Author: Elaine Currie

If you want to make money online, you are not alone and there is plenty of help available on the Internet to get you started. The trouble is that it is not easy to know who you can trust to give you honest advice and who is just a big bad old wolf strategically shaved and dressed in a nice suit.

Once you have been around the Internet for a while, you will find it easier to sort the genuine help from the other kind. You will learn to check out the size of the teeth and ears of anyone who offers you help. You will find that you will be able "smell" a scam as soon as it appears on your computer screen. The attempts to get you to join a get rich quick scheme will all start to look very similar and you will pass them by without sparing them a second glance. Experience will enable you to ignore the hype, shut out the wolves and concentrate on finding a legitimate way to make money that you will enjoy doing. In the meantime, while you are gaining that experience, these 4 tips will help you on your way...

Tip 1

Think before you act. If you see a way to make money that appeals to you, take time to consider it. If there is undue pressure on you to sign up immediately, take that as a warning sign. If the program really offers a legitimate way to make money, the owner or sponsor will be happy to give you information about how it all works and to give you time to make an informed decision.

Tip 2

Trust your gut reaction. You might be lacking in knowledge and experience when it comes to recognising a legitimate way to make money online but you should still rely on your instincts. If there is something about a money making opportunity that gives you a bad feeling, trust that feeling and stay away. If you ignore your gut reaction and join the program, your original doubts will hang around like a toxic cloud and you won't feel comfortable with the program even if it is the best way to make money anyone could hope to find.

Tip 3

Use the Internet to research any money making program you are considering. For a quick way to get an idea of how good the program is, just do a search for the name of the program accompanied by the word "scam" and then start reading the entries. Don't be put off by the number of results: I just did a search for "Pope scam" and received 1,870,000 results. Does that mean the Pope is a scam? No, of course not, most of the entries relate to scammers attempting to exploit the Pope's image, and this is why you need to read the actual entries. Bear in mind that no company in the world has a 100% customer satisfaction rate (you can't please all the people all of the time etc) and this is where you will have to use your own discretion and instincts.

Tip 4

Forum (message board) postings are a good source of information about ways to make money online. The information is completely raw, so you need to process it carefully rather than just swallowing it, a large pinch of salt is often necessary. You can read input from disgruntled customers criticising a program, successful members defending the program, rival program owners trying to destroy reputations and the odd mad person who just enjoys stirring up discord. Don't forget, forum postings are not the work of experts, they are the opinions of ordinary people and opinions will vary. Use the different opinions to help you weigh up the pros and cons of any online business you are considering.

The period during which you are looking around and trying things out is a dangerous time. The wolves can scent an Internet newbie within seconds and, if you want to avoid being their next meal, you need to learn very quickly how to recognise a wolf when it comes huffing at your door. Following these simple tips will make it easier for you to keep the wolves from getting their paws on you while you seek out the best way to make money online.

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A visit to Elaine Currie's Work At Home Directory will show you the best make money online tips, ideas and resources.