Getting Started On The Work At Home Road...

The first step to working from home is finding an opportunity that fits you and your needs. If you are like I was when I started my search, you have no clue where to even start looking...  Google will bring up MILLIONS of Work at Home options and a great majority of them are outright scams! You know it, I know it, and neither of us want you to fall for one! But, how do you know which ones are legit and which ones really are a scam? And how do you know once you have a legit company that it's really the right one for you? Well, I am going to try to help you there.

The first thing you need to do is decide if you want a home based JOB or a home based Business... To do that answer a few questions:

Do you want set hours or days?
Do you need structure or boss to give you assignments?
Are you willing to accept limit your income in order to guarantee a paycheck?
Do you have child care or other arrangements which will allow you to have a quiet work environment?

If you answered yes to these questions, you'll want to start looking for a job... With a Home or Online Job you will be "Employed" by a company. You will work specific hours they schedule you and will have a Manager or Boss just like outside the home and will get paid an hourly, commission or base pay. In most cases Home Jobs are Customer Service where they require you to have a very quite background (where you would still need a babysitter or daycare if you have children). There are other positions from home you can find from Virtual Assistant to Freelancing. There are a couple companies that allow you to answer texts from home also. Many of these companies will ask for a background check, headset, landline, etc. and most times you will have to purchase these things to be able to start. Some companies will reimburse you for these, some will not. With most legitimate jobs from home, you must go through an interview process, background check, and you will have many to compete others as you would with any job out of the home because there are not unlimited spaces with these companies.

However if you answered NO to the above questions I would think you are better suited for a home based business... A Home Based Business is a great way to build a residual income that will pay you for a lifetime and completely change your life. It will also bring in a decent amount of income in the process of building the lifetime residual income you want. (If you work it consistently and put in the time necessary) You will want to find something you have a passion for or will be proud to represent. A Home Based Business is YOURS and you are in charge of your income and how much you earn. Most Home Based Businesses or Opportunities will have a start up cost and a monthly overhead to stay in business. These are required just as starting a Business outside the home requires investing and monthly overhead for keeping in business. What is great about Home Based Businesses is most are very low cost verses starting a business outside the home. You still have the same income potential in less time and in most cases Home Based Businesses are only $50 to a few hundred to start (Some are less, some are more). You will make your own hours, work around your schedule and have the freedom to answer only to yourself. With in just a couple to a few years you can be set for life and can create financial freedom. You do have to understand that it will take time to build, that it will not happen overnight and that you will reach many obstacles in building your business. It is those who choose to keep going and give it their all are those who are successful with a Home Based Business. Starting and growing will not be easy the first couple of years but will be worth it! It can and will change your life if you allow it to, put your heart into and become driven to make it happen!

So, now that you know what you are looking for how do you narrow down the options? Well, if you are searching for a home based JOB your options are already going to be limited to what positions you can find. However it's a good idea to start in areas you are comfortable in or where you already have experience. If you have previous customer service experience that would be a good place to start your search! If however you are looking for a home business there are countless opportunities and the number grows daily! Here again is where we need to get in to discovering what is right for YOU and your family. And again, to do this, we need some simple questions...

What kind of income potential are you looking for?
How long are you willing to work to reach that goal?
How much of an investment are you willing to make to reach that goal?
Do you want a company with a product or a service?
Are you willing to stock a product or products in your home?
Are you willing to make deliveries or not?
Are you interested in doing in home, vendor or other style shows?
Would you like a company with an established record or one where you can get in on the ground floor?
What type of product or service do you wish to be affiliated with?
What are you passionate about?

Depending on your answers to the above questions you should be able to pick out a company that's right for you. Obviously if you hate cosmetics Mary Kay or Avon would be bad choices, in contrast if you have a passion for natural or green living you may be better suited for a company which promotes these beliefs...  And of course if you have a disability that stops you from doing in home or vendor shows you would want to make a choice that will enable you to work without those options. Limited transportation would be something that may make you want to look for something which won't require delivery...

There are an unlimited number of options for working from home and I hope that I have helped you to better find your way through some of the clutter. In the end what it all comes down to is if the company isn't a good fit for YOU and your life it isn't going to be something you enjoy doing and it in turn won't be something you find success in. You'll never hear someone say "I hate my job, but I'm successful" because the two don't go hand in hand. By better narrowing your search your are allowing success to find you!

Here's to your success!

9 Reasons Why You Should NOT Start a Home Based Business - And How to Overcome Them!

If you're thinking of starting a home-based business, you're probably aware of some of the obstacles you face. But, can you overcome them? Here's a look at 9 reasons NOT to start a home-based business - at least if you're not capable of overcoming them with a little work and determination.

1. You Don't Have a Nest Egg to Start a Business
Regardless of what type of home business you want to start, you need to expect that it will take some time until you start seeing any sort of income that will support you. You can also expect that you'll have some startup expenses and that you'll need to pay estimated taxes. All of these things take money.
Ideally, you should have at least 4 to 6 months of your expenses to draw from. This will give you some time to get your home based business established and, hopefully, establish an income stream from your business.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
If you have access to inexpensive credit or investors who are willing to take a chance on your home based business, or if you have a spouse or significant other who can earn enough to pay your bills while you are getting your business established. You could also consider either starting your home-based business on a part-time basis or taking a part-time job until your business is capable of providing a steady revenue stream.

2. You Can't Get or Afford Health Insurance on Your Own
It's pretty risky to go without health insurance. One substantial illness or injury and you could be bankrupt. If you are going to operate a home business full time, it will be up to you to figure out how you will get health insurance at a rate you can afford. If you have any kind of illness or past medical history, getting health insurance on the open market is nearly impossible, especially as you age.
Ideally, you have a spouse who can get you health benefits on his or her group policy at work. This would provide you with a reasonable premium and in most plans, eliminate the need to pass medical underwriting that might otherwise result in an insurer refusing to cover you.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
You might be able to join a professional organization or union as a self-employed individual that provides group health coverage to its members, although these are becoming increasingly rare and even these policies are getting tougher to afford. Some states do not permit medical underwriting - health insurers are regulated to "take all comers" regardless of any medical conditions you might currently have or have had in the past that have since been addressed.

Higher deductibles can provide affordability to some who are otherwise insurable. A savings program, a tax-deductible medical savings program, or combination of the two, can help you pay your deductibles while you operate your home based business.

3. You Hate Taking Risks
You don't want to place yourself in a situation where you can't sleep at night. Remember, having your own business provides a great sense of freedom and independence, but it comes with the risk of no steady income and making your bills every month can be a very challenging and stressful experience.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
It's very hard to change the emotional part of your dislike for taking risks. The best thing you can do is to provide some sort of safety net. Having that available should make you feel more confident and will go a long way toward reducing your stress levels. Additionally, while many argue that entrepreneurs must be "risk takers by nature", there is such a thing as a foolish risk and a calculated risk. Doing your homework to understand what the real risks are and what their impact could be, will not only help you better prepare for them, but can also help you to better identify which risks you absolutely must avoid in your home based business.

4. You & Your Spouse or Live-In Don't Get Along
If you are married or are living with a significant other or even a roommate or parent, everyone needs to be on the same page. If you are already constantly arguing or fail to see eye-to-eye on most issues, running a home business is going to be extremely challenging or nearly impossible. After all, you don't want to make your day-to-day living situation worse than it already is. With a home-based business, your day-to-day will probably involve being home most days, nearly all day long. That means you'll have little opportunity to escape a tense situation whenever your partner or roommate is also home.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
You need to have frank and honest discussions with your spouse, partner or roommate. Look for ways you can meet half way. Be supportive and try to understand your partner's needs and concerns and ask that he or she do the same. Try to resolve your problems BEFORE you actually go ahead and start your home-based business. Consider counseling if it seems warranted for your specific situation.


5. You Lack the Self Discipline Required for a Home Based Business
Being your own boss in a home-based business will take a tremendous amount of self discipline on your part. There won't be anyone telling you what you should do or when you should be doing it. You'll have the distractions typically found around the home - TV, web surfing, the kids, etc. - competing for your attention every day. If you're accustomed to following instructions and having someone else lay out the details for you, chances are very good that you will not be successful in a home-based business. Success doesn't come easily - it requires persistent hard work - perhaps even harder work than you've ever had to tackle.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
Prevent distractions by setting ground rules in the house. Set a schedule for your daily routine and make sure your family members respect and understand it. Even if your clients aren't setting deadlines for you, set your own and aim to meet them every time. Keep track of the hours you are working on a regular basis. That way, if you slack off you'll see it right away - before it's too late. Set specific production calls - I'll make so many calls today, or write so many articles, etc. and then reward yourself for meeting those goals.

6. You Don't Know What Kind of Home Based Business You Want
I often receive email from readers indicating they are anxious to start a home based business and they want me to tell them what home based business they should start. The point is, no one can tell you what home-based business you should start - you have to decide that on your own. If you know you want to start a small, home based business but don't know what to do - wait until you've figured that out. Otherwise, you'll go from business to business and never realize success.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
You need to do your homework, and that includes understanding what makes you tick, what turns you on and what you are good at. You need to have a good idea of what your passion in life is all about because if you can follow your passion, your chances for success in your home based business are much greater because it will drive you to do whatever is necessary to succeed.

Also, don't expect to be successful right off the bat if you have no experience or skill level related to the home-based business you want to start. You would be far better off getting experience from someone else first before going it alone. That way, you'll have a broader understanding of the challenges and potential pitfalls that await your home-based business before you encounter them and you'll increase your chances of being able to overcome them. You'll also be better able to market yourself since you can point to your first-hand experience and be better able to explain to a prospect why they should pick you over your competitors.

7. You Lack the Self Confidence Needed to Run a Home Based Business
Running your own home-based business means you have to believe you can succeed. If you don't you're basically wasting your time and money. You need to be able to handle rejection - not every prospect will turn into a paying customer, and you need to have confidence in your abilities or you won't be able to convince others to have confidence in you.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
Start small - preferably even before you start your own small home-based business. Look for something you can accomplish and then do it to the best of your abilities. Be proud of your accomplishment and start building on your success. It also helps to have others who believe in you - especially when things aren't going so well. Occasionally we all need a pep talk to get back in the game or get back up on the horse.

Believe that you DESERVE success and that you are very capable of achieving it. This is very difficult to overcome if you've spent most of your life with self-esteem issues, but it doesn't mean it's impossible. Sometimes a trusted partner who can help you with your small business can also get you through the rough times.

8. You Don't Have the Time to Run a Home Based Business
Starting and running a home-based business is going to take up a LOT of your time - probably much more than you ever thought it would. Even before you start, you'll need a considerable amount of time to plan and research. After your small business is up and running, you'll need plenty of time because it's likely that you'll be working more hours than you worked as an employee because you'll be wearing all the hats.

If your time is already over-extended - with social activities, family obligations, etc., you need to be sure you can devote the time your business will need to survive and prosper.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
It's easy to say that we're too busy - for exercise or for operating a home-based business. If you really want your own business you're going to have to find and make the time. See if you can get other family members to help you with some of your obligations. Try to set aside specific times for your home based business - including the time you'll need for preparation.

Keep track of the time you spend on your business and non-business activities because it will help you find areas where time is being wasted or could be better spent on more fruitful activities. You may also discover that you really do have the time - you're just not 100% sure you want to start a small business and you've been using time as an excuse or "safety valve" to protect you from your fears. If that's the case, this is probably not the right time for you to start your business.


9. You Have No Tolerance for the Record Keeping Needed in a Home Based Business
Maybe you're the type who just wants to go out there and DO IT. However, operating a home-based business takes some discipline in bookkeeping and record keeping in addition to all of the fun stuff you'll be doing. At the very least, you'll need to keep good records for tax purposes, like earnings and expense and you'll also need to keep good records on your clients so you can stay on top of who's paying on time and who isn't.

Having a good record keeping system and documentation on your business also helps make it easier to sell your home-based business should you want to do so later on. Just because your business is home based doesn't mean you can neglect your record keeping.

Workarounds for this Obstacle
If you just can't stand keeping records, you could look for software to help you manage your bookkeeping and record keeping tasks. You could also consider having a partner or friend with good small business bookkeeping skills handle the bulk of these tasks for you.

Even if you don't prepare your own tax returns, your records need to be well organized and complete to make things easier on your tax preparer and to make sure you get the deductions you have coming to you.

Answering Text Questions as a Home Job - No Phone Required

There are many Stay at Home Moms or Individuals out there that want to work from home with out phone work. Either if you work outside the home, stay at home with your children or just want a little something extra to do, these might be for you. As Home Jobs with no phone work are very difficult to find... there are a few out there. Most do not pay hourly or salary, they go by the work you do or are freelance writing which is similar to growing a Home Business as you have to grow your Articles. But I can say there are two companies that are legitimate and offer pay for simply answering text questions...

They are both Cha Cha and KGB. What they do is allow cell phone users to text to them a question on anything and get the answer. People can ask anything and everything they want and then as an Agent or Guide for those companies you will use the companies list of resources to find the answer and using your computer you will text it back to them. The way you get paid is by text and goes by how quick you answer, type, etc. They have a few other positions in this area that you can review on their websites.

Both of these companies only hire randomly and usually they only open up hiring over a 24 to 48 hour period of time and then close it. You can submit your application to be put on the waiting list. You must be accepted as an employee to work from them. Some are accepted, some are not. You are in competition with many others, so you will want to keep that in mind. As these are good for a little of extra spending money or small bills, it is not a full time or even part time job from home. It will bring in a little extra income but is not something to depend on.

You can work as much or as little as you want determining on how busy they are. When you log in as a Guide or Agent you will get notified through your computer when there is a question to answer you then take that question and use their resources to answer it. You can log out at anytime and do not have any certain hours to go by.

You must remember this is not a Home Job to replace your income but it can bring in a little extra income each month for you and your family. At this moment they may not be hiring but you can submit your application anytime to be put on the waiting list.

For more Information on becoming a Guide for Cha Cha go to www.ChaCha.com
Review the different Guide Positions for Cha Cha ~ http://becomeaguide.chacha.com/guide-roles/

For more Information on becoming an Agent for KGB go to http://542542.com
Review the different Agent Positions for KGB ~ http://542542.com/current_positions

Do Companies Hire People To Work From Home?

There are companies that hire employees directly to work from their homes. Check the sites that list work at home jobs. Some of these positions are those where you cover a territory, for an insurance company or a consumer products firm, for example, and spend some time on the road and some time in your home office. There are also customer service, recruiting, sales, scheduling, technical, writing, and telemarketing jobs available. In many cases, the jobs are part-time, commission-based, or pay a lump sum for a completed project.

In other cases, you can work as a home based agent where you are an employee of the company who works from a home office, providing customer service to client companies. Virtual assistants provide administrative, secretarial, and clerical support, as well as creative and/or technical services for clients.

Work at home transcriptionists are usually independent contractors who transcribe and edit recorded reports onto their home computer. Online tutors work for internet based companies that offer help, within a variety of subject areas, to students of all ages.

If you're looking to make a little extra money, paid surveys are a possibility, but do be careful about avoiding scams.

Full-time jobs that provide health insurance, a pension, vacation, and other benefits while you work full-time from home, especially if you don't have experience, are few and far between. Finding them online is a little like looking for a needle in a haystack. But it can be done.

There are some sites that will enable you to quickly find such work, but please remember that these sites are not usually up to date on which companies are currently hiring, they are simply lists of companies that DO hire from home. You also need to understand that some of these websites earn their income from the ads placed on them and that these may not be as reliable as the site owner would home. Should you find a company that seems like a good fit for you - ALWAYS do your homework first!

For a list of legit home job companies put together by this blog's owner please visit http://sabrinascloset.yolasite.com and click Work At Home Jobs. *This site contains NO paid ads!

Research A WAH Job

Work from home job postings are everywhere. There are listings for data entry jobs, research positions, multi-level marketing opportunities, and a variety of other ways to make a lot of money fast. In fact, there are so many of them that work at home schemes are on the National Consumers League's list of Top 10 Frauds.
Unfortunately, most of those positions aren't what most people would consider a "real" job or any kind of job at all. There are no benefits, no hourly wage or salary, only a promise of making money. Sometimes these opportunities are supposedly so lucrative that fees are charged to give you the listings, provide you information on getting started, or to set up your business.

Just Say No
The simple answer to the question of whether you should pay for work from home job listings, in a word, is no. Despite what the work at home ads and companies might promise you, legitimate employers pay you, not the other way around.

I do want to note that ALL real and legitimate home business opportunity (MLM or not) will and should require some type of investment on your part. Please review the Differences Between A Job & a Business for more information on the two.

Too Good to Be True
Take a look at these sample work from home ads:
$1000 A Day From Home
Automated - No Sales
Cash Money Every Day
Get Paid Paid Daily via ATM
With this one, you don't have to do much other than go to any ATM machine to collect.

Work from Home Part Time
Earn $10K or more a month
This ad had a disclaimer in a tiny font at the bottom of the page which said there is risk involved and you might not do as well. The "might not do as well" part was repeated at least four times in the disclaimer.

If you think about it logically, the chances of making money doing a minimal amount work simply aren't high - other than, perhaps, for the people making money scamming others. Think twice before you click on anything that sounds too good to be true - it is.

Find Company Information
If you're still not sure, and remember, companies can be very creative about how they advertise their opportunities because they want you to think that the position is legitimate, there are places to research work at home companies.

Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Enter the company name or the web site into the Better Business Bureau search box to find out whether there have been complaints and whether the company has an unsatisfactory record with the Bureau. I entered the name of a company I was interested in and found there had been seven complaints, all of which were unresolved and discovered that the company's record was unsatisfactory.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
The FTC provides information on commission actions. For example, operators of online malls that disguised themselves as legitimate business opportunities settled Federal Trade Commission charges that they were actually illegal pyramid schemes.

Scam.com: Work at Home Scams
The Work at Home Scams Bulletin Board has information on work at home scams and registered users can post questions about scams. There is also a MLM/Pyramid Scams bulletin board.
Finally, be wary and be careful. Despite the best efforts of computer systems and staff, it's hard for job sites to stop work at home scams from being posted. Posters are creative and sophisticated and are continually coming up with new ways to advertise their information.

Report a Scam
Have you been scammed or almost scammed? Here's how to report a scam, including where and how to report an employment scam.

Disclaimer:
You may see advertisements for work at home jobs on this page, because that's the topic of the article. Just because you see an ad here, that doesn't make it a legitimate company. Carefully investigate companies that you are interested in.