or service is known as a pyramid scheme. Pyramid schemes are a direct violation of The Competition Act and therefore, are illegal.

Assembling product schemes also require the consumer to send an upfront fee to purchase materials. Our experience has shown that in many cases the instructions for assembling the products are very difficult to understand and the company may overestimate the potential earnings while underestimating the time requirements. In the end the company reserves the right to reject the items due to poor workmanship. Therefore, the consumer may end up keeping the products, and, of course, fail to make any money.

Ultimately consumers should exercise extreme caution when sending money in advance or when disclosing personal information to an unknown source. When searching through the classified section for employment opportunities be suspicious when an ad offers unrealistic earnings with no experience necessary. If it sounds too good to be true it usually is.

Source:
Canadian Council of Better Business Bureaus
Click Here

Separate Work from Home

To successfully manage a home and a business some people find it helpful to implement effective separation strategies, especially if your business is home based. You can define your work hours and your home hours and try to keep to these times as much as possible. That means that you don’t even think about the dishes, washing, unmade beds or ironing during your work hours – unless the place resembles a pigsty and a client is due any minute. If the business telephone is ringing during home hours on a Sunday morning, decide whether you really need to answer it or if it is acceptable to let it go through to the answering machine. It helps also if you have a defined work area, preferably a room with a door, or a separate shed or garage. This way you can close the door and ‘go home’ at the end of your working day.


That is the easy bit. The hard part is trying to get it through to others – friends, family and customers – that you have work time and home time and never the two shall meet. Don’t feel bad for not spending all day sitting on the telephone chatting with friends. If you have trouble ending the call, just be honest with them. Tell them that you would love to talk but you have a tonne of work to get through today, or an important deadline to meet. Can you call them back this evening or at the weekend? If you make a time to call them, don’t forget. If you don’t call back when you say you will you are only encouraging them to telephone when you are trying to work.

Alternatively, if you don’t really want or need to speak with someone, consider sending an email. This is not to suggest email messages should entirely take the place of voice conversations, but in many cases such as quick questions or general “hello’s” they can save a lot of time. If you have a piece of news you would like to share with a number of people, you can send one message to everyone. This can save heaps of money on telephone calls, too.


While these simple strategies are a Godsend for many people, others find it easier to blend work and family life as necessary on a day-to-day basis. This is often better-suited to people who are reasonably well disciplined and able to prioritise tasks. The main thing is for you to try both methods to discover which one works best FOR YOU.


Transforming from Home to Business


Many businesses today can be successfully operated from home. This may be a suitable option for you, and it will help reduce expenses in the early days of your business. But remember, it takes a special person to be able to work from home – successfully.


Are you disciplined enough to work from home? Do you have the necessary space? What about your family? If your partner is a shift worker, they may not appreciate the telephone ringing all day. Will you have staff or customers visiting your home? If so, is your home likely to always be presentable to clients and associates?


If working from home is an option for you, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• Do the terms of my tenancy agreement or mortgage allow me to operate this business from home?
• Will my local council permit me to operate this business from home?
• Is my home easily accessible, and is there sufficient parking and facilities such as toilets and washbasins for my customers and staff?
• What modifications will be required?
• Will I be employing staff, and if so, will Health and Safety regulations and council permit this?
• Will I need to store any valuable or dangerous goods or chemicals?
• How will my present insurance policies be affected?
• Will my business cause excessive noise, dirt or smell?
• Is operating this business from my home likely to upset any of my neighbours?
• Can my storage and waste disposal requirements be met?

When you operate your business from home, some people may expect service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Ensure you have clear signs stating your hours of operation – and stick to them. Similarly, friends and family may call or drop in anytime. You should be strict with them – and yourself – and explain that you must continue working.


Isolation can also be a challenge. To overcome this, try to network with other business people as often as you can. This is also a great way to promote your business.


Additionally, try to break the isolation by getting outside at least once a day, even if only to take the kids to and from school, go for a walk, check the post box or do the banking.


There is much to consider, but a home-based business can work if operated properly.



Some golden rules to remember include:

• Endeavour to have a real office and / or work area, not just part of the dining table and the kitchen bench.
• Always sound and look professional.
• To help avoid procrastination keep focusing on your goals. Creating deadlines for those tasks that don’t currently have deadlines can also help, as can keeping copies of bills on your notice board!

Home Careers: Ideal for Seniors and Older Workers

We’ve all heard the expression, ‘over the hill’. Kind of funny, unless of course it’s you who’s reached mid-life and just got passed over for that job you’d been hoping for!

It’s called ageism – society’s prejudice against older adults – and it’s the sad reality faced by people even as young as forty. Yes folks, youth is what our culture seems to value most, not the experience and wisdom that a mature worker can offer.

Work at Home Careers Can Mean Equal Opportunity

Rather than face the frustration and rejection of job-hunting when you’re of a ‘certain age’, why not consider one of the many work at home careers? Here are some reasons:

• Time is precious – why waste it doing something you don’t love?
• No more exhausting daily commutes in heavy traffic
• No more job interviews that feel like cattle calls where you’re left to feel like the old grey mare!
• Why waste your time trying to convince someone half your age that you can do the job when you know darn well he’s made up his mind you’re too old.
• Are you tired of co-workers and bosses dismissing your ideas because they think you’re ‘old fashioned’ or ‘out of touch’ with popular culture?

Once you make the commitment to work at home, the number of careers that open up to you are almost limitless. The key is doing the research and finding one that works for you and your lifestyle.

Certainly some work at home careers are better suited than others to the older worker. Consider business opportunities that offer the following:

• Online or telephone sales or customer service
• No needless and tiring commutes to far away business locations
• Flexible hours so that you can take care of ageing parents or even a spouse
• no heavy lifting, packing or shipping
• Some companies may offer health and drug plans

After you’ve chosen a business that is a good match for you and the wealth of knowledge you can offer, then it will be about who you are, not how old you are.

Satisfied clients will always appreciate the wealth of experience and knowledge that mature adults can bring to their work at home careers.

Buying Computer Desks for a Home Office

Having a comfortable, well-designed workstation is a must for any work at home business. When comparing computer desks for a home office, here are the important features to look for:

• plenty of flat work surfaces
• a large slider tray for keyboard and mouse
• a durable, moisture and heat-resistant surface
• levellers to balance the desk if floor is uneven

Avoid Injury – Make sure it’s ergonomically correct

Ask anyone who has injured themselves at a desk job. Computer desks for a home office need to be ergonomically correct – basically that means maintaining proper body positioning during an activity -- otherwise you run the risk of painful musculoskeletal injuries such as back, neck, shoulder, hand and wrist problems.

The Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association says you should always be able to fit your legs and feet easily under the desk -- without any obstructions -- otherwise your body is vulnerable to injury.

Sharing Space with Your Home Office

If you don’t have a separate room for your home office, don’t be discouraged – you’re not alone. According to Equifax, nearly 75 percent of computer owners don't operate their computers out of a designated home office.

If this is the case for you, consider buying an armoire-style unit when comparing computer desks for a home office. These smartly designed units include a place for everything including a printer, CPU shelves, mouse pad and a keyboard tray – and let you close shutter-style doors to keep the computer out of sight when you’re not at work.

Armoire Desk Creates Privacy Around You

If you prefer a more enclosed space while you work but don’t have the luxury of a separate office, try keeping the armoire desk’s shutters wide open, creating a cubicle effect that blocks out distractions. Then when you’re ready for a break, just shut the armoire doors -- and call it a day.

Choosing the right computer desks for a home office is one of the most important purchases you will make so shop around. Staying organized at a comfortable workstation will not only make you productive, your body will thank you for it!

Want a business to go with your office?
Go to: http://www.thesystemforwealth.com

Tips for Telesales Success

If you’ve ever been the unlucky recipient of a lame telemarketing sales call, you can be forgiven if you’re not 100% sure that a career in telesales will lead to something great for you.

But for every 20 poorly executed telesales calls that may have interrupted your dinner or favorite television program, maybe one or two calls stood out enough to keep you interested and on the line.

But was it the product’s unique offerings that kept you on the line or the telesales professional’s fine presentation that won you over? Chances are it was a little of both but rest assured it’s the person not the product that keeps a prospect on the line.

Everyone knows how to hang up on a lame telesales caller, but if you are considering a career in telesales, you’ll need to know how to keep your sales prospect on the line. Here are some tips for telesales success:

Respect the Prospect’s Time on the Line…

Remember that the prospect has taken your call at their discretion and may choose at any time to end the call. This means use their time on the line wisely. Here’s how:

• Be courteous and respectful, don’t be overly familiar with first time prospects
• Communicate your message efficiently – don’t ramble, the clock is ticking and soon the phone may be clicking!
• In order to succeed, you must believe in your message -- if you believe, your sincerity will be communicated
• Create telesales scripts to help you stay on message

A Common Misconception: The prospect controls the call.

Yes, it’s true the prospect can hang up at any time but how you hone and use your skills as a telesales professional will determine if he or she stays on the line.

Keep them interested and they will stay on the line.

Telesales Scripts: Keep them Fresh, Friendly and Informative

Good preparation is the key to all successful outcomes and this applies to a career in telesales. Well thought-out telesales scripts go a long way. Here are some guidelines:

• Ask positive questions to which your prospect will naturally answer ‘Yes’.
• Pose open-ended questions that allow your prospect to explain their needs and interests to you.
• Be prepared for all possible negative responses and counter them with new solutions
• Edit and update your telesales scripts regularly to take out what’s not working and try a fresh approach.

A couple more tips for telesales success that may sound goofy but are proven techniques used by voiceover specialists are the following…

• Smile while you talk on the line – your prospect will hear and feel your good vibe
• Look in a mirror while you talk on the phone– nothing like a little eye contact with your favorite prospect

The Telephone is a Powerful Tool

Think of the phone as an extension of yourself, your ability to communicate and your powers of persuasion. Be honest about who you are, and why you are calling. Respect your prospect’s privacy and call at reasonable times. With the advent of caller ID, many people simply will not pick up blocked or private calls. Consider doing business on a phone line that displays your own name or your business name.

Tips for Telesales: The Bottom Line

People only want to do business with individuals who they trust and feel good about. A positive, professional, courteous and friendly approach will win over more customers than any slick sales techniques.

A great work from home video!

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Ever felt that joyful feeling after accomplishing tasks every day? Especially after finishing the bigger projects that had took up quite a huge amount of working hours that had drag on to days or weeks.

That great joy and happiness (with a sigh of relief) after putting huge efforts in getting things done and having them done is sure a plus in our lives.

How about while doing the process of working? Meeting the goals in your business is very important!

It’s time to put a smile onto your face while getting things done while working at home!

Here’s a list that we can carry out that will help us soar in productivity as we have a huge smile on our face. And this list is a breakdown of the word “smile” into 5 simple steps.

1. Sorting and organizing

This is one skill that I strongly encourage that all managers and leaders should have. That is to be able to sort and organize the events (time management), variables (workflow, paperwork, or data), and also people (talents).

Even if you are working alone on a project, one should also be well equipped with this skill of organizing the work that you need to accomplish.

One of the most basic example in regards to sorting and organizing is the way we arrange our documents on the desk, or even the items in our mobile laptops or desktop computers. You would know where you have kept a certain piece of paper at a specific part of your table, while having your workstation as neat as possible.

Use a simple and affordable 3 tier document rack or a 6 tier file cabinet will allow us to prioritize the documents to be done and also clears up the space on your desk. Having a neat workstation can make one happier.

2. Measure

How do you establish successes in your day to day tasks? Or how would you then consider a project to be completed with excellence?

All that can be defined and measured depending on how our expectations of the results are.

Find out ways you can measure your work, and then aim towards reaching that goal!

For example, a student’s measure of her grades are up to the expectations and experience of their teachers / lecturers along with a guided answer or marking schema provided. A business owner can measure his success on the day to day earnings while having a quarterly goal of hitting a specific amount of profits. A writer / blogger can measure his success on the number of unique views and page views along with reaching the front page of Digg and getting tons of Stumbles among the many social media sites, with an increase in subscriptions on his website.

Find out how you can set some measures in your work and decide to go towards reaching that goal.

3. Initiate

After knowing what to do and the results you are expected to have, initiate the work! Especially if you are in a group setting, be the one who starts the ball rolling. Get things done, be the decisive one when you can see procrastination going on. When others are feeling in the slumps, be the one that drives, motivates, and re-ignite the fire to get everyone back up to high levels of productivity!

Even if you are working on your own, initiate things that pushes you forward. Go take up new courses that will help out in increasing your skills that can bring your career to another level, go speak to another friend who’s also in the same industry as you are in where you can share ideas and build each other up, or you can even do something that surprises even yourself too!

That will certainly make getting things done a little bit more interesting, while getting the work done with more creative ways that were never thought of possible that saves up time and money.

4. Letting go of excessive baggage

While in the process of getting things done, there will surely be lots of temptations luring us away to either purchase more items on impulse (the stuffs that we “might need to use in the future”). These things will pile up when not managed or kept in a tidy manner. That too may lead to the items to serve more in their negative purpose of catching dust.

The other well known thing that can be classified as excessive baggage would be email junk and spam. Reading them will definitely eat up a huge amount of our time, not even counting in the time spent to clear them from our email inbox.

There is another huge example of excessive baggage being the additional “yes” some of us would not hesitate to give when faced with a colleague or friend asking for a favor even in moments when we are tied up to a project with a deadline due in a few hours time.

Learn to say no and let go of these 3 evils in this category we shall define as excessive baggage.

5. Ending with excellence

Here’s the good part about most of the projects that have deadlines. That is the joy of finishing them and getting paid to do so!

Not only that, we also get to strike one more thing off our to do list for the day, ending with a clear list (if using web tools where each item is deleted and removed from the page) or a list filled with lots of strokes that represents each item is done. Oh, and throwing that piece of list into the bin.

That definitely brings a huge sense of satisfaction and victory in ending each work with results that exceeds our expectations!

These 5 steps will contribute to a better day working at home!

Source - http://winningeveryone.com

Coffee - healty or not?

When working from home, most of us enjoy starting our day off with a nice cup of Java. Although, is having a cup really all that good for you?

Is coffee good for you?

Well, I would have to say, all things in moderation. There do definitely seem to be some health benefits. The more we're learning, research is leaning on the side of it being good for you. It lowers the risk of Parkinson's disease and Type 2 diabetes. It mediates depression. But the benefits are dose-related.

Should children be drinking coffee?

It's better to limit their caffeine intake. They'll get caffeine in other things -- chocolate, sodas, but particularly in kids, it's linked to attention problems and hyperactivity, so it's better to avoid it.

Coffee is dehydrating - True or false?

It depends on the dose. We think of coffee as a diuretic. But recent studies have shown it's only a diuretic at high doses -- above 575 milligrams. Have some water if you exceed that amount.

How much is that?

575 milligrams is a little less than three cups of coffee, but that's three regular size cups. But we have to remember the cups we have nowadays are big cups. So, it's easy to have more than 575 milligrams.

Coffee increases hypertention?

Coffee does increase your blood pressure, but only for a few minutes. What's interesting is that recent studies show it doesn't increase your likelihood of getting hypertension. I would caution that anyone who has high blood pressure that's not under control should avoid caffeine.

Coffee helps weightloss?

Unfortunately, this doesn't work. Caffeine does speed up your metabolism for awhile but, in long-term studies, people who drank coffee had no better weight control than people who didn't.

Does coffee accelerate bone loss?

This one is a little controversial. It doesn't make our body lose more calcium or lose calcium from the bones, but some studies have shown coffee drinkers do have more brittle bones. I suggest all of my patients, especially women, supplement with a calcium supplement or, if you're going to have a great deal of coffee, make sure you put some milk in your coffee.

So there you have it, coffee is a relatively healthy drink, which helps me every morning!

Source: CBS News

Pro’s and Con’s of Network Marketing: Know them and you won’t be disappointed

Are you thinking about getting a network marketing distributorship? If yes, undoubtedly you are considering all the pro’s and con’s of network marketing.

Network Marketing Defined

Before getting involved in a network as a distributor, be sure you understand the meaning of network marketing, and this includes knowing the pro‘s and con’s of network marketing.

Network marketing -- also known as multilevel marketing -- is a system of selling goods or services through distributors.

First: the pro’s of network marketing:

There certainly is something to be said for having complete control over your work schedule. Imagine having the ability to work full-time or even part-time and to do so from the comfort of your own home. No commuting, no office attire, no annoying bosses or co-workers to deal with!

It’s true not too many regular “jobs” offer this type of opportunity.

The internet is another “pro” of network marketing because it has made it so much easier for network marketers to reach potential customers. The web has revolutionized the way consumers shop – researching products online and narrowing our list of must-have product features and brands.

What could be better for a network marketer than connecting with such motivated and informed consumers who don’t have time to waste running around shopping?

As you know, there are many well-known, successful and reputable network marketing organizations -- but there are also some companies with questionable business practices that give network marketers a bad name unnecessarily.

First the Pro’s and Now the Con’s of Network Marketing

Starting out in a new business can be tough at first, particularly if all your income depends on sales volume. The key is patience and perserverance and making sure you have realistic expectations about the business.

Here are some suggestions from the US Federal Trade Commission on what to look out for when considering the pro’s and con’s of network marketing:

• Beware of plans that ask new distributors to purchase expensive inventory. These plans can collapse quickly -- and also may be thinly-disguised pyramids.
• Be cautious of plans that claim you will make money through continued growth of your "downline" -- the commissions on sales made by new distributors you recruit -- rather than through sales of products you make yourself.
• Beware of plans that claim to sell miracle products or promise enormous earnings.
• Beware of shills -- "decoy" references paid by a plan's promoter to describe their fictional success in earning money through the plan.
• Insist on taking your time to think over a decision to join. Talk it over with your spouse, a knowledgeable friend, an accountant or lawyer.
• Avoid any plan that includes commissions for recruiting additional distributors. It may be an illegal pyramid.

The best advice when considering the pro’s and con’s of network marketing is to do your homework, check with your local Better Business Bureau and provincial authorities about any plan you are considering. Then you will be better able to carefully weigh the pro’s and con’s of network marketing and make the right decision.

Need more help on deciding which business is right for you?
Go to: http://www.thesystemforwealth.com

Work at Home Schemes

Be part of one of America's Fastest Growing Industries! Earn thousand of dollars a month - from your home - Processing Medical Billing Claims.

You can find ads like this everywhere - from the street light and telephone pole on your corner to your newspaper and PC. While you may find these ads appealing, especially if you can't work outside your home, proceed with caution. Not all work-at-home opportunities deliver on their promises.

Many ads omit the fact that you may have to work many hours without pay. Or they don't disclose all the costs you will have to pay. Countless work-at-home schemes require you to spend your own money to place newspaper ads; make photocopies; or buy the envelopes, paper, stamps, and other supplies or equipment you need to do the job. The companies sponsoring the ads also may demand that you pay for instructions or "tutorial" software. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.

Classic Work-at-Home Schemes
Several types of offers are classic work-at-home schemes.

Medical billing. Ads for pre-packaged businesses - known as billing centers - are in newspapers, on television and on the Internet. If you respond, you'll get a sales pitch that may sound something like this: There's "a crisis" in the health care system, due partly to the overwhelming task of processing paper claims. The solution is electronic claim processing. Because only a small percentage of claims are transmitted electronically, the market for billing centers is wide open.

The promoter also may tell you that many doctors who process claims electronically want to "outsource" or contract out their billing services to save money. Promoters will promise that you can earn a substantial income working full or part time, providing services like billing, accounts receivable, electronic insurance claim processing and practice management to doctors and dentists. They also may assure you that no experience is required, that they will provide clients eager to buy your services or that their qualified salespeople will find clients for you.

The reality: you will have to sell. These promoters rarely provide experienced sales staff or contacts within the medical community.

The promoter will follow up by sending you materials that typically include a brochure, application, sample diskettes, a contract (licensing agreement), disclosure document, and in some cases, testimonial letters, videocassettes and reference lists. For your investment of $2,000 to $8,000, a promoter will promise software, training and technical support. And the company will encourage you to call its references. Make sure you get many names from which to chose. If only one or two names are given, they may be "shills" - people hired to give favorable testimonials. It's best to interview people in person, preferably where the business operates, to reduce your risk of being mislead by shills and also to get a better sense of how the business works.

Few consumers who purchase a medical billing business opportunity are able to find clients, start a business and generate revenues - let alone recover their investment and earn a substantial income. Competition in the medical billing market is fierce and revolves around a number of large and well-established firms.

Envelope stuffing. Promoters usually advertise that, for a "small" fee, they will tell you how to earn money stuffing envelopes at home. Later - when it's too late - you find out that the promoter never had any employment to offer. Instead, for your fee, you're likely to get a letter telling you to place the same "envelope-stuffing" ad in newspapers or magazines, or to send the ad to friends and relatives. The only way you'll earn money is if people respond to your work-at-home ad.

Assembly or craft work. These programs often require you to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies. Or they require you to spend many hours producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them. For example, you might have to buy a sewing or sign-making machine from the company, or materials to make items like aprons, baby shoes or plastic signs. However, after you've purchased the supplies or equipment and performed the work, fraudulent operators don't pay you. In fact, many consumers have had companies refuse to pay for their work because it didn't meet "quality standards."

Unfortunately, no work is ever "up to standard," leaving workers with relatively expensive equipment and supplies - and no income. To sell their goods, these workers must find their own customers.

Questions to Ask
Legitimate work-at-home program sponsors should tell you - in writing - what's involved in the program they are selling. Here are some questions you might ask a promoter:

• What tasks will I have to perform? (Ask the program sponsor to list every step of the job.)
• Will I be paid a salary or will my pay be based on commission?
• Who will pay me?
• When will I get my first paycheck?
• What is the total cost of the work-at-home program, including supplies, equipment and membership fees? What will I get for my money?

The answers to these questions may help you determine whether a work-at-home program is appropriate for your circumstances, and whether it is legitimate.

You also might want to check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau, not only where the company is located, but also where you live. These organizations can tell you whether they have received complaints about the work-at-home program that interests you. But be wary: the absence of complaints doesn't necessarily mean the company is legitimate. Unscrupulous companies may settle complaints, change their names or move to avoid detection.

Where to Complain
If you have spent money and time on a work-at-home program and now believe the program may not be legitimate, contact the company and ask for a refund. Let company representatives know that you plan to notify officials about your experience. If you can't resolve the dispute with the company, file a complaint with these organizations:

• The Federal Trade Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraud and deception. Call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357) or log on to www.ftc.gov.
• The Attorney General's office in your state or the state where the company is located. The office will be able to tell you whether you're protected by any state law that may regulate work-at-home programs.
• Your local consumer protection offices.
• Your local Better Business Bureau.
• Your local postmaster. The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices.
• The advertising manager of the publication that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you've had with the company.

For More Information

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

Source:
Federal Trade Commission - Facts For Consumers
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/invest/homewrk.htm

For further information: http://www.thesystemforwealth.com

Top Women's Home Based Business Ideas

Did you know that over 40 percent of all businesses in USA today are owned and operated by women?

This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, really.

Women, particularly mothers, are excellent multi-taskers. Think about it: children, spouses, ex-spouses, aging parents, housework, jobs, volunteer duties, shopping, groceries, exercise…got the picture?

Yes, women are natural-born balancers and some might suggest they are best-suited to run a work at home business. Not surprising that a women’s home based business is often so successful!

The sign says Do Not Disturb...

So how does a stay-at-home mom convince her family -- including her husband -- that when she is working in her home office she shouldn’t be interrupted unnecessarily?

Here are some tips to make it work:

- Set ground rules about when it is ok for family to interrupt your work and when it is not -- like during business calls or when clients are visiting

- Hire a babysitter to keep kids safe and happy while you can’t be disturbed

Don’t Forget to Set Aside Time for Family

Just as you need to structure work hours, the flipside is respecting time that you have reserved for family… which is not always an easy task, especially once your work at home business takes flight.

Great Women’s Home Based Business Ideas

Certainly there are all types of women who have all types of personal interests and experiences, but generally speaking, there are certain careers that are especially suited to become a women’s home-based business. Here are a few:

Health and Beauty Advisor – if you love to use these products, it’s a natural that you might love selling them.

Weight Loss Consultant – many women know the challenges of weight management and knowing a problem can make you a good coach to help solve the problem.

Fitness Trainer – getting certified isn’t a big investment time-wise or $$$

Senior care – Mothers are natural caregivers, so why not make money doing it? Recently franchises have sprung up in this growing business sector.

Mystery Shopper – retail chains hire consultants to monitor customer service.

Personal Assistant – many high-level executives are hopelessly in need of organizing their personal lives…and households!

Cleaning Services – franchises are available and you can earn you lot’s of cash with minimal investment.

As you can see, the possibilities are endless. If you’re motivated to create a career and earn income for yourself but need to balance it with raising children, finding a women’s home based business is worth considering!

To learn more go to: http://www.thesystemforwealth.com