Do you want to make money online? Unless you have some insider advice or a great mentor, it can be very challenging to decipher all the offers and opportunities out there. I call it getting lost down the Internet rabbit hole.

If you are anything like me, every day youll have an in-box full of emails telling you about the latest and greatest ways to make money and get rich on the Internet. Ive been in the home business industry for several years, and have found businesses that work and many that dont. Once I decided that the Internet was a fantastic environment to develop my business and make money, I began to do some research. So I read a lot, joined many business opportunities and purchased a lot of systems and tools.

I found an enormous number of so-called Guru packages that claim to show you the system, the secret, the one way to make money in home business and make you successful. There are launches of new systems and products everyday, all with the promise of quick and easy ways to make money.

If you are like me, youll find that it gets to the point where you are really suffering from information overload, too many products, too many e-books too much software, and all those audios. Have you found that you have even forgotten what you have already purchased? Yet you are still looking for the perfect home business. Because you know that there must be a way for you to make money working at home.

Now dont get me wrong. There are heaps of people who make money online from many home business programs. And many are legitimate. But some really should be avoided.

Here are some tips on what to do to help you avoid being scammed.

First, make sure that the business is being offered by a legitimate company. This is easy to check see if you can phone them and that they have a real mail address. Do a Google search on the business name and the person involved, and check out related websites and forums. Also search for complaints. It is well worth spending some time researching.

Check how long this business has been running. You really want something that is established. There are heaps of start-ups, and of course their selling point is get in now with a ground floor opportunity and make money online faster. The truth is that 95% of these startups fail some very quickly, some after a year or so. And when they fall over, your business falls over too. So unless you are willing to risk your money and a lot of your effort, it is best to steer clear of startups.

There are a few types of home business that are suspect: these include home craft, stuffing envelopes, and typing at home. It appears that after paying the joining fee, no real work at home is actually available.

An obvious type to avoid is the pyramid scheme this is where you pay a fee for nothing of value, and get others to do the same, with a promise that you will make money. You may have seen these on and off the Internet. The point about these schemes is that they are illegal, and are not legitimate forms of making money in home business.

My research has let me to a conclusion and some advice. Do some research on the home business opportunity you are looking at. Avoid the pitfalls I have mentioned above.

Make sure you are getting something of value for the investment that is required.

And then focus to make sure that you make money with your own home business.

Janet Ellershaw

With a little effort, the right online coupons can save you a lot of money. There are several wonderful websites that offer online coupons for major stores online. Some of the biggest retailers distribute coupons to their affiliates, which pass the savings on to the online consumer.

It is worth the time to search through these coupon sites to find the best deal, depending upon what it is the buyer is looking for. Get free shipping, a percent of your online purchase off, spend a certain amount of money, and get a certain amount off of your purchase, free items with purchase, and many sites offer printable grocery coupons as an added bonus. The savings can be substantial, and the smart shopper will come away feeling great!

It might be easy to go directly to the retailer, and buy what you are looking for, but invest a little time, and your savings can be substantial. Take note of those coupon codes, click on the links, and find what you need. With the money you save, you can buy additional items. No need to find a parking space, or battle the mall shoppers. With the holidays coming, its nice to know that online shopping can save both time and money.

Carmen Wilson is the content manager for two excellent coupon sites, http://www.shoppergirlsplace.com and http://www.couponbeauty.com . Shopper Girls Coupon Place is dedicated to all things shopping, with many large retailers' coupons and sales. The Coupon Beauty site offers discounts, and coupons for bath and beauty items.