When I have been researching different opportunities I often type into Google the company name followed by the word 'lawsuit.' If there is a lawsuit pending, it will usually show up in the first 20 listings. Whether you are trying to find out if the hottest real estate guru is the real deal or the latest internet marketer, the ones to avoid usually flush themselves out quickly. One important point to remember is to verify the lawsuit. Sometimes people are slanderous and just out to make a good person look bad. It doesn't happen often but it does happen.

3. Does the opportunity promise you're the World?

You've seen the infomercials or read the ads for opportunities that make claims like "Make $10,000 next week and click here to see how Bob did it! "or "Sally worked only 1 hour a day and made $5,000 her first week!" It is obvious they are trying to get you to read further or act and make a purchase. And there is inherently nothing wrong with marketing. People expect to be sold. But, be skeptical when the offer says you can make a lot of money in a short amount of time. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. All businesses require work and have a time period that it takes to get up and running and most importantly, profitable. Get rich quick schemes are usually scams.

4. What is the guarantee?

This one is kind of tricky because there are opportunities which offer a guarantee but don't honor it. And getting a refund can be next to impossible. You can protect yourself by using an American Express card or go to Google newsgroups, type in the opportunity and see if there are any complaints of that nature. Again, I would call and talk with the opportunity owner. If you see a complaint, question him/her about it.

By and by, most businesses standby their guarantee. Go for those guarantees that exceed 30 days. And generally speaking, those that offer a year's guarantee are solid opportunities. A good thing to do is print out their guarantee just in case it ever changes. That way you have physical proof.

5. Ask for Proof?

Again, most people make claims about their opportunity without providing any proof. If you are looking at a network marketing opportunity, the company has to provide a yearly report of income breakdown among its representatives. You will find that very few network marketing opportunities have a great number of people making a lot of money. Some opportunities post bank statements with important information blacked out. This can be useful information. But for the most part, the majority of opportunities make claims that are difficult to substantiate. This is where all of your research comes together and you have to use your best judgment.


Jan Peterson founder of www.goldstarreview.com researches and reviews business opportunities including internet marketing, real estate investing, affiliate marketing, financial investing and more. Over 400 FREE reports available.