There are many work from home businesses you can do to make income from home, one of them is through a network marketing platform. Many people are confused between the legitimate network marketing business and the pyramid scheme.

(Along with this post, I have a quick checklist to help you identify if the opportunity you are considering now is a legitimate network marketing or a pyramid scheme. To get your free resource, simply click here.)

Here is a quick guideline to help you differentiate between the two so that you can make a wise decision of which company to participate in:

Legitimate Network Marketing

Legitimate network marketing companies (also widely known as multilevel marketing) are selling competitive and high-quality products/services that provide a sustainable source of income to their distributors/sellers. Below are some criteria of a legitimate network marketing business:

• Provide accurate information about the company, its products and what one can expect as a seller of the company’s products and services.
• Charge a nominal fee for a starter kit – the median cost for the start-up kit is $99 and usually includes items such as samples, catalogs, order forms and other tools (including competent online tools) that help the seller begin selling.
• Have a product/service that is competitive in the marketplace and is purchased by the ultimate user.
• Require sellers to hold little or no inventory and has a buyback policy to protect against inventory loading.
• Promote consumer protection and guarantees. Many of these are voluntary standards that exceed the requirements of any regulations created by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) or mandated by federal or state law.
• Base compensation primarily on the sale of products and services to the ultimate user. Compensation can be generated from either your own sales or the sales of others you have recruited.
• Take time to describe the business and give potential sellers adequate time to make a decision – any opportunity worth having will be there tomorrow.
• Preferably also a registered member of DSA that is pledged to abide by a strict Code of Ethics that outlines a high set of standards for interactions with both sellers and customers.

Legitimate network marketing companies are selling competitive and high-quality products/services that provide a sustainable source of income. #networkmarketing #legitimatebusiness #workfromhome #homebusiness
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Pyramid Schemes

Pyramid schemes take advantage of and defraud people because they:

• Promise large earnings with little effort.
• Promise that one can earn a substantial income merely for recruiting people into the operation.
• May or may not be a “product” to sell, but if there is it generally has little or no actual value (aka low-quality products)
• Convince people to buy large amounts of inventory which they cannot easily sell to others and is not returnable (this is called “inventory loading”).
• Charge large up-front fees to get involved, with no high-quality products in return. Promoters of pyramid schemes will also try to pressure people to sign up immediately by suggesting the same opportunity will not be available later.
• Base compensation primarily on activity (these payments for recruitment are called “headhunting fees”). Participants are convinced to pay to get involved with the promise of receiving “headhunting fees” when they recruit others.

In a pyramid scheme, money from new participants is used to pay recruiting commissions (that may take any form, including the form of securities) to earlier participants just like how, in classic Ponzi schemes, money from new investors is used to pay fake “profits” to earlier investors.

I hope the above explanation will help you better to differentiate between legitimate network marketing business and pyramid scheme.

In a pyramid scheme, money from new participants is used to pay recruiting commissions to earlier participants. #pyramidscheme #workfromhome
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(Photo by Daria Nepriakhina on Unsplash)

If you are not sure if starting a home business is the right choice for you, or maybe, you are not sure how to choose the right home business, don’t worry.

I have these simple tips and a quick checklist to help you.

To get these free guides, go to the Freebies Page.

Check out the resources below that will help you start a work from home & healthy lifestyle:

1. Work From Home – Learn More Here

We provide online tools, systems, coaching and support to those that appreciate the benefits of working from home. Find out more if you are considering working from home.

2. Motivational Gallery – Click Here

I compile some useful motivational quotes to help you change the way you see things and inspire you to move on in life. You can easily save the images on your Pinterest board or on your mobile.

You may follow me here: Instagram 

Someone else might need these simple tips. If you find this is helpful, simply share it with your friends.
If you have some good tips, just leave your comment below. I would like to hear from you too.

The post How To Differentiate Between Legitimate Network Marketing vs Pyramid Scheme appeared first on Danyelle Tan.

If you are looking for becoming self-employed with whatever skills you are having, or even to turn it into your work from home business, you will definitely need to look for customers or clients.

Besides getting clients from your own existing network, there are also plenty of freelance platforms that you can look into and start expanding your network towards the global stranger market.

Besides getting clients from your own existing network, look into freelance platforms to expand your network towards the global stranger market. #freelance #homebusiness #workfromhome
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Work At Home Freelance Platforms

Below are some of the recommended platforms. Some are only available for certain countries or regions.

1. Freelancer

If you have a competitive streak and love proving your skills, Freelancer features competitions that allow you to compete with other freelancers in contests to prove your skills. With millions of projects posted, winning a contest is a great way to get your name out there as a top freelancer and attract more clients.

2. Upwork

In 2014, two leading freelance networks, Elance and oDesk, merged to form Upwork, which is now the largest network for freelancers by a long shot. The Upwork platform has been used by over 9 million freelancers. It accommodates both short- and long-term projects, hourly or per-project work and expert-level and entry-level engagements. Regardless of where you are in your career, Upwork is likely to have something for you.

3. Toptal

Toptal is a freelance network of elite software engineers and digital designers from over 100 countries around the world. The company’s screening process weeds out all but the top 3 percent of talent in multiple categories, which means that once accepted, you’ll join an exclusive community of experts.

Toptal lets you decide if you want to work hourly, part-time or full time, and you set your own rates so you’ll never be stuck in a bidding war. What’s perhaps best for freelancers is that Toptal also screens clients — and works with top companies like AirBnB, IDEO and JP Morgan — so you’ll always have a steady supply of interesting projects and clients who appreciate the value of your work.

4. Craigslist

Although most people see Craigslist as just a platform for buying and selling miscellaneous things, it’s actually a great source of freelance jobs. You can easily browse for local offerings if you prefer something in-office, or you can search by major cities if you prefer working remotely.

5. 99 Designs

As its name suggests, the 99 Designs platform is exclusively for designers. It lets you compete in design contests and get feedback as clients choose the best ones.

Rather than browse through a catalog of portfolios and résumés, clients are prompted to crowdsource their projects, setting a budget and giving instructions, then letting designers submit work based on the project brief. At the end of a week, the client chooses the best design, and that designer gets paid. This is a great site for designers looking to really test their talents and shake up their workflow.

6. Guru

Guru keeps you engaged and makes freelancing easy. The Guru Work Room is great for keeping track of your commitments and work hours, and their daily job matches make sure that you stay up to date with the latest great opportunities. It features many types of work, including management and finance, legal services, and more.

7. Freelance Writing Gigs

Freelance Writing Gigs is an excellent option for editors, writers and bloggers. The offerings vary from technical writing positions to writing about recipes, photography, and healthcare, making it a great site for writers interested in testing their hand at different types of professional writing.

8. LinkedIn Profinder

With over 420 million members in over 200 countries, LinkedIn is indisputably the go-to place for learning about all things job-related. Recently, LinkedIn decided to begin its foray into the freelance economy by quietly launching LinkedIn Profinder, which is helping freelance professionals find their next job.

Because of its enormous amount of user data, LinkedIn is able to quickly connect freelancers with strong leads based on their keyword searches and companies followed. Profinder is a great option for expert professionals in countless fields.

10. College Recruiter

As the name might suggest, College Recruiter is for college students or recent graduates looking for freelance jobs of any type. In addition to being a source for part-time work, it can be a great way to jumpstart your career.

11. Fiverr

Fiverr is a marketplace that would provide a two-sided platform for people to buy and sell a variety of digital services typically offered by freelance contractors. Services offered on the site include writing, translation, graphic design, video editing, and programming. Fiverr’s services start at $5, which is what the company’s name is based on and can go up to thousands of dollars with Gig Extras. Each service offered is called a “Gig”. If you are new and not yet having a great reputation with your skills, you can always start with Fiverr and build your name brand from there.

12. SimplyHired

SimplyHired has millions of job postings in an extremely wide range of categories. With postings ranging from personal care to building maintenance, it’s sure to have something for people with almost any skill set. It makes it easy to be selective about which jobs you take, with easy location-based search and a company directory.

(Photo credit: Paige Cody on Unsplash)

If you are not sure if starting a home business is the right choice for you, or maybe, you are not sure how to choose the right home business, don’t worry.

I have these simple tips and a quick checklist to help you.

To get these free guides, go to the Freebies Page.

Check out the resources below that will help you start a work from home & healthy lifestyle:

1. Work From Home – Learn More Here

We provide online tools, systems, coaching and support to those that appreciate the benefits of working from home. Find out more if you are considering working from home.

2. Motivational Gallery – Click Here

I compile some useful motivational quotes to help you change the way you see things and inspire you to move on in life. You can easily save the images into your Pinterest board or to your mobile.

You may follow me here: Instagram 

Someone else might need these simple tips. If you find this is helpful, simply share it with your friends.
If you have some good tips, just leave your comment below. I would like to hear from you too.

The post 12 Recommended Work At Home Freelance Platforms appeared first on Danyelle Tan.

If you are a stay-at-home mom (or dad) just like me, and hoping to kick start an entrepreneurial dream or simply looking to bring in some extra income by working from home, here are some ideas for you.

10 Work From Home Ideas for Stay-at-Home Mom (or Dad)

Most stay-at-home moms or dads are highly educated and are having their own skill sets. Why not use it to start earning from home? Here is some work from home ideas from stay-at-home moms and dads.

1. Freelancing

You can start freelancing with whatever skills you are having. It could be writing, web design, marketing, tax advisor, photography and many more. Think creatively or find out what is your passion, and that could be your freelancing options.  Freelancing is ideal for many people due to its’ flexibility and freedom, and it can be started with little cost or paperwork.

You can get started by approaching your former employer or customer who could benefit from your services, then branch out as your reputation grows. Alternatively, you may also get started through freelancer platforms such as Fiverr, Freelancer, Upwork and many more.

Freelancing does have its challenges and requires discipline – you are running a business after all. One disadvantage of freelancing is that you still have deadline commitment despite the time flexibility you are having. Most of the time, your freelancing required a lot of your time and focus to bring in the active income. In most cases, freelancing will not be able to generate passive income.

2. Make Money from Blogging

Yes, you can make money by blogging. I follow several stay-at-home moms who happen to be fashion and style bloggers – and it’s their business. If you can write and have a passion for a specific topic or hobby that you know will attract some attention, then this might be for you. You can start blogging by using Blogger. If you are more advance, you can even use WordPress as it offers more features and plugins.

How to generate income through your blog? It can be from affiliate marketing and advertising on your website, or from companies who ask you to review and blog about their products.

The only challenge is you need to look for ways to generate online traffic to your website through social media, search engine optimization, email marketing and buy traffic.

3. Become a Virtual Assistant

Virtual assistants (VAs) provide a wide range of “virtual” services to other businesses including administrative, marketing and technical support from a home office. My business mentor, for example, uses a VA to answer his calls, reply to email and manage his calendar while he’s busy in creating more entrepreneurial projects. As many firms start to cut costs and outsource administrative functions, VAs are growing in popularity nowadays. If you are organized and have an administrative background, this might be for you. Similar to freelancing, you can always start with your former employer or your own connections. And of course, in most cases, this will not be able to generate passive income too.

4. Wedding Planner or Bridal Consultant

Couples are marrying later than ever, after having spent years as working singles, getting advanced degrees, or living together. They have the funds to splurge on lavish weddings. This means great earning potential for wedding planners. You will need a working knowledge of what goes into planning a wedding, including resources and price ranges for everything from invitations to musicians.

The only challenge is this is a very time-consuming job and you need to be patient in handling customer service issues because most couples would probably make many requests wanting the best outcome for their wedding.

5. Start a Creative Business

I have friends that are making handmade soap and birthday cards for sales. Some of my friends are offering interior design consultation services. If you have a creative streak and the room to store and create, then why not consider making money out of your talents? Your job now is to get to know the market and do some planning to identify an untapped niche.

While it can be fulfilling doing what you like, the active income can be relatively low and not in proportion to the amount of time being spent.

6. Start a Home-Based Bakery or Food Business

Many stay-at-home-moms are passionate about cooking and bakery. If this is your passion too, why not turn it into your part-time business? This is an active income business that requires your time and effort. If you are not looking into generating passive income, then this can be a good option for you.

7. Becoming a Baby Sitter or Nanny

While staying at home taking care of your own kids, why not consider becoming a babysitter or nanny? This business offers a potentially lucrative and long-lasting business opportunity. A home environment is often appealing to parents and once their kids are settled (and assuming you are doing a great job), then it’s likely you’ll have that business until they are old enough not to need care.

The only challenge is you need to have good physical strength and time management to handle the different needs and attention of each kid you are taking care of.

8. Becoming a Music Teacher

Music is an important part of early childhood development. Market your musical skills at daycares, kindergartens and preschools. Call day-care directors, school principals and teachers. Sometimes you may have to schedule a free first performance to get paid for ensuing performances. They like to see how the kids interact with your music before scheduling you on a regular basis.

9. Start an Online Marketplace Store

If you have clutter that you want to get rid of and like the idea of selling products to an established worldwide network of consumers, consider starting a business on eBay, Etsy or Amazon. You can source products to sell from junk/yard sales or charity shops.

10. Start Your Own Network Marketing Organization

If you like the idea of building long term lucrative passive income, you can start with building your own network marketing organization. While this is home-based with relatively low cost, the business can be expanded worldwide. Most of the network marketing company provides a set of marketing tools and free coaching to help you get started.

The time and location are totally flexible, and the best part is that you do not have deadline commitments like freelancing.

Make sure to choose the right company that is having solid good products because this is very crucial to help you sustain your income. Be very careful not to involve in an illegal pyramid scheme. You may read my blog here to understand the difference between a legitimate network marketing business vs illegal pyramid scheme.

Personally, I like this business model the most because it is low cost with scale-able income compared with other business models. You may click here to find out 9 important criteria in choosing your home-based business model as your side hustle.

If you like to build long term lucrative passive income with network marketing, make sure to choose the right company that is having solid good products. #workfromhome #homebusinesstips #stayathomemom #stayathomedad #networkmarketing
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(Photo Credit: Unsplash)

If you are not sure if starting a home business is the right choice for you, or maybe, you are not sure how to choose the right home business, don’t worry.

I have these simple tips and a quick checklist to help you.

To get these free guides, go to the Freebies Page.

Check out the resources below that will help you start a work from home & healthy lifestyle:

1. Work From Home – Learn More Here

We provide online tools, systems, coaching and support to those that appreciate the benefits of working from home. Find out more if you are considering working from home.

2. Motivational Gallery – Click Here

I compile some useful motivational quotes to help you change the way you see things and inspire you to move on in life. You can easily save the images on your Pinterest board or on your mobile.

You may follow me here: Instagram 

Someone else might need these simple tips. If you find this is helpful, simply share it with your friends.
If you have some good tips, just leave your comment below. I would like to hear from you too.

The post 10 Work From Home Ideas for Stay-at-Home Mom (or Dad) appeared first on Danyelle Tan.