“Another hard day at work from home” is anything but facetious. (Photo Credit: CC BY-ND/Ashley/Flickr)

The U.S. job market has been sluggish to recover from the recession, which means many Americans are still out of work. Work from home opportunities abound, however – and most of them don’t even involve eBay. Here are some work from home ideas to get you started.

Why work from home?

Most people pursue gainful employment because they need money to meet their expenses. However, by working at home or even telecommuting 50 percent of the time, U.S. workers and employers could save more than $750 billion per year, according to the Telework Research Network.

A hefty percentage of that total comes from reduced dependency on oil. Productivity would increase by a projected 6.2 million man-years, which equates to $200 billion worth of labor annually. Businesses would reduce spending on real estate and utilities by at least the same amount each year, while highway maintenance costs and traffic accidents would drop significantly.

What work from home idea is best for you?

Selling on eBay is always an option, although amassing significant returns can be difficult unless you have access to a product everyone wants that can be delivered in great volume at minimal cost. Luckily, there are lots of work from home options you can research online without having to wade through the many work at home scams that tend to congregate on Craigslist (there are some gems, but they’re hard to find). As Clark Howard says, if a company says it will find you a work from home job for a large fee upfront, it’s probably a scam. Avoid the red tape with these work from home ideas. Keep in mind that some may charge a background check fee.

Work from home opportunities to fit your lifestyle

• AlpineAccess.com: After paying $45 for the required background check, AlpineAccess.com can match you with a virtual call center job. Positions typically involve customer service work.
• ConvergysWorkatHome.com: In addition to customer service telephone positions, Convergys can help you find work from home human resources and billing service opportunities.
• Elance.com: A great source for freelance talents who like flexibility. Small businesses look to Elance for web design, programming, SEO, graphic design and copywriting professionals. Bid for jobs, but watch out: Elance is so popular that unless you’re a highly experienced, award-winning professional, you may have to bid lower than you’re comfortable in order to secure work.
• LiveOps.com: Want to work from home as a virtual call center agent for a Fortune 200 company? LiveOps.com can get you there, provided you pay $175 for a more extensive background check than the standard $50 check gets you. A dedicated land phone line for LiveOps.com work only is required.

Worried about work from home scams?

Check with the Federal Trade Commission and Better Business Bureau websites for advice on how to spot work from home scams. It can save you time, money and big headaches.

Sources

Better Business Bureau

Clark Howard

Dr. Phil

Federal Trade Commission

John Tesh has everything you need to work from home

Need a way to make casual income in an effort to find debt relief? If you know how to do laundry, then you can make a nice little side income doing other people’s laundry. But really, who would pay you to do something they could do themselves? (A side note: If you are a little squeamish about handling someone else’s dirty laundry, try using rubber gloves. Or don’t do this job.) There are, in fact, several people who would pay to have their laundry done.

Senior citizens or those who are limited in their physical abilities may be willing to pay a small amount each week to have their laundry done. Busy professionals who may not have time to do their laundry would be willing to pay to have someone else do their laundry. Think: Dry cleaners. People drop off their dry clean only clothes along with regular laundry because it is more convenient than doing it themselves. Stay at home parents who are juggling child care with a host of other responsibilities would be glad to pay someone else to do their laundry for them. And there are many other people, for one reason or another, who would be glad to be rid of the weekly laundry chore. This is perfect for you, because this job caters to all of these people.

What to Charge

If you’ve read my article about earning money cleaning houses, you know that you can only charge the amount that the market will bear. If you charge too much, you will be out of work. But if you charge too little, you won’t make enough to compensate you for your time. You must be able to make at least the current federal minimum wage per hour, or you may as well look for other work. This job can help you realize debt relief, but you must be able to make enough for it to work.

You must also factor in where you will be doing the laundry. If you are taking the client’s laundry to a Laundromat, then you must either require that your client give you the required amount it takes to do laundry, preferably in quarters, or charge the client extra per hour. This way, you will be compensated fairly. If, however, you are doing laundry at your client’s home, then you may want to charge a little less per hour to make up for the difference.

Where to Find Clients

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This is always a big issue. Whether you are a large business or just starting out, finding customers or clients is paramount to your success. The best place to start finding clients is to post fliers right in the Laundromat. This is where the majority of your market will be who may need or want your services. Still, this is only a small portion of your market. This is why you also need to post an ad in the local newspapers and on local email lists. If you are involved with any local groups, mention that you are looking for laundry clients. There are many ways to find clients, and you do not need to be limited by these suggestions. Use your imagination, and I am sure you will be able to find clients in no time!

Terms and Policies

You will need to develop your own terms and policies that will fit you and your preferences. But whatever you develop, they must be legal and they must protect you and your client. Be sure to have some sort of release that your client signs that basically says that, should something happen through the normal course of doing their laundry, that you are not liable and are exempt from lawsuits, something like that.

Create what works for you and your business. You may thank me later on down the road, should someone decide that you ruined their favorite pair of $100 pants.

Grow…or Not

Once you have plenty of clients, and you are making a decent income, you will need to decide if you want to grow your service into a business and hire employees, or if you want to stay small and do this as a job. There are several advantages to each side, and you should research and evaluate this next step carefully. Take some time to really decide if you want to have the pressures and added responsibilities, along with the extra cash, that comes with a business. By this time, you may have already received debt relief, but you may want more. It’s really your call. Either way, this is a great first step towards financial independence. Good luck!