Working from home can be a perfect opportunity for any person looking for a more flexible schedule. Many parents, both moms and dads alike, love the idea of being available for their children when they need to be there. Working from home sure beats driving to and from the office in rush hour; wearing uncomfortable suits, ties and heels; and dealing with the boss.

Finding the right work at home business can be frustrating if you do not know what you are looking for. If you are lucky, you might already have a job where your employer will allow you to take your office to your home. This is an ideal situation for those who are already employed. However, if you are looking for work, or you want to stay at home with the kids, then you may need to look harder to find a home based job. While there are many reputable companies out there looking for people to work from home, there are just as many that are scams.

How do you avoid falling into the trap of a work at home scam? It is not always as easy as it seems. There are many illegitimate companies out there that want to lure you into their trap. They may ask for a large sum of money up front or may promise you that you will earn a large sum of money in a very short amount of time. These are definitely companies that you will need to be aware of before handing over any cash for a business start up.

You can also avoid work at home scams by checking into the Better Business Bureau. If someone has a problem with a certain company, he or she is likely to report that company to the BBB. You can do an easy search on that site to see what kind of complaints have been lodged. This is also a good place to turn if you have been the victim of a work at home scam. You can lodge a complaint so others will know that about the bad experience you have had with a particular company.

Another way to tell whether or not a company is legitimate or not is to find out who the company is before you decide to deal with them. Check around on the company's website to see what kind of contact information they give you. If there is no mailing address (look for a physical street address, not a P.O. Box), then you might want to be cautious. A P.O. box could indicate the company is an unscrupulous fly-by-night operation looking to take your money.

If the company does not offer you customer service options, that could be another red flag warning you to stay away. A good online company that looks for real employees will always be available 24 hours a day to help with questions and concerns you may have while you are working. If there is no contact information, be aware. This may be a scam and you do not want to get involved.

Using the Internet for work can be a wonderful way to stay at home while making some extra money. However, you do need to be extra cautious when starting up one of these businesses. You do not want to be the victim of a work at home scam.