I have seen some people that want to reinvent the wheel when it comes to their new business, but is it the right business? If your idea is REALLY new and not well understood by most people you will find it very expensive to educate everyone before they consider buying anything from you!
You want to have customer's searching for YOU, and not your business searching for CUSTOMERS! Most successful new businesses are those that find a better way to provide the goods and services. Don't assume just because YOU like to do something one way that means a large number of people will pay you to do that for them! Go out and ASK them!
LOOK FOR PROBLEMS IN YOUR MARKET!
Marketing research can be relatively easy to do among potential customers. As you talk to people that might be interested in your business SEARCH for those needs they don't feel are satisfied! National surveys indicated the majority of Americans are very unhappy about the quality of products, and lack of service that are being offered. These dissatisfaction's are a perfect chance for you to create a better way to satisfy these needs.
EXPLORE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES!
Consider your interests, skills and experience you will discover that you are not equally well prepared to pursue all potential business opportunities that might come from unmet needs in the marketplace. At this point you must stimulate your creatively by imagining all the ways you could provide satisfaction of each unmet need you find. List them on a sheet of paper. You need to start questioning yourself at this point by asking, "Do I know how to do this? Well people pay for this? Do have people I know and trust that I could farm this out to? Will it be truly profitable?"
DETERMINE WHAT RESOURCES YOU WILL NEED!
While many new business owners have experience in the business they start, it is NOT always required that they be well skilled in every operation in order to take advantage of an opportunity within their marketplace. Give yourself enough time to research the requirements of almost any business, and figure out a way to learn or even practice the skills you will need. Some people consider a partner, and others find vendors to work with them for that portion.
I remember a friend of mine that had customers that wanted CALLIGRAPHY done on some fancy invitations they printed, and they a person that would do that for them! Another person I knew did promotional products, but one of customers only needed 75 and NOT 500! They were willing to pay the price for a local work at home mom with a button machine do this job for them. He also wasn't so good at artwork, and found a local graphic artist to work with him for his customers. He slowly learned graphic work, but it was more basic. He then just gave the difficult items to the graphic artist later on.
DETERMINE THE FINANCIAL RETURN
I would guess most people have this emotional need to be in business, but the truth is if you don't make a profit those emotional needs and dreams...not to mention GOALS will not be met! Its a MUST that you learn to educate yourself in how to work with financial numbers. You have to master that in order to answer the following questions: How much money must I invest? How much profit can I expect? How soon can I expect a profit? Don't be unrealistic with yourself! Depending on your business making money will come later. You have to place the effort into things to get your return! Those get rich deals? Its about as possible as the lottery! I'm not saying you can't use an accountant for certain items, but you need to have some financial know how if you are to truly know what you are doing!
EVALUATE!
Not all potential business opportunities are equally attractive once you look at the time and money investment. Some you may find will not allow you to reach your goals. Compare your ideas, and opportunities by assessing the investment required and the anticipated return. You need to seriously look to see if you are being honest with yourself! What do I enjoy doing? What am I truly good at? How well does this idea match my interest and abilities?
Narrow those choices and again...and get started!
Write down the requirements that are important to your and your idea for your business. Note the number of hours you will put in per week. See the length of time it will take before you could see a profit. Score them one at a time maybe using a 1-10 scale. Total the score for each idea you had, and you have a pretty good idea of how well the idea fits your personal needs.
Read more...
Let's face it. You go into business to make a profit, that's essential if you are going to stay in business. But how can you tell whether or not you will make a profit? You need to seriously research the costs so you get a good picture of things!
There are many things that have to be taken into account in order to arrive at a fairly accurate estimate of the annual costs of running a business. When starting a new business, you will need to spend some time researching the likely costs, so that you can estimate your weekly or monthly "break-even" point.
You can use the following list of costs to help prepare your estimate. Not all costs will be applicable to every business, and depending on your particular business, there may be additional items which need to be considered. Only YOU after you research will figure out most of the costs you are looking at! Make sure you realize that you may need some wiggle room as well, because there will be things you didn't count on!
If you are planning something OUT of the home:
Establishment costs
fit out
sign writing
phone & fax
power, water & gas
equipment && furniture
rent / lease in advance
security deposit
stock / raw materials
advertising & promotion
licences & permits
Premises (Your place of business if out of your home)
rent
rates & taxes
mortgage interest
repairs & maintenance
security services
insurance, buildings, public liability, professional indemnity
cleaning
Employees (if that is what you plan on)
wages, salaries, bonuses, overtime
holiday pay
sick leave pay
long service leave provision
fringe benefits
workers compensation insurance
staff training
clothing, uniforms, personal protective equipment, etc
staff amenities
superannuation
Trading
stock & raw materials (could be wholesale items, or materials for your crafts that you plan to sell)
bank fees & interest (business accounts are a bit different that personal!)
leasing or hire purchase (if you plan to do this see which is better for you in the long run. At times your accountant can help you figure this in)
maintenance of plant, machinery, vehicles, etc (if you need this)
motor vehicle, registration & insurance, running costs, etc (Depending on HOW you set your business up these can be write offs)
depreciation
advertising & promotions (where are you going to advertise? What promotions do you plan?)
market research
provision for bad debts (Its GOING to happen!)
Administration
phone & fax
postage
stationery & printing
office supplies
insurances
office equipment, maintenance, service, depreciation
accountancy fees
Directors' fees (for companies)
solicitors fees & legal expenses
selling commissions & retainers
packaging
delivery & freight costs
contractors & sub-contractors
equipment hire
licences & permits
inspection fees
workshop tools, parts, etc
professional memberships & subscriptions (remember these are available online as well! They are useful tool, and if you do any business offline - check out your local Chamber of Commerce!)
payroll tax
Website costs
Keep in mind not all of these items may exist in what you are planning, but there are some that everyone uses! Try to estimate your costs so you know what you are looking at!
Read more...
You have to learn to set goals for yourself not only in personal life, but in you business life as well! You must have a final destination in mind before you can figure out how to get there! Goal setting helps bring your final destination into better focus!
Keep in mind goals require discipline! Your discipline will make all the difference in the world! You will need to write these goals down, and remember the three criteria!
THEY ARE SPECIFIC!
Since this is Holiday Time, and some of us will want to EAT our hearts out how soon so:
Lose 20 pounds
YOU MUST HAVE A TIME LINE
Okay! I want to lose my 20 pounds by Christmas day!
BREAK IT INTO STEPS
To lose my 20 pounds by Christmas:
1) Eat one good meal everyday.
2) Need to Exercise at least 3 times a week
3) Cut out the junk food, and drink more water
Once you write that goal down on paper it will seem MORE real to you! We all have talent. Our challege is turning out talent into ability, and that is where our discipline makes all the difference in the world. It will be your talent in business that allows you to reach those goals.
Its no good starting a business you aren't going to enjoy. To help assure yourself that you are a good fit, and have the proper personality to met the demands of your choosen business you need to truly explore your beliefs, needs and interests.
Keep in mind your first year in business is going to feel like you have no time for anything! Please be careful NOT to ignore your personal and family needs, and let me tell you people do this all the time. You are looking for trouble when you go down that road.
Balance is KEY! Balance can be hard if you don't plan well. One of the best ways to allocate your time between personal and business needs is to examine your personal goals FIRST, and then see how they relate to the demands and opportunities that are going to be presented by your business.
Personal Goal Setting Worksheet
Next Three Months - Write your description
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Action Steps:
1)________________________________________
2)________________________________________
3)________________________________________
Next six months goal - Write your Description
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Action Steps:
1)________________________________________
2)________________________________________
3)________________________________________
Next 12 Months - Write out your description
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Action Steps:
1)________________________________________
2)________________________________________
3)________________________________________
Make sure you give yourself specific description of your goal. You need to have at LEAST 3-4 steps for your action plan that you need to do to achieve them.
Once you have completed your personal goal setting worksheet start to examine how your business goals relate to your personal ones. You may decide to change a business goal because of a personal goal, and visa versa!
Get this completed, and your on your way to learn to set goals!
Read more...
There are right and wrong reasons for wanting to start a business or attempt self employement! You need to make sure you are wanting to DO THIS for the right reasons FIRST! Remember being angry at your boss, wanting to get rich quick, or pursueing an idea that you have only read about briefly aren't the best way to start! How about you check for yourself to see HOW motivated you really are! If you don't know the answers to these questions check to see how motivated you are in answering them!
1) How long have you been thinking of starting your business, or being self employed?
2) Do you know anyone that is self employed? Have you discussed your ideas with them? What have they told you about being self employed?
3) Do you have a definate business idea at this time?
4) Have you done research (on the web, library, business centers, etc) regarding your idea for your business in the following areas:
How much does it cost to start?
How many others competitors are just like my business out there?
Who would be my target audience, or typical customer?
How much income do owners of this type of business typically make?
5) How long do you think it will take to open for business?
6) How much income do you have to take out of the business in the first year?
How much are you willing to invest?
7) Do you have experience in this type of work?
8) What are you willing to give up temporarily in order to get the business started? Keep in mind YOU will have to give certain things up because the amount of time, resources, and money!
9) Write down something difficult that you get stuck with until it was completed.
10) Will your family work in your business? If yes, who? What much are they going to do, and what are they going to do?
Keep in mind that starting any business can be disruptive to family life. When you work from home you need to be concerned with the physical challenge of satisfying your family AND your customers at the same time!
Take your business SERIOUS! You need to work a regular schedule, and you need to ask your family to respect this! Please that doesn't mean you cut off play time with your family, but don't let your friends talk you into running errands with them during the day if you have scheduled time to work either! REMEMBER there is money on the line here!
Try to find a place within your home to do your work. Don't spread this business all over the house! Set yourself up an office space, and make sure its separate from your family activities room!
Set and stick to your business hours! You do have some flexibility for family of course, but at the same time once your business if off the ground your customers can't be guessing when you will be there for them.
When I started a business I had children at home. There were days that they needed to play at another house, or a got a teenager to come and watch them while I worked. Make sure you realize this will be a business expense, and its to be budgeted! Its just as important as your telephone or internet! That's doesn't always have to be fulltime, but you will need some time to concentrate!
I know this sounds funny, but you will understand later! If you are planning to use just one phone line both for personal and business teach your children HOW to answer the phone, and when to STAY away from it! To be honest you will want a second line at some point. Make sure it has a hold button on it in case you need to take care of AHEM 'domestic disturbances' without sounding unprofessional! Keep your answering machine on at all times. If its a homeline - turn the ringer off at night if you need to!
Remember seek support from a home business support organizations. My local college has a business community center. It can be very helpful!
SO are you motivated yet? Remember you need to know the answers to those questions while you plan your own home business. It will take a while, but it will help you in the end! I started this series with the article about, "I don't have the cash!" if that is first hurdle! I have alot more to say about the business knowledged that I have learned over the last 14 years! Check back or subscribe to the site on top!
Read more...
Want to start a business, and you don't know how to get started?
Before you get started find out if people are interested in buying your products or services. Find out who your competitors are and whether the market can sustain your business.
Do a google search with keywords about what your business is going to be able. I have had friends in the past that started out with ONE idea, and found out there is a nitch within the industry that might make it more worth time! The one I remember off the top of my head was group of people wanting to sell clothing. You can imagine the competition for that! One lady took it a step further, and made outfits in a box! She had the pants, blouse, shoes, purse, and accessories all nicely packaged and ready to GO! Pretty sweet deal for someone that doesn't like taking the time to put the outfit together! She had the done her homework on the sources she would be getting the items from, and had already worked that into her business she wanted to start! She carved out that nitch within the clothing industry, and it was something not to many people were doing at the time! GET creative!
Conduct some research to see whether your idea is really feasible. This will involve gathering, analysing and evaluating information to help you formulate your business goals.
Some questions to consider are:
What product/service will you provide?
Is your idea feasible?
How will you protect your idea?
Is there a market for your product/service?
What skills do you need?
Who are your competitors?
What difference will you bring to the market?
Do you have the financial capacity?
Looks like alot of work huh? It IS alot of work! The more effort you place into planning the less likely you are to lose your shirt! The more likely you are to MAKE money for your family! Most people I speak to mention they don't have the money to start up a business, and I told them start saving NOW!
Want to start a busines, but HOW do you do that? If you do the above groundwork you will start getting a really good idea! I will be writing in the next couple of days about how things I learned to start a business. Subscribe to the blog at the top, or bookmark! I have LOADS of items that are coming!
I work from home, and I have doing so for over 14 years now. I have come across some people that are totally intrigued by the idea, and you get a load of questions from them! One of my online jobs is working for Liveops, which I have done for over a year now. There are all kinds of other ways of making money as well, but one thing people don’t seem to understand is YES it will take some money and YES it will take more than doing it during naptimes, and while they are at school! I have seen people take their business to great moneymakers doing this while working fulltime as well. Don’t make the mistake that you are going to be placing ‘hobby’ hours in to get started. You are going to disappoint yourself, and think there is nothing but scams out there!
We don’t have any extra cash!
You need to start saving up, because you are going to be need to invest.
You can do things during that time to get ahead of the game! If you have a spouse or partner enlist some help from them even if it just being supportive! You need to decide what type of business you are going to want to do. You are going to need to know what is involved with that business. What type of equipment, insurance, marketing, how you are going to handle taxes, accounting, etc. so you aren’t over your head to begin the process! The more planning you do the less stress you are going to place on yourself!
Have you seen those offers for rebate checks? Start sending those in for your business account.
How about make a deal with the family that if you save so much in coupons during shopping that some part of that savings will go into the business account.
Offering babysitting services on a temporary basis could give you a good jumpstart towards your business account. Lets say a school holiday is coming up, and the neighbors down the street work fulltime. It could be nice to have their kids come and spend that time with your children, and you keep that money for the business account.
Sell some of the stuff around the house that you don’t need anymore on Ebay! I know I sell my kid’s clothing in bulk if it is in good shape. Don’t expect to make millions here, and remember no matter how much you paid for the outfits they don’t fit anymore! They are of no more use to you, so GET rid of THEM! Not sure you are comfortable with that? Check out this ebook on selling on ebay.
How about placing a jar on the dresser, and when you and your spouse have some extra change to dump it in as a contribution towards your business account.
There is a family I know that shovels snow or mows grass for some of the elderly in their area that can’t do that anymore for themselves. Depending on your area, and how much snow you get. A boy in our neighorhood I know charges $30 for a double driveway and sidewalk. If they don’t want the sidewalk done is $25.00. Remember chances are good they don't care if the kids come with snow shovels. YOU do most of the work anyway right? The kids can pick up the trigs, rocks, and trash before the lawn mower comes down. They can also pick up grass trimmings as well. THEY don't have to be perfect, because you can FINISH the job right?
You can join MySurvey, and do some of those in your sparetime to use towards you business account as well.
Get rid of some the books you have around by using Cashforbooks!
There are all kinds of small ways of making money, and don’t expect a huge amount at once. Keep in mind you are trying to invest in your future. Like I mentioned before there is tons of research to be done before you start to get the business off the ground. If there are items that are of interest make a note of them. If there are services you could use once you have the money for them file it away for the future.
Just because you don’t have the CASH now doesn’t mean you can’t plan for it. Some people it takes longer than others, but that doesn’t mean it will be impossible. You will appreciate it more once you get there as well! Starting a business, and making it successful will take time and effort. Don’t buy into those schemes that tell you that you build it they will come! I take vacations and it makes money for me. YES businesses can do that, but don’t believe that they didn’t place any effort beforehand!
Chances are if your spouse or partner sees you placing all this effort into getting a business in the future they will get excited as well. If they are excited chances are good you will have two people working towards the effort – even if it is in just small ways! Take what you can get, and realize that is one step closer to starting! Its your dream, and you are the one that needs to make most of the effort. The time you invested will get everyone used to adjusting without you around as you once were before as well. They need to get used to that, because with a business it will take more than naptime and while they are at school! My children are old enough now that I enlist their help with some projects, and they get the reward of money towards what they are saving for.
In the next couple of days I will try to send out some items for you that I have learned in business. Its part of the 'research' you can do for your business while you are trying to up with the capital to start it!
Anyone have any other ideas for some extra money for the business account? What has worked for you?
Read more...
Grindstone work at home career has some requirement you can view below! This telecommuting job likes to promote within!
You have kids at home during the day
You are only looking for customer service work and/or only have customer service experience
Only want to work inbound calls
Do not meet the below requirements
You do not have AT LEAST three years of Outbound Telemarketing or sales experience or three years of Appointment Setting/Lead Generation experience.
Requirements - We are seeking Talented "Outbound" Telemarkers only
3 years of successful Business to Business Appointment Setting or Direct Sales
Experience speaking with Business Owners, CEO's, Presidents and decision makers
Professional upbeat sounding telephone voice
A desire to interact with prospective customers with consultative selling approach
Ability to take direction and follow through
High-Speed Internet Access
AOL Instant Messenger
Microsoft Outlook
Anti-virus protection program
Unlimited Long Distance calling plan
Computer/Internet experience and skills
-------------------------------------
Recruiting and retaining the best talent is one of the keys to Grindstone's success. Our highest priority is to find and keep the best people, no matter where they may be!
We are always looking for talented professionals to join our team. Work from your remote office, If you have a great phone voice, are organized and experienced in the services we provide our clients, then we want to talk to you. The majority of our clients need assistance in the Technology and Business Services sector, although we are successful with clients in other industries as well.
Our clients demand that we hire the best. Those who pass our thorough screening process will have the opportunity to flourish with a growing company. We are on the cutting edge of a new trend, and we believe in promoting from within.
Not afraid to pick up the phone? Ready to join a fantastic company? This work at home career maybe just the thing for you! Read more...
Work at home Careers come in all shapes and sizes! I have tried to research this company, but mostly came up with just information on the company alone. It seems to be a large firm.
If any one has tried this job please post, and let us know about it!
Look to the bottom of this job listing page for the description for the work at home career!
Seeking computer-savvy workers who like to read. Stay-at-home-parents, freelancers, and retirees welcome!
Do you want to work part time and contribute to an important service? We’re looking for people to screen online condolence messages in accordance with established guidelines. Positions start at $10/hour.
Legacy.com hosts online obituary sections for newspapers. Each of these obituaries includes an online Guest Book where friends and family can submit messages to express their condolences or share their memories. The primary task of this position is to read these messages before they are posted online to ensure that inappropriate or offensive material does not appear in the Guest Book.
Available Shifts
(all shifts are 20 hours/week; 5 four-hour shifts except the Friday through Monday shift which is 16 hours/week; 4 four-hour shifts; all are Central time):
Note: the Friday through Monday shifts (2-6 pm and 6-10 pm) are our highest priority need
7 a.m.- 11 a.m.: Friday through Monday, Sunday - Thursday or Tuesday - Saturday
10 a.m.- 2 p.m.: Friday through Monday, Sunday - Thursday or Tuesday - Saturday
2 p.m.- 6 p.m.: Friday through Monday, Sunday - Thursday or Tuesday – Saturday
6 p.m. - 10 p.m.: Friday through Monday, Sunday - Thursday or Tuesday – Saturday
Telecommuting requirements (you must meet all telecommuting requirements in order to apply):
· Must have a PC running Microsoft Windows 2000 or XP and high-speed Internet access (cable, DSL) in the home. Our remote access software is not compatible with Macintosh or Microsoft Vista machines at this time.
· Must not have any conflicting responsibilities during shifts such as being the primary caregiver for a young child or an elderly person.
· Must be a resident of Illinois, Indiana or Wisconsin.
Our ideal candidate has strong reading and decision-making skills, is self-motivated, fluent with email and the Internet, and has a 4-year degree or equivalent.
Requirements
Our ideal candidate has strong reading and decision-making skills, is self-motivated, fluent with email and the Internet, and has a 4-year degree or equivalent. Please also see the telecommuting requirements listed above.
To apply
Please submit resume with cover letter to HR@legacy.com. In your cover letter, please indicate your shift preference and explain why you want to work part-time. (Through experience, we have found that this position is too demanding in terms of the nature of the work and the time it takes for many people to hold in addition to a full-time job.)
If you have a work at home career experience I would try this if it is your area. I would think the 'equivalent' portion would be fulfilled that way! Read more...
I wanted to compile a list, and I will try to add to this of sites you can go to and check out what they have to say.
Here is a good video with tips on how to check companies out!
Fraudaid
Ripoff Report
Scam Busters
FTC
I've Tried That
WAHM.com
If you have other sites that should be here - add a comment!
Read more...
There is NO reason!
For some reason a couple of months ago I got this letter telling me I had won this HUGE prize, and go ahead and deposit the following check! The check was over $8000, and as you can imagine it got my attention! I also knew something didn't smell good either! I'm not the type that goes around entering contests, and goodness knows where these people got my name from!
I got on google, and I searched every reference to that company and bank they listed on that check to see what the heck the deal was!
WELL I found out what it was! They check was to cover fees that it would take to give me the rest of my prize money, and they just KNEW I didn't have that kind of money hanging around and of course sent it to me for some favor. YEAH RIGHT! You deposit the money, and call the number and they will fill you in as to HOW to claim your prize! Meanwhile, you turnaround and use that money because of the 'out of country' issues, taxes, etc...and what happens? The check bounces, and whatever funds you had in there...GONE! You are now in BIG trouble with your bank, and your life is a nightmare!
I realize that isn't a work at home career description, but the same principal applies to alot of these other types of check scams! Clients will send you money, and you deposit it within the country...and keep a portion for your time! Check cashing fee lets call it! YEAH RIGHT! They will tell that there are good reasons why they can't cash them here themselves, but for some reason won't be upfront about that reason! Can you say red flag? They will claim they have all kinds of clients you can do this for, and make your work at home career take off the easy way. DON'T DO IT!
You are responsible for the checks you deposit.
Don’t deposit it – report it!
Report fake check scams to NCL's Fraud Center, at http://www.fraud.org/. That information will be transmitted to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
You’ve seen the ads EVERYWHERE:
“Now hiring clerical home (ad) typists!
Work directly for our company.
Get paid for (every response to your
ad or every ad typed). No experience
necessary. No selling. Positions available
worldwide.”
There are several companies on the internet that advertise the availability of "home employment" through home typist or ad typist "jobs" with their companies. But, if you've thought about joining any of these programs, and if you’re a newcomer to making money online, you'd be well advised to learn about affiliate marketing and how affiliate marketing works BEFORE you pay a fee to sign on with any of these programs. That way, you can make a more informed decision as to whether or not these opportunities would be a good fit for you before you fork over your money.
The truth is, if you sign on with any of these companies hoping to be “employed” as an "ad typist," "home typist," or "independent typist," you will not be "hired" as an "employee" of the company as their advertising suggests. These companies actually operate an affiliate program (also known as an associate program), and once you pay to join, your success with the program will depend upon your knowing how to market affiliate programs.
While you might want to believe that you'll make tons of money by simply typing ads (and, that’s what they want you to believe), the truth is, simply typing ads on classified ad sites is not going to help you to earn a decent income. Ask any experienced internet marketer, and if they're honest, they will tell you that you cannot generate a full-time income on the internet by simply engaging in this single activity. In fact, many will tell you that advertising on classified ad sites doesn't work.
According to Cathy Bryant, owner of HomeBizJunction.com, "Joining affiliate programs helter-skelter and trying to promote them individually via inefficient means such as classified ads, safelists, and other forms of ineffective advertising is an exercise in futility. It is this method of promotion that is often used by the newcomer online and results in their frustration and belief that earning an income with these programs is impossible."
And, that's what makes these "ad typing" programs a questionable business. They target individuals who have no internet marketing experience (most, if not all, of these programs advertise that no experience is necessary), and promise them that they will engage in a simple activity (typing ads) that can result in an adequate income.
To make matters worse, they publish testimonials of income earned by experienced internet marketers, but do not disclose this fact. This gives the newcomer the false impression that one has the potential to earn hundreds of dollars per week, having no prior experience, by simply "typing ads."
Most often, the opposite is true. So most newcomers do one of the following AFTER they pay their fee:
a. they spend hours a day, day after day, typing ads all over the internet for very little or no pay,
b. they spend hours and hours typing ads, and give up in frustration (and with no return on the fee they paid),
c. they spend hours and hours typing ads, give up, and request a refund, but are denied the full amount they paid to get into the program, or
d. even though they were told that typing ads was all that they would have to do to earn an income, they realize that typing ads alone doesn't work, and so, after having paid a fee, they begin the process of learning how to make money as an affiliate marketer (which is what they could have done for FREE had they known up front what they really getting into).
These "home typist" programs charge upwards of $60.00 or more, and I've yet to find one that will guarantee to give you a full refund should you enter the program, AND THEN realize that it's not what you were looking for. So, to avoid losing any of your hard-earned money, be sure to take the time to learn all that you can about a “home employment” offer, and about what you'll REALLY need to do to make money in it BEFORE you say “yes.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Grace M. Washington, Silver Spring, MD, USA
grace@myworkathomeessentials.com
Grace Washington is a freelance writer and the author of The Essential Home Job Search Guide™, a Web-based Guide written to help users learn how to recognize and avoid work at home scams, and “work where they live” by guiding them, start to finish, through a proven method for conducting a successful home job search.
Read more...If you are looking for REAL work at home jobs check out the blog roll! We have discussions on different companies that won't scam you!
Its hard to imagine that envelope stuffing scams are still out there, and still making money off poor people that tend to believe their sales pitch! Its just plain sad! The people that write those scams could be marketing geniuses if they just focused on something besides ripping people off!
There are people out there that start companies doing direct mail for their clients! Its a bit more than stuffing envelopes, and the more creative you are the more customers you could find! The only piece of advice I can hand you there is TRY to become your customer's one stop shop! That includes creating the flyer's, graphics, etc. You don't have to be talented in that area yourself because you can find those to do that for you! You will need some marketing skills! Do a bit more than just manage their mailing lists! These days companies are looking for time savers, and being a one stop shop would be just that!
Has anyone done any direct mail marketing? I assume there are some neat forums for that business! Anyone have any leads?
Read more...If you are looking for REAL work at home jobs check out the blog roll! We have discussions on different companies that won't scam you!
Scambusters.org have a good article listing alot of scams you have read before! Its worth it! Check it out!
Questions to Ask
Fraudulent promoters of work-at-home schemes leave many unanswered questions. Don’t send any money until you get clear and complete answers – in writing – to all these questions:
What exactly do I need to do to earn money?
What will I get for my money?
Do I have to purchase anything?
What are the total costs to get in on the deal?
What quality standards I must meet for the products I produce?
Will I receive a salary? Or do I work on commission?
Who pays me?
How do I get paid?
Do I have to sell anything or market the product or information?
Do I need to recruit others to the program?
How do I get my money back if I am not satisfied?
If the answers you receive don’t really satisfy all your concerns, walk away from the promotion. The chances are good that the promotion is really a scam.
Remember if you are looking for companies that people actually do WORK AT look at the blog roll for positions available!
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Kelly McCausey started a thread, and asked people to write about WHY they like to work from home! It has some very interesting replies, and for those of you that are looking for additional opportunities I would go over read there as well!
I think we all may have different reasons, and those that are very common as well!
I started a small engraving business when I had my daugther, and had that for close to 14 years before I decided to retire! Opening that business opened up my mind to how different parts of the world worked, and it opened my eyes to the community around me as well! In order for the area to KNOW me I decided to do a bit of networking! The thought of it scared me to death, but I quickly learned it wasn't to bad! What was nice about that aspect of my life is that I could work around my child's schedule. She could be with me most of the time, and I had a babysitter locally if I needed to visit a client! She really enjoyed the time away, because she knew it wouldn't be to long and then got to play with TONS of other children!
I think working at home so closely with children shows them the value of the dollar as well. It shows them that going to work means more than just those words. They see the work and the effort it takes. They see the drama, rewards, anxiety, fulfillment, etc all thown into one! I truly think it gives them a better appreciation for things that other children may not have the opportunity to experience! Children are children after all, and we can't expect them to grasp it all at once!
I believe in getting involved with the local community. It helps the community work better for everyone, and helps you know what is going on alot better than any newspaper can inform you of! I first got involved with DARE, and still to this day do some things with that organization! It was very rewarding to work together with others to find a car for our little town, and watch as a local car club volunteered to really GEARHEAD it out! Organize, market, and help run fundraising dinners to announce all the awesome sponsors of that car, and raise money for the next year's worth of students! My family loved being dragged in tow during those nights, and my children loved the extra perks they got from being involved with an organizer! HECK that was only the first YEAR!
I worked a local festival with the chamber of commerce that was hugely successful, and we got to send students to college with the funds we raised! At that point I got to know the business community, and was an officer at the local chamber of commerce as well! I was able to help in all kinds of faucets of the community that I may not have been able to do if I couldn't run my own schedule!
The isolation at times working from home can really take its toll as well, and you seriously need to have other activities to keep you plugged into the world! Community events also help the children see things they may not be aware of in this world. They see WHY giving back is important, and they also at times truly see the value of their own lifestyle that has been afforded them!
I have retired from the engraving business, and the chamber of commerce within the last couple of years. I found alot of new friends, and they were NOT to surprised that I didn't take me long to find another new venue and keep on going! We are still active in the community - that part didn't change - but instead of learning about how to put trophies together for mom .... they watch informercials with me as I educated myself to do my job better!
LOL I'm not saying that is the fun part for them, but neither was trophies assembly I'm sure! Working at home afforded me time to show the children that doing something for this earth, its people, our church, and community is important! They see how hard you have to work to get things done, and how long you work to get the money you need!
Working at home has some hidden perks that I don't think people think about! I realize others may be talking about gas prices, and no trips to the cleaners in other places!
Working at home means something different to me! OH YES it includes those perks, but the benefits for my children are something I may have never had the time or energy to do otherwise!
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At Home Mom Blog has what I feel is very important questions to ask yourself about working at home!
Is your Work At Home Idea a Good one? addresses really good questions to start out with!
I remember reading and reading before I started at liveops, and I couldn't believe the amount of scams out there! Along with the scams you had these companies that wanted you to sell their items, and if you look at the minimum order amount you had better be awesome at selling! THAT says nothing about believing in their product!
From what I have seen you may be very excited about a product or industry, but most of the time you have TONS of competition! Best thing you can do is find your nitch! Take an aspect of that business that you LOVE and have passion for, and expand on that aspect! That is where you find some people that make it!
As the blog article mentioned DO your research...you will save yourself the heartache later!
Anyone has some scams they went for that blew up in their faces?
I found out recently my brother in law sent money away to buy supplies for crafts he was to assemble at home. Sighhhhh! I wish he would have called me first! If you read between the lines they will send you lists of items and assembly instructions...and MAYBE they will buy them from you! YIKES! At least it was only $15.00!
There are alot of crazy scams out there! Can you name a few?
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I think I freaked about the gas prices that are coming soon just as much as anyone out there. Its downright awful!
One thing that I'm thankful for is that most of the time we only have to fill ONE gas tank these days! I'm not going to say I don't use my car, but not having to drive everyday does save us alot of cash!
Somedays as I work at liveops, and have one hum danger of a customer on the phone I have to remind myself - GAS PRICES! You do learn to blow those customers off, and place the issue into prospective of course! There are moments that I think most people have that you really seem to question, "Why am I doing this!? I don't need this abuse!" I look back at my corporate days, and I look back to when I sat on boards of chamber of commerce and I have to remember all positions have their downsides! HECK the times I just sat home with the kids alone there were days I wanted to hang them up by their toenails in the backyard! (Just an expression)
If you take into account all the things you save money on, and add those to other factors working at home isn't bad at all!
Besides the gas budget what else are you thankful for when you work at home?
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Working from home has its challenges like any other job, but I think at times some of the challenges are just a bit different! I’m not talking about my Internet going down, or my phone like acting up on occasion to fulfill my requirements. Work at Home doesn’t mean easy it just means different!
I contract with Liveops, and have been there since July 2007. I have to admit I never in a million years thought I would grow up, and be an infomercial operator! At times it can be a very nice experience, but at others times I have to admit kicking the file cabinet in frustration. Its not the company that frustrates me its generally the people on the phone! You do need a bit of thick skin at times, and not take offense to people that go out of their way to be downright rude! Learning to keep things in prospective at times is just MUST in this job! If you get offended easily, or get defensive quickly this job just isn’t for you!
The first thing people tell me when I tell them about my job is that they can’t sell for nothing! YES it is a job that sells, but I wasn’t the best salesperson in the world either! I’m not going to tell you I’m stellar at this point, but I sure have come a long way! I was actually shocked when I hit the top 10 percent of the company in certain lines of products. I never saw myself as a salesperson, and I think most of it was just plain being nice to people! There are some I’m sure that are way more pushy than I am, and I have to be honest I don’t think that will ever be part of my selling personality! If you think you must have that I will tell you right now YOUR WRONG! I will keep my top 10% seat for a while, and then I will dip and go back up. In other products lines I may never get above average! It’s a roller coaster for me, and I’m fine with that! I see to many people getting all stressed out over what I call…LIFE! I will never be the salesperson that can sell ice to the Eskimo, and quite frankly I don’t want to be either! I do my best, and there are times I can’t sell anything. I do get disappointed, but I also have to remember tomorrow is another day! If I can’t keep that mindset I will drown!
Everyone starts at the bottom, and you have to work your way up! I get the impression people feel having a work from home job you aren’t required to place as much effort into things. I wish that were true, but its quite the opposite! I read up the products, and I practice the scripts. If they have an interactive training on a product, and there is time in my calendar for the day I will do my best to get there! I also read how other agents handle things, and I have picked up quite a few very nice tips! I’m lucky to have a facilitator I can talk to, and she also helps me over quite a few humps I never thought I could have dealt with! In other words, I do my homework when time is available! I also take those tips I have learned, and push myself past my comfort zone at times. I’m pretty laid back person most of the time, and just adding that extra ‘chipper’ in my voice at times is a challenge! After a while it just came without any effort at all pretty much!
Liveops I can get hours anytime during the day or night. There are periods of time in which I do have to work during family time, but our commits are ½ hour long so it’s not like a huge chuck of time here. I have spoke to quite a few stay at home moms, and really needed some extra cash that speak to me. There are times in which they tell me they are AREN’T sure when they can do this. I have to wonder at times WHY they ask about it then! The job is there 24/7, and you will have to modify the family schedule! We have a couple of mom’s that work during the time their children sleep, and sleep while they are at school! We have homeschooler mom’s that have trained their kids that death will come early if noise happens when the phone rings! We have single parents, retired, disabled people all finding ways of working the schedule! Work at home doesn’t mean anything different than a ‘real job’, and you have to find ways of making that happen! You have to place time and effort into the training all the time. Work at home doesn’t mean easier it means DIFFERENT! If work at home meant easy money with little effort we wouldn’t have the big homeless problem! MOST people would be at home, and others would have YOUR job! I guess I also like sarcasm at times!
I think one of the bigger challeges is people getting out of the employee mindset, and into the independent contractor one! The company doesn’t have to hand you anything! What you are handed is gravy! They aren’t going to tell you what hours to work, and they aren’t going to tell you how you must do it. They will tell you what they feel must be required at times, because if they didn’t they wouldn’t need you! They contracted with you, and told you what their customers need and you agreed to deliver! Times change, requirements change and you don’t have to continue to contract if you feel you can’t do it! You can walk away at anytime! When I started I know my sales volume was in the dumps! I didn’t whine about it I found ways of changing that! If I didn’t adapt my home business wasn’t going to go anywhere. Why would the contractor for my services adapt what their customer requires over my debit? That makes no sense!
If you place yourself in the position to work at home you will get people that have all kinds of ideas about how you have it made! It works for a lot of people, and it’s the best thing for others! Its not some get rich scheme that you only need to place a small bit of effort into! You will have to have self-discipline, and it will be a commitment! You will have one customer screaming their head off over really dumb things, and then the next one loves you to death! If you don’t think you will have to push yourself to hard at times you are better off looking at other avenues! The flexible is awesome at times, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a set of ugliness you don’t have to live with!
Working at homes doesn’t mean easy….it means different!
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I think we all have reasons as to WHY we would want to, or why we need to 'work at home'. It could be availability for our children, or extra income due to disability, or maybe even knowing you need to do something temporarily because your industry is going to take hit soon!
Goodness knows there are plenty of sites out there that are willing to take your cash, and give you a helping hand! To be honest you really don't need those companies, because there are plenty of people willing to give that to you for free!
There are tons more sites that are ripoffs and con artists! I would say more of those than anything else. If you are one of those types that tend to trust a little to freely than find a friend to give you a second opinion. I'm NOT talking one that doesn't trust anything okay?! There was a time years ago I myself fell for some of these scams, and believe me after that you do you tend to be able to SNIFF them out!
1) If a company you are seeking is promising you HUGE amounts of cash, and hardly any effort from you? RED FLAGS are waving in the wind! The chances of that happening to you are about as good as you winning the lotto!
2) Keep in mind companies are going to highlight the top producers of their companies. Just because they show you a work at home mom, retired or disabled person, teenager or whatever they are trying impress you with doesn't mean they weren't go getters! Doesn't mean they didn't have tons of support, and help in alot of areas! Could be they are downright genius! LOL Could just have been lucky as well! Keep in mind your chances of that type of income isn't coming your way anytime soon! Even if you have all the skills to make it happen. Starting a business or any job takes time, patience and a lot of bottlenecks to deal with! Count on making less, and staying in that 'less' category for a while!
3) Check out refund policies! At times companies want you to buy equipment, or items that are supplied by them. Make sure its something you can afford to eat if they aren't going to refund you. Check out Ebay to see if you can find used ones that others are trying to sell off, or keep that in mind if you decide to do the same!
4) Do your research on this company! Google is a great tool for that! My first work at home job was Liveops, and I did a search for them and read everything I could get my hands on! I had a pretty darn good idea what I was getting into when I decided to go ahead, and do that 'work at home career'! Remember that NOT everyone is going to do well at these companies, and you will find some whiners! They didn't make the cut or what have you and it HAS to be a ripoff! Not so - read between the lines!
5) I don't know how many sites I came across that gave you high pressure sales speech, and gave you limited time to OPT in to their wonderful product! Chances are something smells there, and you need to stay clear!
6) I have found more places that told you that you could place up their items on some webpage, or have a website (that they would more than happy to supply to you) that will help them and YOU make money! I never understood that concept! How are you going to make money when you have 20,000 other websites that pretty much look the same? To me you brought some major competition!
7) Check out if there are extras that you may have to purchase! Do you have to buy ad space, signs, etc? You really love that product enough to invest the extra cash? How are going to get leads? If they are supplied how qualified are they?
8) Be aware of legal issues. Some types of work require licenses or certification and cannot be done at home. Check with your state and local offices. Look for the nearest U.S. Department of Labor in the government listings of your phone book.
This list is just the beginning! Do you have things you think we should add to the list?
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