Home Based Business Scams

The crooked mind will always find something to throw at those who are gullible enough to even spare a glace at their direction. A lot of this Home Based Businesses you see on your screen as you frantically search for something to do if only to scrape up a few dollars to at least make your income overlap a few inches, will entice you to get on and ride that wagon even when there is something tugging behind your brain not to.

The ever sweet deals that this home based businesses will offer to separate you from your hard earned money is just too good to be true and thus, to my opinion - too good to be true. So stay away from them, unless of course you are one of those who are looking to make big bucks by coning others so you'd want to learn how these crooks operate.

Liz Folger, Work-at-Home Mom Expert and author of the book, The Stay-at-Home Mom's Guide To Making Money , says, "It's estimated that 6 million people answer classified ads each year regarding money scams. Don't become a victim yourself. Ads for assembling crafts, stuffing envelopes, medical billing, reading books...these are all potential scams ready to steal your money. Also, keep in mind that if an ad sounds too good to be true - it probably is."

8 Tips to Spot Scams

1. The very first line states you can make hundreds of dollars a week working from home.

2 There is no experience needed.

3. You can work just a few hours a week and still make a bundle of money.

4. There is lots of CAPITALIZATION AND !!!!!! used in the ad.

5. You read an extremely vague ad. You haven't a clue what the business is about; but boy, could you be making the bucks.

6. You're asked to call a 900# for more information.

7. For a fee, a company will send you a list of businesses that are looking for home workers.

8. You are forced to make a decision immediately and are made to feel stupid if you say no to their offer

Work Options

With modern technology nudging those of us who want to work at home without sacrificing our education, career, income, or self sufficiency - what exactly are our options? Do we have to be an envelope stuffer or a highly skilled computer whiz to join the home working ranks? The Edwards and Roberts classified home careers into 3 categories:

1. Tech-Lite Home Careers - which need minimal tech proficiency, if any.
2. Tech-Heavy Home Careers - which need a higher level of tech proficiency because advanced software programs and other high tech pre-requisites are wholly integrated into the business operation.
3. Internet-Based Home Careers - which are wholly reliant on the internet and wouldn't exist without it.

The Opportunity

from the book "The Entrepreneural Parent" by Paul and Sarah Edwards and Lisa M. Roberts

For most of us, driving with the flow of traffic seems like the right thing to do. Step on the gas pedal to pull ahead on a highway and you feel like too much of a risk-taker, tagged for a ticket. Lighten the pressure up on the gas pedal and you feel like you are holding everybody up behind you, then inadequate as others pass yours by. Keeping up, keeping pace is an easier ride. To go with the flow is natural.

But what happens when the flow breaks the recommended speed limit,or when traffic jams and you feel restless and stuck in a line of slow progression? With this new awareness, is keeping pace still the intuitive move to make? At what point do you decide to slow down, speed up, or exit the highway altogether and find a better suited traffic flow for you on an alternate route?

The flow of workplace traffic today is dual income households. After years of drifting the prevalent current, many parents feel stuck in a routine rut that pushes children and parents alike into stifling schedules and a sense of entrapment. Others have grown startlingly aware that the frenetic pace of a full-time, year-round, double income lifestyle may be putting their families at risk of a major emotional "collision." While they certainly hope that won't happen, as the rush of time whips through their daily schedules like a strong and persistent wind, they feel more and more vulnerable, more and more worn down.

With the global economic meltdown lingering over our rooftops, an alternate road becomes too important not to seek. More so with the mass lay offs at once great and formidable companies.
Fortunately, a back road that has been there since early 2000 has been gaining ground. One that is surprisingly close by and getting better paved and better serviced all the time. The travellers of this roads are called "Entrepreneurial Parents".

These are working parents who earn their living at home where they could put the brake on their work time whenever they need to without disrupting anyone else's flow or move full speed ahead when opportunity arises. Above all, they have a resolute need to be in the driver's seat around the clock when it comes to parenting their children. They are designing businesses that will grow no bigger than the walls of their homes can contain, taking control of their careers so their time can stretch and flex around the everyday needs of their families.

The Entrepreneural Parent

I have always wanted to own and run a business. It's probably the creative side of me who wants to see what would my creation (the business) look like. Much like a landscape design when soft and hardscapes has finally connected to form a harmonious, relaxing place to be.

I understand that business is not just about creating an idea and assembling it to become something like a fixture by the corner of Main and Sunset Avenue. therefore I have researched at the Guilford Library and brought home a couple of books that caught my eyes.

One is "The Entrepreneurial Parent" How to Earn Your Living from Home and Still Enjoy Your Family, Your work, and Your Life by Paul and Sarah Edwards with Lisa M. Roberts.

The book attempts to uncover :
1. 101 Family-friendly home business and careers
2. Results from the National Survey of Entrepreneurial Parents
3. Favourite resources of Parents who work at home

It also aims to teach how to:
1. Professionally and financially transition your career home
2. Manage your time for optimum peace and productivity
3. Create work schedule you can live with

The other book that seems to pull my attention to it like a powerful magnet is "Multi-Level Marketing" Understanding Multilevel Sales Programs, Direct Selling, and Pyramids by Michael P. Harden.

I would be heavily relying on this two books for now in my attempt to lay down a guide to creating a successful Homebusiness.

My Car

My car is a 2008 Mazda Tribute GT with the standard 200-hp V6 engine and all-wheel drive system. This is the engine you should get in the Tribute because the 153-hp four-cylinder motor isn’t really powerful enough for this size of vehicle, particularly if equipped with all-wheel drive. Even the V6 seems to be straining a bit when pulling out to pass on the freeway, although it’s a fine motor otherwise. The twin overhead cam, 24-valve V6 engine develops a healthy 200 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 193 lb-ft of torque at 4850 rpm, and it is very responsive off the line, around town, or in mid-range passing. It’s also very quiet and smooth on the freeway. The V6 offers a towing capacity of 1588 kg (3500 lbs) says Greg Wilson of The Canadian Driver.

The GT is the top of the line model with leather seats, heated front seats, an AM/FM six-disc CD changer premium audio system with seven speakers and automatic volume control, power glass moonroof with sunshade, and automatic headlamps. All-wheel drive is standard on the GT.

Interior impressions
The Tribute has large doors and an easy step-in height, but there is a small lip to step over. The driver sits up high and the vehicle’s boxy shape makes it feel roomy even though it’s a compact SUV. The driver has good visibility because of the tall ‘greenhouse’, but the small centre rear head restraint needs to be adjusted to its lowest position to avoid obscuring the rear view. A rear wiper with intermittent settings and rear washer helps keep the rear window clean for better visibility.

The new gauges are easy to read, but at times, I found glare reflecting off of the clear plastic cover. The glare appears to be coming from the front windshield directly above the gauges.
On top of the centre dash is a new digital display showing the radio band/station/CD track and a digital clock. Below it is a new six-disc CD/AM/FM stereo with very large buttons and chunky dials that are easy to see and can be operated while wearing gloves. This premium system feature seven speakers and great sound.

The heater controls below the radio are of a similar chunky design, but unlike in the Ford Escape, dual automatic climate control is not available. As well, a colour touch screen with an optional navigation system is not offered in the Tribute.

Despite the classy cream-coloured panels in the dash and shiny black trim in the centre stack, the overall look of new dash is not as elegant as the previous Tribute’s - however, it is probably easier to see and operate the controls. (Breaking news: the two-tone dash inserts will be discontinued in June, according to Mazda Canada).

At the bottom of the centre stack is a 12-volt powerpoint, an auxiliary input jack, and an open bin for a music player or cell phone. Behind the transmission shift lever are two cupholders and another open storage slot, but the largest storage area is under the centre armrest. This usefully-sized bin has a removeable upper tray, coinholder, slots for CDs, a small tissue box holder and enough room for a camera or other electronic device you want to keep out of sight.

The cabin has loads of headroom even with the sunroof, and legroom is good for front and rear passengers. I found the front seats to be very comfortable with power height and fore-aft adjustment and a manual lumbar adjustment.

The rear seats are split 60/40 for cargo-carrying versatility, but the rear head restraints have to be removed and stored somewhere when the seatbacks are folded down. As well, the process of folding down the rear seatbacks is not a simple one: first you must pull up the seat cushion against the front seat, then remove the head restraints, then fold down the seatback. This provides a load floor length of up to 1681 mm (66.2 in.). With the rear seats up, the load floor is 882 mm (34.7 in.) and 1249 mm (49.2 in.) wide. In total, there is 1877 litres (66.3 cu. ft.) behind the first row seats and 828 litres (29.2 cu. ft.) of cargo space behind the rear seats.

One feature I’ve always liked with Tributes and Escapes is a rear window that opens separately from the hatch. This enables lighter items to be dropped in without having to lift up the rear hatch door.

Driving impressions
The four-speed automatic transmission shifts cleanly and smoothly and responds to throttle input well - but it should be noted that some competitors now have five-speed automatic transmissions. The Tribute’s four-speed features a manual on/off overdrive button on the shift lever for those times when you want to shift into third gear on a hill, or in the city when you don’t want the transmission to shift into fourth.

Fuel consumption ratings for the Tribute GT with all-wheel drive are slightly higher than the FWD model: 12.5 L/100 km city, and 9.1 L/100 km hwy, but fortunately the V6 uses Regular 87 octane gasoline.

Though it’s a tall vehicle with a high ground clearance (216 mm/8.5 in.), the Tribute rides and handles more like a car than a truck due to its fully independent suspension (front MacPherson struts/rear multi-link), wide track, standard Continental ContiTrac 235/70R16-inch all-season radials, and stiff unitbody construction. Additional refinements to the springs and dampers for 2008 have resulted in a more comfortable ride too.

New for 2008 is electric power rack-and-pinion steering which eliminates the power steering pump in order to reduce vibration and save energy. This variable assist steering system provides low effort at parking lot speeds and a firmer feel at higher speeds, and I found it offered a good balance of steering precision and effort.

The Tribute’s all-wheel drive system is an electronically-controlled system that uses an electromagnetic clutch that varies the amount of torque sent to the rear wheels (up to 50%) depending on traction and road conditions. It operates in front-wheel-drive most of the time to save fuel. During my test drive, I barely noticed the transition to AWD from FWD, but that’s exactly the way it should be: combined with standard traction and stability control this system provides traction and stability in slippery conditions automatically so that the driver doesn’t even notice it. Unlike early Tributes however, this model doesn’t have a driver-selectable differential lock for a 50/50 front/rear torque split for low-speed off-road driving.



The Problem
With all the good things that this car brings comes one that is pretty annoying and dangerous.
Annoying in such that the gears seems slow to engage when you want it to and you end up pushing the accelerator down as a reflex reaction and dangerous because once the gears thus engages, and it does it suddenly, the car leaps forward like a bolting horse and I have to scramble to regain control of the wheel.
I brought this problem up with my dealer and after more than two weeks, they told me they had to repair a bulb seal in the transmission as it was leaking. this was when my car was about 7 months old.
I thought everything would have been fine after the dealership fix my car but after a few weeks, I still experience the same problem from time to time. I brought it bact to my dealer but they said they could not find any problem with it. I could not prove it to them because of the fact that the problem doesn't happen often and certainly did not happen when they were testing it.
Now I am stuck with this vehicle will just have to make most of it until I can afford to replace it.