Work From Home,
But Not Necessarily For Yourself

by Elizabeth H. Cottrell

 

Many of our IAHBE readers are starting – or thinking about starting – their own businesses for a variety of good reasons, and in many varied ways, part time or full time. Often overlooked, however, are those individuals who want to work from home but who don’t necessarily want the burden or responsibility of owning their own business. This article is written for those folks to provide ideas and resources for more information about working from home…for someone else.

As recently as 10 years ago, it was very difficult to find reasonable or legitimate work to do from your own home. The envelope stuffing scams have always been with us (and still are), but technology had not evolved to the point where an employer could get the same value from an employee working from their home as they could from someone who commuted to the place of employment.

Why are more companies looking for home workers?

Many companies are finally realizing that they are missing out on millions of capable, talented individuals who either can’t, or don’t want to, leave their home for employment. This includes those with mobility impairments and, of course, parents, especially women, who want to stay home while their children are young. Technology in the form of computers, Internet, telecommunications advancements, and satellite communications have evolved to the point in many businesses, employees can function efficiently and effectively from locations other than the corporate office. Satisfied workers are typically more productive and more motivated, and they stay with a company longer and suffer less from stress and burnout. When an employee works from home, the company does not necessarily have to provide them with space or furnishings. If those workers are freelancers or contractors, the company is probably saving on reduced employee benefits.

Why work for someone else when you can work for yourself?

Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur or cut out to be self-employed. It requires certain skills and aptitudes that aren’t going to apply to all people. The legal and accounting details involved with owning your own business – even one without other employees – can be overwhelming to some. They may be turned off by the liability and risk. Still others just may not want – or be able – to come up with ideas for products or services or dealing with customers. They just want to focus on one job and do it well, without having to think about hiring and managing employees, paying taxes, or staying ahead of their competitors. Still others are daunted by the financing requirements that often come with starting and owning your own business.

Know yourself, do your homework and don’t kid yourself.

Before you start looking for a job to do from home, take some time to do an honest self-assessment of your skills, aptitudes, and preferences. Get out a piece of paper and really think about this—it will save you a lot of time later and reduce the chances of a mismatch with a job opportunity. Ask yourself these questions:
Do I have a special area of expertise or training? Licenses or certifications?

Am I good at any particular software programs?

Am I fluent in another language?

Am I a good typist?

Am I good at technical things or understanding how computers work?

Am I comfortable or efficient at doing Internet research.

Is there something that others compliment me on? (e.g., listening or writing skills, singing, learning, cooking, baking, craft-making, planning, organizing, lobbying, persuasion, getting along with others, helping others get along with each other)

Is there an activity or type of job that makes my heart sing when I do it?

Accurate answers to these questions will guide you in finding a job that fits your skills and talents and personality. This may sound ridiculously obvious, but make sure the job you’re considering doesn’t involve something you hate to do. If you are uncomfortable calling or speaking to strangers, for instance, you should probably stay away from call center jobs, telephone sales or survey jobs.

In their excellent book Will Work From Home, authors Tory Johnson and Robyn Freedman Spizman remind readers to research opportunities carefully and think carefully about what is involved. Working from home may actually be harder than working from a place of employment, especially as you start out and get used to it. At best, it will be a juggling act between home life and professional life, especially if you have children at home. Some jobs require an investment in training, materials, or tools, and you aren’t likely to have any kind of guarantee that your job will last a long time or turn out to be just what you expected. The more you learn up front, the better prepared you will be to make a good decision.

Watch for Scams

Sadly, the number of bogus or scam opportunities you’re likely to find can outnumber the legitimate ones significantly. Always be skeptical of jobs that promise more money than seems realistic for the job involved, especially those that require up front payment or places where you can’t speak to a real person. Remember that paid advertisements for scams can be found on legitimate job sites, so pay attention.

Where do I find these jobs?

Several sources suggest that online job boards/search engines are good places to start looking for a job that can be done from home. See our list of links below in the Sources section, but these include CareerBuilder.com, Monster.com, HotJobs.com, SimplyHired.com, and Indeed.com. Narrow down your search results by including keywords that refer to working from home. These might include “virtual,” “from home,” “telecommute,” or “telework.” If you have professional senior-level experience, you might want to investigate TheLadders.com. There is a monthly fee involved for unlimited access to their job offerings (ranging from $15 to $30/month depending on how many months you commit to), but it targets jobs that are more than $100,000 a year.

Kelly Lane, in her article cited below, keeps an updated list of companies that hire home workers. Check these out.

If you have a particular skill and prefer operating as a freelancer, you might be able to promote yourself on sites such as Odesk.com, Guru.com, or Elance.com. These are sites where companies go to look for special areas of expertise. Sologig.com allows you to find subcontracting, consulting, or freelance jobs by geographic location. Even Craigslist.com can be a potential source of job information, especially in an urban area and especially if you’re looking for something in your own neighborhood such as tutoring or giving lessons of some sort. Here, too, using the word “freelance” in your search may help narrow down the possibilities.

The following companies, in alphabetical order, are known to hire home workers or match home-workers with those who are hiring. Don’t limit yourself to these companies, however. Use the other ideas and links we’ve provided to find the perfect match for you.

Alpine Access: A call center company that uses home-based customer service representatives to handle calls for a variety of companies
Arise: This site matches work-from-home agents with open positions in sales, technical support and customer service.
Click ‘n’Work: This site is looking for information specialists and web reseachers and analysts.
Convergys: This company hires home-based agents to work as customer service, technical assistance or sales agents for various clients.
eHill: A source for tutors of all kinds.
Liveops: “The virtual call center company.” Customer service calls for a variety of major corporations are routed through this center and answered by people who work from home.
Media Bistro: You’ll find postings for job opportunities in the media industry. Search using “freelance.”
Rat Race Rebellion: A resource for anyone looking for a virtual job. This is affiliated with StaffCentrix.
StaffCentrix.com: Dedicated to training and placing virtual workers.
VirtuServe: A call center that hires home agents in the U.S. and Canada for telemarketing, help desk support and survey research.
VIPdesk: They match home-based concierge and customer service agents with companies needing these services.
WahBoom.com: A site for baby boomers who want virtual employment. This is affiliated with StaffCentrix.
West Corporation: West finds customer service and call center agents based out of their homes for a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical, retail and hospitality.

Whether you’re looking for income to support your family or just something to help with vacations or special purchases (“mad money”), there’s never been a better time to find legal, meaningful work that you can do from your own home, but the job search requires just as much diligence and effort as if you were trying to get a more traditional job. Do your due diligence, be thoughtful and realistic, and take advantage of current technologies to snag a job that you find fulfilling and one that compensates you appropriately. It’s right out there waiting for you!

SOURCES

Balderamma, Anthony. “Companies that hire home-based workers.” CNN-Work at Home Website. April 7, 2008:

Doyle, Alison. “Work from Home.” About.com: Job Searching:

Land, Kelly. “Companies that hire home workers,” 2008. MoneyMaking Mommy Website.

Johnson, Tory and Robyn Freedman Spizman. "Will Work from Home." Berkley Books, New York, 2008.

Wolf, Jennifer. “Work from Home Jobs: Companies that Hire Individuals to Work out of their Homes.” Aboutl.com Website:

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Online Job Boards where you can search for jobs by category, occupation, keyword, title, company, or geographic location:

CareerBuilder.com http://www.careerbuilder.com
Monster.com (http://www.monster.com)
HotJobs.com (http://www.hotjobs.com) from Yahoo!
SimplyHired.com (http://www.simplyhired.com)
Indeed.com (http://www.indeed.com)
TheLadders.com (http://www.theladders.com)
Worldwide Work At Home (http://www.worldwideworkathome.com/)

Freelance or Subcontractor Job opportunities:

Odesk.com (http://www.odesk.com)
Guru.com (http://www.guru.com)
Elance.com (http://www.elance.com)
Sologig.com (http://www.sologig.com)
Craigslist.com (http://www.craigslist.com)

Other online sources of information

BizyMoms (http://www.bizymoms.com/)
WomenForHire (http://www.womenforhire.com/advice/work_from_home_opportunities)
Work-at-home Moms (http://www.wahm.com/)

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Elizabeth H. Cottrell is a home-based entrepreneur, freelance technical writer, and owner of Riverwood Technologies, a desktop publishing company in Maurertown, Virginia. She is currently a staff writer and editor for IAHBE.