For those who are legitimately trying to find work-at-home opportunities, please know that my sympathies are with each of you. It is really hard to find work-at-home employment and it is particularly difficult to carve your own niche into the work-at-home world.
Direct sales jobs abound and can be very fruitful for people who are really dedicated and who work hard. Sitting on a couch watching the money roll in will probably not be happening in your near future, but hard work can help you achieve your work-at-home goals.
Things that can be helpful when starting out:
1. Look at the cost investment – Always make sure that you understand how much it is going to cost to get started. Some companies, like Avon, only have a very small amount that you need to pay to start your business upfront. Other companies can require you to spend $500 or more to get started. Be sure you understand how hard you are going to have to work to recoup your investment and be very careful! If you want to dabble in working at home or are unsure if you are disciplined enough to do something like this, please don’t throw in a huge investment to make that discovery. It breaks my heart when people tell me they are having a difficult time financially and then they decide to work at home with a $2K start-up fee and then weeks later say they made the wrong choice.
2. Know your strengths – If you are very shy and have a hard time talking to people, direct sales jobs can be difficult to do. I tried direct sales and discovered that I just wasn’t good at it. I don’t want to “bother” people so it was hard for me to do a job where I had to call and ask if people wanted to place orders, emailing them about parties, asking them if they wanted to buy stuff, handing out catalogs, etc ... It wasn’t for me! BUT, you might have a way with words and have just the right personality for this kind of job.
If you aren’t sure what your strengths are, ask your friends and family. “You know me best. Do you think I would be good at _____?” They should be able to help you in making your decision too!
3. Go to the library – The library is a wealth of FREE information for someone who is looking into working from home. It is an easy way to explore different career paths without making an investment. Check out books on how to start a simple website, how to sell items on Ebay, or find information on great work-at-home careers.
4. Network – Network with anyone and everyone that you can. Join community groups or take advantage of the great communities that you are already part of to begin the networking process. Batter your services with other work-at-home moms, share resources for great deals, and just vent to one another about your work-at-home difficulties.
5. Get a Cheap Website – I asked my husband about this one and he said, “You are trying to put me out of business!” As a freelance web designer, he is going out on a limb to share this information so leave us some comment love!
He suggested Microsoft Office which is FREE! They also have package deals with more features for $19.95 and up. If you are just experimenting and trying to get started, this would be a nice option to explore.
6. Make Money – The bottom line is that there are legitimate opportunities out there, but they are usually names of companies that you know and recognize. The only other option is to go out on your own and start your own little adventure. If you don’t have the resources or knowledge to do something new like this, check into community courses on starting a small business or starting a website. Even some libraries offer basic courses in computer skills to get you started.
