I began researching work-at-home careers when a good friend of mine was very unhappy with her job as a bank teller. Her name is Janet. Janet would come home nearly every day from work upset over office gossip and backstabbing coworkers. She really tried to thrive in that environment but just could not find a way. We finally decided that it may help to switch to another branch. She did do that but found that the same dynamics were going on there as well.
To make things worse, Janet hated the commute to work and having to get up so early in the morning. After many months of hearing how my friend was so miserable, I started researching legitimate work-at-home careers. Janet finally just quit her job, and started working at home as a call center rep. She really liked it. She didn’t need any formalized training to get the job. They gave her on-the-job training.
All she had to buy was a headset telephone which cost about $30. After a few months, Janet wanted to use some of the free time she now had from not commuting and go back to school. She decided to learn Legal Transcription. She took a course that cost about $900. She LOVED learning at home and still being able to work at home for the call center.
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After 6 months Janet graduated from her legal transcription course and started working for a service. She enjoyed this very much and quit the call center job. She even launched out to get one legal transcription client of her own. She was making money and was happier than I’d seen her in years. She also had “education” fever now. She wanted to continue gaining skills so she took a course that taught her how to proofread for court reporters.
This course took her a year to complete. Janet was busy working and going to school but also very happy with the new changes. She felt in control of her life and little time was spent complaining and crying over office politics. After completing her proofreading course Janet now was able to do legal transcription and legal transcript proofreading for court reporters.
She stopped working for the legal transcription service but kept her own legal transcription client. She started marketing to court reporters on online forums where they hung out. She got two court reporters to work with and still had her legal transcription client. Janet wasn’t done yet! She went back to school to learn general proofreading and general transcription.
These courses cost her about $800 each. She has not yet taken on any general proofreading clients, but has done some general transcription for the pastor of her church. She transcribes his sermons from audio. She is happy now. She feels in control of her own life. Money-wise she is doing well. At the bank Janet was making $13 an hour. Now, she earns about $700 weekly.
She is still in the process of building her virtual assistant business and is thinking about adding even more skills to her repertoire. The last we spoke, she had her eye on a bookkeeping course that costs about $1000. She is also interested in writing blog posts for people. I am really proud of my friend. I learned so much in helping her learn about the options available to work at home.
There are so many great careers available that can be done at home. Oh, one more thing. Janet’s elderly parents have had some health issues, and Janet is really happy to be working for herself as an independent contractor so she can make time in her schedule to help care for her parents. Janet’s life is in her control now, and I’ve never seen her so happy and relaxed. I’m really proud of her.
Many people want to work at home but don’t know what path to take or how to get started. Knowing which work-at-home gig is right for you is the foundation of success. There are many legitimate work-at-home gigs available. This guide will help you decide which one is best for you. Some of you want some professional training and others just want to jump in and start earning income.
There are gigs that can accommodate your interest, ability to invest your time and money in training, and that can match your particular personality type. It should be noted that there are a lot of work-at-home scams out there. To avoid a scam, take these things into consideration:
- Are you able to reach someone by phone?
- Are your emails inquiring being answered?
If it’s a gig promising a HUGE amount of money for a tiny investment, it’s probably too good to be true.
Working at home is both doable and achievable. Let’s look at some different options to work at home making the money that you desire.
Working at Home as an Employee vs’ Independent Contractor
Before we get into specific work-at-home career choices, let’s learn about the differences between working as an employee vs. independent contractor.
Working as an employee from home means that you have to work specific hours and the employer can tell you “how” and “when” to do the work. Taxes are taken out of your paycheck and you may be offered benefits like health insurance, disability insurance, etc.
Working as an independent contractor you are the boss and then there is your client. You work for yourself. You pay in quarterly estimated taxes on your projected income. Most IC’s hold out 30% of each check to pay in quarterly to IRS. Your client can’t tell you how or when to do the work. They can have a deadline of when work is to be completed but the contractor can do the work anytime during that period they wish.
There are tax benefits to working at home because you can deduct your expenses. Part of your home can be deducted, office supplies, computers you use for work, and even mileage on your car if you use it for business. Check out the resources below about being an independent contractor.
