If you are running a small business with an internet presence you need a way of sorting treasure from trash in this. The famous thinker Edward de Bono uses Six Thinking Hats as a tool to help us with clear thinking. I prefer to start from bottom, so I’ll concentrate on shoes, in this case Mr Google’s shoes.

Mr Google most successful internet company on planet. Everyone who uses web knows about Google search engine. But have you ever thought through how Mr Google works and how he makes all of that money? A couple of minutes of clear and focused thinking about this could make a big difference in how successfully you attract visitors, and potential clients, to your website. So come with me through this little thinking exercise.

Who pays Mr Google? Advertisers pay Mr Google. You see their ads on side of your search results page and in Adsense boxes on a growing number of websites.

Why do advertisers pay for Google ads? Advertisers pay because Mr Google can get millions of searchers to see their ads. So in effect Mr Google is selling opportunity to gain searchers’ attention to advertisements. For past five years Mr Google has had this field all to himself. But watch out, competition is starting to hot up.

Who is competing with Mr Google? For last few years, answer is nobody much. Although there are thousands of search engines available on internet Google has held majority share. Over past year or so two serious challengers have emerged, namely Yahoo and MSN. The business is quickly becoming competitive, but Google is still ahead by a country kilometre.

According to Internet Fraud Complaint Center (IFCC), a partnership between National White Collar Crime Center and FBI, number of fraud victims is in hundreds of thousands and total dollars lost are in hundreds of millions, and rising at an exponential rate. A search on Google for "internet fraud" results in over 3,200,000 listings at time of this writing!

It is difficult sometimes to tell difference between reputable online sellers and criminals who use Internet to separate people from their money. You can protect yourself by learning how to recognize danger signs of fraud. If you are a victim of Internet fraud, it is important to file a complaint with IFCC at http://www.ifccfbi.gov quickly so that law enforcement agencies can quickly shut down fraudulent operations.

· Know whom you're dealing with. If seller or charity is unfamiliar, check with your state or local consumer protection agency and Better Business Bureau (http://www.bbb.org). Search Federal Trade Commission website (http://www.ftc.gov) for company or organization that you are considering doing business with. Some Web sites have feedback forums, which can provide useful information about other people's experiences with particular sellers. Get physical address and phone number (and actually make a call before you give them money-to make sure that phone number is correct) in case there is a problem later.