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How do you define scam artists? Have you ever bought into something only to find they took your money and disappeared? I have to many times for my own comfort and it was a hard lesson to learn. Some of these lessons learned did not come cheap and I felt the burn and yes, embarassment of it all. But, I also learned what to look for and when to simply hit delete when one of these self proclaimed gurus send some fantastic offer to my inbox.

I have noticed that many people in the internet business world have similar traits, they jump from program to program, making this one sound better than the last and sucking unsuspecting , honest people dry before moving on with our hard earned money in hand. I compare them to leeches that attach themselves to you until they have sucked every ounce of blood from you and when they have their fill, no longer need or want you around.

When I was researching companies, I noticed that, when speaking to someone on the phone, they were all about me and what I could do with their company. They were all about me until I said I did not have the cash to take advantage of their opportunity at the moment. After I revealed this, the call went one of two ways, they either said a quick goodbye and hung up or went into a high pressure sales pitch. If I continued to resist, their tone changed and suddenly, it wasn't about helping me better my life anymore. You see, scam artists do not care about they person, they only care about what the person is going to DO FOR THEM.

Another trait that I put into the scam artist category are those who like to play dirty. They think that by pointing fingers at other marketers and internet gurus, they make themselves look good and scare people away from the other programs. They just love to sling that mud. I know businesses do have some competition going on, but approaching this in a less than honest manner, in my book is wrong. When I look at a website, I want to see what the opportunity will mean for me, I want to know that if I go into this business, it is one that stands on it's own two feet without having to use tactics like mud slinging and I certainly don't want to feel like I am looking at a gossip column. Look for honesty, because if you can find that, then you have found a company that is worth putting your money into.

How can you tell when you are dealing with an honest company and not someone who is out to scam you? Well, let's look at this closely. Does the company have fantastic claims that you will not have to work at all? I have never had a job that I didn't have to work in order to make money. Do they promise that you will make money the very first day that you sign up? I know this is possible and sometimes, you do meet people that this has happened to, but the majority of us have to build our business and be patient when we don't see the results as fast as we had hoped for. Do they claim you NEVER have to call anyone? I am sorry, but when I was trying to decide on my home business, I wanted to talk to a real person, I wanted a definite human touch and I believe that most people are the same way. Now, I am not saying that if they say NO COLD CALLING that it is a scam or dishonest. There is a huge difference in cold calling and warm calling. If a person has signed up for more information and show an interest in your company, that is not cold calling, so you have to look for that difference in wording.

I tried to make money at a few programs, I never made a penny, and when I sought help, there was none to be found from anyone, not even my sponsors who had made such big promises. Does this make me a program jumper? NO, it does not....I am not out to just take anyone's money, I would not advertise a company that I found to be dishonest with their claims and I will never turn my back on anyone who needs my help as long as they are not expecting me to do all of the work for them and even then, I would have a heart to heart with them and try to get them pointed in the right direction. After so many disappointments and so much frustration, I knew that I needed a company that offered honesty, training and support and I did find that. I can call the owners Monday through Thursday 9am-6pm Pacific time and know that they will either answer the phone or call me back in a very timely manner. I know that they have training in place for everyone at any level of marketing knowledge, no less than 10 hours of training a week and if I happen to miss one, they have it recorded and in my back office so I can listen to it at a good time for me. I can go into the help section of my back office and know I will be helped by a live person 5 days a week, not just shuffle through a list of frequently asked questions, although they do have a place in any business, there are just times when I need help with something that requires a real person's help. It is the human touch that is so important in any relationship, whether it be love or business. There are no get rich quick promises, there are no you don't have to work to build your business statements, there is HONESTY, there is SUPPORT, there is TRAINING and as if that is not enough, there are 3 tiers of this program to fit anyone's budget, along with pages and pages of useful tools and ways to advertise for free. When I found this company and took my "long walk" around the back office, I say long walk because I took several days to see what this company was all about, and when I finished that walk, I felt like I was finally home.

Now, isn't that the feeling you want? Please people, watch out for the scam artists, don't give your hard earned money to just anyone who promises the world to you. Do your research, make sure you can attend some training classes before you lay that money down, sign up for a free trial and look, really look and study the back office, call and talk to a real person and don't fall for get rich overnight lines or the you won't have to lift a finger because we do all of the work for you promises. It doesn't work that way and anyone who says it does is pulling the wool over your eyes.

Owning your own business is rewarding, but it does take effort on your part. But at the end of the day, doesn't it feel good to say, look what I have built with my hard work? An artist takes pride in his masterpiece, my business is my masterpiece in progress and I do take pride in it.