Some of these seemingly insignificant work-at-home statistics can be very interesting. Viewing these helps you to learn more about who is doing what in the entrepreneur world.

With that in mind view these interesting facts:

• According to Money Magazine, about 20% work at home businesses bring in a revenue of between 100k and 500k per year (1996 survey).
• A new home business is started every 11 seconds. That’s amazing! There is no way to feel left out knowing this.
• Approximately 34 to 36 million home offices are set up in residences all across America. (However, according to the U.S. Census and a Pittsburgh Business Times magazine this number fluctuates from 18 to 38 million.) This is according to stats printed in a 2001 news article.
• In 2008, 9/10 of people who worked for an employer telecommute at home. This is 87% of employees, according to WorldatWork Telework Trendlines 2009.
• In 2009, it was reported that 24% of people who work for an employer do 80% of this work at home.
• According to a 2007 report from a variety of agencies, about 50% of all business are run from the home. This is a total of 16 million of all the businesses run.
• More and more employers are offering telecommute as a viable option. About 29% of employers are starting to allow their employees to work at home.

Simple Socioeconomic Facts

As of 2009 it is reported that 61% of home workers are men while 39% of them are female. A total of 42% of these are in the 18 to 34 age bracket, and 48% of these are in the 35 to 54 age bracket. Only 8% of people who are age 55 and over work at home, and the mean age is 40.3 while the median age is 38.

The highest number of people who work at home (50%) are college graduates. The second highest are those who have completed vocational schooling (28%) while the third highest are those who have had only a high school degree (or less).

The fourth highest would be people who have completed a post graduate degree (15%). These facts were provided by the WorkatWork Telework Trendlines. This is 2009 data.

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As you can see if you desire to work at home you are not the odd one out. Many people are doing it and are doing it successfully. Therefore, don’t let anyone scare you out of doing so.

Finding work at home jobs is half the battle to becoming gainfully employed while not having to work in an office, factory, factory, or other job site. The type of work you choose to do is largely based on your skills, abilities, and interests.

Searching Tips

If you are seeking work at home positions you should look for “virtual assistant” jobs or “home-based” work at popular job sites. You might also want to try “telecommuting” or “freelance” depending upon the work you do.

Many positions are found on major job search sites like Career Builder.com and Monstor.com. You can also find these positions at HotJobs.com or SimplyHired.com.

There are many other job sites you can choose from. Some job boards you can find work on and they do not cost a fee. Sometimes for more specialized work at home positions such as freelance writing or graphic artists you might be required either to pay a commission or a flat monthly fee to access job bidding site boards.

Be careful about dishing out money to seek jobs though. If it is a site with a good reputation and provides good leads then go for it. However, if at all possible you should first seek ways to find gainful work at home without having to pay a cent.

Besides, if you are really good at what you do at some point people will come looking for you rather than the other way around. In any case, you should research any opportunity you consider because that is the only way you can determine whether the position is right for you.

What you Can Find (Types of Home Work)

There are all types of work at home jobs. They range from bookkeeping positions to translation and correspondence to customer service and telemarketing. People who work at home also may offer typing or writing services, or they might create website pages or graphic logos.

More people nowadays are becoming involved in virtual customer service pursuits. This is a job that you can work at home answering incoming phone calls.

People have questions about this type of work, so we are providing the answers. Answers to questions regarding equipment needed as well as skills required are presented below. Answers about the nature of this work are also presented to you.

What exactly is a virtual assistant?

Basically it is someone who has similar duties as someone who would work in a call center. They might answer phone, take orders, or perform simple bookkeeping tasks. The main difference is that they work at home rather than on the premises of an employer.

Is this really a legitimate line of work?

It is no wonder you would ask this question, considering all the marketing scams out there. It is a legitimate work at home opportunity, but beware of companies that try to charge you to find these jobs. Those supposed “headhunters” if you will are often making you pay for something you should be able to find for free.

How do I apply to become a virtual assistant?

The application process is similar to that of any job. You will out an online or paper application and then you take proficiency tests (typing, writing, language, and computer tests). You also may be required to take a background check and a credit check as well as drug testing.

What kind of equipment is needed?

Usually you need a computer, land line phone (or sometimes a computer VOIP or Internet phone), and a quiet place to work. The needs for each type of position are very different, though. You are going to need to check in with each company to learn what exactly is required for each type of position.

Will anyone be in charge of me?

There is a management that you report to, but usually you work on your own. If you so choose, you could start your own call center and become a self-employed virtual assistant company. If you are self-employed you would be your own but if you work for a company you may occasionally have to report to management, at least to get your paycheck.

Who hires call center or virtual assistant services?

Just about any company who needs an extra helping hand in the customer service department might use these services. Businesses representing just about every industry may use these services, such as dental offices, insurance companies, floral shops, wedding planners, and more.

A Previous Blog Entry posted lists a variety of terms that you need to know that help identify work at home concepts. Some of the terms found the previous blog entry as well as this one can help you understand all aspects of working at home.

Blogging-This is the act of making a log of various thoughts, tips, tools, or other resources that would be useful or entertaining to the public. The use of blogging is one way to interact with the online community.

Freelancer-A person employed in this position is one who usually works on an independent basis. Often they complete creative or written projects. They also might be responsible for a variety of other activities such as designing a website or creating a business logo.

SAHM or SAHD-These are acronyms for stay at home moms or stay at home dads. These are individuals who often work hard to create an income while still being able to stay home with their children.

Telecommuter-A person who is employed in this position would usually perform duties normally completed on job sites. The only difference is that they would work at home, but they are not independent contractors. They are paid like a regular employee and are on the employer payroll, unlike someone who is just hired by the job and is responsible for their own taxes.

Virtual assistant-Usually this is a type of customer service representative position that is fulfilled, only at home. Usually this requires a secure, fast Internet connection as well as the right computer phone technology. Often a person is hired on by a company directly or works as an independent contractor.

Web 2.0-This technology is now being used by many home business marketers. It is the employment of a variety of social networking and interactive methods. For instance, people involved in using these marketing tools would be involved in social bookmarking, podcasting, RSS feed building and social network friend list building.

Networking-When you make connections with other people on a personal and professional level, it helps build your business. This concept encompasses a variety of different types of communication, such as online groups, social friend network building, and status updates (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo).

When you seek information about ways to work at home you are probably going to find out quite a bit. You may in the process also run across some works you may not fully understand that describe different types of duties, responsibilities, or jobs.

Simply Definitions

Numerous words are used to describe various aspects of work at home positions and concepts. In order to determine which work at home position is best for you, it is important for you to understand a little bit about each of these.

Affiliate Marketing-This is the concept of promoting the products of an advertiser and/or merchant. Usually links to ad pages or websites are placed on an affiliate marketer’s website and commission is earn either per click or per order made by consumers.

Direct Sales-This is a person who usually is involved with making money while promoting products to small groups or individuals face to face. Direct sales can also be accomplished via communication one on one or in small group settings while online. Communication online would usually be forums, discussions, e-mails, or instant message.

Multilevel marketing-This is a process that often gets a negative “rap.” It is the process of setting up a network of people who are all making a profit on one another. Usually it is similar to a pyramid, only this is a legitimate set up, in that there is actually a read product or service being offered. The further up the pyramid you are the more money you usually would make because there are people under you.

Upline-Usually people in this position of a multilevel marketing operation are the ones you would look up to for help and advice. They usually will guide you along the way as you attempt to make a steady, rising profit while employed in a work at home business opportunity.

Downline-This is the person or group of people who are in business under you if you are involved in a multilevel marketing pursuit. Usually you would be mentoring them and helping them find their way so they can make money.

Independent contractor-If you are working in this capacity you usually are not a direct employee of a company. Usually you are just hired to do a specific job or to complete a specific project. Usually these individuals have their own business and are considered self-employed.

Search Engine Optimization-If you are involved in any type of work at home Internet marketing ventures, this term will be very important to you. It is the act of using keywords and key phrases that will put your websites or product pages on the first page of search engine results.

This of course is not a complete list of terms that pertain to working at home. To learn more about this new way of life,  View these definitions.

People everywhere are looking for a way to escape the plight of corporate boredom that has gotten them so disillusioned. Many of them have opted already to become their own boss and are making a substantial work at home income.

So, how are they doing it? That is a great question to ask. Today there are numerous work at home opportunities at your disposal.

Some of the most popular low-cost home business opportunities operated today include as follows:

Freelance work-This could be any number of services that a person offers on a for hire basis. Usually it is providing written content for websites, journals, blogs, or news media services. It could also be designing websites or creating business logos.

It could even involve the composition of multimedia projects for clients, which are used for business or journalistic presentations. Just about any artistic or creative endeavor-even script writing or movie production-can be done as freelance work.

It might involve the overall promotional aspect of creating a company name or brand. Another line of freelancing work is providing translation services. This is the process of converting documents from one language to another.

Product marketing-This often encompasses a variety of marketing aspects. The most common way to go about this while using the Internet would be to use search engine marketing to draw people to a website to buy products.

This may or may be an inventory that is located on the premises of the seller or it may be a promotional effort on behalf of another manufacturer or retailer. Usually what happens in this case is a reader or visitor is draw to a website and then notices affiliate links on which they click. They are then lead to a site where they make purchases.

Usually this requires a very small overhead. Usually the only monthly cost is that which it takes to run the website on which product promotional links are displayed. This can even be done for free if the promoter uses free blogging tools.

Virtual assistance-Usually a worker in this capacity is hired on by a company to work set hours for set amount of days. Oftentimes they are a salaried worker. However, they could also provide call center services on an independent basis and get paid by the job or project order.

A person involved in this pursuit takes calls out of the home and takes peoples’ ordered which then are sent to a central location to be processed. They might also be involved in light record-keeping or office duties.

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Additional Opportunities

Any number of other work at home and small business opportunities are wide open for the taking. For instance, tax preparers, medical transcribers, or accountants might work out of the home.

Virtual office assistants who perform administrative duties may also provide services right from where they live. The chances for people to take off their corporate suite and work in their pajamas are absolutely endless, and for very little cost.

Buy the way, in some cases, at least a moderate level of education is needed. However, this often comes with the experience that many people acquire while trapped in the corporate world.

Work at home moms are just as busy as the dads who work in an office, factory, or other place all day long. They are dedicated to bringing in that extra income that keeps the bills paid and put food on the table and provides for entertainment for the entire family.

If you are a work at home mom you are in need of support. After all, you are raising your kids along with taking on a paid part-time or full-time job, and both of these positions are very demanding (caring for kids and meeting clients’ needs).

The support you need can come from a variety of resources. Maybe you know other moms from your children’s school that you can connect with, or there perhaps is a social group dedicated to stay-at-home moms that exists in your community.

You can also seek a stay-at-home mom support online. Plenty of forums, social sites, and blogs are dedicated to help women with small children in their home connect with one another. Who knows? You might even find someone from your own area whom you can get together with on a regular basis.

Aspects of support

When you network with other stay-at-home moms you receive a variety of benefits from this experience. For instance, one or more of the following may be something you would get out of your local or online group:

• A safe place to vent when stressed out
• An avenue of social interaction
• Savings on childcare costs as you take turn watching each other’s kids
• The cultivation of (potentially) lifelong friendship, no matter where you live
• Opportunity to have a break with your children while on a schedule rotation
• An outlet of support when lonely
• Educational tools to help you through every stage as your child grows up
• Encouragement right when you need it the most

There is no shame in being a stay-at-home mom, and they are able to make quite a substantial income for the family. The lives of a woman in this position should not feel any less important than the female executive who wants it all-the outside job and then the kids at home.

Types of Work at Home

For women who want to work at home there are many different opportunities. For instance, you can provide creative services such as web design or business logos. You can also write for a living or find work as a home medical transcriber.

Moms who work at home are in need sometimes of ways to be able to keep their sanity. For instance, they might need a break from their kids once in awhile and need some alone time, among other things.

Tips for stay-at-home moms include the following:

• Remember that you need interaction with other adults during the day. You can literally go insane especially if you are a mom, especially if your children are still young. Find a support group or social activity to be a part of on a regular basis.
• Seek support from online and offline work-at-home moms when you are stressed out, discouraged, or otherwise not doing well. You would be surprised how many people there are out there like you. You are not alone.
• Remember to exercise regularly. Perhaps you can do this while your children are napping or while they are temporarily in someone else’s care. Take a little bit of time for you every single day.
• Keep healthy snacks in the house so you can watch your weight. Be careful not to eat just because you are bored. (There is not much of an opportunity to be bored while you are at home working plus taking care of children!)
• Take frequent breaks while working and/or when your children are old enough include them in your work. You would be surprised how much they would appreciate learning from you and they need the bonding experience with you now-as much as possible.
• Find other moms to rotating babysitting duties to help you concentrate during work hours. If you get enough moms with whom to rotate you may only be required to have your kid around one or two days during the midweek.
• Examples of things children can do for you as they help you complete your tasks while you work at home would be these: getting you more office supplies from the closet, stuffing envelopes, and working at their very own desk right next to yours.
• As your children are included in your work at home experience, they will learn responsibility. If you manage your life well during this experience so will they. Make sure you manage your time well while working at home as a stay at home mom.
• If your children are helping you with your work, make sure you encourage them. Even if they do not do a perfect job make sure they feel special and needed. It will make a world of difference in their attitudes as they get older.

Telework.gov is a system by which you can find government work at home jobs. This is a website called which I am assuming is an official government website.

This Telework site is listed on Opm.gov, which also is an informational website, which appears to be government-related. (I am saying that I don’t know for sure only because these sites I have just heard of recently. It does appear to be legitimate though, because it is connected also to USAJobs.gov.)

How does this Site Help?

It gives both employees as well as managers tools to use for connecting. This helps match the right positions that are open with the right people. The focus is mainly on finding legitimate work at home government jobs.

One way you can find Telework (a.k.a. work at home jobs) where you might represent the federal government is through USAJobs.gov. You might also use similar federal services to find these jobs, including the Telework.gov website.

What positions are available?

As a person who works at home, you might fulfill a variety of duties. For instance, you might assist with office duties and prepare reports. Maybe you would become a virtual customer assistant and take calls.

Of course, you should note that not all Telework positions are home-based. However, many of them are. You might be hired for a variety of reasons, such as to assist an office worker who may be temporarily disabled.

You might work for medical offices, or in a park setting. In other cases, you might be assigned to guard duty tasks. However, of course you also have the option of working at home as already mentioned.

About the Nature of Telework…

Being employed in this capacity where you may (or may not) work at home is different than work extension. Many people take their office work home with them to do on a computer. However, they are not originally hired in this capacity.

Telework is also a little bit different than mobile work, but is very similar. The focus Telework jobs may be more on site based rather than home bases or somewhere off-site as in the case of mobile workers. However, as mentioned already sometimes the Telework positions also are off site.

How to Apply

First, you should go to a legitimate job site such as USAjobs.gov. Here you can find federal government positions listed in various categories. There is no guarantee there will always be openings, but if you want to seek ‘Telework” this is one good place to start.

The opportunity to work at home is becoming far more acceptable than in the past. However, of course unscrupulous, deceitful people still run home business and home income scams. This has greatly increased ever since the Internet has been used.

Here are some simple tips for identifying work at home scams:

• Remember that if you are seeking regular employment in a telecommuting position you should not have to pay the employer. No legitimate employer is going to require you to purchase registration packets or ask you to pay an application fee.
• Beware of opportunities supposedly requiring no experience (“no experience necessary”). Be particularly cautious of opportunities, which claim you can make large sums of money even with very little training. This may be possible, but this is not necessarily a regular work at home job but rather a home business opportunity.
• Beware of ads that read “Work at Home” in the job description title. This is not an actual “position” but a type of job. Although there are legitimate opportunities out there, oftentimes scammers will take advantage of free job posting opportunities to lure in desperate people.
• You may have seen some of the ads on TV, which convince you to sign up for what is supposedly a “lucrative business opportunity.” You are then often told about the long vacations you can take and how you can make money even while you are sleeping and so on. This may eventually be the case, but keep in mind that it takes work and does not come easy.
• A major red flag about a specific business opportunity which claims you can make money and not leave your house is if it has received horrible Better Business Bureau (BBB) rankings. If it has received a “C” or worse rating, beware.

How Scammers Operate

Oftentimes these fraudulent schemers will find a way to acquire your personal information. For instance, maybe they will entice you to sign up for a trial that only costs a dollar.

Sometimes when doing so, they use payment transaction systems that are not at all encrypted. This is how they obtain your credit card information. In some cases, they may also insist that they take your birthdate, driver’s license number, or social security number.

While legitimate website may need this info, beware of signing on with a supposed work at home opportunity that may indeed be a total fraud. Being careful will save you from numerous problems, such as being the victim of identity theft, loss of bank savings account funds, or unauthorized charges.