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!

Become An Affiliate!

Affiliate programs are found all over the web. Generally they are free as you are not working for or with the company. You are simply the "middle man" for their advertising. Its a very simple concept and easy to do. You will usually need a website of your own or at least a blog, but you could also earn through email or social network profiles as well.

Affiliate Marketing works because you are paid on each sale the company gets through your link. They will provide you with a link, ad or banner to place on your website. At that point you will earn a commission from every sale made through that link. You are responsible for bringing new people on to the site in order to purchase through that site or link. Generally you'll want to stick to products that work well with the subject of your site or blog.

There are a few ways to go about finding Affiliate Programs.
1.) The first is simply by checking out the sites you already shop at... If you have a favorite online site you may want to check out their page for an Affiliate Program option. Usually these are at the bottom of the page.

2.) Second there are Affiliate Exchange Sites that will enable to you find a large number of Affiliates to join from one place. Both www.CJ.com and www.Linkshare.com are Affiliate Exchange Sites. You will be able to join these sites and find a large list of potential Affiliate Programs to join...

3.) Online Mall programs tend to have a free option to join and you are then rewarded for referring new people...  However, make sure to read the find print as many of these sites require a minimum purchase each month in order to get paid...

Once you have found a program that you like, you'll want to maximize exposure. Do this by emailing the link to friends and family, posting it on ALL your profiles on ALL your Social Network sites, Posting it in your email and forum signature, and of course on your website or blog - or both!

Remember, the more people who see the link, the more people that are going to click it, the more people that click the more you earn! So don't miss out on potential commissions by hiding your link at the bottom of your pages. Post high and proud and make sure that everyone knows you are an affiliate. Many times people are willing to visit a friends site to go through their link instead of just going to the site... But they cant do this if they don't know it's there...

Happy Affiliate-ship!

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

Pros & Cons... At Home Job vs. Home Based Business

Many times individuals go out on their work from home search without a clue on what they are looking for. All they know is they would like to work from home. We all have different reasons for wanting to work at home that range from not having a commute to staying home with our children to having time freedom to wanting to change our lives and situation. The list goes on and on for every individual, but those reasons can be very different for the person searching. That is where it ultimately comes down to the individual and what they want. The first few things you want to ask yourself are...

~ Do you know the difference between a Home Job and a Home Business?

~ Have you researched what scams to look out for?

These questions are a big part of starting your search. Once these are answered you will know what truly is best for you... a Home Business or a Home Job. There will be a lot more Home Business opportunities verses Home Job Opportunities but you do have a choice and options. If you are looking to really change your life and your circumstances a Home Business is your best choice, now if you are looking to supplement a little income or keep yourself occupied both a Home Job and Home Business are good for those reasons. There will be many choices to choose from and many scams that you come across along the way so be very careful. Search wisely but also stay very open minded as there are many ways to work from home.

Home Job ~ (Pros and Cons)


Pros ~
* You are paid an hourly or base pay (Usually $7 to $12 an hour for customer service home jobs)
* You have no commute or gas to pay
* You can work from the comfort of your own home
* Do not have to deal with the corporate world
* You can "usually" work around your families schedule
* Saves money from gas to lunch, and other costs that were involved working outside the home
* No Dress Code
* Less Stress

Cons ~
* Many cases you still need a babysitter or daycare
* Daycare Costs might still be needed
* You will still have a Boss to answer to
* Most companies require a quiet background
* You cannot miss work just the same as working outside the home

Home Business ~ (Pros and Cons)


Pros ~
* Time Freedom, you make your own schedule always
* No Boss to answer to, just yourself
* Get to be with your children everyday
* Opportunity to make great money
* Six Figure Income potential or more
* It is YOURS, no one else's and cannot be taken away
* Residual Income (get paid month after month, year after year even when you are not working)
* Bonuses and many perks to win like vacations, cars and more
* Doing something you have a Passion for
* With in just a few years can change your life and circumstances completely
* No Glass Ceiling ~ You can acheive as many goals as you want
* Tax Write Offs

Cons ~
* Learning how to deal with balancing work and family
* The first couple of years are the hardest
* For the first couple of years sacrificing time and energy into your business
* Overwhelming at times
* Distractions

The bottom line is both are great ways to work from home, but you must choose what is best for you. A Home Job can make your situation a bit better for the time being. A Home Business can change your life and circumstances forever. The Pros definitely out weigh the Cons in both cases!  Just remember no matter if you choose a Home Job or a Home Business they both require self-discipline, self-motivation, a lot of energy, dedication, drive and most of all Heart!

Why should I work from home? Top 6 reasons to work from home

In these tough economical times so many are trying to find "Plan B" and are wanting to have security in income. This is very difficult to find this day in age. With job security going out the door and now no one is able to find a good company to work for that will allow them to dedicate their lives to and retire at a good age. These are very rare finds and now with the economy as tough as it is... there is not enough job security to go around. Many are lost, confused and tired of their same old situation.

Many steer away from work at home opportunities because of the fear of no job security. They get scared they will not be successful, that it will fail and they will still be in there same position. Well, what most do not come to realize is anyone can be successful working from home. It all comes down to the person! If you are willing to work from home seriously and treat it like a Business or a Job...  with dedication, determination, heart and drive it can bring you home full time and give you that financial security and freedom you are looking for.

If you look around to local Small Businesses, Independent Contrator's, etc. Many worked very, very, very hard and invest thousands upon thousands to become successful. Even the large corporations started somewhere... like Microsoft and Apple, they both started in basements of their homes. These companies and businesses understood what it took to be successful. We all have this opportunity right in front of us for a lot less investing and hardship.

Having an opportunity that will give you the same chance to become successful and financially free is something most feel is not out there. Well, it is definitely out there. You can find many legitimate companies that allow you to work from home, you just need to make sure you invest the time necessary to make it successful.  There are many sites that will tell you come make thousands in just minutes a day. That is all a scam. A Home Business takes the same effort you would give growing a business outside the home or a job outside the home. What is great it does not take half as much time as a business outside the home does! And eventually you can be working only a couple hours a day max bringing in six figures.

Here a some of the TOP Reasons people want to work from home...

1. Financial Freedom / Working on your own Terms... Working from home gives you not only the schedule you want, the time off that you want, the time with your family and friends, being able to be a parent 24/7, and much more... It brings the Income also. Income is a big reason why people want to work from home. Having a Home Business can create six figures or more if you work hard, put in the determination, dedication and heart it needs. What job outside the home can you say does that? The ones that do require years and years of school, by the time you can enjoy your life and money you can't even spend the time to enjoy it because you working consistently. Working from Home gives you the Freedom and the Income you want.

2. Stay at Home Moms, Work outside the Home Moms and Single Moms... This gives Moms the opportunity to change their lives and their families lives. Even if it is a part time income as a goal, they have an opportunity to be able to acheive that without leaving their children. Which is one of the main reason's people want to work from home... to be with their children. It allows them to be a Mom and earn an Income at the same time.

3. Inexpensive to start a Home Business / Low Cost Start Up.... With a Home Business or Opportunity you are allowed to have the same and even more potential than a business or career outside the home.. but you get all the other great perks that go along with it! Being able to have a six figure income potential with a small amount of money to start is an amazing opportunity to change your life. You have to think about how much it is to start a business outside the home then compare it to a Home Business. Most Home Businesses are very low cost... there are many that are under $100 to start up. You can take advantage of growing a great residual income with out all the thousands of investing.

4. Getting out of the 9 to 5 day to day... Working from Home gives you the chance to get out to the Rat Race. Being underpaid for your job, dealing with traffic, gas, daycare costs, lunch costs, office drama, not being home with your children and ultimately having not one ounce of control on your life.

5. Tax Benefits / Write Offs... Having a Home Business and Working from Home allow you to have a great amount of Tax Benefits and Write Offs. These include many things from traveling expenses to everyday home bills like utilities, internet, phone, etc. Your Home Office is with in your Home which allows you to have these Tax Benefits. You will want to make sure you consult with a Tax Expert for more details on how this works.

6. Looking for Work (Losing Jobs and just Part Time Work)... This is an alternate to many of those who cannot find a job outside the home or need that additional income. With how bad the economy is in the last year finding a job is getting more difficult. Many are looking for something to allow them to be in charge of their income, not someone else telling them when they can work or lose their job. A Home Business can also be a great way to bring in Income on the side for part time work. It allows those who work full time to work around their schedule and eventually come home with in just a year to a few short years!

There are many Home Businesses and Opportunities to choose from. Make sure you do your research, you know your passion and you are willing to learn how to build it online and offline successfully. When choosing something, put your all into it and do not let anyone stop you. You will have obstacles and walls but they will be worth it. Remember... do you want to work 40 hours a week for 40 years for someone else's dreams to come true or do you want to work 2 to 4 years smart to make your dreams come true?

List of top work at home terms you should know

Many who are already in the work from home industry know most of these terms but those who are just searching and have not understood all that is involved in working from home yet... will not know most of these. This is where educating yourself before searching for work from home is necessary to find what you are looking for. Especially if you want to avoid scams and wasted time on your search.

Below are a list of terms to know when you are searching for work from home or already work from home. This will make it much easier for when you need to direct a word you do not understand in the industry.

Affiliate - An Individual who partners to a product / service and promotes/markets it to others for a commission.

Article Writing - Someone who writes articles online to earn an income or build their opportunity.

Blog - A place where individuals can write and share anything they desire (similar to a journal). You can utilize blogs for personal, promoting, earning an income and/or growing on the internet.

Downline - People you recruit or those under you recruit into your Home Business, Network Marketing, Direct Sales or MLM Company whom are in your organization.

Freelancer - A person who enjoys working from home performing tasks on their own time. They provide services to those companies or individuals who need something done on a temporary basis.

Groups / Forums / Message Boards - A place online where you can network, meet others, socialize, get advice and participate with in the subject you are looking into. You can find these on many Social Networking websites and directly online. On Social Networking websites they are considered 'Groups' and directly online it is considered a 'Forum / Message Board'.

Home-Based Business - Similar to a Direct Sales/Network Marketing company. Provides a service or product that allows you to work from your computer and phone. Without having to leave your home.

Independent Contractor - A person who is not an employee of the company, but provides a service for the company under a written contract or agreement. Also someone who is self-employed.

Multilevel Marketing/MLM - A binary or two leg system that allows others to grow a downline by placing people below each other. There are many forms of MLM systems.

Network Marketing - Networking/communicating online and sometimes offline with those who already work from home or those who are searching. Many home based companies are considered "Network Marketing".

RSS - Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. You will find this mostly on blogs.

Search Engine Optimization/SEO - The process of making a site and its content rank highly in search engines using keywords or keyword phrases relevant to a site's content.

Telecommute - To work for a company from your home. Utilizing your phone, computer and/or fax.

Upline - In Home Based Businesses, Direct Sales, Network Marketing and MLM this is considered the person whom enrolled you, your Mentor, those on your team above you and your training support.

Virtual Assistant/VA - Works from home providing different services from admin, phone work, filing, faxing, communicating through email, assistance to the company that they are working for or provides a certain service to Clients as their own VA Home Business.

There are many other terms you might come across. If you do and do not understand them or do and want to share them here you are more than welcome! We will either share what you do no understand or would appreciate a term shared that is not listed. Just comment below with any other terms you may think of or do not know about. Thank you!

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!

Is Direct Sales Hard??

The following article is an excerpt from a speech given by a direct seller at a local meeting. I was told she was asked to speak on how direct sales compares to working a "regular" job. I have edited it to share with you. As you read it count the many blessings we have in this business.

Lately, I have heard so many people say how difficult direct sales is.
"Its hard." "I can't get any opt-ins." "I can't get people to sign up." "This just isn't for me." "I didn't know how difficult it would be."

Well, I am a single mom of three who, before joining the direct sales family, held down two jobs. I would get up at 4:00 in the morning and not get to bed until midnight most nights, after returning from my part-time retail job, packing lunches, checking homework and relieving my mother, who helped out with the kids.

That, my friends, is difficult.

It is difficult always having to lower your dreams to meet your means. It is difficult to miss your son's football game because you have to work. It is difficult knowing the rust bucket you call a car is eating you alive in maintenance, but you can't afford a new one. It is difficult to realize that someone else is going to watch your daughter take her first step or have your son say mama to the preschool teacher.

It is difficult knowing that you have spent 40 years of your life working for someone else, only to realize that you will be retiring on one-third of what you can live on today. Or, worse yet, it is difficult knowing that you have diligently worked all your life, only to be given an early retirement and replaced by someone younger, more capable.

I will tell you what is difficult. It is difficult waking up one morning and realizing that your children, the most precious things imaginable, no longer need bottles, diapers, have tea parties, or are shorter than the baseball bat they are trying to swing. It is difficult realizing it is too late and that the time frittered away can never be retrieved. It slips
through our fingers one second at a time.

It is also difficult watching the spark in your partner's eyes fade because both of you realize the house you have been wanting is just a dream because someone else is controlling your finances.

We have nasty habits about rationalizing, procrastination and skirting important things, rather than facing the issues. Too often we allow others who do not pay our bills, who do not share our dreams, to direct our futures.

As children we have absolutely no freedom; we rebel in our teens and scream for freedom. We reach adulthood and are finally free, only to relinquish that freedom because we think it is too difficult. We do not want to take responsibility. We do not want to make a wrong decision, so we obligingly give that awesome power to someone else. We wake up too
late. We hear ourselves uttering phrases like: "I wish I had only . . ." and "If I could do it over again."

You have no one but yourself to blame. You had the chance. Perhaps the opportunity was presented many times and each time you elevated the trivial to a higher priority than yourself.

Let me ask you: Is direct sales really difficult?

Is it so traumatic to show someone an exciting product or idea? Is it so difficult to understand that if you work this marketing idea for three to five years, you just might finally be able to send your children to a college chosen by excellence, rather than one chosen by price? That you could finally put your family in the home of their dreams?

Would you work really hard for eight to ten years, so you could mold a lifestyle of your choosing, so your family could live a lifestyle of their dreams, rather than trying to live how someone else thinks you should live?

How difficult is it to pick up the phone and call your prospect? How difficult is it to place ads? How difficult is it, really, to share what you love with others? Think about it.

Realize the awesome power you have in your hands with direct sales. There are people out there working three jobs. There are people drowning in debt; or agonizing through bankruptcy, realizing they only needed a couple hundred more dollars per month. That is difficult!

This business you have chosen has the ability to change lives. Direct sales cannot do anything. But YOU can change lives with it. You are the one with the life-changing ability. What are you waiting for?

There is difficulty and pain in success, and there is difficulty and pain in failure. Difficulty and pain in success will last a short period of time; but pain in failure lasts a lifetime. Which one is really more difficult?

You will pay a price for your actions, and your choices.

Which choice will you make?