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Showing posts with label Work At Home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Work At Home. Show all posts
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
Monday, 27 October 2014
Making Money From Home
For many of our forebears, home wasn't just a place to live—it was a center of commerce. Whether by running a cottage industry or a family farm, our ancestors earned a living not far from where they ate and slept. Work began moving away from home during the industrial revolution. Now, in the information age, work-at-home jobs are gaining new ground. In this article, we examine several options for how to make money from home—and alert you to common work-at-home scams.
Every morning, I roll out of bed about 6:30, take a shower, eat breakfast, read from the Word, and head to work. In my case, work is about five steps from the kitchen. I am among the estimated 20-30 million of Americans who work from home.
Some of us work at home full-time. Others do it part-time to supplement the family income. Some work for specific employers. Others work as freelancers. Still others operate their own home-based business.
Working from home isn't new, of course. Family farms have been around as long as the human race has existed. More recently, European merchants of the Middle Ages often had their shops on the first floor of their houses, and their living quarters upstairs. In the 18th and 19th centuries, women often were engaged in cottage industries involving sewing and spinning.
But most of us grew up in situations in which "work" was some place other than at home. Work was at the office across town or at the factory several miles away.
Even so, work-at-home businesses have never gone away completely, and with the advent of inexpensive computers and high-speed Internet connections, many tasks that used to be done in "traditional office" space can now be done in "virtual" space. The Web also has simplified the product-ordering process for people involved in home-based direct sales, and has lowered the "cost of entry" for budding entrepreneurs who can now create businesses with a worldwide reach on a shoestring budget.
While making money from home is enjoying a new heyday, don't get the idea that home-based work is for everybody. Frankly, some people simply aren't cut out for it. Working from home, especially on a full-time basis, demands that one be an organized, self-starting, goal-oriented perfectionist with limited need for social contact! Knowing your way around a computer helps too.
But the big catch is the job itself. What can you do from home and earn enough money to make a living? "Aye, there's the rub," as writer Will Shakespeare once penned. In this article, we'll offer an overview of some popular work-at-home opportunities, as well as a few you would be wise to stay away from.
Monday, 15 September 2014
How To Start A Work At Home Secretarial Business
Work at Home in Comfort
As a mother I knew and understood the importance of being home for my four darling children when they got home from school. My children were all I could think about when I was working in corporate America. I could not bare the thought of my babies being home alone even if just for an hour. When I was laid off from my job as a program coordinator, I knew at the very second that I would never work outside my home again. When I began thinking about what I would do to earn a living, I knew exactly what I was going to do. I was going to start my very own secretarial business, typing and transcribing for anyone who needed my service.
An excellent typist with superior transcribing skills I was determined to work for myself. I wanted to write and create the pages for my own work at home business. I wanted to design my business, create my own schedule with as much flexible that I needed for my family. There was a sense of peace and joy in knowing that I could be home for my children if they were sick or to take them to their dental and doctor appointments. To be home to care for my children if they were sick and to care for them as only I could. I also wanted to be the first face my children saw when they came home from school. It gave me great pleasure to welcome them home to homemade brownies, hugs and kisses. I could not bare the thought of having my precious pearls at home all alone and without any parental or adult supervision. It was imperative that I be home to greet them and to make their home life secure, peaceful and as happy as possible. I was elated just knowing that I would be home to greet my children and welcome them home with a warm embrace from me everyday when they got home from school.
I was always a fast and accurate typist, superior to say the least typing 75-80 words per minute. I held a certificate in medical transcription and I put that certificate and all that I learned about medical terminology. I incorporated it into my business to become more marketable and the two, typing and transcribing went hand-in-hand. I thought to myself, what better way to earn a living working in the comfort of my very own home than starting a typing business and designing it my way. Every job I ever had involved typing manuscripts, medical reports, letters for residents and attending physicians and the list just goes on and on. I was great at typing and I enjoyed it.
When I decided to go in business for myself I wanted to do something I loved doing; something I was passionate about. Magic Fingers Typing & Transcribing Services was born and I was elated. I designed my own flyer, made copies of the flyer and posted them everywhere that was relevant to my service; colleges, libraries and supermarkets. I even sent out an email blast to professors at various colleges hoping to get some typing jobs.
A few days later my phone began to ring and I found myself opening the doors to my typing business. I typed a dissertation for a graduate student and immediately after, I was transcribing parental interviews for a professor; 40 interviews to be exact. The experience was awesome and the money was great. I was typing non-stop for small businesses, individuals, professors and students. That was 11 years ago and though the name of my business has changed and I have now added a design service, I am still working in the comfort of my own home.
Before launching my home based business I did extensive research on how to start, grow, manage and promote my own business. I wanted to ensure my success as a home business owner and doing all of my homework on how to start a business was highly important to me. I also knew that there were many rewards to having my own business and I wanted to incorporate each step into my business slowly, carefully and with serious thought.
If you've been thinking about starting a home based business and you can type at least 30 wpm, here is some great information that can help you get started.
1. First, you'll need a name for your business. I named my typing business Magic Finger because my former employer gave me that nickname simply because I typed with great speed and accuracy. It was the perfect name for my business and it stood out. You should think about a unique name for your business. Some great names you might consider for your business; Kathy's Secretary Business; Lisa's Virtual Typing Business. Including your name in the title of your business is easy for your potential customers to remember you by. You should pick a name that stands out from any other name and because you are unique, you want to give your business a special name as well.
2. You'll need a business plan. A business plan is like a blueprint of and for your business. Your business plan will act like a compass for as long as you're in business. As you work your business, you'll be able to use your business plan as a guide and it will serve as a reference for you. You can add to your business plan as your business grows and as you implement new services to your business. Your business plan should include your mission statement, your goals and objectives for your business. A business is easy to create because you know what your goals will be to help your business to grow and thrive. Writing a business plan doesn't have to be long and complicated. Just write exactly what you envision for your business.
3. The next step in starting your own business is to choose your business structure which can be a Limited Liability Company, a Partnership, a Sole Proprietorship or a Corporation. Only you know which structure will be best for your business. Take your time and do your research very carefully because you want to be sure that you and your business are protected under the right business structure. You can find a wealth of information by going to the Small Business Association website or the SBA. Please be sure to read through each business structure slowly and carefully. Remember, this is your business, your livelihood and you want everything to be perfectly setup so that you will succeed with your new business.
4. You'll also need to apply for a Federal Employee Identification Number also known as an EIN. An EIN is a 9 digit number that the Government assigns to a business to identify the business. The EIN number looks like this: 23-4567890. Your EIN number is assigned to your business structure and is used for filing taxes and reporting purposes. This is a free service and the best thing about this is you can apply online; it only takes about 10 minutes to apply for your EIN number.
5. After you've completed all the necessary steps for your business here's everything you will need to launch your business successfully. You'll need a computer, a printer and fax machine, typing paper, a telephone and a flyer to start your home based business. Your flyer doesn't have to be anything fancy, but it should contain a bullet list of all the services you offer. When a potential customer reads your flyer, it should tell them immediately what services you offer.
Starting a secretarial business doesn't require a lot of money. In fact, it's one of the least expensive businesses you can start with little to no money at all. You don't need an initial start up fee and you certainly don't need a deposit of any kind. You just need your skill set, a computer and all the other tools listed above. If you have the skill set then your success is guaranteed and if you have all the other tools to start a home based business, then you're ready to open the doors to your new found work from home business because working in comfort is the only way to work!
Monday, 18 August 2014
Want a Home-Based Job? Expert Tips To Help
There’s
a certain appeal to working from home, particularly if you’re starting a
second career, or kicking off a “working in retirement” sideline.
In today’s job market, lots of people are finding ways to do just
that. Most home-based jobs come with flexible or part-time schedules.
I love this kind of work. It’s what I have done for the
past ten years. My office is portable. I write and report from
virtually anywhere I can tote a large canvas bag filled with files, my Apple must-haves-MacBook Pro laptop, iPad and iPhone– and have an internet connection.
I enjoy the flexibility of my hours… and the view when I write from
my cottage near the Shenandoah National Park in Sperryville, Va. For
writers, a home-based job is a no-brainer. Lots of my friends make a
living this way.
In the past year, I’ve written a couple of columns for AARP on Great
Home-Based Jobs, and the range of possibilities always amazes me. Some
of the jobs I have covered include: customer service call center
positions, tutoring, mediation, translating brochures and manuals for
businesses, graphic design, bookkeeping, virtual assistant, and grant
and proposal writing. You can read more here.
If you’re noodling around with the idea of dipping your toe in, here are a few tips to consider:
1. Work-at-home scams have been around for decades.
In the past few years, the FTC has seen the number of complaints nearly
double. Legitimate work-at-home jobs exist, but you’ll need to do some
homework to avoid the too good to be true operators. For tips, see
AARP’s advice here. The home-based work website ratracerebellion.com, a website co-founded Christine Durst, an internet fraud and safety expert, for example, prescreens job leads.
2. Search online for telecommuting jobs.
- You might start with LinkedIn and other social media outlets for opportunities via your network. Read my post: Job-hunting? Facebook, LinkedIn and You –Six Social Media Tips for more. Your alma mater’s career center job board is another avenue to explore. Surf the big job boards: CareerBuilder, Simply Hired, Indeed, Monster.com, and Flexjobs.com.
- If you are looking for a specific niche or industry, refine your search to the appropriate job-posting site. Stop by company websites and head to the career section for job openings. For grant-writing opportunities, for example, check out The Chronicle of Philanthropy and Idealist.org for postings.
3. Tap into online employers. If you have a hankering to tutor, for instance, Tutor.com,
is worth a visit. Hourly rates are between $10 and $14 an hour, based
on experience, subject tutored, company and grade level. Some private
tutors, however, can make as much as $65 an hour. A certified teacher is
preferred, but not required. Professional experience can get you hired.
At Tutor.com, high-level math and science expertise is highly sought
after.
For customer service, you might try Alpine Access,
a major call center service, headquartered in Denver, Co. The firm
currently has 4,500 work-at-home customer service agents working in
1,700 cities. The agents take in-bound calls for the IRS and a variety
of companies, including Office Depot and Hewlett-Packard.
4. More flexibility = less money. These jobs don’t
always pay the big bucks and few offer benefits. A job answering
customer calls might entail logging into your home computer for anywhere
from 18 to 30 hours each week answering customer’s questions,
processing and tracking orders for a rate of $9 an hour. That said, a
translating job might bring in $50 to $120 an hour. Grant and proposal
writers can pull down anywhere from $18 to $50 per hour and up; part of
compensation may be based on the value of the grant obtained.
Bookkeeping pays a range of $10.23 per hour to $24.25, according to the
Bureau of Labor Statistics, but $50 or more is possible depending on
advanced training/degrees and location.
5. Don’t expect a face-to-face job interview. Sure
it’s possible, and you might even find yourself taking part in an
“out-of-your-house” training session if you land a job or client, but
for the most part it’s really a blind date. I work for several clients
who I’ve never met in person or Skyped. You’ve got to have great phone
and e-mail skills to keep the communication lines open and build a
relationship without a physical meet and greet.
6. Discipline and motivation count. Be honest with yourself. To make a home-based job a success, you must be keenly focused and a self-starter. Plus, you should be comfortable with a solitary work environment. There are no “let’s slip out for a lunch” breaks here. This is obvious advice, but it can be a pitfall for well intentioned work-from-homers. Your reward: All the money you’ll save on your wardrobe, and if you’re lucky, a view you can use. PJs, anyone?
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
ONS: Record Numbers Working From Home
The number of people working from home has risen to its highest level since records began, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
There were 4.2 million UK home workers in the first three months of 2014, amounting to 13.9% of the workforce.
The ONS said that was the highest proportion since measurements started in 1998.
But the TUC said too many UK bosses still did not trust staff to work from home and forced them into the office.
The figures include those who work at home, and those who use their home as a base, but work in different places.
About 1.5 million actually work in their home, or in studios or workshops in the grounds.
Nearly double that number - 2.7 million - say they work from home, but travel on a frequent basis to meet customers elsewhere.
Well-paid
The proportion of home workers has risen slowly, from 11.1% in 1998.
It was in the 1990s that many big companies - such as BT - began encouraging staff to work from home if they could.
But the TUC believes many companies have failed to embrace home-working on a large enough scale.
"Too many bosses still don't trust staff to work from home and instead force them to trudge into the office so they can keep an eye on them," said Frances O'Grady, the TUC's general secretary.
"Employers' attitudes to new working practices must change to make a much better use of modern technology in all workplaces," she said.
But according to the ONS analysis, the majority of people working from home are self-employed.
In all, 63% regarded themselves as self-employed, compared to 34% who were employed by a company or organisation.
Home workers are also likely to be well-paid and highly skilled.
Just under 15% of home workers are managers or senior officials, while 35% are professionals.
Median wages are £13.23 an hour, compared with £10.50 an hour for other workers.
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