# Home-Based Internet Business Opportunities **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2005, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-based-internet-business-opportunities/302736 "2005-05-06T19:32:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drmark2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@drmark2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drmark2000)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-based-internet-business-opportunities/302736/1 "2005-05-06T19:32:44Z")
I am looking into some of these advertised, home-based, internet businesses, including (and I hope I am not committing some infraction here), 16Work, Golden Keys, and 1st-PC. All advertised on TV, all somewhat enigmatic on their websites as to what exactly is involved; that is, without filling out information to have someone contact you. I know, I know. Easy to spot as scams, right? But if they are, how are they scams? And if they aren’t, how do they work? How is one really supposed to get up to a $5000/mo. income in just a few months? Finally, are there any home-based internet businesses that one really can make, say, a $50,000/yr. income, preferably more? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-based-internet-business-opportunities/302736/2 "2005-05-06T20:49:50Z")
> [@drmark2000](#): > > How is one really supposed to get up to a $5000/mo. income in just a few months? You aren’t; they’re _lying_ to you. > [@drmark2000](#): > > are there any home-based internet businesses that one really can make, say, a $50,000/yr. income, preferably more? If you’re asking whether or not a person can make $50,000/yr with some kind of business that involves the internet, then I suppose the answer is “Yes.” But if you’re referring to the “business opportunities” advertised on TV and the internet, then the answer is “No.” _Ignore_ “home-based business” advertisements; they’re only out to rip you off. Instead, you need to **develop some real skills that people are willing to pay for**. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-based-internet-business-opportunities/302736/3 "2005-05-06T20:57:53Z")
You mean people won’t be willing to pay me $50,000/yr to sit on my ass and surf the net all day long? Damn, all that skill developing for the past two months of unemployment for nothing. ---
**Author:** ![ccwaterback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@ccwaterback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ccwaterback)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-based-internet-business-opportunities/302736/4 "2005-05-07T01:03:13Z")
One scam I investigated requires you to try to spam everyone in the universe and encourage your spammees to do the same. You get a very small fee for every spam you send, and then an even smaller fee for every spam that is spammed by the spammees you spammed, and then an even smaller fee for every spam your spamees spam is spammed by their spamees, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/home-based-internet-business-opportunities/302736/5 "2005-05-09T15:18:07Z")
> [@Amp](#): > > You mean people won’t be willing to pay me $50,000/yr to sit on my ass and surf the net all day long? Some folks do get that much. The question is, are you hot, are you willing to sit naked in front of your computer for everyone with a credit card to see, and do you take requests?