“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

Legitimate work-at-home jobs do exist

Understanding that work-at-home jobs for moms and others are legitimate is the first step in finding a telecommute position. Unfortunately, naysayers discourage would-be remote employees with tales of work-at-home job scams and by selling the idea that work at home jobs simply do not exist. Well, these naysayers are wrong. Dead wrong. In fact, very reputable companies like Neiman Marcus, Jet Blue and 1-800-Flowers routinely hire employees to work from home. Sites like the Work at Home Mom Center regularly offer leads to legitimate work at home jobs for moms and offer timely advice on how job seekers can search for telecommute jobs on their own.
Industries That Commonly Hire Remote Workers

Some work at home jobs are advertised on a regular basis, such as:

• Web developers
• Mobile app developers
• Transcription jobs
• Freelance writing jobs
• Call center reps
• Virtual assistant jobs
• Online tutors

Other jobs that allow workers to telecommute

The job titles mentioned above are not the only jobs one can expect when looking to work from home. In fact, job leads recently advertised include leads for financial analyst positions, public relations representatives, seamstresses and licensed pharmacists. Technology has advanced to the point where employers are realizing a significant opportunity to save money on office costs by allowing employees to work at home, which means that the positions being offered may even increase in the future.

How to avoid work-at-home scams

Of course, as the interest in work-at-home job opportunities increases, so do the ideas of scam artists hoping to profit off of this trend. Serious job seekers, however, learn to spot and avoid these scams almost on sight. A few tips on avoiding work-at-home job scams are as follows:

• Do not reply to ads that simply state that a work at home position is available, yet offers no information on the company hiring or specific information on the job’s duties.
• Do not pay to become an employee. (Some companies require employees to pay for fingerprinting and similar activities for security clearance, but applicants should never be asked to pay an application fee in order to be considered for hire.)
• Beware of work-at-home job listings that promise huge profits by performing a simple task. Work-at-home jobs are real jobs, not get rich quick schemes.

Telecommuting as a financial strategy

Avoiding these schemes will help narrow leads down to real work-at-home jobs that are currently being performed by remote workers. People who are serious about getting out of debt and saving money while earning a decent salary may just find out that a job that allows them to telecommute may be the exact financial solution they are looking for. Work-at-home jobs are real; they are legitimate and anyone reading this can find them if they seriously take the time to look.

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Finding some Help at Home

There are a lot of people out there these days that really need money now. Unlike when the economy is in decent shape, in these tough financial times it is not just the people you would expect to be in trouble, but almost everyone who is short on cash. Many people are looking for work right now, and others who already have a job are searching for a way to bring in a little more. There are stay-at-home parents who would love to earn some money to contribute to household expenses and students and retirees that would like to bring in some extra cash too. Fortunately there are ways to earn from the comfort of your own home (or coffee shop), as long as you have access to a computer and the internet.

Step Write Up

If you have a background in writing through education and/or experience or just consider yourself to be a decent writer, it is very possible to make a respectable amount of money writing online. If you need money now, this can be a relatively quick way to start earning. Websites need fresh content to help keep their search engine rankings up and many site owners do not want to write the content themselves. If you have writing samples or references available you are already ahead of the game. If not, don’t despair. Get started by writing for a site such as this to build up your portfolio, get some practice and make some money while you are at it. You can also start your own blog. Once you have a few samples, there are countless job boards that post freelance jobs that you can check out and apply for. Just be aware that there are scams out there. Sometimes a potential client will ask you to write a sample for them, but are trying to get writing pieces for nothing.

Learn Internet Marketing for Free

One area that has the potential to be a huge money maker is internet marketing, but it can also use up a lot of your time and make you little to no money too. If you have some spare time on your hands and are interested in learning from some of the best (and most entertaining) internet marketers, it is a good idea to check out a free online course called The 30 Day Challenge. Their slogan is, “There is no charge for awesomeness”. They mean it too; there are no strings here. It is just some very successful internet marketers who walk you through the basics of getting started in internet marketing. It is a truly amazing amount of content that they offer for free and is worth a look if you are interested.

How may I Assist you?

If you have worked as an office assistant or have done clerical work of some sort out in the real world, there are plenty of virtual assistant jobs available online. Virtual assistants provide many of the same services as in-office assistants (word processing, answering calls and emails, book keeping, etc.), but work from the comfort of their own homes. There are many job sites that focus specifically on work from home positions.

Get Online and Start Looking!

Many people who need money now do not realize how many opportunities exist online. Once you start looking you may find that there is so much potential you will never go back to the daily grind. Really, how bad can it be to set your own schedule?

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Looking for New Opportunities

These are definitely tough economic times and most of us could use at least a little quick cash. A lot of people are out of work and, even though they would like to get a job, they cannot seem to find anywhere that is hiring. While it can be frustrating to sit and wait for an opportunity to open up, if you have a computer and internet connection (or access to them at a friend’s house or local coffee shop) you can find some money making prospects online. Of course, these options are not just for those who have been laid-off or hit by downsizing; they are also great for stay-at-home moms and dads who want to bring in some extra cash for the family, students who want to earn a bit of money in their spare time or retirees who would like to supplement their pension. Not all of these are huge money makers, but they do offer some extra money and some have great potential.

Surveys – One Option, but Probably Not Your Best

If you begin a search for online job opportunities you will undoubtedly come across one offer or another to complete surveys for money. You must be careful when considering getting involved with survey sites. Many are quite legitimate, but some are rip-offs and scams. When you are looking to make some quick cash the last thing you need is to get swindled out of more money. The first thing you need to keep in mind is that you should never pay to join a survey site or for a list of survey sites. There are plenty of sites claiming that you can takes surveys and make more cash than the CEO of a large company. Do not believe them. There can be a bit of money (and free samples, draw entries, etc.) in taking surveys, but they will not earn you large amounts while you sip margaritas by the pool. Also, the people offering lists of big money making sites are just trying to get your money. Sure, they will sell you a list of survey sites, but all of the information they have can be found for free.

What have you got to Sell?

Most of us have items around our house that we can do without. In fact, most of us have items that would do us some good to have cleared out. Why not sign up for a free account on Ebay or a similar auction site and make a profit by selling these things? If you enjoy this way of making money you can either find a wholesaler to buy additional items from to sell for a profit or you can try to pick up items on the same site or others for free or cheap and turn around and sell them for a profit.

Are You Creative?

If you are artistic or crafty you can open up an online shop on a site like Esty.com. On these sites you can list your handmade items under your own store name and with your own prices and policies. Much like Ebay, the site will keep a portion of the money for each item you sell, but they offer a platform to display your items and a steady flow of potential customers.

Stay Organized and have Fun

No matter which of these paths you decide to try, being organized is a must. Keep track of sites you have joined and any orders, sales or offers you have received. Relax and have fun; you may be on your way to making quick cash while you sit at home in your pajamas.

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