Why an Internet Home Business Anyway?

For starters, most of the opportunities available on the web are relatively inexpensive, and therefore provide little risk to your financial future.  You can spend between $20 and $20,000 (and up) to join some of these programs.  But these costs pale in comparison to other bricks-and-mortar business investments.  Try these franchise start-up costs:

• Dippin’ Dots (novelty ice cream): $80,000 – $235,000
• Express Oil Change (automotive services): $225,000 – $1.5 million
• Direct Buy (consumer buying program): $500,000 – $1.2 million
• McDonald’s (I think you know): $950,000 – $1.791 million
• Golden Corral Buffet & Grill (buffet-style restaurant): $2.067 – $5.937 million

These are financially out of reach for most people; or require such an investment of time that many people will pass on the opportunity.  Not to mention that they require financing, insurance, employees, inventory, generally take years to reach profitability, and ultimately provide only linear income if successful.  So if you believe that an internet home-based business is the most viable option for the average entrepreneur, which ones are for real?  Where are the real no scam internet business opportunities?

Finding the Gems in the World’s Biggest Flea Market

You can buy anything on the internet – and I do mean anything!  From Pez Dispensers to multi-million dollar estates, someone is selling it.  And many entrepreneurs (and scam artists) have come up with systems or programs that they market to others who want to be in business for themselves.  You can start a T-shirt business, a dating service, sell products on ebay, take online surveys, make money from blogging, or become an affiliate marketer.  And then there are the multitudes of multi-level marketing or direct sales opportunities that you will see as you search the web.  Of course there are the big guys like Amway, Pampered Chef, and Mary Kay, but not all of these are focused on the internet to drive sales.  And the upstarts like Carbon Copy Pro, XanGo, and Global Resorts Network, which are focused on the internet, but have their own limitations.  To be fair, all of these are legitimate businesses with opportunities to make real money, but with their own pros and cons to consider when looking for a solid six-figure income.

So What Now?

My recommendation is to search until you find a business that offers these key ingredients to your online success.  Make sure that you partner with a company that:

• has a sustainable system
• has a viable product
• is positioned for growth
• and teaches you to leverage the power of the internet to create success online

And maybe most importantly, find someone that has achieved the level of success that you desire and — as a wise business partner once told me — do what they do! If you find a mentor that has a genuine interest in helping you, then that mentor can take months or years off of your learning curve.  So there are many valid business opportunities available.  Just keep looking until you find the company that is the right fit for you and your family.

**Keith Hartung strives to be a servant of God, a committed husband, and a loving dad.  He is also an internet marketer and home business coach, working with people around the world to create financial success in their lives by leveraging the power of the Internet. To see how Keith is making money online enter your information in the form on the right.

The Company and Products

Developed by Jay Kubassek, a rags-to-riches entrepreneur and online marketer, this company offers a replicated website that advertises a business opportunity, but then charges $49 (that is the “funded” part) for prospects to find out information about the business. Once a prospect pays the $49 they receive a DVD — an interview with Kubassek that gives an overview of the company — and 30 days access to their website. During this one-month period the company calls the prospect to sign them up for the Business in a Box ($400), which is a set of 3 DVDs and two marketing manuals that teach personal development and online marketing techniques. To keep the membership active you will need to pay a $150 subscription fee at the end of the 30 days (and every month thereafter) for access to the back office where their other training is located. Once you have your BiB, then the company wants you to purchase the products that Wealth Masters International sells: DVDs, courses, and seminars on personal development, tax strategies, asset protection, and other investing topics. These are M1 ($1,995 for another set of DVDs), M2 ($8,995 for a wealth conference), and M3 ($12,995 for a special wealth group); but are generally sold as packages. The Platinum Package includes M1 and M2 and is $8995, and the Platinum Plus includes M1, M2, and M3 and is $19,995.

The Program and Compensation

When you are set up and paid you have a replicated website and the ability to earn commissions off of the sales your website makes. All Carbon Copy Pro asks you to do is advertise your website and drive as much traffic there as possible to start the cycle over again. They have a call center that then takes your applicants and attempts to sell them these same products. The company advertises that you will never have to speak to a prospect to make a sale. The compensation plan is multi-tiered so that the commissions you earn depend upon the level that you joined. For example, you can’t make a commission on a M2 or M3 sale if you joined at only an M1.

Analysis

Carbon Copy Pro offers a respectable product and people are making money with it. The positives for the opportunity are that you get an automated business that you don’t have to create, and it takes the fear of selling out of the equation since you never have to have contact with any prospect. However, I see several flaws in the system. The first and most obvious is the cost. The average person looking for an online opportunity will not have the $3000 to $20,000-plus to get involved and market this opportunity. Secondly, while the products can definitely help the online marketer learn more of the trade, they are standard financial advice and personal development tools that are available other places on the web for much less — and would not stand alone outside of the business opportunity. Also, while taking the personal touch out can be helpful to some, I think that you will always need some follow-up to build your business. Lastly, by getting the “carbon copy” website, you have now thrown yourself into a sea of thousands of identical sites on the internet, all selling the same thing. There is no personal branding at all, except for branding Jay Kubassek. To market anything online I believe that you need to stand out, and personal branding is an essential part of this. If you are looking for an opportunity with a more desirable product, branding that will set you apart, and a lower entry cost I suggest that you continue your search.

**Keith Hartung strives to be a servant of God, a committed husband, and a loving dad.  He is also an internet marketer and home business coach, working with people around the world to create financial success in their lives by leveraging the power of the Internet. To see how Keith is making money online enter your information in the form on the right.