Work at Home...I Do It!

Important Work at Home Tips and Advice

1. If you are currently employed, keep it that way! At least for the time being. Try to stay employed for as long as you can while you get your home business started. This is especially true with the recession. The job market is so difficult right now that you don't want to risk being unemployed if things don't go well.
2. Explore all of your options before you commit to one. You don't want to put all of your energy into a WAH (work at home) career that you later decide isn't for you. Even more important, you don't want to spend money on anything you aren't 100% sure about.
3. That brings me to the next tip. Don't pay for information or programs to work at home. A job should pay you, not the other way around. There are definitely more work at home scams than there are legitimate opportunities. The only things you should really pay for are things you seek out yourself that are essential to your business (ie: domain names).
4. Do your research thoroughly so you can be sure you are avoiding scams. Many of the tips mentioned in my lens, Avoiding Paid Survey Scams, apply to other work at home scams as well. Definitely check out the resources listed there, such as scams.com and the Better Business Bureau.
5. After you have some more experience in the WAH industry, you can consider paying for services and other things online, if you think it would be helpful. Despite your experience, you still must research every opportunity. Do a Google search and look for reviews of the company, as well as background information about them.
6. Don't give up! This is really important because it takes time to start earning money. Many newbies get frustrated that they're not making as much as they had hoped within the first few weeks. You need to put in a lot of time and effort if you want to make a living working at home. But if you stick with it and are passionate about it, you will succeed in the end.
7. Check IM Report Card for plenty of reviews of different work at home programs. This site also pays you to rate the ones you've tried.

The Downside to Working at Home (And How to Overcome It)

• PROBLEM: There are so many distractions. It's really difficult to get any work done!
• FIX: Create a daily schedule and stick to it! Set goals for yourself about what you want to accomplish and when. If you are still having trouble sticking to a schedule, consider changing your working environment. Create a work space at home or even consider taking your work out of the home. If you find that a local park or cafe is quiet and peaceful for you, why not bring your work with you?
• PROBLEM: You're stuck. You find you're in over your head and you don't have a boss or coworkers who can help you.
• FIX: Find some people in the same line of work as you. If you don't know any, look online. Forums are a great place to ask questions and meet helpful people. If the problem is too much work and too little time, then consider asking your friends and family if they can help out for a few days while you figure everything out. If you are a WAHM, why not ask your children to pitch in with some simple tasks? And if you have the money, consider hiring some employees.
• PROBLEM: Friends and family aren't taking you and your work seriously. People always ask for favors thinking you have all the time in the world.
• FIX: Sit them down and explain that you have work that needs to get done and you have to stick to a schedule. Let them know that you are working hard and not just sitting at home eating Twinkies. If you're a WAHM, make sure your kids understand that just because you are home, doesn't necessarily mean that you are available to constantly play with them. Set some rules (ie: when the office door's closed, only interrupt if there's an emergency.)