The bears that live and unfortunately thrive in the Internet jungle come in several varieties. Out in the real world you only find a few kinds but on the Internet there are many more.

Being ambitious is not a crime.

It is an admirable quality and one that you should be proud of. Wanting to do better is what has made this country great. It's the corner stone of every fortune that has ever been built.

Wanting to better yourself and being willing to roll up your sleeves and do the work necessary to achieve a better life for yourself and your family is also the cornerstone of success in the world of Internet business.

Many people want a job and there is nothing wrong with wanting a job but others want to be their own boss. They want to be the one who gives orders and not the one who takes orders. They want to make the decisions and not just carry out decisions that have been made by others.

They want to be captains of their own ships and masters of their own destinies....there is nothing wrong with that either. It is to be admired. Ambition is good but it can also be dangerous. An eagerness to succeed can cause you to forget that you are living in a jungle that is fraught with danger on every side.

There are big ugly bears out there just waiting for you to forget for one minute that they are out to get you. They are waiting for you to get careless. They are waiting for you to let ambition cloud your judgment. For every one ambitious, hard-working, honest Internet entrepreneur out there, there are at least a thousand under-handed, crooked bears waiting to take advantage of them. Successful internet businesses can be created.

They HAVE been created.

You can create one yourself if you are willing to put in the time, effort, energy and, yes, money that is required. A successful Internet business will not be created over night and anybody who promises you that it is an easy and painless process is lying to you.

Don't underestimate the bears. They are very, very good at what they do. They have fooled some of the best of them. MLM schemes: We have briefly discussed Multi-Level Marketing schemes before but there is a lot more that you need to know so that you won't get suckered into one of these schemes and become a bear yourself.

MLM schemes are illegal and if even if you get suckered into becoming a part of one, you are just as guilty as the person you involved you. Ignorance of the law is not an acceptable excuse. These "plans" for success on the Internet come packaged and presented in ways that make it difficult to identify them as MLM schemes.

They do, however, all have some things in common. The most obvious and the easiest to spot sign is that you are offered a commission for sales of products or services that are made by others....this is above and beyond any commission payments for sales that you make yourself. That's the thing that makes these plans MLM.

You will be paying part of your commission to the person who recruited you and you will be receiving commission payments from people whom you recruit, as will, the person who recruited you and the person who recruited them. The only limit to the number of levels that can be achieved in a MLM scheme is the point at which it collapses in on itself.

Did I mention that the pyramid is an upside down one? The point is at the bottom...not at the top. There is always a point at which the scheme will collapse. When it gets heavy enough at the top, it will come tumbling down. You do not want to be anywhere near the point of collapse. As a matter of fact, you don't want to be anywhere near the pyramid at all.

Do you recall "chain letters" ? Chain letters are started by a person of a group of people and they prey on the greed of others. The first person starts a letter and collects $1000 from each of the next nine people. Each of those nine people recruit (there's that word again) others to send them a $1000 each...and on and on the pyramid builds until it gets top heave and collapses.

That is precisely what happens in an MLM scheme except that there is always a product involved in an MLM scheme and there isn't ever a product involved in a pyramid scheme. So how do you know for sure what is really an MLM scheme? Here's a check list that will help you to avoid this bear:

1. Are you required to recruit others in order to make money?. If the answer to that question is "yes", it would be a pretty good bet that it is in fact an MLM scheme.

2. Do I have to buy any inventory? Remember....there is ALWAYS a product involved in an MLM scheme. If you are required to purchase inventory, you may well be looking at an MLM scheme.

3. If you see the words, "downline commissions" anywhere....especially in the fine print...this is definitely an MLM scheme. "Downline Commissions" means a percentage of a commission that someone else has been paid.

4. Others have made millions! Oh, did you believe those glowing testimonials that you read? Anybody can write a testimonial. I could write one for myself or my business and sign anybody's name to it and so could you. There is never a way in an MLM scheme to check out the "testimonials". It simply isn't possible. Even if you are given addresses and phone numbers or email addresses, you have no way to be certain that these testimonials are fact and not just a lot of marketing hype.

Fact: MLM schemes are illegal. Be certain that you are not drawn into one because then you are guilty of fraud.

E-mail processing: This is a bear that is very much like the enveloping stuffing one that preys on those seeking a work-at-home job but it is hungry for the person who wants an Internet business of their own rather than just a job. Rather than say, "envelope stuffing" it says, "email processing".

This bear only wants you to take fifty bucks away from you. He says that for that very low price, you can start your very own business and work at your leisure from the comfort of your own home. You can be your own boss. You can just work when you want to. Now wait just a minute here! Back up that mail truck and let‟s take a look at what is really inside this offer.

First of all, who do you think needs email "processed" and what is processing? I've seen advertisements that claim you can make up to $25 dollars just for processing a single email. You have an email account yourself. Go look at it and see which of your emails would need to be processed. I can tell you....none of them.....and nobody else has email that needs to be processed either.

This isn't a business opportunity. It's a bear.

If you send in your $50, what you will get in return is a set of poorly written instructions telling you how to place the same ad that you fell for and get other people to send you $50 each. That doesn't sound like a legitimate Internet business, does it? It isn't one. The only thing that you will gain from falling for this will be a wallet that is $50 lighter.

You want to be the proud owner of a successful and legitimate internet business. You don't want to become a scam artist or a bear yourself.

E-Mail Marketing Business: While it is certainly true that many people do make very nice incomes sending out marketing emails that advertise products, it just is not as simple as the ads telling you that you can send emails and make money make it sound. You can become an email marketer but you must build your own list of people to market to.

What these advertisements are selling is a list of names and email addresses. Understand that anytime you see an advertisement telling you that you can make boat loads of money, there will ALWAYS be a product that is being sold.

Selling this product is the way that the people who placed these ads plan on making THEIR boat load of money...not YOURS.

Back in 2003 the United States Congress passed the CAN-SPAM Act. It became the law of the land in January 2004. CAN-SPAM is an acronym for Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing.

The CAN-SPAM Act states that sending unsolicited bulk email is a crime. The Act is enforced be the Federal Trade Commission and they really are not kidding. There are fines and penalties for violations of the Act that go up to $11,000 per incident that are handed down be the Department of Justice.

Legitimate internet marketers, those who sell their own products and services, as well as, those who sell products and services of others (Affiliate Marketers), all have what are known as "opt-in" lists. These are lists of people who have agreed to allow these legitimate merchants to send them email.

The CAN-SPAM Act is not being violated if you have permission to send bulk email. When you buy a list of names and email addresses, you do not have permission to send bulk email to the names on that list. I know....I know....the sellers of these lists will tell you that they have the right to give you permission to send email.

They DO NOT have that right. The one and only person who can give you permission to send bulk email to their inboxes is the person who owns that email address...the recipient. Third parties cannot give you that permission. There are many legitimate list building techniques. None of these techniques are easy and they are certainly not fast.

You can write and market ebooks and articles, you can post to blogs and forums, you can do a lot of legal things to build your own opt-in list but you cannot BUY a legal opt-in list no matter what those ads tell you.

If this bear get you, it can end up costing you millions of dollars. There really aren't any shortcuts to having a successful online business. Fact: Sending unsolicited bulk email is a crime according to the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.

The penalties are very STIFF.

1-900 Business Opportunities: This bear has claws and teeth. You will see an advertisement that says something like, “Call 1-900-555-5555 to discover your pot of gold!!!!!” It is sad but it is true that it is perfectly legal to advertise a 900 number. Unlike 800 numbers or 866 numbers, the 900 number call is NOT free.

Not only is it not "free" the cost per minute is set by the owner of the number and can be exorbitant. The advertisements are slick and very convincing. When you call one of these 900 numbers, your telephone company will be charging you be the minute. Fees per minute can be a few dollars of quite a few dollars.

You will be kept on the phone for as long as possible. You will be given information on how to set up your own 900 number (that's the secret that you are paying for) and how to place advertisements to get others to call your 900 number. When you get your next telephone bill, you may go into cardiac arrest because it is likely to be well over $1000.

You will have no recourse. You will either pay the bill or your telephone company will disconnect your service. The person who placed the advertisement gets most of the money that you will pay your telephone company.

FACT: Never call a 1-900 number! You do not know how much you will be charged per minute for the call and the ‘secret’ that you will be given access to is just how to pull the same dirty trick on others.

Instant Riches Can Be Yours! This bear is used by many different crooks and scam artists. The body of the advertisement changes with the tides or the seasons but the message remains the same. The message is that you can become unbelievably wealthy overnight if you just know how. The bears that place these advertisements are preying upon your ambition.

Your ambition is a good thing but you must remember that is also bear bait. Do you remember when the "Dot-Com Bubble" burst in 2000? For several years prior to the burst of the bubble, many bright-eyed-bushy-tailed young entrepreneurs made millions overnight.

They lost those millions overnight, as well.

Here is the bottom line of all Internet business opportunities: You can be a successful online business entrepreneur.....IF and ONLY IF....you are willing to put in the time, effort, energy, and money to become successful.

That success is not going to come overnight.

You might appear to be an overnight success to your friends and families but YOU will know better.

Fact: Overnight fortunes are never made overnight. They are the product of a lot of hard work and devotion to a dream. Don’t believe the hype.

Become a Blogging Millionaire: When this bear came out of the woods, I was just sure that nobody would buy into the scheme. I was wrong. A lot of people have fallen for this. The "pitch" is that all you have to do is just set up a blog (you can do this for free) and then sell high priced advertising space to big multimillion dollar companies.

You are told that these huge companies have stacks of cash lying around just waiting for you to claim it. Yes, blogging is big on the Internet at the moment but you won't be making millions by starting your own blog.

Blogging is a tool that is used by many very successful Internet marketers but it is not a business unto itself. There may well be a few blogs that are owned and operated by people who are famous or infamous that make money selling advertising space. Yours is not going to be one of them. You always must ask the question: “What is the promoter getting out of this offer?”

You can bet your boots that they aren't doing all this advertising for YOUR benefit and to help YOU get rich. They are selling something that will make money for THEM. In this case, the blogging website is free but the information that, according to them, you MUST have comes at a price.

For just a few hundred bucks they can tell you how to turn your blog into a “money-making machine”. Do you have any idea how many blog sites there are on the Internet? Me either but I can tell you that there are a lot more than a few. Huge multimillion dollar International corporations are not going to pay you for advertising space on your little blog website.

Fact: You aren’t going to make millions selling advertising space on your blog site. There are many legitimate ways to start and succeed at running an online business. You are to be greatly admired for wanting to do better for yourself and for your family. You do, however, need to understand that succeeding in the world of Internet commerce isn't going to happen overnight.

It isn't even going to happen over many nights. Succeeding at anything takes a lot of your time, effort and energy and succeeding at Internet commerce isn't an exception to that rule.

There are a lot of bears out there in the Internet jungle that will try to convince you that there are shortcuts that can make you successful and wealthy overnight. The bears are lying!

To Your Success

Tony Markx

There are Tigers, There are so many ways that newbies can "be had" on the Internet. It is just sad that so many of those that are eaten up by the tigers that roam through the Internet jungle are only trying to find a way to be able to make some money using their personal computers and their Internet connections.

They aren't even hoping to become rich or famous. They don't expect making money to be easy or fast. They simply want a job that will allow them to stay at home with their young children, help to put a loved child through collage or add to their retirement income. They are honest, hard-working decent people....that make the tigers out there start thinking about lunch.

Work-from-home If you are considering trying to find a work at home job, you need to know that you will be working more hours for less money than you made at your job that was located in the brick and mortar world. On the other hand, you will not have all of the related expenses of a brick and mortar job either.
# You will not have the expense of traveling to and from work.
# You will not have the expense of suitable clothing for work.
# You will not have the expense of day-care.
# You will not have the expense of lunch out everyday.

Good things...all of them! But there is a downside to working from home, as well.

# You will be considered to be self-employed
# You will have to pay all of your FICA tax. (Your employer now pays half.)
# You will have to convince your family and friends that you really do have a job.
# You had better be aware of the tigers and other critters that want to have you for lunch...at the entree.

There are schemes and scams out there that are directed at those who want to be work-at-home moms, those who are looking for an additional income source and those who are retirees looking for part-time work to supplement their incomes.

Some of these scams are:

Stuffing envelopes: “Make extra money by stuffing envelopes from home!” This tiger is a bit long in the tooth. It's been around for years. Advertisements for "at-home-envelope stuffers' can be found in newspapers at your local library that date back several decades....and yet people will still fall for it.

The reason that people will fall for this ploy is that they get all of that unsolicited mail at their own homes and they think that somebody had to have put that paper into those envelopes that are addressed to them. Nope! Sorry.... but no living person actually put that paper into those envelopes. It was put there by a machine and it was addressed by a computer. It was mailed in bulk. There is always, of course, a "small fee" to get started in the envelope stuffing business.

In return for this, "small fee" you will most likely get instructions for placing ads just like the one you fell for to get others to bite. It is tiger...it is a con...and the only way that you will ever get your money back is to fool others into thinking they can make money by stuffing envelopes.

Fact: There are no envelope stuffing jobs to be had!

Craft or assembly jobs:

This tiger is very attractive. It appeals to those who are talented at crafts or handy with hand tools. These folks see an advertisement that promises them that they can make a ton of money by just doing what they already know how to do and are very good at and it is just almost irresistible.

This looks like the opportunity that they have been looking for! Whoa! Put that sewing machine or those hand tools away and let‟s think this over. There are some things that you don‟t know.

There isn't any reason for you to know these things but you better learn them.....fast. The headline of this advertisement is in big bold print and there are usually multiple exclamation points, as well. The headline promises that you will be sent the material and then be paid for the finished products when you send them in to the employer.

Don't skip the print that isn't quite as big as that headline. That's where the "catch" is.....or, maybe I should say, catches. There's more than one way for this tiger to get you.

Usually the first thing is that you will be required to „invest‟ in some special equipment or supplies that aren't going to be included in the "free materials" that were promised in the larger print. This equipment or supplies can run anywhere from a few dollars to several hundred dollars. This is what the advertisers are selling! You will see that there is a no return policy for the equipment or supplies that you must purchase....there never is.

If you get out your magnifying glass and read the itty-bitty print at the very bottom that is well below the scroll line, you will see a statement that says something like, “All work must meet quality standards.” It will look something like this: “All work must meet quality standards.” That's where this tiger is really going to get you and get you good.

No work will ever meet quality standards. It isn't possible. You will buy the equipment or supplies. You will work to create the products as directed. You will never see one thin dime in payment for the finished products that you send.

It gets worse. You have no legal recourse. You agreed to buy the equipment or supplies and were told that there was a "no return" policy. You agreed to produce products that met "quality control standards" that were not specified. You've been had!

The fact is that there really is a huge market for hand-crafted products out there. The market is huge...maybe almost unlimited. If you have a talent for making hand-crafted products and if you have the ability to market them, you can make some money doing it.

You will not, however, ever make any money just using your talents to assemble hand-crafted products at home for these tigers that are not even selling them. They are selling the equipment and supplies....that is ALL they are selling...and they want to sell them to you.

Fact: You can make money selling hand crafted items but not by assembling these items for others.

Medical Billing: This very large headline will read something like, “Job explosion in the Health Care Industry!!!!!!!” There are always a lot of exclamation points. You will see these advertisements in newspapers, magazines and, of course, on the Internet. You will be told that the entire reason that medical costs are so high is because the medical profession needs your personal assistance and that just by taking a job, for which you will be very well paid, you can single-handedly lower the cost of health care for the whole world. Wow!

You need a job...and they need you! Sounds like a partnership that would work out well for everybody. These advertisements try to sell you on the idea that it's the overwhelming amount of required paperwork that is the root cause of the inflation of health care costs....for all of us.

These advertisements claim that all that is needed to fix this problem in the implementation of electronic claim processing....which is a new and innovative technology that has recently become available. Horse feathers! Electronic billing is done by a few well established companies. Doctors subscribe to these services and have been doing so for more than a few years. Medical billing isn't done by hand and hasn't been since the late 1980's.

If you answer one of the advertisements, what you will get in return for the hard-earned dollars that you send in is a brochure, an application, some discs, a contract, some disclosure statements (in tiny print), and possibly some testimonial letters from people who will swear that this has changed their lives and made the wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. HA!

What you will have are some basic instructions for setting up your own medical billing business. What you will not have is a medical building job. You will be required to get your own clients. They will not be supplied. As I said before, there are a few (and only a few) well established companies that have been doing this billing for doctors for many years.

They are your competition...and very stiff competition. You will be promised that you can earn a ton of bucks by only working part time and at your own pace. Now stop just a minute and think about that. Part time AND a ton of money? Does that really sound reasonable to you?

It isn't a reasonable expectation. You aren't likely to make a ton of money working at a full time job of any kind and you certainly won't be making very much, if anything, by working part time. Real world business doesn't work like that and neither does Internet based businesses.

Oh, and you will also be required to make a personal investment of between one and TEN thousand dollars in order to get in on the golden opportunity.

Fact: Medical billing is well covered by the few companies who have been doing it for decades. You aren’t the answer to the soaring cost of health care.

Date Entry: No doubt you can picture yourself just putting numbers in columns for a few hours a day from the comfort of your own home and making enough money by doing it to make up your financial short fall, right? No...sorry....that isn't really very likely to happen.

I'm not telling you that there are NO data entry jobs available. I am only telling you that you aren't likely to get one of them by answering one of those slick ads that promise you a data entry job if you will but sign up for their course.

The problem with these so-called data entry courses, is that they rarely have anything to do with data entry jobs. Most of them are more on the order of teaching you (more or less) how to set up and run your own affiliate program. There isn't anything wrong with affiliate programs but they aren't data entry jobs.

They are businesses in which you will do some data entry work....like on tax forms when you file your self-employment tax returns. There can also be data entry work in the operation of an affiliate marketing business.

You will need to enter data in order to maintain orderliness in your business. If you let this tiger get you, after you pay you money you will get a course that will either be delivered electronically via the computer, on CD‟s or DVD‟s. This course will teach how to find affiliate programs that you can sign up for (information that is readily available for free on the Internet).

Then you will be instructed how to set up advertisements in Google Ad Words (this information is also readily available on the Internet). What you will not be told is that affiliate marketing is an extremely competitive business.

It isn't a data entry job. You will be told that these ads that you have to set up in Google Ad words will only cost you one penny each. Now there is a big fat, out-and-out, rotten lie. You might set up ads that will only cost you one penny each time someone clicks on them....that much is true. Your ads will be listed on about page 15 in search results and you aren't very likely to have them clicked on.

But if, by some stroke of luck, they are clicked on, they cost well more than one penny per click.
Fact: Data entry courses are a scam. They will not secure a data entry job for you.

Writers Wanted: Here's is yet another tiger that is out to make you the main course for his dinner. It is absolutely true that the Internet gobbles up words at an alarming rate and that there is always a demand for those who can write articles, ebooks and reports about a variety of subjects.

Writing for the Internet is an art. Just because you can string sentences together that are grammatically correct and make sense doesn't mean that you can write for Internet marketers.
The advertisements that you see that say, "Writers Wanted" don't really want writers. What they want are the people who want to be writers. There will always be a course you are required to pay for or a list that you are required to buy.

That's what these advertisements are selling....courses or lists....they are NOT selling writing jobs.

Fact: You will not get a job writing by taking a course or buying a list.

Check List.

There really are work-at-home jobs out there. The problem is finding the ones that are legitimate job offers. So many are nothing more than Internet jungle tigers waiting to take advantage of you. Here is a check list that will help you to separate the fact from the fiction:

1. What is the "cost" of getting the job that is advertised? Find out what, if any, equipment or supplies are required. Legitimate work-at-home jobs do not require that you spend money. They pay YOU money.

2. Tell me what the tasks are that I must perform in order to get paid. This is a legitimate question to ask. Every job on earth comes with a job description of some kind. If the company or individual that you are talking to can describe the job is a few sentences, keep looking.

3. Is this a salaried position or will I be paid on a commission or hourly basis? Here's another one question that any potential employee shouldn't hesitate to ask. Pay is always based upon something. It is either paid as a salary that has nothing whatsoever to do with hours worked or it is based upon an hourly pay scale for which you will be required to sign in and sign out or it is based upon a commission of percentage of sales that you must make.

4. Who pays me and when? That's an easy question. Every single legitimate company or individual employer has regular and specified pay periods. You might be paid once a week, once a month or twice a month. Any of those pay period options are perfectly legitimate.

5. Where are you located? This is a question that only someone who is working from home would have to ask. If you were working in the brick and mortar world, you would be well aware of the place where you were expected to report to work. The Internet presents another little problem. We are all connected electronically rather that physically. You might be working for someone who is located in Malaysia. You need to be told where the person or business is physically located.

6. How will I receive instructions? Here again, this is a problem that only comes up when the job is being done on the computer. You may receive instructions by email or by way of an instant messaging service.

7. Who will I receive instructions from? This is a question that might need to be answered for real world businesses as well as for online ones. Many times there will be more than one partner in an online business. You need to know who it is that will supply you with instructions and directions. You don't want to have to decide who to take direction from.

What Can You Do if the Tiger Gets You? You are not likely to ever recover any money that you have paid to the work-at-home scam artists have taken you for. Of course, it never hurts to try. Who knows? You might get lucky and at the very least you might prevent another person from getting taken in.

You might even make it hard enough on a work-at-home scam artist to make him think he has a tiger by the tail.

1. The Federal Trade Commission is the government entity charged with the protection of consumers. Call them at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). That is the place to report fraudulent business practices.

2. If you live in a metropolitan area, there is most likely a consumer protection office in your area. You can call them or write them.

3. Report the offending business to the Better Business Bureau. This sometimes seems to be an exercise in futility but it does have a direct impact on businesses.

4. If any part of the correspondence came to you through the USPS, you can contact your local postmaster to report it. Mail fraud is a federal crime.

5. You can contact the Attorney General of the state in which the company or individual is based. They may well have violated some state laws in the process of scamming you.
Frankly, it just makes my blood boil when I see these slick advertisements that are aimed directly at those that are least able to absorb the cost of being scammed.

There may be very little that you can actually do to undo the damage that they have caused you, but by putting forth some time and effort you may prevent them from doing the same thing to others.

To Your Success

Tony Markx

Everyday hundreds, thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of people decide to investigate the idea of working from home or starting their very own home-based business. They have heard of others that have done so who have been very successful...maybe even wildly successful at it.

Some of these people are very computer savvy individuals. They may even have the ability to build their own webpages. They certainly know the ins and outs of operating a computer. Others aren't all that computer savvy but they think they have a great idea for an Internet business and are sure that they can find a way to follow their dream. The Internet really is the great equalizer.

The level of formal education that a budding Internet entrepreneur has doesn't seem to have much bearing on the degree of success that they can achieve on the Internet or how much of a failure they can become. There are those who have reached dizzying heights of success who never finished high school and those who have hit rock bottom who have multiple college degrees. The commonalities of those who succeed in either working from home or running a home-based business are:

1. They are all self-starters.
2. They have a positive attitude.
3. They are willing to learn.
4. They develop the necessary survival skills....it really is a jungle out there.

If you are considering starting, or have already started working from home or a home-based business, you are obviously a self-starter. You wouldn't have even considered such a venture if you didn't have a positive attitude. You are apparently willing to learn, you are reading this book. The world of Internet business is the electronic equivalent of a jungle. In words made famous in “The Wizard of Oz”, “There are lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” Survival and success aren't based on education. They are both based upon the mastering of survival skills.

There are Lions

Funny! When you log onto the Internet, there is nothing that indicates that you have just entered an untamed jungle. You don't hear any roaring lions or other ominous sounds and you don't see any wild animals that are planning to have you as the main course for dinner but they are out there. They are just in disguise.

There is no particular order that you will meet these dangerous characters but some of the first ones that you are likely to meet are those that I like to think of as the "welcoming committee".

Selling What’s Free, The object of this welcoming committee is to sell you what can be had for free all over the Internet if you know where to look. Anti-Virus Protection The first thing that you will be told that you must buy is anti-virus software. Now, there are some very good anti-virus programs out there that are being sold. But if your financial ability is somewhat limited, you really do not have to buy expensive anti-virus programs.

Yes, you must have an anti-virus program on your computer. There isn't any doubt about that one. The Internet is full of creeps that get their jollies by infecting computers with viruses, worms and trojans. You don't want that to happen to you or your computer. There are those that spend their every waking hour just dreaming up new and insidious ways of making problems for the rest of us.

Luckily, there are just as many good folks out there that spend their time figuring out how to keep them from doing it to us. Two of the best known anti-virus programs out there are Norton and McAfee and both of them are very good programs. Both of them are also rather expensive. McAfee is more expensive than Norton but neither one of them are really cheap and they are certainly not free.

However, there is also a very good one that is absolutely free. AVG has many anti-virus and other security programs available but they also have a free version. This free version works very well and provides ample protection. You can find this free program at AVG (http://www.grisoft.com/doc/products-avg-anti-virus-free-edition/lng/us/tpl/tpl01).

Firewalls

Most computers today come with built-in firewalls. Windows added that feature to XP. It is already on your computer when you bring it home. Just because you already have a firewall that is sufficient to protect your computer, doesn't mean that there won't be members of the welcome-to-the-jungle committee who won't be trying to sell you one.

You will be told that the one that is on your computer has failed to protect you. You will see these little pop-ups telling you that you need to have your computer scanned. The scan is, of course, free. The purpose of the scan is to sell you something that you don't need....usually a firewall, but there are other programs as well. You already have a firewall and multiple firewalls do not add protection. They actually interfere with each other.

You are better off to stick with the firewall that came built into your computer. Instructional ‘Courses’ There are many very good instructional courses available on the Internet. There are even more instructional courses on the Internet that are totally bogus. They only offer you information that is readily available for free and charge you large sums to provide it to you. One of the very worst ones that I have seen promises to teach you "data entry". This course has absolutely nothing to do with data entry or data entry work. It "teaches" you to sign up for affiliate programs and place ads in Google Ad Words for those products.

Affiliate marketing can be a very lucrative Internet business. It isn't learned easily but it is a real Internet business. This program tries to disguise affiliate marketing as data entry solely for the purpose of fooling young stay-at-home-moms, retired people, and others into spending fifty hard-earned bucks on a program that isn't going to be of any value to them at all if they are looking for a work-at-home job and aren't prepared or able to put in the hundred plus hours each week that are required to launch a successful affiliate marketing business.

Remember this. Anybody with dollar signs in their eyes, a computer and an Internet connection can advertise instructional programs. Some of these "helpful" folks simply gather information that is readily available on the Internet, package it, write some slick advertising and then sell it to unsuspecting, hard working newbies who just haven't learned the ropes yet.

Before you ever sign up for a "course" and pay money for it, do some research about the subject being "taught" first and then ask yourself these questions:

Question #1: Can I find this information for myself?

Question #2: Is this information that I really need?

Question #3: Can this information really help me?

Question #4: Is the information being offered what it appears to be?

Question #5: Is there a guarantee?

Question #6: Will I be required to spend additional money to implement the information?

Question #7: How stiff will the competition be?

Question #8: Does the "course" assume that I have more computer skills than I actually possess?

Question #9: Is the person teaching the course really knowledgeable or well-known?

Question #10: Does the advertisements sound too good to be true?

Disguised Pyramid Schemes

Pyramid schemes have been around since about the time the actual pyramids were built. You'd think that in the intervening few thousand years people would be able to easily recognize a pyramid scheme when they came face to face with one. The people who dream these things up, however, are pretty slick characters.

A pyramid scheme never, ever, comes labeled as a pyramid scheme. It is really easy to get sucked into one of these schemes. You need to understand how they work and be able to spot them for what they are.

There are a few "buzz" words that can tip you off:

1. Recruit: “to engage in finding and attracting employees, new members, students, athletes, etc.” That's one of the definitions of the word according to the dictionary. The use of the word, "recruit" (or any variation) should be a major tip off that the program that is being promoted to you is most likely a pyramid scheme. Some of these schemes can be easily spotted while others are a little harder to identify. Just beware when you see the word, "recruit".

There was a scheme that went around awhile back that was sent by unsolicited email that offered an "exclusive opportunity" to earn a boat load of money by recruiting people to sell a device that would provide access to the Internet by television. No, I'm not kidding. This happened and people fell for it.

2. "Buy the secret and sell...." This is a typical pyramid scheme that you will often see. This is another "offer" that arrives in your inbox that you have not solicited. You are offered an "exclusive" opportunity to buy a secret that will allow you to make a hundred thousand dollars a month (no work required) and then you can sell this secret to others for a substantial profit and they will make money for you. These gullible folks will just fill your bank account with beautiful green-backs. Wait! You are the gullible folk they are targeting.

You can believe me when I tell you that there really aren't a lot of people out there in this world that are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to send you money. You can also believe that there is no legitimate Internet business that is going to immediately make you hundreds of thousands of dollars a month. You might someday make that kind of money but if you do, it will be after you have put in an incredible amount of time and effort and not because you bought a "secret"...there isn't one.

3. "Let others do the work": This little phrase has pyramid scheme written all over it. The "pitch" is usually for a non-existent product. You will be sent information buy bulk mail that gives you instructions for getting other's to promote this "product" and all you will have to do is count your millions. Right! Don't fall for that one.

Disguised MLM

If you are really new to the world of internet business or work-at-home job opportunities, you may not know what MLM means. It means Multi-Level-Marketing. MLM is similar to a pyramid scheme but it isn't exactly the same. True pyramid schemes don't involve the selling of an actual product but MLM is all about selling an actual product.

In Internet terms, Multilevel Marketing is selling products by using independent distributors and allowing these distributors to build and manage their own sales force by recruiting, motivating, supplying, and training others to sell products.

The distributors' compensation includes their own sales and a percentage of the sales of their sales group (downline). “So,” you say, “that just sounds like a good idea for making money.” Well, it IS a good way for making money. The problem is that it is illegal.

Do you see that tip-off word, "recruiting"? The other tip-off that this is a MLM scheme is the phrase, "percentage of sales".

There is nothing illegal about setting up and affiliate program and PAYING a percentage of sales to those who sell your products or services to others. There is nothing illegal about COLLECTING the percentages that are offered by the producers of the products or services.

That is simply good business and a more than just common practice in the Internet business world. The problem arises when you start COLLECTING percentages of sales from people whom you have recruited to sell the product. Then another level is added and it becomes multi-level marketing. Even one additional level is illegal but there are MLM schemes that will have many, MANY layers.

The main Internet banking and money exchange on the Internet is Paypal. Paypal employs full-time personnel to search for and identify MLM schemes. When these schemes are uncovered, the account (and all attached accounts and credit cards) are frozen.

Yes, it is true that sometimes Paypal does misidentify a perfectly legitimate business as a MLM scheme but it doesn‟t happen very often and the problem can usually be resolved in just two or three business days. This very thing happened to a friend of mine not long ago. It was resolved but not without him being able to prove that his business was not a MLM scheme.

This does point out the fact, however, that there are those who are looking for illegal MLM schemes. You may think that you are very anonymous on the Internet but when you do business on the Internet you are not longer anonymous. Beware of Lions There are a lot of big hungry lions in the Internet jungle. They are looking for easy marks...they love newbies best of all.

To Your Success

Tony Markx

How To Decide If Freelancing Really Is The Way To Go?

If you are planning to quit your current job and enter the world of the freelancer, then you had better be pretty darn well sure that this is something you want to do.

Even if you are totally sure that you want to become a freelancer in your chosen field, is it something that is financially possible for you?

Can you support your family on the salary you make from a freelancer?

What about healthcare, are you prepared to give that up too in pursuit of a future as a freelancer?

Can you handle the stress that comes from working with tight, often ridiculous deadlines on your projects?

Do you work well by yourself and can you speak well when talking with a potential client who may want to hire you for his next project?

Finally, do you have what it takes to constantly advertise yourself and your services to anyone who may be interested?

Far too often, people think that they want to be freelancers simply because it sounds cool.

After all, many people get it into their heads that there is no more relaxing work atmosphere than being able to wake up late, work on your computer while you are wearing your pajamas, and take off whatever days you want as your vacation.

Sure, those are all perks of being a freelancer, but let’s be honest here - there are quite a few trials and tribulations that you will have to go through as a freelancer before you can reach the point where you do not have to worry about your finances anymore.

Yes, that is something that so many people fail to realize – you cannot expect to simply quit your current job for life as a freelancer and suddenly have hundreds of potential clients knocking at your door in hope that you will do a project for them.

There is much more to freelancing than that, so let’s find out if you have what it takes to make it in the cutthroat world of the freelancer.

The first thing that you have to realize about being a freelancer is that you may not be able to make ends meet on freelancing alone for quite some time.

So, if you are thinking about quitting your current job – don’t do it just yet. Instead, test the waters and be sure that you like freelancing first, and find out how much money you can make as a freelancer before you even begin to work on your resignation papers.

As a fledgling freelancer, your best bet is to start off with clients that may not pay as much but will be able to get you in the door.

Sure, you will have to take jobs that you may think are below you – but in the end it will pay off.

Maybe not financially at first, but by way of getting your name out there and adding employment opportunities to your ever expanding list of satisfied customers.

Therefore, if you want to freelance professionally, you have to be willing to take a pay cut at first in order to be successful later.

Secondly, you have to figure out whether or not you can support your family on the salary you will make as a freelancer.

Remember that you will have to take a pay cut from your current job when you first start out as a freelancer, and when you finally quit your current job for good, will you be able to bring in enough work to keep your family’s lifestyle at the same level it currently is?

These are important questions that you have to ask yourself before you make that big leap into the world of freelancing.

While it is not very important if you decide to keep doing freelance work as a supplement to your current income – it will become extremely important if you decide to make your freelance salary your sole income.

Next, you have to think about what you will do for healthcare as a freelancer. Without the support of an already established business behind you, you will have to pay for your own (and your family’s) health insurance out of pocket.

This is not a big deal if you have a spouse that gets health insurance from his or her workplace, but if your spouse is a stay at home parent or is involved in their own freelance business, this becomes a major expense to think about.

So be sure that you will be able to afford health insurance for all of your loved ones when you become a freelancer.

Stress management is a key factor of working for you as a freelancer. You will be faced with projects that may require you to work long and hard before you can finish them.

Often, these projects will be extremely difficult and be under some ludicrous deadline – making them that much more intense. So, are you good at handling stressful situations such as these?

After all, if you are not able to get the project back to your client on time and in working order, you may be discredited and have a much more difficult time finding work for many months to come.

Are you a team player or do you work better as an individual? While this question may seem insignificant, remember that as a freelancer you really have no team to rely on should you not know how to do something.

Sure, you could scour the internet for answers to your questions – but that will take away valuable time from your project.

So, if you are the type of person who can accomplish tasks more efficiently in a group, then you may want to rethink the idea of going freelance, because the individualize work environment of a freelancer is certainly not for you.

Finally, can you handle the fact that you must constantly advertise your services to just about anyone who may need you to do some work for them?

Do you have enough self esteem that you can promote yourself as if you are the best freelancer out there?

Being able to constantly advertise your services is a major benefit for anyone looking to become a freelancer.

While it is possible to by shy or withdrawn and be successful at freelancing, you will have a much easier time if you are more vocal about promoting your services to prospective customers.

To Your Success

Tony Markx

Find Out Where To Look For Customers In Droves When Freelancing

So you have finally decided to take that first big step in your career change towards the world of freelancing, but there is just one hitch – you have no idea where to find your first clients and customers.

A few years ago you would have to act solely by means of local businesses and private residents of your community in hopes that someone, anyone you know could lead you to a potentially high paying client for your freelance work.

Writers always had it easier because there were hundreds of magazines and newspapers who always needed freelancers on a day to day basis – but if you were a web designer or a software programmer, chances are you were out of luck. But that was back before the internet wove its way into homes across the world.

Finding customers for your fresh freelancing operation has never been easier thanks to the internet. People and companies looking for freelancer workers to help them with a project or two are all over the place and can help you get started in the freelance world if you are lucky enough to find a client that will work with you time and time again.

Furthermore, as a freelancer you can also use the internet to your advantage to advertise your services on various forums and other freelance web resources. In these situations, instead of you looking for some prospective clients, they look for you – allowing you to focus on whatever tasks and projects you are currently working on for others.

As an up and coming freelancer, the first thing you must do when looking for clients is to get your name out there. Let people know who you are, what you do, how well you do it, and what you can do for them.

Potential clients love a freelancer who is willing to get the job done right the first time on a timely manner, and if you have no prior experience, you may have trouble getting high paying customers to trust you right off the bat.

However, if you start with a few low paying jobs, you will quickly find that you can advance through the ranks very rapidly and soon be able to net all of the projects that will allow you to keep your freelance business self sufficient.

There is no better way to get off on the right path as a freelancer than to assemble a clear, concise, and focused portfolio of your work.

You can either include this portfolio as an email attachment when you apply for positions offered to you by clients, or if you have some web design skills you can create a personal portfolio website that outlines all of the specific projects that you have worked on over the years for various clients.

Whatever type of portfolio you choose to create, be sure that it is targeted to the audience you are trying to attract, as there is no sense in including work you did as a software programmer if you are looking for work as a freelance photographer for example.

Now, when it comes to finding clients for your freelance business in masses, you need to focus your attention to the various forums and discussion boards that dot the web.

Google is a great way to search for different websites that are specific to your chosen freelance field, and if possible you should avoid posting advertisements for your services in freelance forums that are not frequented by people who are looking for freelancers in your line of work.

Posting out of section makes you look bad and could result in you being banned from various freelancing websites that may have proven helpful to you in the future as your business expands.

Because it is so important for you to find freelance websites that are focused to your particular field of operation, you need to decide on one or two services that you think you can find freelance work in and then go from there.

If you choose one of the popular freelance jobs, such as writer, editor, photographer, web designer, or software programmer then you will have a much easier time finding work online because there are so many different freelance directories available to you.

As any kind of freelancer, one of the best places to start your search for customers from around the world is Craig’s List.

This is your one stop shop that can help you find work in your local metro area as well as in cities and countries from around the world.

Most of the jobs offered at Craig’s List allow you to work at home although you may have to visit the offices of some of the higher paying positions from time to time.

Another amazing resource for freelancers of all kinds is Guru, a website that helps prospective freelancers in all fields find customers from around the world.

It caters mostly to well establish freelance professionals though, so you may want to turn to it later once you have exhausted your other freelancing options.

If you are a freelance writer or editor, there are a couple of excellent freelancing websites for you.

The first is Freelance Writing, a massive database where employers and freelancers can post their information in hopes that they will find a suitable match on a per project basis.

You will mostly find lower paying jobs here, but it is a great start if you are just getting into freelancing or if you are simply looking for a couple of easy part time projects to supplement your current income.

Also, the Writer’s Market is a great place to not only find work but to learn all of the ins and outs of the writing and editing business. You can get in touch with potential clients as well as hone your skills as a writer.

Those involved in the world of design and programming should turn to ScriptLance as their source of well paying jobs in their chosen industry.

As one of the leading websites for those involved in programming and design, this is probably the most likely place that you will find a well paying job in the web and software field. If you are looking for other options, check out the Freelance Job Search, a website that will help you find lesser known, but well paying freelance jobs in the world of web design, graphic design, and programming.

To Your Success

Tony Markx