The Online Business Opportunity Junkies

I was trawling through a years worth’s of old Skype messages over the weekend (really must clear that up!) looking for a link someone sent me ages ago. As I trawled and saw all these old messages I was reminded of a pretty weird time in my online journey and struck by the fact that there are many people out there still in that strange place. The online business opportunity junkie’s paradise.

Welcome then to a world populated by strange characters, dreamers, crazy schemes and ideas, scams, and new vocabulary – the world of the opportunity junkie. Like with all addictions, there is a gateway drug of sorts which opens when the online business opportunity virgin types those fateful words – make money online or online business opportunity into a search engine.

For the 50 million people who do this every month, many are lured into this world by the promise of passive incomes, easy money systems and schemes that promise all the usual stuff: Flash cars, boats and a life spent by the pool counting the money that just flows in day by day.

Is there any Hope For the Business Opportunity Junkie?

As my long history of Skype messages and conversations testifies, I dabbled in this world for a short time. Luckily my natural skeptisism and reasonable share of common sense stopped me from being burned financially and more to the point, from being mentally scarred, and bitterly disappointed. It’s now my mission to point these searchers in a better direction.

The schemes and programs that populate the opportunity junkie’s world come in many forms and often sound plausible. They include “clever” investment co-ops where the scheme’s creator poses as an experienced Forex trader who can use some of your money to make bigger profits, which are then shared. Often there is a side benefit on offer such as advertising all the other get rich schemes you are involved with.

Another famous online business opportunity claimed to use your money to provide businesses with short term, high interest loans, which no bank would offer them. Again the profits could be compounded or cashed out as the investor saw fit. The hook in both these ideas is that the junkie sees their virtual profits grow and grow and starts thinking – “if I leave just keep reinvesting my profits I’ll have that car/yacht/house in another 6 months”

The Business Opportunity Guys “Really Are Trying To Make It Work”……

Rarely though does the programme last that long. The rumours start, the scam bloggers start to get aggressive and then the problems with payouts begin as the new money going in starts to dry up. It’s a pattern I’ve seen many times.

Sometimes the payment plan gets changed with an admission that the current plan is not sustainable. That reassures the online business opportunity junkie for a bit longer as it looks like the guys in charge “really are trying to make this work”. Sadly though whether they are or not the inevitable next stage is that the programme shuts down.

Luckily for the opportunity junkie though it’s not long before the next one comes along via the opportunity seeker network. Yes they do exist. On Skype there are rooms dedicated to link exchanges where new opportunities are posted described and promoted.

So really although this thirst for a better way, a new life, an easy solution to the problem of living in a capitalist world is perfectly understandable, with the online business opportunity junkie it’s like any other form of addiction. It blinds them to, or distances them from, reality.

Unlike hard drugs, this form of addiction isn’t going to lead to physical death. It can however lead to chronic disappointment and financial hardship. Whether all these schemes are in fact ponzi schemes or scams or are in fact just ill conceived ideas is kind of irrelevant. The fact is that for the most part they don’t work in a way that’s going to offer a reliable income.

Financial riches, and wonderful lifestyles are entirely possible with an online business but it takes hard work, study and massive action to EARN them. The only people making money online from opportunity addiction are the “pushers” of magic, push button programmes. Real internet marketers don’t use those drugs. They invest in themselves and get a proper education.