When it comes to doing business over the internet, there is one golden rule. Caveat Emptor. While this Latin phrase actually means buyer beware that does not mean that only the customer at an online sales website should look out for themselves. The first thing anyone doing business over the internet needs to realize is that they can be both the seller and the buyer at any given time. If you are using freelancers or temps that you have found placing an ad over the internet you are hoping that the people you have hired are actually going to do the work for you.
If you have chosen to purchase goods or services for your business over the internet you need to also remember that while most online stores are reputable it only takes one to help you lose your shirt. Anyone who does a great deal of business over the internet must be ever vigilant when dealing with people they will probably never meet face to face. There is something to be said for being able to look someone in the eye and shake their hand when you agree to do business with them and in an age where business is being done online more and more those handshakes are few and father between.
So whenever you hire a person to represent your business in a place you cannot get to, realize they know that you cannot get there as well. Do not trust someone to do something from 1,000 miles away that you wouldn’t trust them to do if they were right down the hall. Work your way up to a spot where you feel comfortable with someone and you can actually get a feeling of trust. Don’t throw that trust their way the first time you meet them or you are likely to get burned.