Money Problems? Consider A Viable Home Business

Lots of folks find themselves trapped in what might be called a "Time and Money Bind." That is, they work day after day at their dead-end job, making barely enough to pay their bills. All the while they dream of having their own business, working for themselves, and having the hope of a better life.

But the "Bind" they're in is, they desperately need their jobs to pay the bills, and their jobs just don't allow them the free time necessary to get a business going.

Quitting their current job would be "financial suicide" because there's no possible way they can start a new business that will be profitable from the very beginning..Countless folks suffer from the problem of what might be called a "Time/Money Trap." That is, they're trapped in a job that demands nearly all of their time and energy, but that barely pays the bills (if that). They long for a chance to break out of the trap and start their own business.

But it takes time and energy to start a business ... time and energy they just don't have, precisely because their dead-end job demands too much. But quitting that job just isn't an option because without it, the bills won't get paid.

It's a dilemma for which there appears no way out!


The answer is to find a business opportunity that meets the following criteria:

* A business that can be started in one's spare time and carried out at his own pace

* One that requires a minimum of start-up capital

* One that can begin showing a profit relatively quickly

* Above all else, one that allow the person to maintain his present employment until he's financially secure enough to resign

In brief, a business opportunity that allows the entrepreneur to start small, and keep his job for the time being until he's earning as much or more money as his current job pays. When his new business in bringing in enough income to pay his bills, he can then quit his job and devote full time to his new venture.


While there are doubtless a number of opportunities that meet these criteria, at this time we'll be discussing one possible path to the goal.

One of the very best choices in this regard is the business of Credit Repair, and for good reason! To begin with, it can be a very lucrative business. In fact, there are credit repair agencies that charge from around $795 up to $2,000 or more for their services. Some attorneys will even charge as much as $5,000.

So, as you can see, there's the potential here to make a very good living indeed!

But even though agencies and attorneys charge a great deal of money, there's nothing they do that you can't do yourself. Best of all, you can start with very little money and do it part time while maintaining your current job.

Depending on which state you live in, you may need a license and may be required to be bonded. But you DON'T need to be an attorney, nor do you need any prior experience. Credit repair is easy to learn and easy to do, and with nearly 1 out of every 3 Americans having some kind of credit problems, you'll likely have no trouble finding clients, so you can begin making money in a relatively short time.


A full explanation of the credit repair process would require several pages. But a brief overview is adequate to explain the basic steps involved in the process.

1. Your client gets a copy of his credit report from http://www.annualcreditreport.com. Actually, he'll get 3 reports ... one from each of the major credit bureaus (TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian).

2. After going over the credit reports with your client, you'll identify information in his reports that is current hurting his credit score.

3. You'll dispute that information by writing letters to each of the 3 bureaus. Under the "Fair Credit Reporting Act" passed by Congress to protect consumers, the bureaus have 30 days to either verify or remove disputed information.

4. In about 30 days or so, your client will receive a reply and updated credit report from each of the bureaus. Then you just keep repeating the process until all negative information has been either verified or corrected.

So as you can see, just about anyone can do this. You don't need to be a lawyer or have an expensive college degree to make a very lucrative living repairing credit.


To get started you'll need to do the following:

First get a good book on credit repair and learn it thoroughly. Don't worry, it's not that complicated, but you do want to be well prepared when you start recruiting clients.

Secondly, find a copy of the "Credit Repair Organizations Act" and familiarize yourself with the laws governing the service you'll be performing.

And while you're doing all this, don't forget ... you can learn at your own pace while you continue with your present job. And when you're ready to start recruiting clients, take on only as many as your spare time allows, until you're making enough money to quit your job.

When you've reached that point, the sky's the limit!

You can grow this business as much as you want to. You might be content making enough for a comfortable living while allowing yourself more leisure time than you previously had (before quitting your job). Or you might want to work full time and earn more.

Finally, if you're really ambitious, you might at some point have more clients than you can handle on your own, and have to hire outside help. While hiring employees presents its own set of problems, it enables you to grow your business beyond what you could working by yourself. And eventually, you could delegate all the "leg work" to others, and spend only as much time as you need to manage your employees.

But however far you grow your business, one thing is for sure. You'll never miss working for someone else while in a low paying, dead-end job!



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About the Author

Jim Eastman is support contact for CreditRepairBiz.com. Credit Repair is a realistic and easy-to-learn business well suited to the Entrepreneur. To learn how to earn money in a Credit Repair Business visit CreditRepairBiz.com and sign up for a free mini-course.

(c) 2006 This article may be freely reprinted provided it is kept intact “as is” including this notice and the resource box. It may not be modified in any way.

A Home Business That’s Both Realistic And Very Lucrative

The problem with most every home business is it’s either too expensive to set up, takes too long to begin showing a profit, or the “learning curve” is just too difficult or too time consuming for the average person.

Even worse, a lot of offers related to home business that you find in magazines, your mail, and on the Internet are outright rip-offs. That’s not to say they take your money and don’t deliver the product. They deliver the product all right; it’s the product that doesn’t deliver. Why? Because the home business “program” was designed to make money for the vendor, NOT the purchaser.

But there are ways to make money in a home business that are realistic, don’t cost an arm and a leg, and can be quickly learned with just a little time and effort. The business of Credit Repair is one such business.

Now the very name “Credit Repair” may sound intimidating to some, probably because there are high priced agencies and attorneys who practice it and charge thousands of dollars for their services. But that doesn’t mean they do anything the average person can’t do himself, given the proper knowledge. Nor does it mean credit repair can’t be done as a home business, rather than from an office with dozens of employees.

Before we continue, some explanation is in order. To start with, there are 3 major agencies in the United States who keep records of the credit histories of hundreds of thousands of Americans. These agencies are called “Credit Bureaus” and their names are Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. They’re private agencies, have no connection with the US (or any) government, and are a billion dollar a year industry.

Do you want to take out a mortgage? Your lender will be checking your credit history with one or more of the credit bureaus. And once you get your loan, he’ll be reporting your payment history to the agency as well. And based on the information in the credit bureaus’ records, you’ll be assigned a “credit score” that lenders look at to determine your credit worthiness.

The business of credit repair involves contacting the bureaus in an attempt to improve a client’s (or your own) credit score. The process really isn’t that difficult, and involves a few simple steps.

1. Have the client get a copy of his credit report from each of the 3 bureaus. This can easily be done online at http://www.annualcreditreport.com

2. Write letters to each of the 3 bureaus and dispute negative information on the credit reports.

By law, the bureaus then have 30 days to verify the disputed information with the original creditor, or they must delete it. They must then report their findings to the consumer, and also send a copy of the revised credit report.

3. When the credit bureaus respond, examine the revised reports and continue to dispute additional negative items.

You may be thinking “So is that it?” Well, while this explanation may be a bit oversimplified, generally speaking, the answer is “Yes, that’s it!”

If you perform credit repair for pay, there are some legal matters you need to deal with to avoid running afoul of the law. For instance, some states require you to be bonded or licensed. You’re also required to inform clients of their legal rights, and to give them 3 days to rescind their decision should they decide to accept your services.

But these steps aren’t anything you can’t do as a home business entrepreneur. They’re intended to protect the consumer, and in general, are good practices that any ethical business person should be following anyway.

So if it’s that simple, why do agencies charge thousands of dollars for their services? Very simply, because they can get away with it! Most people just aren’t aware of how uncomplicated the process is, or would ever believe they can do it themselves.

Now if you’re looking to start a home business that will make you rich overnight without any effort, then credit repair isn’t for you. But then, neither is anything else. You’d do better to embrace more realistic expectation, or you’ll be forever wasting your money on the home business “programs” we mentioned earlier.

But if you’re willing to invest some time and effort in a realistic home business, you might want to take a closer look at credit repair. Compared to just about every other home business it has all the advantages. It’s one of the easiest to learn, least expensive and quickest to start up, there’s a huge demand (nearly 1 of every 3 Americans have some credit problems), and you can make some very, very good money. You can also choose to do it part time or full time. The choice is entirely yours.

To get started, you’ll need to do two things.

1. Get a good book on the process of credit repair and spend a little time familiarizing yourself with the process.

2. Do some research into the laws pertaining to credit reporting and credit repair companies, specifically, the “Fair Credit Reporting Act” and the “Credit Repair Organizations Act.”

Both can be researched online.

Finally, once you’ve launched your home business and begun repairing people’s credit, you’ll have the good feeling of knowing you’re helping people in need. And you can charge them way less than the big agencies and STILL make an extraordinarily good living. That’s a win-win situation for everyone … EXCEPT the credit bureaus and overpriced repair agencies.

Gives you a good feeling, doesn’t it?


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About the Author

Jim Eastman is support contact for CreditRepairBiz.com. Credit Repair is a realistic and
easy-to-learn business well suited to the Small Business Entrepreneur. Visit CreditRepairBiz.com and sign up for a free mini-course.

(c) 2006 This article may be freely reprinted provided it is kept intact “as is” including this notice and the resource box. It may not be modified in any way.

Home Business -- How to Find One That Works

If you’ve done any inquiring about a viable home business, you’ve no doubt found your mailbox and email inbox overflowing with various offers. The numbers seem literally endless. A search for “home business” on Google alone will turn up about 2.44 billion (that’s “billion” with a “B”) hits!

If you’ve spent any significant time trying out different offers, you’ve also discovered that nearly all of them, for one reason or another, just aren’t viable options. Many are outright scams. Envelope stuffing schemes are a prime example. Others are legitimate (sort of), but their claims are always overblown. They’re never as fast, as easy, or as profitable as you’re told they are.

Many just plain don’t work! For example, you’re offered one or more “free” websites and told you can drive traffic using free online classifieds. Ever tried this one? Place all the free classifieds you want, but you won’t get a single order. You WILL however, get loads of spam. And the “free” websites costs you monthly hosting fees paid to (you guessed it!) the vendor from whom you bought the program.

So who’s really making money here? You’ve probably figured it out by now. In almost every case, the only people who really make any money are those making the “work at home” offers. You’re left discouraged, frustrated, and poorer than when you started.

But while the search can be very disheartening, it’s not hopeless. There ARE some legitimate home business opportunities, and there ARE ways to make money, even very good money, working from home.

Now whatever you do, don’t just give up on your search. But you do need to develop a sense for what’s obviously over-hyped and what’s worthy of further investigation.

Continue your search while keeping the following guidelines in mind.


1. The “We do all the work for you!” deception.


Anytime you see an offer that promises instant riches with no effort on your part, you’d be well advised to run the other way! You need to realize up front that absolutely nothing is going to make money for you unless you’re willing to put forth some effort.

You’ve probably seen statements like “Everything is done for you” or “The lazy man’s way to becoming a millionaire.” So ask yourself “What do they need ME for anyway?” Would anybody set up a business and do all the hard work himself just to send his profits to a total stranger? Get real!


2. The “Start making BIG money immediately” deception.

In some cases it’s possible to start making SOME money in a relatively short time span. You shouldn’t necessarily dismiss a business idea that promises quick startup. But “immediate riches” is just not realistic.

You need to realize that growing any business to its full potential isn’t going to happen overnight. This is especially true if your financial situation is such that you’re forced to depend on your present job to pay the bills.

Find a home business that you can start part time and grow, until your business produces enough income that you can get by without your current salary. At that point, you can quit your job and devote full time to your home business.


3. The “Make $50,475.00 (or some other unbelievable sum) the very first month!” deception.

You need to have realistic expectations regarding just how much money you’re going to make.

Are you expecting to become a millionaire in a home business? While it’s not impossible, don’t fall into the trap of jumping at an offer based on wishful thinking. You’d do well to give more serious consideration to those home business offers that make more realistic sounding claims.

That’s not to say you can’t start and grow a business that COULD eventually make you wealthy. But again, it won’t happen tomorrow, next week, or even next month. At the risk of being redundant, it bears repeating that you should focus on offers that don’t promise immediate wealth with no effort.


4. The “This is completely FREE” deception.

While it’s possible and not at all unusual to get free information online that’s both valuable and useful, don’t expect to launch a home business without spending any money. There will always be some startup costs.

If you’re offered a free eBook, newsletter, course, software product, or whatever, go ahead and accept it if it interests you. Most such offers are legitimate, and are a great way to get some ideas and do some research into a home business.

Just make sure you read all the fine print. If you subscribe for information and give your email address, look for a notice that reads something like “We will not share your name” and “You can unsubscribe at anytime.” Just about every legitimate marketer (and every smart one) will promise this, and faithfully adhere to his promise.


5. The deceptive “Money Back Guarantee”

Almost every offer comes with a “money back guarantee” and most of them are legitimate. Every reputable business person knows that failure to honor his or her promise regarding a guarantee (or anything else for that matter) will inevitably result in failure of his business.

Nevertheless, there are a few who engage in deceptive practices regarding their guarantee. Always take a close look at the wording. Is the guarantee conditional? For instance, does it read something to the effect of “Follow the instructions in our program for 3 full months, and if it doesn’t live up to our promises, just return it for a full refund!”

The catch is that “Follow the instructions in our program” could well involve some kind of purchase or investment. For example, you might purchase a mail order program that instructs you to buy a minimum of 3 mailing lists and send 3 mailings. Let’s say that you give it a try and find out after the first mailing that your profits (if any) fall far short of your expenses and you’ve lost money, maybe even a LOT of money.

But when you attempt to return the program for a refund, you’re told that you’re ineligible because “You didn’t follow the instructions in our program" which would have meant 2 additional mailings and the loss of even more money, maybe more than you paid for the program to begin with!

Another sneaky and extremely unethical trick you may run across is a guarantee in which the “conditions” are never mentioned up front, but only revealed AFTER you’ve make a purchase. If you come across this type of scam, contact the vendor and remind him that you purchased his program expecting him to honor the guarantee as it was stated in the offer.

Tell him you’re going to file a complaint with his local Better Business Bureau, another with the US Postal Service (if your program was sent by mail) or take other appropriate legal action. Give him a reasonable time frame to refund your purchase. Then if he still refuses TAKE ACTION and make good on your threats! You’ll be doing a favor not only for yourself, but for other consumers AND for all the honest business people everywhere.

In summary, make sure there IS a guarantee, that it’s unconditional, and don’t let the vendor get away with adding “conditions” after the fact.


6. Follow your passion.

You’d be making a huge mistake selecting a home business that doesn’t take into account your personal interests. No matter how realistic, how profitable, how easy, or how quickly you can start it up, you’re unlikely to be successful in any home business if you’re doing something you just don’t enjoy.

The reason? As stated above, success will demand both your time and effort. But to a large extent, how MUCH time and how MUCH effort you’re putting forth is a matter of perception.

Everyone knows how quickly time passes when you’re having fun, and how slowly when you’re doing something you consider drudgery. The same is true of effort. Work just doesn’t seem as much like work when you’re task is something you like doing.

If your home business is something that doesn’t really interest you, the demands on your time and energy will sooner or later seem unbearable. Your enthusiasm will falter, and with it, your productivity. Even if you encounter some short term success, your waning eagerness will eventually spell doom for your business.


It’s the nature of us humans to tend to believe those who tell us what we most want to hear, whether they be politicians, marketers, or whoever. Anytime you’re presented with an attractive offer, ask yourself “Is this really believable based on the offer itself?” To put it another way, try and imagine you were someone else who had no interest in starting your own home business. Would you find the offer believable enough to suggest it to someone who did?

In conclusion, when determining whether to pursue any home business offer, examine critically not only the offer itself, but your own emotional involvement as well! Try to look at it dispassionately and ask yourself “Does it really sound realistic, or do I just want it to?”

And remember that you have literally billions of offers from which to pick, so you can well afford to pass on any that don’t fit your interest, or that make outrageous claims that are most certainly unrealistic!

About the Author

Jim Eastman is support contact for CreditRepairBiz.com. Easy-to-learn and inexpensive to start, credit repair is one of the more realistic home Business Opportunities. Visit CreditRepairBiz.com and sign up for a free mini-course.

(c) 2006 This article may be freely reprinted provided it is kept intact “as is” including this notice and the resource box. It may not be modified in any way.