PLEASE BEWARE:

As a business owner, I know very well how challenging it is to get the word out about your business. The challenge can sometimes be overwhelming. For many business owners, they to marketing agencies so that they can hand off the responsibility of spreading the word. Unfortunately, because every owner wants their business to be a success, it has created a opportunity for scammers to take advantage of your zeal to be successful. According to the BBB Scam Tracker, numerous reports are filed across the US about false businesses deceiving small business owners into joining their agencies. The promises are made of what the marketing agency will do but the job never gets done. Even though you may have already paid for the services, you get nothing.

Some scammers have become very convincing. They develop very professional looking web pages and landing pages to draw you into their service. Some of the scams are so good that it is difficult to know if it is legitimate or not. Here is how you identify them:

1. Before you agree to do business with any company, research them carefully. Never be in a rush to connect with a company. The urgent desire to get someone on top of your marketing can lead to your detriment. Take your time and dig into the company before you agree to anything.

2. Review their contact data. The company may have a social media page and a very nice website, however, if you cannot contact them by phone, that is a read flag. Any legitimate business has a means by which you can reach them by phone. If a number is posted on the site or social media page, call the number to make sure that it is service.

3. Check the references. If the company has references available, please reach out to them to obtain information on what the experience was like for the references listed.

4. Payment methods. Any company insisting on payments through wire transfers, debit cards or gift cards are concerning. It is best to pay with a credit card. Using a credit card is the safest method because if a problem comes up down the road, you can always dispute the charges and have the bank investigate the situation.

I hope that this will help someone avoid the problems associated with scammers.

Good luck!!!