Deciding to start working from home is a major decision in itself. Choosing the specific business that you want to do from home is a whole other process. It can be a hard decision for many people because of the necessary time, money, and specific skills required for each type of business.
If you are looking to choose the right work from home business for you, there are a handful of considerations that you must think about. Are you comfortable speaking on the phone? Do you plan to work regular work hours or do you need to work on your own schedule? Is there a startup cost involved and if so, can you afford it? Finding the answers to these and other questions will help to direct you to the right path.
There is a work from home business opportunity that fits your needs and expectations. By taking inventory of your skills and creating a checklist of your needs, it will be much less complicated than it originally seems. Take a breath, and thoroughly think about what it is that you need from this business opportunity.
Necessary Time and Money
One of the most important factors to consider in working from home is when you will actually do the work. Many remote work opportunities require specific, set hours. Others allow you to make your own schedule or simply work when you have the time. Determining your needs will either narrow or widen your scope of options.
If your main reason for wanting to work from home lies in the lack of commute, it is likely that your hours are not going to be a huge factor in deciding which work from home business you ultimately choose. However, if you are wanting to work from home so that you don’t have to send your child to daycare, time is definitely something to consider.
There are a variety of businesses that allow remote work on a standard business hour schedule. The main concern with these hours is to determine if there is a time difference between where you live and where the company is located. Business hours for the company might be night time for you. While this might work for your schedule, it is important to know ahead of time.
Are you looking for full or part-time work? Businesses typically specify how much time they are asking for on a weekly basis. However, although many companies pay hourly, others pay by task or specific job. Ask yourself how long the most common tasks would take and when you might be able to get them accomplished.
Determining time and schedules is just the beginning. It also comes down to how much money you can make in the time you have available. Many work from home businesses
Many people are more comfortable with a set salary, whereas others are just fine accepting a bit of a gamble if it might be just what they need. Determining the pay that is required will help to narrow down the options available to you.
Taxes are another aspect of the money that you will want to think about. If you get a paycheck from a company, your taxes are generally taken automatically. If you work for yourself in a freelance capacity, taxes are a whole other responsibility. Ensure that your income will be suitable after taxes are paid.
It is also important to find out if your preferred work from home business requires any startup money or fees. While a lot of work from home jobs cost nothing to start, there are several that require a bit of investing to get started.
It is possible that the only investment required is to set up your home office. If you don’t already, you will probably need to have a computer, a desk and comfortable office chair, a phone, and reliable internet. These items are just the basics. Each business has specific needs in order to complete the necessary tasks.
Other work from home business franchises have startup investments that are required to get started. Some franchises can be started in your home for as little as $100. Others require thousands – or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. Doing your research prior to choosing a franchise is highly recommended. In fact, doing research on franchises, in general, is best. Franchise opportunities typically have high rewards, but there are fees involved that are not with other work from home businesses.
Considering both your time and your money is a huge aspect of choosing the right business opportunity to open in your home. Moving forward without the required knowledge and planning is a dangerous and risky route to take. By deciding upon exactly what you are looking to put in and get out, you are eliminating the options that are not for you and highlighting the ones that are more suited to your needs.
What is Your Skill Set?
The skills required to do a job are obviously something to consider during your search for work from home opportunities. Do you have the drive to work for yourself, or is it necessary to have a long distance supervisor? Can you type relatively fast? Are you well spoken and articulate? These are just some of the questions that you should ask yourself to determine your skills.
A skill set is the range of abilities that a person holds. In order to correctly evaluate and determine your own skill set, it is recommended that you write down your qualities. Think of the things that you might tell about yourself to an employer. You might say that you are a quick learner or great at teamwork. You might also discuss your ability to lead or communicate ideas well. Perhaps some of your skills are more specific, like the ability to speak Spanish or that you can write code for computer programs.
Whatever your skill set is, write it down. Every skill that you possess, in order from most qualified or passionate about to those skills that you are a bit newer at. From there, you have a list of qualities that will make identifying the right work from home opportunity easier.
There are numerous online applications that will help you to determine your skills and help you to find a job title that might fit you. While the careers are not specific to working from home, they will give you an idea of what you might be best suited for. This site will give you numerous options, many of which can typically be done from home. If none of the jobs listed speak to you, think about similar positions that might interest you.
By making a list of your skills and interests, you will be one step closer to finding the best work from home business for you. Having said that, what kinds of business opportunities are there for those wanting to work from home? With the world being so connected with the internet, phones, and other advanced technologies, the options for working from home are many.
Work from Home Opportunities
The many options available for work from home businesses help anyone wanting to stay home in their pajamas find the perfect role for them. After determining the time you will have available to work, the money you are looking to put in and get out, and discovering your exact skill set and passions to match, you are ready to narrow down your business opportunities.
Let’s start with home careers that can be done at any time of the day. If you have limited time, or need to be able to work while your kids are sleeping, consider freelance work. Freelancers can be just about anyone that works for themselves on their own time. A freelancer might have multiple clients that request certain tasks or jobs to be done for a set price or a negotiated hourly wage. Instead of being permanently employed by one client, a freelancer completes multiple works for multiple clients.
Examples of freelancers include graphic designers, writers, and transcribers. Usually, these types of freelancers require no startup costs, unless a new home office is a requirement. With freelance work, you can work on your own time. Many get started in the freelance world with sites such as www.fiverr.com and www.upwork.com.
If you are self-motivated and have the ability to stick to a client’s timeline, freelancing may be for you. The downside to freelancing is that you must track your own income and handle your taxes appropriately. It can also be difficult financially if your work starts to slow, but following leads can help you to maintain a steady income.
There are also transcriber sites that hire people to transcribe audio that has been posted to an internal job board. While these are typically low paying, once you’ve mastered transcribing, you can earn $8-10 per hour. Sites have different pay rates, but this one pays around 25 cents per audio minute. Your hourly rate is dependent on how fast you transcribe. If one audio minute takes you two minutes to transcribe, you can earn $7.50 an hour. Once you’ve been consistently accurate, sites may promote you to edit other’s transcriptions. This typically pays $12-15 per hour.
Another popular business to operate from your home is in public relations. Numerous companies are looking for people to post to their social media accounts regularly for them. If you are experienced in marketing and have good knowledge regarding social media, this one might be for you. One important part to consider with a job like remote public relations is how you will be paid. Some companies pay per post. Others pay per hour. There are applications that allow posting to occur at specific times, but determining how much your work is actually worth can be a challenge.
For example, if your job is to manage a company’s Facebook account, you may be given 20 hours per week to do so. However, if your post generates a lot of comments and you need to reply to each comment, your hours may exceed the limit. At that point, you may be required to discuss the need for more time with your employer, leave commenters disappointed, or work more than the allotted time for free.
If you’re a crafter or make something that can be sold, consider Etsy or Amazon! You can easily sell your goods from the comfort of your own home with modern technology. These sites have sellers that successfully sell everything from handmade quilts to furniture, and homemade chapstick to bath bombs. If you are skilled at making wreaths, soap, or beard oil, these online shops may be your entry into working from home.
There are a lot of things to consider when creating a business with a sole purpose to sell things online. If this is the option that you want to go with, be sure to research how to handle your taxes, business licensing, and other aspects of selling online. It is also ideal to have a plan in place in case you are unable to produce as quickly as you are selling. Having a stock of items that you want to sell might be a good idea.
Many native english speakers with a degree find themselves teaching kids to speak their language. Companies like VIPkid offer up to $22 per hour for Americans to teach Chinese children English via video chat. They provide lesson plans and training, teachers simply have to choose their hours and use their own props to make the lesson their own. Becoming an online teacher is a highly sought after career right now. While pay is usually based on experience and education, those new to the company or have little teaching experience can still make around $18 per hour.
Another option that many people choose in order to stay home is to run a one-man call center from their home office. There are a variety of companies that hire home-based employees to answer inbound calls for their customer support services. Sometimes these supports are technical, others are for insurance needs. That pay depends on the specific companies, but often is between $10-15 per hour. The variety of call center type businesses are wide and always in need of qualified personnel.
Virtual assistants are another popular option for those looking to start a business from their homes. Like freelancers, a virtual assistant most usually works for themselves. There are some virtual assistants that are hired on a task by task basis, whereas others work for one or two clients long term. The pay for this type of career is dependent on the tasks needed and the experience you offer.
The last business opportunity to be discussed is a franchised company. With franchises, you would be responsible for paying the startup costs. You would then pay a percentage of royalties or fees to the company on a regular basis. Popular companies in this type of work from home business include ItWorks! and Rodan and Fields. These companies have smaller startup costs than many other options.
Companies like Allstate require $100,000 to start a business in your home. Other well-known names include ServPro and Expedia and also require a hefty amount of investment cash. Many at home franchises allow you to run the business out of your home but have a team of employees that go out to do onsite work. Consider ServPro, a restoration company. The home base might be in your home office, but the actual physical work would be done in a customer’s home.
These business and career options are just some of the popular ones available to you. If you are looking for a work from home business that is right for you, remember to do your research and consider your specific needs. There is a home-based career for everyone, it is just a matter of putting in the time to find it.
Related Questions
What do I need for my home office? Your home office set up is dependent on the kind of work that you will be doing. However, a good office is typically quiet, has a desk, chair, computer, and phone. Additional needs might be office supplies, quality lighting, and storage space.
How might a parent schedule their day for working at home? If you are the sole caregiver during the day, it is important that you utilize nap times for work. You may also want to wake early or stay up late for work purposes if needed.