photo by atconc
Guest Post by Mandi from LifeYourWay.net.
If you’ve spent any time looking into working at home, chances are you’ve come across scams. The truth is that legitimate opportunities are highly sought after, and the scams take advantage of the number of women who desperately want to be work-at-home moms (not that there aren’t other demographics of people who want to work at home, but that is by far the largest).
Here are a few things you should know as you search:
1. Run far away from anyone who charges you a fee for a list of companies who hire home-based contractors or who charges you to get started working for them. I can think of a few very exceptions:
::The third exception is for home-based businesses such as Pampered Chef or Southern Living. You do need to purchase a kit to get started with them, the obvious difference being that you receive products that are worth significantly more than the price you pay.
2. Envelope stuffing jobs are not legitimate. You will NOT make any money doing this. The envelopes you are stuffing are to convince other people to sign up to do the same thing. Stay away!
3. Legitimate data entry jobs are very hard to come by. I actually have one of these that I applied and tested for over two years ago and was just able to start working. It’s worth saying again–do NOT pay for a data entry job.
Don’t be discouraged! There are legitimate and lucrative work-at-home opportunities out there. How do you find them? There have been a lot of tips and ideas shared on this blog such as selling things on Etsy and blogging for profit.
Another valuable resource for looking into opportunities to earn an income at home is to join the forums at WAHM.com or Work Place Like Home. Not only will you find job leads, but you can also ask the other members about the opportunities you come across so that you’re not trying to sort through them all on your own.
As has been said here before, there are plenty of opportunities for you out there. However, it does take time, hard work and patience, and you need to use discernment as you consider your options!
Mandi Ehman is the chief deal finder behind Jungle Deals & Steals, where she and her mom find and share the best Amazon deals every day! She’s also the founder and publisher of Life Your Way, a magazine-style blog inspiring readers to live intentional lives.
This blog is really informative. Sometimes it is difficult to figure out whether a work-at-home job is a scam or not. So, we need to be extra careful now that these scams are all over the internet. What I have noticed is that these scams are very inviting and they promise really good pay. It’s all up to us if we believe them or not, or how well we scrutinize their authenticity.
Arvin Keller
http://wahp.me
We are happy!
Thank you very much for this informative guest posting. I requested and promptly received the interesting free sample chapter that Mandi offers on her well-researched web site.
I’m working part-time from home answering e-mails, a job I was fortunate to be able to continue with my employer after leaving a full-time job at the company’s office. In the past I did transcription for many years. Part of the reason I transitioned to other types of work was my worry that computerized “transcriptionists” and/or off-shore workers were going to take over this career field. I’m glad to learn that advances in technology have improved rather than diminished opportunities for transcriptionists such as myself, at least in terms of flexibility of location and hours.
Excellent advice. I have been a medical transcriptionist for 6 years. All I can say is “there ain’t no free lunch” if you know what I mean. I went to school (online) and it was challenging and difficult sometimes, but worth it.
Great post!
When I quit my job to stay at home I too looked into various work from home opportunities. It is amazing the money people suck out of women! You have to be really careful.
I actually do data entry from home now part-time, but I work for a real company that I have actually been to and trust. I just do my work at home.
🙂
These are great tips! There are so many scammers out there… I think the best rule of thumb is if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Valerie
Frugal Family Fun Blog
Good times on a budget!
http://frugalfamilyfunblog.blogspot.com
Hi Mandi,
Thank you for the valuable tips! My husband and I are very entreprenurial minded and love working from home. (I also work outside the home)
I am utterly amazed at the number of scammers out there trying to prey upon women that want to work from home. While I’ve never personally used Guru.com or Elance.com, I’ve heard good things about them.
Take Care,
Trixie
http://farmhomelife.blogspot.com/