With the increased risk in social security, the old model of 9-5 job is outdated. The discrediting of service is leading to a rise in a plethora of side hustles. Most promising of these hustle are selling courses and certifications. As we enter this big cesspool. There are a few things that safeguard the interests of both the seller and the buyer. Certifications provided by any individual or institution that is not accredited by the sovereignty are actually worthless. The knowledge that is being shared may or may not be of value. It will always be a gamble on the buyer’s end. It is vital to ask yourself questions before you make the purchase. Firstly, what is my motive for buying a specific course? Is it going to add to my current workflow, or will it enhance my productivity, or is it aligned with my long-term goals? Or am I trying to resell the same course with the certification? A network marketing. Let us consider an example: if someone is interested in studying astrology and is searching for courses that offer certifications upon successful completion. He may find many such sellers available at a hefty premium. But as a buyer, we don’t know about the quality. In addition to it, if the government doesn’t back it, one has to take a gamble with such a course, why would he spend a fortune that would burn a deep hole in his pocket? It is because the certificate on its own holds no merit. The knowledge can be excellent but we don’t that yet. So, before taking up any course, take a moment to pause and seek its accreditation. If it doesn’t have any, avoid such courses. Moreover, if it is a niche category which can’t be regulated, particularly in artistic or qualitative domains such as painting, astrology, reiki, you must assess how much is your affordable loss, not just in terms of money but also your most precious commodity, which is time. Also, if there is a certification course offered by any accredited institution, then your certificate will definitely hold merit, but if they don’t teach you skills, it will be again be useless. Anyone who is interested in reaching customers will always price their courses reasonable, affordable or at least competitively. It is the most efficient way of scaling a particular product. Few courses are outright red flags such as ‘MBA in ten days’ and many more for that matter. In the vast educational market, only a handful of players are truly dedicated to teaching; the rest seem more interested in entertainment like news channels or pure cinema. If you are an educational institute or a teaching channel, you can apply for quality certifications such as ISO for best practices involved or its equivalent. Business that earns trust thrives even in headwind, those who bet solely on money get the whirlwind.