So you've decided you want to work from home, and you've signed up for a few of those 'Business Opportunity' mailing lists. Every day there are interesting-looking possibilities turning up in your email inbox... but how can you tell the 'real McCoys' from the 'get-rich-quick' scams that are proliferating all over the Internet?

I've got some ideas about that, and I may be able to save you some grief if I pass them directly on to you...

1. Is the business opportunity based on a tangible product or service? Many online opportunities are simply based on signing up as many recruits as possible, without consideration for a viable product line.

Yet real opportunities exist online to build a business selling everything from children's toys to ebooks to health care products. If the product figures prominently in the company information, is it a product that will sell, to folks who will buy it? That may sound silly, but it bears thinking about -- Elvis CDs may not be such a great idea anymore, while nutritional supplements, for example, are a hot item right now.

2. Is there plenty of company support or training to back up whatever effort you are expected to make to sell the product or service? In other words, does the company offer you, as a representative, free web space, a free company based email address, autoresponders, sales leads or any other kinds of sales support?

If you have to set these all up yourself, it can be time consuming, confusing and expensive to get started.

3. Is there a way provided for you to connect with other company representatives to share information, sales tips, or success stories - for example, message areas, bulletin boards, or an email discussion list? Successful online businesses know that they need to keep their independent consultants connected - to the business, and to one another.

4. Are you offered any 'offline' tools - business cards, product information brochures, or catalogues, for example?

5. Is there an accessible customer service department for representatives to be able to ask questions, get product information, or track their orders?

These are all questions to ask yourself to evaluate potential money-making business opportunities on the Internet. There's lots of them 'out there,' but make sure you do your homework first before you jump in to anything you may later regret. Reputable businesses who are looking for legitimate sales consultants to work independently won't object to you researching to determine, first and foremost, if the company will be there for you -- or just leave you to your own resources in 'Never-Never-Net-Land.

About the author: Violet Bartholomew did her research to find an online business opportunity that had 'all the right stuff.' Find out by visiting http://www.mystreamline.com/?ref=2091418VB