Want To Work From Home?
There are so many work from home options out there. Find out where to look for at home jobs, business opportunities and ways of earning extra cash from home. Avoid the scams and learn to tell which opportunities are legitimate.
With so many ways to earn money from home, it can be overwhelming. I hope you find this lens a good place to start your research and get some ideas on ways you can find the income you need while working at home. You CAN do it!
The Job Search
It's a big internet...where do I start?
The best place to start is with you!
What are your interests and skills? If you haven't already, put together a good resume. Write a cover letter that you can customize for each company to which you will apply.
Look into the pros and cons of being an independent contractor versus an employee. Both options are out there, and you need to understand the difference - particularly for tax purposes.
Network with other people working from home. There are many sites online where you can learn more about working from home. Try WAHM.com or Work Place Like Home for starters.
Types of work that can be done from home include (but are not limited to):
Customer Service, Sales, Web Design, Remote Tech Support, Transcription, Billing, Data Entry, Coding, Bookkeeping, Administrative, Writing, Proofreading, Virtual Assistant
Start Searching
Some places to start your search for a work at home job
Careerbuilder
Hotjobs
Craigslist
Rat Race Rebellion
Use search terms like: telecommute, work from home, work at home, virtual office.
Also, check with local small businesses which may be interested in using home workers for things like appointment setting, customer service, answering calls etc.
It can take a lot of time and patience to search and find the right job. There are some services out there that can help you in your search. They generally charge a subscription fee and you receive notice of new work from home jobs. This can be very helpful for busy professionals who don't have hours to search for these opportunities. One such service is Virtual Vocations.
Telecommuting Jobs from Indeed
*I have not researched these particular jobs. As with any ad, check out the company before giving your personal information!
- Telecommute Technical Support Representative
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Convergys - Hazelwood, MO
Telecommute Customer Support Representative Convergys is pleased to invite you to apply for an entry-level Telecommute Customer Support Representative position... ... - Technical Recruiter (Virtual- Telecommute)
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InnoVision Concepts - Washington, DC
Are you a talented Recruiting professional, who has a strong track record of finding and recruiting top talent for high-hiring-bar government contract roles? Do... ... - Customer Service Quality Supervisor - US (Telecommute) (376106)
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Picis Inc - St. Louis, MO
Position Description: Positions in this function are responsible for all aspects of quality assurance within the Customer Service job family. Conducts audits... ... - Customer Service Quality Supervisor - US (Telecommute) (376106)
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UnitedHealth Group - St. Louis, MO
Position Description: Positions in this function are responsible for all aspects of quality assurance within the Customer Service job family. Conducts audits... ... - Instructional Designer - U.S. (Telecommute) (375697)
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UnitedHealth Group - Dallas, TX
Position Description: Design Training for a Leader in the Healthcare arena! Your primarily responsible will be for the effective delivery and design of... ...
Self-Employment
A way to own your life
Self-employment gives you the flexibility to control your time. By choosing self-employment or independent contractor (IC) work, you give yourself the ability to set your own schedule and only take on projects that work for you.Be creative! Think about the things you love and the types of things you choose to do with your time, then try to find a project or business around that. You'll haven enthusiasm for your work and your clients will love the results.
Remember when you are self-employed that you must set aside a good amount from your earnings for tax purposes. I highly recommend consulting a tax professional for advice specific to your situation. Not only will you find out how much you need to set aside, but you will also get information about the things you can and cannot deduct on your taxes.
Keep track of your business finances with a good software product like
Quickbook Online Edition - Simple Start Monthly
Most importantly - do NOT let the tax issue scare you away from great opportunities. Turbo Tax is a fantastic software that can walk you step by step through the process of filing your taxes as a self-employed person.
The Eclectic WAHM Blog
Work From Home Options
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Free Online Training
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Microsoft offers free self-paced online training for their Office products! Whether you use Office 2003 or Office 2007, there are training courses available to you at no cost. Many employers expect people to have at least basic skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and other Microsoft products.Take a look at all the great courses Microsoft offers!
Microsoft Free Self-Paced Training
NEWS about Working From Home
- Telecommuters Need a Commute Too | BNET
- If you work from home, it can be difficult to create space between work and life. Here's how to give yourself a little
- ABC News: Five Best Work-From-Home Jobs
- Five Best Work-From-Home Jobs
- Make Money at Home - Tips for Avoiding Work-from-Home Scams
- How to Avoid Work at Home Scams - Top 10 Work at Home Job Scams at WomansDay.com
- Scanning for Scammers Before You Buy In
- Entrepreneurs take note: In its work for the government, Staffcentrix has developed techniques to ferret out fraudulent business opportunities.
- Bismarck Tribune - Bismarck News - The challenges of working from home
- Bismarck, North Dakota: Strange News
- Managing telecommuters calls for different style
- Dallas Business - Small business news from The Dallas Morning News.
- Making Telecommuting Work - BusinessWeek
- 'Teleworking' can lower overhead, raise productivity, and make employees happy. Here's how to put the home office in business.
- Home Sweet Office: Telecommute Good for Business, Employees, and Planet
- Get in-depth tech news coverage from Wired and read about how it is shaping culture, education, entertainment, communications and technology.
- Telecommuting program generates estimated $277 million in annual savings at one company, study says
- Telecommuting program generates estimated $277 million in annual savings at one company, study says As the modern workforce continues to evolve and globalize, more companies are evaluating a telecommuting strategy to save costs and lower carbon emissions as well as to
- More Telecommuting Will Improve Worker Morale
- Staples nailed down what office workers want last week.
The retailer conducted a survey in honor of "improve your office day", which fell last week.
Topping workers' wish lists: Eliminating office politics.
That was followed by more telecommuting, upgraded computers and technology and better furniture. - 6 Tips on Successfully Working from Home | Work + Money - Yahoo! Shine
- Talk about working from home, and most people will conjure up ideas of some kind of utopian bliss%u2026 conference calls in slippers, no commute, and no cubicles. While working from the home office is a great situation for many, work at home professionals find themselves faced with a unique set of distractions and challenges not found in the office.
Set Realistic Expectations
What to expect when working from home
Working from home brings unique opportunities and challenges. It can be tricky to find the right job or business that suits your needs. Some things about expectations:
1. If you're starting a business, you must expect to spend some money to start up and promote it. Even the "free" opportunities have some costs associated if you're going to be serious about it.
2. If you're starting a business, you must expect it to take some time to start making good money. Plan for this. Jumping into a business full-time if you're expecting to make a living isn't the best idea in most cases. If you must do this, I'd recommend having at least six months of living expenses saved up before doing so.
3. Expect to pay your taxes! Whether you're an IC or an employee, make sure you're ready when tax time comes. Keep all your pay stubs and/or copies of checks. Keep track of any expenses you incur as part of your business or job. Especially if you're an IC, set aside money from every check for taxes. Consult your local tax professional to find out just how much in your case.
4. Expect that your client or employer will expect reliability and results. Whatever your task is, keep track of your accomplishments. Do what they expect and more.
5. Expect to realize that working from home is not about spending time with your kids. It's always harder than you think it will be trying to work from home and supervise your children, especially if they are small. If you're caring for small children while working, make sure you take on the kinds of positions that are conducive to that environment. A call-center job probably isn't for you, but if you have a talent for web design or writing, you can probably find a fit somewhere.
6. Expect that your expectations may have to change after you gain more experience. There are so many different jobs and businesses to do from home. Finding your perfect fit can take time and change the way you think about working from home.
Companies that hire at-home workers
Companies that hire independant contractors and/or employees
Here is a list of legitimate companies that hire people who work from home in various industries. Before applying, make sure to read job descriptions carefully and look for jobs that match your skills.
Find an even BIGGER list at The Eclectic WAHM Blog!
- Alpine Access - Careers
- Customer service and call center work from home.
- Work at Home - Arise - At Home
- Work at home and reap the benefits of home shoring with Arise. Revolutionizing the way Americans work, Arise, helps people become their own boss.
- Careers@ExecutiveSecretaries.com
- There are wonderful opportunities for administrative and sales professionals at ExecutiveSecretaries.com.
- CLC
- The calls you make for CLC are customer service related. You will be contacting existing newspaper subscribers. There is no cold calling.
- LiveOps > about us
- LiveOps' on demand call center infrastructure provides industry leading outsourcing call center solutions using work at home agents. Direct response call centers, food service call centers, and financial services call centers have all improved their cust
- Ver-A-Fast: Job Opportunities
- OPPORTUNITIES Ver-A-Fast never charges fees or asks for upfront money to participate in our verification programs.
- Working Solutions - Agents
- Working Solutions, a leading outsourcer of remote agent call centers, has a proven model for augmenting in-house sales, ACD, IVR, customer service, and CRM call centers.
- SERVICE 800 - Application For Representative
- Service 800 is looking for motivated individuals who are willing to work from home as an employee of Service 800 Inc. You must be bright, personable and can articulate well verbally and in written form. You would be conducting interviews with customers who have recently had a service experience. Previous customer service experience, computer knowledge and telephone skills are mandatory.
- ARO Contact Center
- ARO Contact Center
- Extended Presence %uFFFD Job Listings %uFFFD Lead Generation/Appointment Setting Reps
- At Extended Presence, our core focus is providing companies with a flexible and cost effective alternative to staffing and managing in-house sales and marketing teams. We achieve this focus by providing a combination of Outsourced Sales and Marketing Services to our clients, including; Direct Sales
- VIPdesk | Life. Time. Loyalty.
- VIPdesk provides companies seeking to increase customer loyalty and employee retention with a virtual personal assistant or corporate concierge to help busy customers and employees get things done.
- West at Home :: Home-based Agent Customer Care Solutions
- West at Home is an award-winning customer contact solution that utilizes highly educated home-based agents to provide the nation's leading companies with unmatched levels of service, productivity and results.
- Kelly At Home : Welcome Home!
- Kelly Services now has a work at home division!
- About Grindstone, Inc. - Careers
- Join the Grindstone team!
- Public Opinion Research, Inc. - Contract Interviewer Application
- Contract Telephone Interviewer Application!
- Sunlark Research
- Making a Difference One Deed at a Time
- Jobs: Customer Service Representatives
- Jobs: Customer Service Representatives
- BabyToBee
- BabyToBee
- Intrep Auto Club Renewals: Careers
- Renewal Specialist - Telecommute/Work-at-home
employee Tired of work-at-home opportunities that are NOT legitimate? Would you love to work at home but do NOT want to be an independent contractor?
Home Businesses
Direct Sales, Network Marketing and MLM Products I've Tried and Loved
- AVON Representative
- I've used Avon products since I was a kid and my mom used them.
- Every Product You Could Imagine!
- Quixtar
- Team Beach Body
- Turbo Jam®, Body Gospel®, Turbo Fire®, P90X® and more. If you want to get in shape, check out these products and if you want a business of your own, be a Beach Body Coach!
My friend is a Coach. I'm doing Turbo Jam every day now and LOVING IT!
Home Based Businesses
MLM, Network Marketing, Direct Sales, Services
If you don't want to be an employee, a home based business could be the option for you. There are so many different types of businesses, you're sure to find something that works for you. Some home based businesses rely on face to face contact or telephone calling, some are solely internet based, and many are a mix of both.
Don't let these types of businesses scare you! This isn't your grandpa's Amway! Despite what you may have heard, MLM, Network Marketing and Direct Sales businesses are NOT illegal pyramid schemes. Still, you must do your homework if you're going into business for yourself. When looking at these opportunities, consider these things:
1. Does the company have a product or service that you'd be excited to share with people?
Bottom line, if you're not comfortable with the product, you won't tell anyone - online or off. If you won't share it, you won't make money at it.
2. How long has the company been in business?
This topic could probably be a lens of its own. You'll see pros and cons of long-time businesses and the multitude of "pre-launch" new companies coming out on a daily basis. Both ways have worked for different people. What are YOU comfortable with? Just know who you're dealing with before you pay anything.
3. Is the business duplicatable?
Think about how you found out about the opportunity. However it was - in person, online, a business card you found, an internet ad - ask yourself "can I reach people that way?" These businesses are all about sharing the product and opportunity. You may have to push out of your comfort zone to do this, so you need to know if you're willing to do what the successful people in that business do before you put up any money.
4. It's a common theme with any work from home opportunity - Be Honest With Yourself.
Can you/Will you really do what it takes to succeed in your business? If that's a yes...go for it!
Find great business books on Amazon!
Online Surveys are a Way to Earn Extra Cash!
Check out my lens about Online Surveys!
Does Working From Home Work For You?
What are the pros and cons?
Can you really make a living from home?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byYES
BillyAlley says:
After 3 years of struggle to actually get it right, after setting up several blogs, websites, talking to the pros, listening to the pros, etc. Reading articles, watching videos, buying programs, I finally made it. I'm not a pro but I did have that "aha" moment and now I'm working from home, and doing it. So yeah. It works. I pursued my passion.
Posted December 19, 2011
Dave says:
Yes you can and I am proof of that.
Posted November 11, 2011
WhiteSockGirl says:
But a lot of people on the net are trying to take advantage of newbies!
I
Posted October 15, 2011
NO
Deeishere says:
I love your resources. I don't work at home earning a large income but I do surveys which is a big help to make ends meet. This year I was able to have close to $200 in my amazon account and that's a plus when Christmas shopping.
Posted November 27, 2010
Amandalemay says:
I dont know if you can , I have looked all over and yet nothing is right for me :(
Posted September 13, 2008
Try Online Auctions to Earn Money From Home
eBay is a great way to suppliment your income!
If you don't have an account already, sign up!
PayPal is a great thing!
Send and receive funds by PayPal.
Other Lenses I Really Like
New YouTube vids having to do with working from home and telecommuting
Scam-O-Rama!
Watch out for the scam artists out there waiting to prey on you
First things first: Don't pay for a job! A legitimate employment offer does not require any type of investment. On some occasions, legitimate companies do ask you to pay for a background check, but do NOT be fooled by ads asking for a "training fee" or "materials fee."
Legitimate employers NEVER expect employees to use their own personal bank accounts to transact company business. Don't accept jobs that are "processing payments" or ones asking you to receive packages and re-ship them. These are money laundering schemes that can land you in jail.
Check out potential employers with the Better Business Bureau.
If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.
Check out the online work from home forums and seek advice from others who work from home. Message boards are great places to talk about opportunities and to alert others to scams.
Here is a perfect example of a scam email from a job posting:
Finetix manager vacancy 2600.00 USD per week.,
if you are interested in a well-paid part-time(2-3 hours a day) job in a large transportation & logistics company please contact me at usfirmgroup3@aol.com.
With best regards, Alice,
Project manager, EXPDEAL Company
Why is this a scam?
First of all - $2,600.00 a week for 2-3 hours a day. There's your first clue. An AOL email address. Doesn't look like a "real" company to me! Then googling and checking out the company name gives us nothing. This all adds up to one big fat scam. So please, people. Don't email Alice. Don't reply to these people.
Good luck out there!
What do I need for my home office?
Get started with the basics in home office equipment and supplies
My preference is to use Windows 7 as my operating system.
For web design I use Dreamweaver
For office supplies, I like to order from Office Depot. They offer free shipping and great deals on things I need like paper, ink, binders and more!
Host Gator is a good option for web hosting:
Designers, check out the latest from Mac
Need a web site? Go Daddy has great prices on domain names and hosting!
Some of my favorite links
- The Eclectic WAHM - Work From Home Options
- My life as a work from home mom. Ideas, tips and tricks about making money from home. Whether it's part time for some fun pocket change or full time to make a living, there are many work from home options out there on the internet. You'll find some good ideas and opportunities here. You'll also find me just talking about life!
- Home Based Business Forums
- Another message board about working from home.
- Scam-O-Rama! - - Associated Content
- Article on avoiding scams when searching for work at home.
- My Frugal Year
- Saving Money One Day at a Time
- Work Place Like Home
- work from home discussion forum
- Work From Home - Online Magazine for Work At Home Moms - WAHM.com
- WAHM.com is the number one resource for work at home moms. Find work at home jobs, information on how to start a home business, join the WAHM forum to share your stories on everything from childcare and parenting, to working at home.
What is your work-at-home status?
See how other people are working from home
Useful articles on working from home
- Telecommute resume represents you - CNN.com
- Jobseekers often ask me what the difference is between a "standard" resume and a telecommute resume. Here are the differences:
- Work-at-Home Schemes
- Federal Trade Commission
Protecting America's Consumers - Great article on freelancing
- Now may be the best time to consider freelancing your hard-earned skills.
- Take Control Of Your Life
- ABC news article with tips on working from home from Tory Johnson.
- Work-At-Home Mom Time Management Tips - Associated Content
- All Content
Text
Video
Audio
Content Producers - Home, sweet office
- Article from The Denver Post about trends in home purchasing having do do with home offices. Great article!
- Working as an Independent Contractor FAQ
- FAQ on working as in independent contractor from nolo.com
- 10 Myths About Self-Employment
- Steve Pavlina 10 Myths About Self-Employment
July 24th, 2006 by Steve Pavlina - Telecommuting Found to Be Stress Reliever - News and Analysis by PC Magazine
- Tired of traffic jams, late trains, packed buses? Telecommuting can be a big plus for workers and employers because it boosts morale and job satisfaction and cuts stress, researchers said on Monday.
- There's No Workforce Like Home
- Want to help keep jobs in this country, serve customers better, and lower your costs? Telework lets companies tap an accomplished but underutilized talent pool.
- Many customer service and assistant jobs are work from home - Aug. 7, 2007 - Ask Annie
- Many work-at-home 'opportunities' are scams, but a few are on the level - especially for customer-service reps and executive assistants.
- Call Centers
- Working Parent Articles - Working family issues addressed in Sue Shellenbarger's column, Work and Family. Learn how to balance career vs family with advice from the expert.
- Tips for working from home
- More and more companies and organizations not only allow but also encourage telecommuting. If your organization offers that option, you can use your mobile PC to be productive in the comfort of your home or another remote location. In this article, I discuss the tools of the trade and provide tips to ensure that the familiar home environment doesn't prevent you from keeping your focus and achieving your goals.
Work From Home Blogs and Websites
Great blogs on everything to do with working from home
- Aventures of a Suburban Wahm
- Adventures of a Suburban WAHM
- Work at Home Mom Revolution
- Work at Home Mom Revolution
A blog for moms who want to work at home. Because I believe every mom should have the opportunity. - Free Work At Home Jobs - Real-home-employment.com
- Real Home Employment Has Everything You Need For Finding Legitimate Work At Home Without Fees, Home Based Businesses, And Much Much More!!
The Eclectic WAHM Guestbook
I want to hear from you!
I'd love to know if you found this information useful! Please feel free to leave any comments, suggestions or feedback.
Don't forget to bookmark this lens, put it in your favorites, stumble it, and share it if you've found it useful!
Sign the guest book and share your work at home stories!
Thanks again for visiting! I hope you've found some good information on working from home!
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Reply
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55molly
Feb 8, 2012 @ 11:07 am | delete
- thanks its hard for newbies to find genuine info on what actually works
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55molly
Feb 8, 2012 @ 9:18 am | delete
- great information on work from home options
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tomskids
Jan 29, 2012 @ 9:03 am | delete
- Nice lens. Good info. I just hit you with a squidlike!
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Reply
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DJam1
Jan 19, 2012 @ 4:52 pm | delete
- Hi I just put together my first lens and I wanted to share with you. Please check mine out Thanks, Doug
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ladykida
Jan 9, 2012 @ 9:31 pm | delete
- Preposterously helpful! Thanks!
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