-
Step 1
Know about scams. Many advertisements you see to make money stuffing envelopes from home are scams. They require you to send money for various reasons, whether it is to pay for a starter kit or to pay a processing fee. Then to make money, you must advertise by placing the same ad you responded through such venues as the mail or newspaper. With this kind of scheme, you don't actually make money from stuffing envelopes, but rather when someone else stuffs an envelope of money responding to your ad. (See Resources for Federal Trade Commission article.)
-
Step 2
Ask appropriate questions. There may be legitimate businesses hiring people to mail things from home. If you decide to pursue a job listing or advertisement for stuffing envelopes, you should ask the following questions: How are your earnings decided and who will pay you? What will be your duties? What is the total cost for everything to get started and are there any additional costs like membership fees? If you do not like the answers or if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is a scam.
-
Step 3
Investigate any potential job opportunities with the Better Business Bureau and your state's Attorney General's office. You can also check with your local consumer protection agency. (See Resources for a link to local agencies.) This will enable you to see if any complaints or lawsuits have been filed against the envelope stuffing company and any possible findings from an investigation concerning its legitimacy.
-
Step 4
Start your own direct mailing (envelope stuffing) business. Legally register for a sole proprietorship. Most counties in the United States will only require you to fill out a form and pay a fee. Assemble a marketing packet and take it to local businesses. You could market your business as one that makes its own inserts or hand writes the addresses on the envelopes (which is seven times more likely to be opened by consumers than computerized mailing labels). Visit small businesses that may not have staff to do its own mailings and businesses that could benefit from mass marketing, such as a local restaurant that is having a grand opening.
