Work at Home Jobs

I'm not sure. I found a site here that provided these tips for sorting through them, though. I haven't gone through the site to see if they have any links to work-at-home jobs that are legit, but I'll check.

10 Tips on Avoiding Work At Home and
Home Based Business Scams
1. Never, NEVER pay for the chance to work!

This is the cardinal rule. You should treat working at home just like you would treat working for an employer at their place of business.

If you were going for a job interview in the 'real world,' how would you react if the interviewer asked you to pay $50 or $100 to land the job, for starter materials, or for a 'good faith' payment to make sure you were serious about the business?

You'd think it was absurd. No legitimate company charges employees a fee for a job.

Whenever you're asked to pay for the chance at a job, or information about work-from-home jobs, you know it's a scam.

Home-based businesses, on the other hand, may require start-up costs to cover investments, materials, franchises, or other items. As we state in the next step, check things out before you pay anything.

2. Check out the business before you pay anything.

Have you heard of the business that's soliciting your money?

If not, check them out carefully. Make sure they have a physical address and a phone number. Call to see if it's a real phone number. Do a search on http://www.Google.com to see if you can find any positive or negative comments. Check references carefully.

Some warning signs of scammer companies:

- They use free Web hosting services (such as Tripod or Geocities).

- They use free Web email services (such as Yahoo! Mail or Hotmail).

- They use Post Office boxes for mailings and don't disclose their real addresses.

- They won't give you a telephone number where you can contact them.

3. Use your credit card to make purchases.

This sounds counter-intuitive, but if you are going to buy a starter kit or make some investment relating to a home-based business, purchase using your credit card.

That way, if you don't receive the items, or if things go wrong, you can dispute the charges with your credit card company. If you're unsure how to do this, speak to your credit card company *before* you make the purchase.

4. Research the market for the proposed business/work.

Every scammer will promise unlimited wealth and easy work. With a little virtual footwork, you can see whether you can make money doing this kind of business or work.

If you're thinking of starting a medical billing practice, for example, call a few doctors and hospitals in your city or town and ask if there would be a market for your services. As we mentioned in the last issue, you may be surprised to discover just how limited the market really is.

5. Beware of vagueness and incredible claims.

Companies that don't state their names, costs, or other important information in their ads usually have a good reason to do so -- they're scammers. As well, be wary of claims that you can "make up to $1,000 a week" doing just a few hours' worth of unskilled work.

Don't be blinded by greed.

6. Put yourself in the employer's/client's shoes.

If you were an honest employer (or client, if you're looking to work from home), think about whether you would make the same kind of offer you're being pitched.

For example, you've read an ad where you can earn $1-2 per piece stuffing envelopes. But companies nowadays have access to sophisticated mailing equipment that can stuff thousands of envelopes an hour -- why would they pay you so much more?

7. Consider starting your own home-based business.

If you're really interested in working for yourself, starting your own home-based business can be a great idea. It also involves a lot of work, and much of the time, some investment.

This is not a decision to make lightly, nor should you start a business just because you can't find a job.

Having said that, starting your own business -- if you're willing to do your homework and do what's necessary to make it a success -- may well become one of the best decisions you ever made.

There are lots of great resources on starting a legitimate home business. (But remember, you won't receive them via spam.)

8. Don't come across as desperate.

You may be in dire straits financially, but it's worth your while to act calmly and professionally -- just like you would in a real-world job search.

Posting messages on forums saying that you are in financial trouble, or desperate to find work from home is a bad idea. Desperation is like blood to sharks -- it'll bring all of the scammers out of the woodwork, and you'll be inundated with phony offers.

9. Be patient.

If you're looking to start a home-based business, or looking for telecommuting work you can do at home, you may have a considerable search ahead of you. There are a *lot* of people in the same boat, many of whom are falling prey to scams every day.

Don't let scammers use high-pressure tactics to sucker you in. If you're given a time-limited offer, there's usually a reason why -- scammers know that pressure brings in people!

Even if you're in dire straits, it pays to be patient... so that you don't lose money to schemes that never materialize.

10. And most important, NEVER reply to spam.

Fraudulent offers for home-based businesses or work-at-home opportunities almost always arrive as spam. The better it sounds, the less likely that it's legitimate.

Scammers aren't planning to deliver anyway, so what does it matter to them what they promise? Delete and move on.

As we say -- if it's spam, it's a scam!

Well a lot of outside sales jobs are work FROM home, but you're still away from home when on the road.

Actually, my company has some employees that work at home, and don't have to leave except for occassional company meetings.

I don't know of any common work from home jobs, other than running your own business. Monster has an article on it though...look it up there.

Of course there's always in-call prostitution.

I've eked out some bucks by taking a long series of editing and freelance writing gigs. All from craigslist. Several of them have offered full-time positions (home-based) but I don't want to do full-time work yet.

Hard work to find 'em, though, and hard to break in, took me a while and I have a degree in English. Once I broke in, could cite experience and it got easier.

If you can type, you can do transcription. You'd need to leave home to pick up tapes, usually from a hospital. When I practiced law, I knew a gal who did legal transcription. She handled all of the deposition reports, and was paid by the page. This was work that was not on a rush basis. Medical transcription tends to be needed every few days (e. g. you only get a few days to finish up all of the taped dictation) and you must know medical terms. That means not only spelling but you should have an idea of what works with what, as there are a lot of drugs, diseases and procedures that sound similar. Zanac sounds like Xantax, for example, particularly when you are dealing with tapes where dictation conditions might not have been perfect.

Most places hiring transcriptionists want you to have some sort of a certificate that says that you've gone through transcriptionist school, this is really just to make sure that you can spell the terms and use them in sentences. You will also have to be able to type fast or at least you should be able to, so that you aren't typing all day long.

But it is legitimate work, and there's lots of it if you're skilled. Check around with the local hospitals or medical schools if you're interested.

Thank you TSA.....good points. Even with all that it stated, I don't see much of a chance of actually finding anything on the internet that isn't a scam..lol



Thanks Slappy..I've had a resume in Monster for over a year now, about once a month I get a job offer, some have been good.

One in particular was spectacular, went through a two hour interview, aced it...was told that I would have to go to SC for a month long training session...and that sealed the deal with the husband. Wasn't happening! Ok, enough said on that one...lol, or I'll just get pissed.

Ok..back to the subject, I haven't read the "At Home" article...may go do that, but most of the jobs listed in there for "At Home" are nothing different than most of the scams on the internet.



LOL.....I could always charge by the pound, instead of by the hour...lol



Thats Great!!




Well, I don't see myself finding anything to do at home. Was more curious than anything. Boredom has set in, and I would like to find something to do.

I had started a online business, but I closed the doors to the store a few days ago. It was looking fruitless after all my hard work and small investment. But I knew the risks when I started it. I think five months was a good enough try to make a little income off of it, but nadda.

I've even thought about Ebay'n, I've done that before...but its just so damned time consuming, and of course...you have your scams in there also...to be leary of.

Oh well........

Sheesh! I feel that the biggest part of my problem is I'm used to going 100 mph with my hair on fire...and now here I sit...kids, homework, housework....nothing more. GRRRR

I found a job online today that a few of you ladies come to mind with.

Its online, editor position, writing articles about a hobby or passion of yours.

The catch...lol, it pays nothing.

http://www.bellaonline.com



Nice website.............Anyone interested in expanding their writing potential might check it out.

Ok,...where's my edit button...

After I clicked the submit button the thought hit me that I may not should have posted that.

BUT..we mention other websites on this forum all the time, so maybe it won't be a problem for me posting that one.

I just thought there might be someone interested in gaining some pubicity where their writing is concerned.