Work From Your Home

First, let's consider the answer to the following question:

Do you want to work from your home or do you want to have your own home-based business?

There is a big difference between the two.

Work From Your Home: You are either an employee or independent contractor for a company. You have a boss, a job description, and you get paid regularly, either by an hourly rate, a salary, on commission, or a combination of salary and commission.

You may or may not receive benefits, such as health insurance and a retirement plan. You have more flexibility compared to working in an office, however, someone at the company is holding you accountable for producing work.

Home-Based Business: You own a business that you are running out of your home. It's all up to you and you incur all of the expenses. You also have greater income potential compared to a work at home job.

If the idea of having your own business is intriguing, even exciting to you, then I encourage you to research this avenue a bit more by looking at the home based business ideas and how to start a business of this site.

In this section we're going to focus on finding work from your home versus starting a home business. So if you're interested in having your own home-based business then go to How To Start A Business on this site. Otherwise, keep reading.

Let's answer the question:

How do I get a job that I can do from home?

The answer has two aspects to it:

1. Be proactive and find that job.
2. Avoid work at home scams.

Make sure you seriously consider the second aspect so that when you begin your search for work from your home you won't waste your time with scams - you'll be able to spot them a mile away and you'll know the right questions to ask. Learn how to uncover them before you get suckered into the pitch. Go to Work At Home Scams on this site.

Now let's look at 7 steps you can take to find work from your home.

7 Steps to Finding Work At Home Jobs

1. Determine how much money you need or want to make from home. Knowing this will help you focus on the right types of jobs, versus wasting your time looking at jobs for which you are either over qualified or under qualified.

2. Update your resume and list of references.

3. Understand what telecommuting is and where the work at home jobs are posted. Keep reading - I give you some resources for this below.

4. Check out the company with:

Your local Consumer Protection Agency

Your State Attorney General and

The Better Business Bureau - where the company is located and also where you live

Ask these organizations if they have received complaints about the company offering the work from your home jobs that you are considering. Note that the absence of complaints doesn't necessarily mean the company is legitimate. Companies may settle complaints, change their names, or move to avoid detection.

5. Do thorough research on any job in which you're interested. Do a search on the internet for the company and also the names of anyone with whom you spoke at the company.

6. Do the math.

There are many job postings that claim you can earn thousands a month, working 20 hours a week typing, performing data entry, or doing some other administrative work. However, when you crunch the numbers it's clear the claim is bogus.

For example: Say a company claims that they will all of your clients for you. They also claim that you will only work 4-5 hours a day and make $5000/month.

Let's look at the math:

5 hours a day, Monday to Friday, is 25 hours a week, which is 100 hours a month. $5000 a month divided by 100 hours a month means you would be making $50 an hour to type.

This is not going to happen - the company could hire someone locally and pay that person a monthly salary that's a lot less than $50 an hour, even if benefits are included, and have him/her working 40 hours a week. Even if that person puts in over time at time and a half the hourly rate will still be a lot less than $50 an hour.

7. Report any scams that you come across.

If you encounter a scam, let me know and/or take a few moments to report it with the following organizations:

The Federal Trade Commission works for the consumer to prevent fraud and deception.

The Attorney General's office in your state or the state where the company is located. The office will be able to tell you whether you're protected by any state law that may regulate work-at-home programs.

Your local consumer protection offices.

Your local Better Business Bureau.

Your local postmaster. The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices.

The advertising manager of the publication that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you've had with the company.

Remember - legitimate work at home jobs are out there. Make sure you research what's out there and get all of your questions answered. Be cautious when considering any telecommuting position. You should not have to pay someone to work for them.

Okay, now lets start hunting. Click here for information about telecommuting and on line work at home job search resources.

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