Do not pay upfront fee for getting work / home based business

The phrase "you have to spend money to make money" should have you running for the cellar, the bomb shelter, the hills, or wherever. Just run from it, because if you don't you will end up in the poor house. Real companies do not require you to pay upfront for materials that you will need in order to work for them. If anything, they should be willing to deduct any costs from your first paycheck, if there is ever really going to be one. There are few exceptions to this rule, very, very few.