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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
