Is It Possible To Work From Home?
Have you ever wished that you could work from home? According tothe Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 19 million people workedfrom home (either part-time or full-time) in 2001. It’s agrowing trend in our society with the number steadily rising asmany people are leaving the workplace in favor of a work-at-homecareer.There are four main ways to make working from home possible:1.Telecommute for your current employer – Many employers arebeginning to see the benefits of allowing th...
...eir employees towork from home. If you have a job that would be possible to dofrom home ask your employer to consider it. More and moreemployers are allowing employees to telecommute. This is an easyway to work from home while maintaining the security of a stablecareer. You must realize, though, that working from home maylimit you in terms of advancing in your company. It’s importantto think through the sacrifices that you may need to make inyour situation to work from home.2.Telecommute as an independent contractor – There are manycompanies that hire independent contractors to do work such asdata entry, transcription and customer service from home. Thiscan be an incredible opportunity as long as you’re willing tokeep track of your own taxes and aren’t relying on the employerfor insurance and other perksThere are many benefits to the company also, such as lowerwages, not needing to provide insurance, or being able to offera commission based position. The company may also choose to hirehome workers so that they do not need to pay for space to housean office full of employees.3.Own a direct sales/MLM home-based business – Many times thesetypes of home-based businesses are overlooked, but they trulycan bring an income and allow you to work from home. However,doing your research before joining a company is very important.Look for representatives of the company to speak with and, ifpossible, try to find someone who has been a representative forthe company, but is no longer. They may be able to share some ofthe negative aspects of the business with you. Also check with the Better Business Bureau and make sure thatthe company that you are considering has a good reputation. Youcan also go to websites such as CWAHM.com and sign up to speakwith current work at home moms (CWAHD.com for dads) who cananswer your questions about owning a home-based direct sales/MLMbusiness.4.Begin your own home-based business – It can seem overwhelmingto start your own business, but if you start small and have agood business plan it can be a very rewarding decision. You areable to be your own boss, have a very flexible schedule and workonly when it is convenient for you.When considering beginning your own business, make sure that youhave found a niche that will allow you to serve customers thatno one else is serving. When I began searching for a way to workfrom home, I spent time researching the different work at homewebsites available and realized that there was not a place forChristians to network and help one another work from home. Ifilled this niche with my website, CWAHM.com, and the responsehas been amazing. If you take your time and find a niche orunique product, you will have a much higher chance at success.If you decide to begin your own business, you must also checkyour state and city about zoning laws, licensure requirements,etc. Contact an accountant to find out what percentage of salesyou need to set aside for taxes as well as whether or not you’llneed to make quarterly tax payments.Working from home is a big commitment and it can take some timeto get started. It’s important to take the time to research whattype of at-home position will work best for you. If you wouldlike to telecommute, speak with your employer to see if it is apossibility. If you are looking into a home-based business,speak with others from the company or find a niche that you canfill with your own business. Working from home can be arewarding choice and it IS possible.
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