9 Real Way to Make Money From Home
See
which opportunities are actually legitimate
Most of us
love the idea of earning extra income or quitting our full-time jobs altogether
and working from home. If you thought work-from-home companies were just
running scams, it turns out there are plenty of authentic and reliable ways to
make money by working from home. Christine Durst, cofounder of RatRaceRebellion.com
and consultant to the FBI on internet scam issues tells us, "There is
currently a 61-to-1 scam ratio among work-at-home job leads on the
internet—that is, for every legitimate job, there are 61 scams." But,
there are a lot of opportunities for a "real job." The secret is
knowing how to separate the scams from what's legit.
Here's a
hint: Legitimate jobs will typically never require you to pay a fee to get more
information, and they don't come in unsolicited junk e-mail messages. Still,
there's plenty of earning potential in working from home because, now, many of
the top-earning home-based positions are with big traditional companies like
Xerox, Dell and IBM.
No matter
what your area of interest or expertise, if you have the desire to work from
home, someone, somewhere, has work for you that can use your skills and natural
talents. If you remain diligent and flexible, you'll find it. And you won't
have to spend money on gas or transportation to get to work.
Rebecca
Martin from Covergys.com,
a call-service supplier, says, "be sure you have a quiet, distraction-free
designated work space. Decorate your home office in a style that is appealing
and inspirational to you." Most women do better if they treat their at
home job more like an occupation. Let everyone know you are working. Get
dressed in the morning, stick to a routine that works for you and those around
you and you'll be on your way to earning substantially more than you thought
you could.
Most of
the jobs in this article require an up-to-date computer, a high-speed Internet
connection, a phone with a dedicated land line and a quiet place to work.
See
also: 10 Surprising Challenges of Working from Home
1.
Customer-service rep. Many companies, such as J. Crew, Express Jet, 1-800-flowers, and even
the IRS,
outsource customer-service operations to third-party companies who then hire
home-based workers or "agents" to take calls and orders. When you
call 1-800-flowers, you may be speaking with Rebecca Dooley, a retired police
officer and employee of Alpine Access, a major call-center service. When you dialed the number,
your call was automatically routed to Rebecca's spare bedroom in Colorado.
Alpine
Access currently employs more than 7,500 work-at-home customer-service agents
who take in-bound calls (there's no outbound or cold calling) for dozens of
companies. "This works perfectly for me because I can set up my hours
around my family's busy lifestyle," says Rebecca, who usually works 20 to
32 hours a week, depending on her schedule.
While the
typical hourly rate is about $9, Alpine Access agents who work more than 20
hours a week are eligible for benefits plus a 401k program when they have
worked for over 1,000 hours. (Some companies consider their staff independent
contractors, so they don't provide benefits.) Other companies that hire virtual
call agents:
2.
Telemarketer. To do this job, you need a pleasant
voice and personality, and really thick skin—you're bound to encounter some
hostility. Still, it's a good way to earn income. Many large companies now
outsource their cold-calling campaigns to third parties who hire home-based
workers to place the calls. Telemarketers are typically paid by the hour, and
they may earn incentives and commission based on performance.
Companies
hiring home-based workers include Telereach.com and Intrep.com.
Apply on their websites. Keep in mind that a legitimate company will typically
not require you to pay a fee to get information or leads, and will explain how
to apply, exactly what is required and what to expect.
See
also: Tricks to Save Money on Almost Anything
3.
Online juror. Companies will pay you to sit on
mock juries to give attorneys and other jury consultants feedback on cases they
are currently handling. Think of these as focus groups. The cases are real, but
your verdict will do little more than give those involved a prediction of how
things might go. You can earn fees ranging from $5 to $60. Be sure to read all
the disclaimers and details. Go to:
4.
Survey Taking
I'd pretty
much ruled out survey taking as a legitimate way to earn money from home, but
then I heard from Bonnie Alcala. She and her daughter Andrea Spain, an
elementary-school substitute teacher, take surveys online for fun and a little
profit. They are careful to avoid any scams by refusing to pay an upfront fee
or other charge. Bonnie and Andrea pocket around $100 a month for spending two
hours a week taking surveys, which gives each of them extra pin money. In addition,
they collect all kinds of gift cards and other prizes.
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If you've
got a little spare time and want to save up a stash of cash for holiday
shopping or even a family vacation, here are Bonnie and Andrea's favorite survey
sites:
See
also: 6 Money-Saving Tricks that Actually Work
5.
Writer, Blogger, Editor, Proofreader.
Everyone says you're a fantastic writer, so isn't it about time you got paid?
Good writing is still in demand says Durst, especially for online content. For
the best sites try JournalismJobs.com, About.com
seeks "Guides" in a broad area of topics, and MediaBistro.com.
For blogging jobs, try problogger.net. If you have experience as a freelance copy editor, writer
or proofreader, go to editfast.com.
Rates vary between $15 and $25 an hour.
6.
Cyber Crafter. If you're a crafter in search of
customers, the internet is your showcase, and not only at auction sites like eBay. DeWitt Young of ObviousFront.etsy.com
Has had success turning her crafts into cash in cyberspace. She has a booth at
Etsy.com's Craft Mall, an amazing place
where more than 10,000 artisans and crafters offer their goods for sale.
DeWitt
turns salvaged parts from old TVs and VCRs into artsy necklaces, earrings and
figures. Colleen Jordan uses 3D printing to create her necklaces called wearable
planters. Don't be discouraged, Shapeways 3D printing company can get you started with their simple
apps so you can easily customize your own designs with a click of a mouse,
anything from a wedding band in rose gold, a vase in ceramic or your own bobble
head printed in full color. All for the purpose of generating sales.
7.
Online guide, expert. Do your
friends look to you for advice on things you're passionate about, such as which
car to buy, how to repair appliances or how to make a killer cheesecake?
Whatever your area of expertise, if you are also a seasoned writer with an
infectious enthusiasm for a particular topic, consider becoming an online
expert guide. Guides are freelancers with an ability to communicate well and good
grammar and spelling skills.
For
example, About.com
guides write articles or reviews in their area of expertise. They earn no less
than $725 a month, but some make more than $100,000 a year depending on year-over-year,
page-view growth. Go to beaguide.about.com, where you'll find which areas of expertise are still open.
(There are many!)
Also try Chacha.com, a new
search engine similar to Google and Yahoo, and click on "Become a
Guide" for more information. At JustAnswer.com, users agree to pay for the answers to their questions.
Guides are paid a percentage of the pre-negotiated price per answer and the
number of accepted answers received. Go to Just Answer to find
out how.
See
also: This Single Mom of Three Lives on Less than
$19,000 a Year
8.
Virtual assistant. Many small-business owners and mid-
to executive-level professionals need personal assistants, but can't afford a
permanent position on the payroll. The solution? Hire people from remote
locations to do their administrative work.
Virtual
assistants handle all kinds of administrative projects, including travel
arrangements, event planning, correspondence and other support services that
can be done remotely via e-mail and phone.
Lynne
Norris, who works out of her home in Pennsylvania (NorrisBusinessSolutions.com), says that rates for VAs run about $25 to $75 or more an
hour, based on the types of services you provide. The startup costs are about
$500 to $1,000, assuming you have an up-to-date computer and printer. Lynne
loves the flexibility. "My children are happy that I don't miss the
important things in their lives." Check out the International Virtual
Assistants Association (ivaa.org),
or virtualassistantjobs.com and teamdoubleclick.com for more.
9.
Online tutor, English as a second language instructor. If you have a college degree and the skills to tutor
students online in math, science, English or social studies, this job may fit
you perfectly. Go to Tutor.com—tutors
who work for the company and have passed their probationary period earn $10 to
$14 an hour. According to Durst, "Skype and other web interface tools are
bringing English language instructors face-to-face with students from around
the world." Try ispeakuspeak.com, openenglish.com to get started.
Tips
on how to avoid work-at-home-scams. It's
not always easy to figure out if a company is legitimate. Try these five
essential tips from the Attorney General of the State of New York:
- Check with the Better Business Bureau in your area and
the area in which the company is located.
- Ask questions, including: what specific tasks you'll
have to perform; whether you will be paid by salary or commission; and
who will pay you. Also, ask about the total cost to you, including
supplies and equipment.
- Be wary of overstated claims of product effectiveness,
exaggerated claims of potential earnings, and demands that you pay for
something before instructions or products are provided.
- Be wary of personal testimonials that never actually
identify the person so you can't investigate further.
- Contact your state Attorney General's consumer help
line if you believe you've been victimized by a work-at-home scheme.
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