Yes, Virginia, there really are ways to make money from home. Some of them do involve the internet; some of them are based out of your home. It all depends on your talent, your determination, and your time.
Writing - Best Site
Consider Becoming a Suite Writer. If you can write, there are many opportunities on the internet to actually make some money at it; Suite101 is one of the best. There are other sites as well – such as About.com, Helium, etc. Check them out, but be sure to come back to the best!
Bringing Professionals Together
Often, sites will offer a place for employers to meet with potential employees – on a contract basis. Consider this to be virtual work. Some of these type of job boards charge to be a member. While a small fee may be considered reasonable to cover administrative costs, any site that charges must be approached with caution and alarm bells. Since there are sites that do not charge up front, it's advisable to stick with those. Elance.com provides for both – free and membership. Note though, that free just means no monthly fee; you are still charged a percentage of your earnings. Think of Elance.com as your booking agent.
However, the best site is oDesk – no cost, and you post your profile along with your charge per hour for the type of work. The "buyer" or employer pays oDesk, which takes a 10% cut before passing it on to the "employee" or "provider". Note though, that oDesk advises providers to add in this 10% "cost" - so that if the provider wants $22/hr, then the hourly rate should actually be about $24. As well, employers post jobs, and can also "invite" you to an interview. Type of talents needed are writing of all kinds, administrative support, web development, software development, graphic design, etc.
Find out about other sites – do a search of Freelance work and check out the results.
Other Work From Home Plans
Don't forget about that hobby of yours – you can easily start your own business creating customized gifts, or whatever service/product you can provide to others. Then create a web site to promote your goods or service (use one of the free sites offered through your internet provider or Yahoo) as well as flyers or other local advertisements.
EBay
Yes, you can make some money on Ebay, but be prepared to first pay out money. Ebay charges for anything you want to sell online, but it does provide you with some built-in protection with that cost. You could actually create a "store" on Ebay and sell your customized gifts through it.
Bottom Line
Yes, it is possible to find legitimate work through the internet and work from the comfort of your home. It takes time and effort though, and depends on your talents. Just make sure you avoid any work from home scams.
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Copyright November 14, 2008. Paym Bergson and Suite 101. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use of this material will constitute an infringement of copyright.
