Manager, Ghostwriter and Tech Support

January 9, 2009 | Wise, Virginia | Vetting explained

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VAMom

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With so many work at home scams lately I felt compelled to write up a short article outlining some rules for success; and some common misconceptions. First and foremost, work-at-home and home business are totally different playing fields! Don't get me wrong, people with home businesses definitely work from home; but unlike employees who work from home, they don't rely on an employer for their paycheck. I've worked from home for about 4 years. My very first work at home gig was a freelance writing gig I won from one of the popular bid sites. Then I worked for 2 home based call centers. While the work was very easy, call center work just wasn't up my alley. Then as luck would have it, I was contacted through a work-at-home-moms forum by a woman looking for article writers. She said the pay was relatively low for starters but there was plenty of room for growth. Always the skeptic, I wasn't sure if she was legitimate but I didn't currently have a steady job so I accepted. Almost 2 years later, I'm still with the company, I'm the Training and Institutional Writing Team Manager and I still love every minute of it. I'm sure you've heard the phrase "find something you love to do and you'll never work again." During the summer I wrote an iReport titled What my family is giving up. Here's our happy update: My husband quit his job and is now working from home for a technical support company. He's making one dollar less than he was in the contract that kept him away from home. Which do you think he enjoys the most? Work-at-home application fee or home business start-up investment? A legitimate work-at-home company will never ask for money up front. Very few companies will even ask you to buy a piece of equipment; most supply any equipment necessary for the job. For example: a popular transcription company requires you to buy a $75 piece of equipment before you start working for them while a popular help-desk company supplies all required equipment (not including the computer and broadband) up front. Both companies are legitimate; they just have different business and training plans. Neither company asks for an application fee or for you to cover the costs of hiring. Work-at-home call centers require you to have a working computer and a dedicated phone (land) line. These are legitimate requirements for the job, not the company trying to scam you. They also require a quiet work space. If your work area is not quiet, it runs the risk of leaving a bad impression on customers. Bad impressions often cause customers to hang up and spread negative word-of-mouth advertising. Businesses cannot risk losing valued customers. Investments in a home business. You would never expect to drive into town and start a business with no start-up costs, right? Where there are a few free-to-start businesses online, most require a start-up fee. That initial investment gets you started and ensures the support you need to be successful. Whether or not you are a success is entirely in your hands. If you put forth the work and dedication, you can succeed. Rules to live by: If it looks to good to be true; it probably is. Don't ever pay someone to let you work for them. Get rich quick schemes are just that; a scheme.

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Working from home

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