Sep 24, 2008 10:31 pm US/Eastern
The Good, Bad & The Challenges Of Working At Home
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
The idea of working at home does seem very appealing to many. You don't have to commute and some people think you can work in your
pajamas. But are there downsides to the home office? How do you stay focused when you're at home? How do you get started? And how do you meet fellow professionals?
MEET RHONDA"
The price of gas was just getting way too high to make (getting to my nursing job) feasible."
After doing some research, Rhonda thought she found two good opportunities. "They had you send in money and you were supposed to get a packet with everything needed to start mailing jobs."
She says the packets turned out to be a waste and the jobs were not as advertised.
After getting burned initially, Rhonda did some homework and went to work for
Alpine Access. "I work from anywhere from 25 hours to 30 hours a week, and I get to choose my schedule."
DO YOUR RESEARCH
The
Better Business Bureau (BBB) has seen complaints like Rhonda's double between the first and second quarter of this year.
Now, the bureau is warning about a new type of scheme where people pay up front to get information about rebate processing jobs.
The problem with some of these offers is that there are legitimate jobs out there that will let you work from the comforts of your own home.
KEEP FOCUSED WHILE WORKING AT HOMEHow do you get things done for your company, when you know there are so many things that you need to do around the house?
Lifehacker.com, a popular Web site dedicated to making life easier, has put together a series of
"To-Do" list resources to get your work life -- and your home life -- better organized and in order.
If making lists is not your thing, you can explore other options, like
breaking up your work day into blocks of time.
Working From Home: Scheduling Check Out Expert Village's Series "How To Work At Home"
FINDING A JOB
Robyn Freedman Spizman co-wrote a book on working from home. She says there are many fields becoming popular, like virtual customer service representatives. You can take incoming calls for a large company or even a small company and help field those customer service concerns for companies like
WorkingSolutions,
Arise and
Alpine Access."
If you are a skilled professional, Spizman says freelance sites like
Elance and
ODesk can match you up with clients who need your services. "You're a graphic designer, if you're PR pro, if you're a talented writer, or a Web site designer."
Experts say to avoid getting caught in a scheme, stay away from any situations that promise quick cash or uses buzzwords like "free and easy" or "make money in your spare time."
MEETING PEOPLE Meeting fellow business professionals can be tough when you work from home, but there are several sites that can help introduce you to
fellow entrepreneurs and others who also hung up their car keys to
work at home.
THE PLUS SIDE Check out some of the benefits of working at home that people are talking about.
"The 4-Hour Workweek" "5 Benefits Of Having A Home Business Web Site" "Why Work At Home? 8 Benefits of Being a Home-Based Entrepreneur"MORE WORK FROM HOME RESOURCES:
Work-At-Home.com U.S. Small Business Administration Sparkplugging.com
WomenForHire.com FTC.gov (Type "Work At Home Scam")
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