|
Advice Sisters Great Relationships- HOME Get Personal, Private Online Advice Real Comments From Real People
Be Popular - Realize Your Dreams What Works" Beauty & Fashion Column
|
AdviceSisters Web Site: Everything you need for love, success & happiness is here!
WORKING AT HOME: ARE ONLINE JOB LEGITIMATE?
Q: "I am a mother of a 4-year old and have been out of the workforce for three years. I am very interested in starting my own business at home so that I can spend more time with my child. I am also pursuing my writing career, so I was thinking about doing some work with my computer and the Internet. I know there are a lot of schemes out there and I get lots of "make money working at home" advertisements in my E-mail. Are these legitimate?"
ALISON ANSWERS:
Working from home or in a home business can be a very rewarding and sometimes very lucrative way to make a living, but it’s neither easy nor quick, and it’s NOT for everyone. You get to call the shots and be your own boss. You can set your own hours, and you reap all of the rewards if you are successful.
I applaud your desire to spend more time with your child, but if you're not a true "self-starter" who likes to work alone, you may not find the experience all that rewarding. Working at home is a balancing act. You will need to work first, while still handling the demands of your family. Time management, especially at first, can be overwhelming. Your work hours may stretch out alarmingly and there's no formal "quitting time." Most likely you will have to do all of the tasks that are essential to running a business, without help. You probably will not have the type of office equipment and support services that you may be used to.
You can also get into serious trouble if you aren’t adequately prepared to meet the challenges of this type of lifestyle, or enter into it for illogical reasons. Working alone can also be isolating. There's no water-cooler camaraderie. There's also no guarantee of a steady income (or any income). Startup costs may be greater than anticipated and income may come in slower than you'd like. More importantly, an unsuccessful or frustrating job search isn't usually the best reason to be an entrepreneur. If you are the type of person who needs "structure," support, and a steady income, re-think being your own boss!
Successful home entrepreneurs know that they have to do lots of up-front research before move forward. They make sure that they’ve got what it takes (besides technical skills) to do the job.
If you're planning to work on your own, honestly assess your motives, resources, and chances of success, along with your expectations. Create business and personal, financial plans to get you through the beginning stages. Be realistic about what you can expect financially and emotionally. Some of the most basic questions to help you decide whether starting a home business is for you, are:
* What kind of work do I want to do?
* Will I choose something similar to what I did as an employee, or something entirely different?
* Do I like the kind of work and auxiliary tasks that are involved in this business?
* Will I purchase a franchise, work for someone else, start a partnership, or start my own business from scratch?
* Will I be able to sell this product or service in the general marketplace, in my home-town, on the Internet, or at all?
* Will my new career require training or academic courses?
* What are the startup costs and will I have to make a significant, up-front investment in equipment or materials?
* Do I have enough money to survive up to a year if the money doesn’t roll in the way I’d like?
* Should I work with a partner or partners?
* Do I have a fallback plan in case things don’t work out?
* what are my interests, skills, assets, liabilities?
After you’ve picked the type of work you want to do, research the viability of your choice in the marketplace. It might seem frustrating if you think you’ve got a great idea and you’re dying to get started, but thorough research and planning early-on can save you from getting scammed, or throwing away your life’s savings on a business venture that has no chance of succeeding. If you are starting your own business, you will need to apply for any licenses that might be necessary, and should have the financial resources to cover business and personal expenses for at least six months to a year as you get your new business off the ground.
Internet Schemes: The Internet provides a wealth of new business opportunities and many of them are perfect for someone who wants to work at home. Some of the most common involve word processing, desktop publishing, information research, data entry, web editing, freelance writing, and sales.
Nearly ever day, I find my E-mail brimming with "hot offers" featuring incredible claims to help me make a "fortune." To me it's just annoying "spam," but some people are really tempted by these claims of easy money. That being said, there are plenty of legitimate businesses you can operate, franchise, or partner with through the Internet, but be cautious! Do a thorough investigation of all of your options before you choose! Purchasing a franchise or working for someone else takes lots of research. You can find franchises, partnerships, and other home business opportunities everywhere--especially in the classified section of newspapers and magazines, on the Internet in newsgroups and web sites, and through your own network of colleagues, family, and friends. Once the word gets around that you are looking for such an opportunity, companies will quickly find you.
Sadly, the "bad apples" spoil the general sense of opportunity in many of these venture. There are so many schemes just waiting to separate you from your money by promising easy success and wealth. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it generally is too good to be true!
Make sure that the business is really legitimate before you sign a contract or write a check. Here are some basic ways to help you find a legitimate opportunity:
* Check the company’s address and number. Make sure that they are listed in the book and that their "offices" aren’t just a post office Box, an e-mail address, a web site, or an answering machine.
* Call the company and ask to speak to someone about the business opportunity. Be suspicious if all you get is an answering machine that says: "We’ll call you back...."
* Ask the company to send you material in writing about their company. While a glossy brochure doesn’t signify legitimacy, get suspicious if the company has nothing to send you at all.
* Get references. Be wary if the company refuses to provide any.
* Check with the better business bureau and on Internet newsgroups to see if anyone has had complaints about the business.
* Make sure that the company spells out the terms of the agreement in writing. If they refuse, walk away!
Other Issues To Consider:
Most home workers are independent contractors, consultants or freelancers. That means you probably won’t receive traditional employee benefits and will be expected to contribute to your own social security. Investigate the costs of essentials such as health insurance before you agree on compensation for a project, since you will have to include these additional costs in your estimates. All home workers are responsible for tracking their own income and expenses. There are a number of good computer accounting programs to speed this task. Most importantly, you will need to adjust your home setting to make it conducive to working at home.
If all of this seems a bit overwhelming but you still want to work from home, why not consider seeking out jobs where you can telecommute, or job-share? Many companies are beginning to embrace these types of arrangements.
Finally, don’t forget that you are still "in business" even if you work at home. You must continue to follow basic business procedures, etiquette, image, and common sense. For some reason, there appear to be a large number of at-home professionals who feel that working at home means that they don't have to write a proper letter, correct their spelling and grammar, or behave properly on the phone. This type of thinking sets you up for failure! Image counts! If you are going to sell your services to others (especially on the Internet, where you can’t be seen and Email is your only connection), you need to work hard to show that you are competent. If you don’t look professional and polished in your correspondence and proposals, you will have a hard time persuading customers that you can do a good job for them if they hire you. For additional information about phone etiquette click here.
Alison Blackman Dunham, aka. "Advice Sister Alison, " is a life & career expert, online advisor, freelance writer, and creator of The Advice Sisters online publications. "The Advice Sisters®" are credited with bringing the advice genre, online. If you are seeking advice of any kind, this website is the right place! If you have a question, dilemma or problem that requires personal attention, consult Alison privately. Also check out The Advice Sisters Features Page with the latest additions to the site. Read the Advice Sisters Blog and enjoy the Bulletin Boards and Forums. For even more advice, inspiration and up-close-and-personal reviews, information and reports, get the free, bi-monthly AdviceSisters Enews by Email.