Common Work-at-Home Positions You Can Apply For

Common Work-at-Home Positions You Can Apply For

Working at home sounds like a dream come true to most people. No tromping out in the cold weather, no need for business clothes, and perhaps a way to truly have integration of family life and work without being fired. But, what sorts of positions can you find that you can do at home?

Inbound Call Center Agent
An inbound call center agent takes calls using their home phone and computer system from the comfort of their home office (or kitchen table), taking orders for products and services. For example, you may work on a project for well-known home shopping networks or food chain establishments. You’ll be trained, and have practice calls before you get started. You will make between $8 and $20 dollars per hour from home doing this. Some positions are independent contracting and some are full-fledged employees.

Outbound Call Center Agent
An outbound call center agent makes outbound calls to a list of leads given to them by the company they work with. They will try to sell something to the person they are calling such as magazine subscriptions, vacations, or even provide political information during election season.

It will depend on which company you choose to work with what type of calling you will do. You’ll be trained, provided a script, and learn to be a professional at this type of calling. Typically, on these positions you’re required to hit a certain level of sales to keep your position. The highest earners make about $60,000 per year.

Fundraiser
Every year you likely get fundraising calls. Well, they hire people who work from home to do the fundraising. The pay is usually hourly, from $8 to $20 per hour depending on the program you’re involved with. With less experience you can expect to earn less money since some of this is based on time on the phone and funds collected. Phone work can be challenging, but with more experience you’ll always earn more money.

Adjunct Professor
Believe it or not, colleges and universities contract with adjunct professors to teach and or grade their online courses. If you can get your foot in the door there are a lot of opportunities with online teaching at the college level. You will typically need at least a master’s degree in the area you want to teach, and a doctorate definitely will expand your opportunities.

Answering Service
This is a lot like some of the call positions mentioned above in terms of pay, but instead of dealing with sales you’ll be answering for businesses and taking messages and/or transferring calls as needed. You could be answering for various doctors’ offices, apartment complexes and other businesses during their lunchtime and off time. You’ll do this from your computer set up right from home.

Customer Service Rep
A customer service rep can work in a variety of ways such as via phone, text, email, chat windows and so forth. You would be trained thoroughly on the products and services and likely need to pass a test for each business you’ll be serving to handle customer problems and issues remotely. The pay can range from $8 an hour to $20 an hour.

Online K-12 Instructor
You may not realize it but there now fully online schools, and also some land-based schools that offer some of their less popular courses online. If you have a teaching certificate in the areas needed and experience teaching, you should have no problem finding an online teaching position. The pay is depending on the school. Some schools make you a full employee, and others work you as if you’re an adjunct contractor.

Travel Agent
Yes, travel agents still exist and companies are hiring travel agents (sometimes called travel consultants) to answer phones and help customers plan their trips. Usually you get paid a combination of base pay, and/or a percentage of sales with these types of jobs. So, you might have to make a lot of sales to make enough money as usually you don’t make more than 10 percent or so per sale. But, many travel agents love what they do and often get travel perks too.

Transcription Service
Many types of businesses use transcription services. There are many work-at-home opportunities for transcriptionists. Most of the time the transcribing is medical based but there are also opportunities for other types of transcribing. A good transcriber can make about $45,000 a year right from home. Sometimes you’re an independent contractor for several companies and other times you will be an employee, depending on your choice of company.

Appointment Setter
Many businesses such as the insurance industry need appointment setters. As an appointment setter you’ll be calling leads who have expressed interest in meeting with someone to discuss the product or service being provided. You’ll simply call the prospect and make the appointments for the business owner adding to their calendar. You may also call back to confirm the appointments 24 hours in advance. Pay can be hourly, or on an appointment-by-appointment basis.

There are many work-at-home positions that you can find today due to the advent of high speed internet and the relatively inexpensive cost of making long distance calls today. It’s important to check out any company before committing or offering your information to them before you get started, to avoid being scammed. Typically, other than buying and providing your own technology, you should not have to give the company any money to get started.

Choosing the Right Business Entity

Choosing the Right Business Entity

When you start up your business you’ll want to figure out your tax-related business identity. There are a few choices depending on where you live. In the USA you can choose to be a sole proprietor, partnership, a limited liability corporation (LLC) or a corporation. Each has different rules, regulations and tax consequences. It will depend on your individual business and what works best for you.

Some types of businesses are required to be in a certain category, but a large share of businesses can run as sole proprietors or LLCs easily.

Sole Proprietor
This type of business set-up means that there is just one owner who is totally responsible for everything. It’s the easiest way to start a business, and how most people get started as long as they’re not in a category that requires another entity.

One problem with this type of business is that if something goes wrong and a customer or other person is harmed in some way and brings a lawsuit, they can win your personal funds and even take your home. Taxes are easy in the USA with the schedule C on personal income taxes.

Partnership
If you are running a business with another person, then you may want to form a partnership. You don’t have to in order to run a business with someone else, but it can offer another level of protection for both parties in the event of a disagreement or even a lawsuit. Income taxes are simple and somewhat like the schedule C reporting, with an additional information return filed. This type of business can be difficult at times, but it’s just as easy to set up as a sole proprietorship.

Limited Liability Corporation
Many people like to form LLCs because they have the opportunity to file taxes as a partnership, corporation, or even as a sole proprietorship. The LLC is mostly just to protect individual business owners from personal liability if something goes wrong and a lawsuit happens, or if the business goes under.

Corporation
There are many types of corporations such as an S Corp and an INC. These are the most expensive types of entities to form, and have many requirements such as having a board, separate taxes for the business and owners, and other issues. You’ll definitely need to work with a CPA and perhaps a corporate lawyer to help you form a corporation and keep compliant with the laws.

The business entity that you choose will make a difference in how you file income taxes and run your business on a daily basis. You’ll need to speak to a financial expert such as a CPA to help you determine which entity is best for you.

Why Being An Entrepreneur Is Much Better Than a J-O-B

Why Being An Entrepreneur Is Much Better Than a J-O-B

There are several reasons why being an entrepreneur is much better than a J-O-B. With the responsibility of running your own business, you also have the freedom to pursue the most financially and personally rewarding avenues.

Instead of sitting behind a desk and being told what you have to achieve for the day or for the year, you’re free to set your own goals and objectives. No more time spent working on projects that don’t fulfill you.

When you’re an entrepreneur, you get to set the goals, you get to choose the direction your business takes and which projects will be the best fit for your endeavor. Because you will be the one to know your company best, achieving your goals will not only feel financially rewarding but will also be personally rewarding as well.

In addition to getting to decide the direction your business heads, you’ll also be cutting down on the time it takes to get back and forth to work. For many people, their daily commute represents time that could better be spent on other activities like connecting with new clients and working to build their company’s brand – both of which are essential to having a successful business. For entrepreneurs working at home, the longest commute is from the shower to the computer (or laptop) freeing up valuable work time.

One of the most exciting work at home perks is the flexibility it offers you. When you run your own business, you don’t have to worry about being put on the schedule for holidays or on family birthdays. If you don’t feel well yourself, you don’t have to go in to work or beg your boss to stay home or get docked in pay.

When you work at home, you don’t have to clear it with your supervisors if you need to leave work early to pick up your sick child. You don’t have to work hours that someone else specifies.

Your schedule is completely your own. If you’d rather work in the wee hours of the night so you can spend more time with your loved ones while they’re awake, then you’re free to do so. When you work at home, you can be as free as you wish without worrying you’ll lose your job.

Another perk is the stability that comes from working at home. In this economy, even the most dedicated employees sometimes find themselves being let go. But when you work from home, you never have to worry about being fired or downsized because you’re the boss.

Running your own business allows you the freedom to change directions, work your own hours, avoid the frustrating commute and the knowledge that your never have to worry about being laid off again. Plus, it’s so much more exciting building something yourself and seeing it take off than working for someone else to build their business.

What Seniors Need to Know About Working on a Computer from Home

What Seniors Need to Know About Working on a Computer from Home

Seniors are clamoring to learn about computers and the Internet so they can make money to supplement their retirement incomes and socialize with others. They’re part of a movement which can keep seniors working and independent for the rest of their lives barring severe health problems.

If you have a computer and access to the Internet, you are already well on your way to building a home-based business. A home-based business lets seniors set their own hours and determine how much effort they want to put into it and how much money they’ll make from it.

Many seniors already have valuable skills learned from jobs they’ve had throughout their lives. Thanks to the Internet, seniors can now put those skills to work from the comfort of their own homes in areas such as sales, administrative, finance and research.

More and more companies are outsourcing jobs to home-based offices. This cuts down on their overhead and they don’t run the risk of having a full-time employee who doesn’t have enough work to keep them busy throughout the year.

Seniors can capitalize on that scenario and develop relationships with several companies – keeping as busy as they would like. Setting their own hours and taking off when necessary is a big plus for working on a computer from home.

Even if you don’t know a lot about computers – or the Internet – there are both local and online classes for beginners. Learn all you can and when you’re ready you’ll know the type of business you want to start.

Don’t be afraid you’re too old to start a business. There are more Internet entrepreneurs now who are over the age of 55 than those between the ages of 20 to 35. The startup costs are very small.

You will likely be able to add an Internet connection to your television package for a small fee. Working from home means that you’ll have no startup costs such as office space or employees.

You can be your only employee until you decide to branch out and then you can enlist the help of many available freelancers. You’ll find social media full of boomers, retirees and seniors who are also looking for ways to earn money from home.

Even though they may have planned for retirement, most are finding it difficult to make ends meet on what they’ve saved during their main productive lives. You can work full time or part time, depending on your needs.

Build your business to be a part time way to supplement your income as a freelancer working for other online entrepreneurs – or go for the gold and build an empire. It’s all within the realm of possibilities if you’re willing to learn and do the work!

Saving Money Versus Supplementing Your Income

Saving Money Versus Supplementing Your Income

Retired seniors are discovering that it’s very difficult to save money on a fixed income. Prices on everything keep rising while the income stays the same. Unless you’re independently wealthy upon retirement, you may find yourself cutting coupons and even cutting back on medical prescriptions to save money for essentials such as rent and utilities.

You don’t have to live the rest of your life saving money to make ends meet. With the advent of the Internet, many opportunities are now available that have never been open to you before.

Starting your own Internet business can be fun and rewarding – not only from a monetary standpoint, but mentally stimulating as well. Even if you don’t know a great deal about computers, there’s plenty of help (including school classes, books and online tutorials and sites) to boost you along.

If you’re looking for some type of job to keep you active and help supplement your retirement income, you need to look no farther than starting an online business. You can set your own hours and go as far with the business as you desire.

With the rising cost of living, it seems that no one is able to save enough to let them completely retire. That means you’re going to have to rethink your plans for retirement. Rather than trying to save enough, you need to start thinking about working after retirement to supplement the retirement income.

If you’re still working, you can begin your Internet business as a part time venture and build it up so that when you do retire, your income from the business can be just the boost you need to keep you from having to look for a job outside the home.

One of the great things about starting an online business is that it takes very little out of pocket money to begin. You just need a computer, know how to use it and you can begin immediately.

It’s disappointing to reach your senior years and have to pinch pennies to make ends meet. You don’t have to let that happen to you if you have the desire and time to research and begin a business of your own based on Internet skills you either already know or can learn.

Begin now exploring various ways you can supplement your income after retirement. Make sure you look into options on the Internet, such as Internet marketing, book publishing and more. You can make the business as successful as you desire and still have time to spoil the grandchildren and take some trips you’ve always dreamed of.

Part Time Work for Full Time Pay Helps Seniors Make Ends Meet

Part Time Work for Full Time Pay Helps Seniors Make Ends Meet

More seniors are discovering the benefits of working part time to supplement their inadequate incomes. They’re also finding that working part time can equal the full time pay they used to enjoy at a job.

Despite the 401Ks and IRAs seniors may have set aside as they worked for a company, they’re finding it’s still not enough to live comfortably when they retire. Most have to seek a part time job just to make ends meet.

Using the valuable skills they’ve honed during years of working for the corporate world, seniors have found that even a part time online business can turn into a major boost in earnings.

By utilizing the Internet to set up and build a lucrative online business, seniors can not only make ends meet, but still have time to spend with family or on travel and hobby pursuits.

Starting a new business in your golden years may seem like quite a challenge, but keep in mind that all you need is a computer and an Internet connection. After your business is up and running you can devote as much or as little time as you want to make it a success.

Many seniors find themselves at loose ends upon retirement from a company. Medical problems may also loom large, preventing finding or performing a job as they once did. Choosing to use the Internet as a means to make money lets them enjoy the freedom to set their own hours and decide for themselves how much money they want to make.

The sky’s the limit on the money you can make when you become an online entrepreneur. You’re the boss and you decide how much you want to put into the business you’ve created.

Visit online forums and blogs and you’ll likely find nests of seniors who are learning or have already become successful in creating online businesses. Most of these entrepreneurs are happy to help others become successful, too.

And keep in mind you don’t need a lot of money to begin your business. Paying for the Internet connection and a domain and hosting are pretty much all you need to get started.

Beware of those online scams that offer pie in the sky opportunities and promise overnight success. Check them out in marketing forums (such as the Warrior Forum) and ask for advice on blogs or government watch dog sites.