Of course there are. Thousands upon thousands of people work from their home every day and not just in entrepreneurial ventures. Sometimes it’s for family reasons, sometimes for health reasons, but what ever your personal reason for working from home, navigating those waters can be difficult and expensive. But if working from home interests you, read on.

There are lots of work from home scams

First, lets discuss what isn’t a legitimate work-from-home opportunity. Any “opportunity” that insists that you fork over your credit card ^[2] or banking information in order to receive leads or wants you to pay for “supplies only they can provide” is sure to leave you with an empty bank account ^[3] or a hefty credit card ^[2] bill. Don’t do it. The only money being made is the money transferring from your pocket to theirs. You’ll wind up “working from home” to get your money back!

If you DO find a work-from-home opportunity (online or otherwise) that looks interesting, don’t hesitate to check them out with the Better Business Bureau ^[4] or better yet, a search engine. Enter the name of the business and then the word “scam” and see what comes up. Realize that not every business with the word “scam” added as a keyword is actually a scam. Sometimes disgruntled employees or customers will resort to a scorched earth approach just because they didn’t get a 50 cent raise or a 50% discount, so read these articles and postings with a grain of salt but DO read them. See if what is written sounds reasonable or if the poster is just off their rocker.

Two great work from home sites

There ARE two great sites you should check out if you’re interested in working from your home. I’m not affiliated with either so please do your own due diligence. They are:

1. MomCorps.com ^[5] has a two fold mission:

• Provide companies direct access to professionals who have opted out of the traditional workplace.
• Enable professionals to work in their respective fields, while still meeting family needs and responsibilities.

2. WomenForHire.com ^[6] claims their “core business is producing the nation’s only high caliber career expos, enabling America’s top employers to meet one-on-one with a coveted pool of talented women in all disciplines.” (Sorry Guys)

What are the most common work-from-home jobs?

The top legitimate positions include:

• Direct sales of products or services
• Work from home travel ^[7] agent (I used one just last summer!)
• Virtual customer service (a work from home call center)
• Work from home virtual assistant
• Work from home medical transcriptionist
• Home companion
• Virtual technical assistance

In addition to these, be sure and check out 26 Ways To Make Extra Money While Keeping Your Day Job ^[8]. Many of those do require leaving the house but there are quite a few that don’t.

How much should I expect to make in a work-from-home job?

That’s hard to say because just like in traditional positions, it varies and sometimes it can vary a lot. If you’re just answering customer service calls and routing them to the appropriate departments, don’t expect more than minimum wage. But if you’re a nurse who answers a hospital’s “Dial-A-Nurse” line after hours, you can expect to make considerably more. Many attorneys work from home and make quite a lot.

The bottom line is the amount you can make will depend on your position, skill, expertise, experience, and the hours you put in.

What if I think I’m a victim of a work from home scam?

Don’t panic. Calmly call your contact at the company and ask for a refund. If you’re refused, inform them that you plan to take your complaint to the appropriate legal authorities or law enforcement officials. Hopefully you’ve kept good records of your transactions and notes on your conversations since those will now become “evidence.” When you’re ready to make your case, contact:

• Your local Better Business Bureau ^[4]
• Your local or state consumer affairs agency
• Your state attorney general’s office and the attorney general’s office in the state where the company is located
• The Postal Service if anything was handled by mail
• Your own lawyer or attorney

Don’t let the bad apples in the work from home industry scare you away

There are many honest and legitimate opportunities out there for people who need or want to work from home, but you have to find them … or sometimes create your own ^[8].

About the author

Ron has written 1083 articles on The Wisdom Journal.

The founder and editor of The Wisdom Journal ^[9] in 2007, Ron has worked in banking, distribution, retail, and upper management for companies ranging in size from small startups to multi-billion dollar corporations. He graduated Suma Cum Laude from a top MBA program and currently is a partner in a national building materials company.

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