Finding solutions for the work at home community

Drawbacks to working at home

2006-01-02T00:32:00.000-07:00

As much as I love working from home, I have to admit there are drawbacks.

Scheduling is one. It is so easy to keep working all day and all night if you don’t have “office hours” and adhere to them. Besides, friends and neighbors tend to think that if you’re home, you’re available to help them with one thing or another. I have to ask my family and friends not to call during certain hours. I also put a note on my door stating that I am not available without an appointment. For the occasional drop-in, if it’s not an emergency (or someone I really wanted to see) I simply have to tell them that I’m working at that time and ask them to come back later.

It’s all too easy to get so involved in work that you neglect household, family and friends. I schedule times for my family (I home school my children from 8am – noon, for example) so I can keep the perspective of why I work at home.

Opportunities are rare, if you’re looking around the Internet for “work from home.” Income potential varies considerably. Often, you need to work several jobs of varying types in order to obtain the income you need.

For call center work, all clients require a “quiet professional environment.” No noise. No kids, no sirens, no dogs barking. Since I choose to work at home to be with my children, that was a bit of a difficulty in the beginning. I had to teach my kids to be quiet during work hours and schedule frequent breaks so I could give them the attention their little hearts needed.

Should I work from home from myself, or for someone else?

2005-12-31T21:58:00.000-07:00

There are so many people out there looking for a work from home “job” that I thought I ought to address this.

Most work from home “jobs” that are legitimate, are call center jobs. You answer the phone, you get paid. Most are inbound, some are outbound. The problem with this work is that it tends to result in burnout.

Others are MLMs – put your money in and get “pie in the sky” promises. Some of them are worth the effort, if only in the training and motivational resources you receive. I was in Amway while I was going through a difficult divorce, and the motivational speakers really got me through. I knew from the outset that I was not going to make a lot of money, though the inspiration was priceless.

The best way to make money from home (or anywhere else), is to work for yourself. By that, I don’t mean the “exchange-money-for-time” work that the call center jobs offer. I mean, find the thing that you really love and charge money for doing it! Other people may hate to do what you like to do, or be completely clueless about how to do it.

Once your business gets going, hire someone to help you and make a profit on their time, too. That is what big business does. They pay you wholesale and charge the client retail.

Find your niche, and make your personal dreams come true!

I love working at home!

2005-12-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

As I come to the end of the year, one thing really stands out in my mind.

I love working from my home.

I do, really. I love watching the snow fall, and the snowplows come by, and thinking, “I’m so glad I don’t have to be in all that mess.” My commute is about 10 seconds long.

I love taking a break from work to settle my children down with their toys, feed them lunch, or kiss an “owie.” No need to send them to the care of strangers!

I love that I do what I like to do, from the comfort of my own home. My office is set up the way I like it, not the way some big-wig told me it had to be. And I have a door and a window, not a cubicle!

Oh, there are some drawbacks –which I will discuss in a later article – but overall, working at home is the best thing going for mothers who want to be home with their children and yet continue to develop their skills and an income.

Work From Home Means Winter Safety

2005-12-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

Here in Utah we've had two snowstorms already. People have been slipping and sliding, and not able to get to work.

I haven't had that problem. When it's really cold, I walk ten feet to my home office, turn on my extra space heater, keep my jammies on, wrap up in an extra blanket, and start work!

You can't do that in a conventional office!

Oh, sure, a bad enough snowstorm may knock out my power, making it impossible to work anyway, but if it was that bad, I also wouldn't be able to get to a conventional office. And I don't have to risk being out in bad weather, taking children to daycare to have them catch every little bug that comes along.

What a comfort that when the weather is frightful, my home office is delightful!

Have you tried autosurfing?

2005-11-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

I honestly never thought I would promote this. I thought it was too good to be true. And then a friend showed me what her earnings are!

If you have not heard of autosurfing, the concept is that advertisers pay *you* to view their websites. There is an investment involved, however it is usually quite small. There is a risk involved, but it appears that the return on investment (ROI) is impressive. There is very little "work" involved -- you just click a link to "start surfing" and the browser does the surfing for you.

The autosurf programs I am currently trying out are 12 Daily Pro and Studio Traffic. So far, I've been pleased with the results. I am a paid member on both sites, and am quickly earning back my initial investments. I think it is well worth the risk to be able to compound earnings and obtain an investment income for very little work.

As a disclaimer, I strongly recommend that you don't pay out any more on these investments than you are willing to lose. I will continue to keep my readers updated on how well various autosurf programs pay and if they seem to be in trouble. Again, the risk seems negligible -- but I always play these things safe.

Thank you for the kind comments!

2005-10-31T20:40:00.000-07:00

I just sat down at the computer and found some wonderful, positive comments about my web site. I know there are other sites out there that have much of the same information -- but for a price. Several people have emailed me to tell me that they have found work at home jobs through my site -- others have said that I've inspired them to start their own businesses! I am so thrilled for each and every one of you, and so glad that I could make a difference.

I am continuing to look for more solid, stable, legit opportunities to share. I do not post MLMs or job opportunites that require a fee to get started unless I know that the opportunity is true and legitimate. I realize MLMs can be quite successful, but I got so frustrated weeding out MLMs from actual JOB sites.

Please help me out by providing some feedback about my site -- opportunites for me to check out, products you'd like to see offered, information you need that might be missing. I can't promise to include every offer, but I would like to know what my readers would like to find out.

Happy Halloween!

Gas prices promote working at home

2005-09-12T16:28:00.000-06:00

I am truly thankful that to get to work, all I have to do is cross the hall and close the door. With prices for gasoline through the roof, working at home saves me an incredible amount of money!

Employers, think about it -- if it costs too much for your employees to work, they will find employment closer to home. You may end up with a reduced staff. It may well be worth it to employers to find ways to allow their employees to work at home, or locate virtual staff.

The virtual call center is able to provide instant response to increased demands. Since service providers work from their home offices, they don't have to take kids to child care, don't have to drive an hour to get to the work site, don't even have to get dressed if they don't want to!

Job hunters seeking virtual employment are more likely to be college educated and computer literate than the general employment pool. Owing to the difficulties of locating virtual work to begin with, along with the ability to move and remain employed with the same company no matter the employee's location, virtual employees and contractors are much loyal than brick-and-mortar employees.

Working at home is great, but there are frustrations...

2005-08-08T15:20:00.000-06:00

Don't get me wrong, I love working at home. As a mother to little ones (4 and 2), I consider working at home to be the greatest blessing I've ever come across. I keep my little ones home with me while I work. No need to worry about someone else raising my children.

Unfortunately, I've run into some bumps lately. One of the companies I've contracted with is in a bit of a slump, which means I'm not making any money either. How frustrating! Fortunately, since it is an office supply firm, I have every reason to believe that things will pick up again in a week or so. And then Christmas will be here, which means my other company will pick up for the holidays.

Every business has its slumps, its peaks and valleys. While it is frustrating when they come, it is important to remember that they are temporary.

Can't find a job? Try starting a business!

2005-07-20T23:22:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about this the past few weeks. I started with a new client and things looked very good, call volume high enough to provide for what I need, but it is drying up as the company I contract with has brought on a lot more agents. I'm beginning to be a little frustrated with it.

I mentioned in my July newsletter a number of ideas for starting an at-home business. The key is to find out what you like to do, what you are good at, and how to market that skill or product.

I am convinced that a growing number of Americans will jump at the opportunities available to work at home, from professionals like attorneys to entry level positions like customer service.

New article on working at home

2005-07-14T22:52:00.000-06:00

Home is where the work is (subscription required)

Working at home is featured in a story in the OC Register. Yup, you guessed it -- more and more people are seeking employment that allows them to work at home! I think it is a major trend. With the price of gas skyrocketing, I think we will see an increase in the number of jobs that are done from the home at least part of the time. With the constantly-improving technology, it will be just as easy to work at home as in the office.

I have to say, I love working at home. It is a blessing to be able to hug my kids or to jump up and care for them if I need to. While I am concentrating on work while I am "at work," it is very comforting to me to know that I am right there if they need me. I am also able to arrange my schedule with a great deal of flexibility. I don't have to ask permission to leave to care for my children -- a necessity in the last office I worked for that I found demeaning at best. I would have loved to be able to do that work at home, I was excellent at what I did, but the management of the company I worked for would not allow it.

Do work at home ordertakers pose a fraud risk?

2005-06-23T17:37:00.000-06:00

This was the subject of a huge debate over on a couple of the message boards I frequent. The consensus? No. Call center workers who work out of their own home offices are actually less likely to steal sensitive information. Their contracts depend on their honesty. Most home-based call center workers are far more likely to be college-educated stay at home mothers who are very thankful just to have the opportunity to work out of their homes, and I believe they are less likely to do anything to endanger that opportunity. The companies I work for, in addition, perform criminal background checks prior to contracting with anyone.

Call centers are huge bullpens, and the supervisors are hardly in any position to prevent fraud. They are not any more likely to be careful with your credit card information than an off-site worker. All sorts of workers have committed credit card fraud, from a waiter who might write down your information while he's in the back swiping your card, to a fast-food employee who double-swipes cards and pockets the difference, to computer hackers who steal it directly from the company.

While I believe you should safeguard your credit, I also believe that most people are honest. You should keep a close eye on activity on your account, and report fraudulent activity immediately. Don't give out credit card information to anyone who calls you for the information. But don't be distrustful just because companies are hiring off- site workers. Rest assured, those of us who do work at home do not want to endanger our opportunities.

Working at home and loving it!

2005-06-03T00:28:00.000-06:00

The other day my 4 year old daughter came up to me and hugged my neck for all she was worth, and told me how happy she was that Mommy just has to go downstairs to work. I don't have to leave her in the care of strangers all day, I don't have to ask permission to leave if there is an emergency, and I am there for my children when I need to be. To be sure, my work place must be quiet (it's the nature of the job) and there is another adult here to care for the children, but it means a lot to the little ones that Mommy can schedule her day around the kids, instead of the other way around.

I've always looked for a way to blend work and family. I've always known working at home is the solution.

Donna Vazquez
www.realworkathomesolutions.com

Ahh, summer!

2005-05-27T10:37:00.000-06:00

It is summertime again! We have gone from winter to summer in a single bound.

With summertime comes the annual question for home workers: What to do with the kids??? My own children range in age from almost 18 to 2, so I have the older one watch the little ones while I work. I also have a large extended family to take the kids to the park, the pool, or the mall, so there is always an adult with my 4 year old and 2 year old. I also try to have my work done by 12 noon or work after they are asleep. Since I work in customer service, it wouldn't do to have children making noise in the background.

What do you do to care for your children while you're working? Send your suggestions to donna@realworkathomesolutions.com and I will post them on the website!

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

Donna Vazquez
www.realworkathomesolutions.com

Happy Mother's Day!

2005-05-07T23:36:00.000-06:00

Here's to all those moms, the great ones and the ones who make mistakes. Here is to my mom, a mother to 8 children, and a grandmother of 15 (and counting), who seems to have infinite patience and a desire to help things work out well. Mom taught me that it is possible to have a fulfilling career and stay at home with the children. Back inthe '70s, my parents owned and operated a pest control business in the Seattle area. Dad went out on the jobs, and Mom ran the office, which happened to be in an extra bedroom of our home. I remember being so proud in grade school that my mother was always home if we needed her. Mom was the head of the company in all the ways that mattered. She answered the phone, handled the books, did the scheduling, A/R and A/P, and still had cookies and milk on the table when we got home from school. I am so thankful for my mom -- I really got one of the great ones.

Thanks, Mom.

Donna Harris-Vazquez
www.realworkathomesolutions.com

Work At Home is In The News!

2005-04-30T16:30:00.000-06:00

I came across this great article from the Chicago Tribune discussing working from home. I have always thought that working at home would be the wave of the future in more and more professions, and we are beginning to see that. I think it is very exciting to see this. I am hoping to see more and more options for workers that will allow working at home. I am hoping to see more options for mothers -- why should we moms be forced to choose between children and work? It has always seemed to me that mothers, many of whom would prefer to be home with their children, ought to be able to find ways to make home and work mesh far better than they do.

Setting up the website

2005-04-22T23:10:00.000-06:00

Well, after a few weeks of working on it, www.realworkathomesolutions.com is finally live. I really enjoy writing and designing web sites, so it has been a lot of fun for me. I also enjoy working at home. I've envisioned a future where working at home was an option for years, and in some ways it is a disappointment to see how many con artists are out there and how few options there really are for stay-at-home parents to find work that they can do out of the home. I hope to explore some of those options at length in the future, both here and in our ezine. I also hope to encourage more employers to offer telecommuting options, to save themselves overhead and to help their employees balance home and career obligations.

I've been working at home for several months now, and it seems that there is always one more thing to learn about, even at the entry level jobs. I am technically self-employed (most WAH companies will hire homeworkers as independent contractors) which means I will need to address issues like taxes, health insurance, balancing my schedule, and who knows what else will rear its ugly head as I explore the work at home revolution. This promises to be an interesting journey.

I look forward to hearing from other home workers. I would like to know what concerns are out there. Thanks for joining me!