A newbie to work-at-home overwhelmed

My issue is this. I have been unemployed for over a year now and am still actively applying for positions. At this point, I have got to do something to pay the bills. Working at home appeals to me for many reasons, getting rich quick is not one of them. My problem is this, there are a million ads and websites out there promoiting work-at-home opportunities. I basically know what to look for in a scam, but am having trouble actually getting to the legitimate offers and positions to apply for. Anyone have suggestions as where to start?(Sites or Companies) Anyone have an idea of what type WAH jobs are hot right now? When making a decision like this, it pays to be timid and alert, but if you don't apply to anything, your chances of getting paid are slim...lol. I'm old enough that I don't want to play games to get to what I'm looking for. Any suggestions on how to narrow the search would be helpful.

It's going to help us if we know what kind of stuff you are looking to do - many folks are trying to find some kind of work at home "job" where they get paid by the piece or by the hour - and most of those are phone jobs, or writing jobs.

I do have a friend that does the KGB (you can find it by googling kgb.com) - he makes about 3 bucks an hour.

There are some details about writing jobs, and phone jobs over at the wahm.com/forum....


Most of us on the forum here are either in Affiliate Marketing or MLM and Network marketing.... in fact there is a great discussion on the whole affiliate marketing thing at the link below...

What IS Affiliate Marketing??

Let us know more specifically what you are looking at and we can help you - or try to...

Do your research and lots of it!!

Only you can find what appeals to you.. And since you are looking to get into the work at home field you better like what you do because you are going to need persistence.

I personally like MLM opportunities because it allows you to build a business that helps other people and pays your income as well.

At this point google is your friend =].

Matt

Hi Darren,

Congrats on pursuing work in the online world. There ARE successful business that DO work. Talking to the right people and doing your research will help.

Things to look for to see if it's legitimate:

1) Free stuff: it is rare that you will get something for nothing. Be prepared to pay to join an online business. Free stuff is not going to get you far

2) Google the business AND the business owners. If they are nowhere in sight, then that is a redflag

3) Keep chatting with people in these forums, they have tried the good and the bad so most of them will give you honest answers

4) Pick a business with versatile products. You don't want to be selling another pill or vitamin. That is a saturated market with low commissions on sales. Choose to sell services, education or training. Everyone needs these kinds of things and you will feel good when you help people!

Goodluck!

- Lark Miller

Hello Darren,

If you decide to work online, it is helpful to become involved with something that interests you.

When you narrow things down some, you should post your ideas in this forum to see if others have anything to report about it.

I do not know of many online jobs.

For the most part, I have had 2 successful eBay stores, participated in the last 2 the Thirty Day Challenges, and am a Wealthy Affiliate University member.

All of these are good resources.

The Thirty Day Challenge is free, if you wish to have a look.
It does require work, and dedication, yet is step by step.

I hope these answers have helped.
Victoria

I subscribe to this website: http://blog.2work-at-home.com/WordPress/.

I primarily do my own affiliate marketing, but that site has some pretty good telecommuting jobs like: blogger, sometimes a virtual assistant. Occasionally a medical transcriptionist.

What I do see more of are positions for advanced computer skills like Java, PHP, C+++, etc. If you've got that, you
ll probably do well.

You have to register (free) to see the jobs. The forum usually has a big heads up.

Another option you could consider -- I don't have experience with this, but a lot of people do -- is auctioning out your skill on elance or guru.com. I don't like the bid for a job thing, but people seem to like it.

Also check out Willow Sidhe's http://freelancehomewriter.blogspot.com blog. She reviews sites that pay you to write articles. I wrote for Personal Money Store and World Start. They paid me every week by PayPal. I stopped to focus on my affiliate marketing which is providing me and income, but slowly building.

If you're short on cash, ebay out what you don't need. You're 97% guaranteed to sell something on eBay, especially if it's electronics. If you don't mind going back for to the post office. The cash adds up, but so do the fees. eBay is the easiest to learn.

As for what type position I'm looking for:
1. NO! NO! Positions that involve talking on the phone
2. I like to do research and provide people w/information
3. I would be interested in recruiting. I have been recruiting, hiring, and developing employees for many years.
4. Editing documents
5. Writing research papers or evaluations of businesses.
6. NO mail-out positions

Hopefully this will narrow it down for you guys. I REALLY appreciate all of the responses. I am simply trying to find a position that will fit my personality, not be boring, and be a true job, not just a 1 time thing or a scheme. If I can find the right position, it will be my ONLY source of income, so it would have to be pay well enough to support my lifestyle.

Please send me any feedback, suggestions, or advice you feel fits my situation.
Again, Thank you

SouthernGent: I would be interested in recruiting. I have been recruiting, hiring, and developing employees for many years.
Thats what mlm (multi level marketing) is all about.

SouthernGent: Editing documents
5. Writing research papers or evaluations of businesses.
As far as I know these are not common things to find online.... I have a friend who has been spending hours trying to find something in that line to do and she just runs up against dead ends, as most companies want some kind of degree and several years experience, etc...

And the ones that are available to the public don't pay diddly squat.

SouthernGent: I like to do research and provide people w/information
This is basically what affiliate marketing is all about... it is one of the best known and most successful ways to make money online but will take some time to get built up.

Here is an example of what you can do with affiliate marketing - go to natural-treatment-for-cancer dot blogspot dot com (we can't put direct linsk to stuff in our posts...) but that is a simple blog that I set up awhile back on natural cancer cures that I have not done much with as I just haven't had time... and it will give you an idea what you can do...

There are adsense ads on there plus products from Clickbank and there are many other things I want to add but it is not a nich that I can write a lot about yet, without doing a bunch of research so I just have it floating out there...

Blogger is free to use.... so that site doesn't cost me anything to run it, which is nice. It's a great way to get your feet wet...

The only way to make money online is to keep trying things until you find what works for you.... it is just different for each person.

All of the scams and dead end opportunities scare me a lot. I wish there was some way to really weed through all the trash and at least be able to see and evaluate the legitimate offers.

Any suggestions there?

Are you talking about legitimate offers as far as training tools?

There are several that are highly spoken of on the forum here.

If you are talking about the hordes of 'opportunities' to make money with things like cash gifting, make money placing ads, surveys, etc... then you have every reason to be scared!

There are very few of us that haven't gotten burnt with a few things like that.


As far as the training stuff that promises to help you make money blogging, or with affiliate marketing - and there a TON of those our there as well! - I have yet to see one that I did not learn SOMETHING from.

There are a ton of Network Marketing opportunities on the internet as well and with those you want to choose one that has a product you can believe in or you will never recruit others to join you in business.

It kinda boils down to tons and tons of research and then when you are tired out from that, take a break, go on a walk to clear your head and when you get rested up, start researching all over again!

I wish there was a silver bullet answer but there just isn't.

I'm just trying to figure out if there is a way to look through all of the opportunities online for work at home jobs and be able to tell which are legitimate and which are crap.
I guess what I'm asking is this, is there a website that gives recommendations for secure and legitimate WAH jobs, or a listing somewhere of decent opportunities?
I want to get started with this but need a way to narrow the field so that I can actually see what's out there that interests me.

SouthernGent
Daren:

Make sure before you spend lot of money subscribing to or purchasing different products, spend some time figuring out the value that you would be delivering. The value you deliver is your asset. The virtual online world is huge in terms of market opportunity

1) figure out your mechanism to build income stream (your own product or market others products)
2) determine you want a job or build a business (there are explicit and implicit advantages to building a business)
3) understand online marketing strategy and tools
4) build a lowcost prototype to start testing and understanding all the steps involved in reaching your customers that will buy from you

Good Luck

Mohan

If any of these opportunities are network marketing opportunities then I totally recommend it. Now, if they are a high ticket items that sell for a few grand to get started then I don't recommend it.

I suggest that you get into a program that requires an investment of less then $100 and less then $50 per month fee.

If you are still looking for a job, then continue to do that because in this network marketing business field, you will not make money right away. It does take 1-5 years of consistent effort so getting yourself a job right now is the best choice too.

Tal

SouthernGent
Hello Darren,

I know it's tough finding a reputable business. You have to be careful, if you are looking to become a member with a program, do your research first. Use the program as a keyword with the word "Reviews". If you are going to try a program out, make sure there is a money back guarantee. Listen to the feedback from others about the program.

There are FREE ways to earn money online you just need a little guidance. Whatever you do, don't give up...it took me 4 years to find something that works. It will pay off for you.

Good Luck!

If you are looking to market through the Internet and make your living online, having been in the industry for over 18 months, I believe training to be essential.
As many of the posts have already said, I would suggest that you take your time. In the first instance I would have a look to see if there is an inexpensive online video training program that you can follow and they are deffinatly out there I use them myself personally. Alternatively find someone that will mentor you although these tend to be a high ticket price products or programmes.
Finding some that you can speak too & interact with will accelerate your learning. In your first few months of this industry it is essential to get off to a fast start without spending a fortune.

Good luck

SouthernGent

even if the site your looking for exists, you'll have to weed thru. you don't have a choice in this matter. it is the nature of the beast.

but i think i can help you find what your looking for, if your willing to tweek your stance about the phones.

you would have to talk on the phone, but only to (a) get help from a mentor (i believe you MUST have a mentor to be successful at ANYthing), and to (b) talk to customers that have money in hand, ready to purchase from YOU.

the rest of your criteria match almost exactly with the work involved. start up cost is under $500 total. let me know if you want more info.

good luck

Hi Darren,

Some of this will sound mean, and I don't intend that way.

You said you like to do research, the best anyone else can do is help you to narrow your focus, as you asked. The bulk of it is on you though, no way around it.

OK, that's out of the way.

Now judging from points 2, 3, and 5 I think you might like to research "Information Marketing" and reviewing products.

You can build a WordPress Blog, either for free or self-hosted, there are pro's and con's for both methods that is a topic unto itself.

Once you have your blog up use it to promote yourself, your abilities, skills, and whatever else you can bring to the table.

Find something you're interested in or passionate about and build around that.

There is no one way to make it on-line, what works for one may or may not work for another.

You're on the right track, keep going and you will find or make what you are looking for.

Michael

Hey Darren, it all depends on what you are looking for; a job at home or a home business. The two are very different. A Network Marketing business is no different than any other business except that they usually cost considerably less. And in finding the right business for you takes do-diligence. You're on the right track being in this community. We are fortunate these days to have the internet and that's where I would start. First and foremost, be passionate about the product. No business owner will be successful without loving what they do. To your success, Ginger Hogue

At least you posted what you do like to do and don't like to do. I am like you I like helping people not talking on the phone not selling stuff. Been there done that kind of thing and it wasn't a good fit for me. I have been in alot of business MLM, sales, etc. I am retired now and like what I am doing now. If you would like more info then pm me and I will be glad to help. There are alot of businesses out there some are good and some arn't. You have to do your homework. I just posted a scam on here as my first post so make sure you read through those as well and that will help you narrow it down you will know right off what to stay away from anyway and that is a good start. That will help you with some of the weeding process. Forums are good for getting information and that is why alot of people join them to get ideas and information. So you are on the right track by joining this group. I wish you luck in your search.

SouthernGent
When you are looking for an online job make sure you check into the companies background, a quick google can tell you that, and make absolutley sure they have a physical address, also you must have great training and support available otherwise it is extremly hard to get going. You must also have a passion for what you are doing, this is the difference between success and failure. Take Care.