"Work At Home! Make $300-$500 a day!" That sounds tempting doesn't it? Well that is the magic of Advertising. The truth is, most work at home ads are fraud. They scam people out of money and into doing their advertising and work for them. Many of them are MLM (Multi Level Marketing) where you need to recruit other people, who recruit other people, well, you get the picture. So before you decide to work from home, decide NOT to fall for these scams.
Telecommuting is becoming a fast growing trend in Big Business. Companies such as West Communications hire "Work at Home Agents" who answer calls for their clients. Just like you would do in a call center, only you are at home. You can apply online, get a phone interview, receive an email on what programs you need to download, buy a headset, and you are pretty much ready to go. There are other Companies that have the same basic program. As with any job, there is training, but it is pretty simple. The important thing here is to make sure you can work in peace. It isn't good business to be on a call and have the baby crying and the dog barking!
Medical Transcription is another avenue you can explore; there are many companies that hire people to transcribe at home, and most you can even email in the final result.
Selling online is a popular option. You can sell just about anything on eBay, from your old dishes to hand-made gift baskets. You can also check into drop-ship Companies. If you are the crafty type and can create with yarn, cloth, or any other material, you can sell on etsy. On Etsy, items sold must be created by you. Even patterns sell there.
If you are willing to put in some work, and a little money, you can start your own business based on whatever it is you do. Personally, I have a Travel Planning Service. I know others that have Retreat Planning Services, Errand Services, and some who sell their own items on their own websites. Be prepared to spend long hours at the computer. Also be prepared to research and find out about affiliate income and advertising for your site, such as Google Ad Sense. You will also need to learn about SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and tags. There is a lot to learn, but in the end it can be worth it.
Do you write, or blog? More and more opportunities are opening up for creative people. Some are becoming pro-bloggers. They are paid to write blogs on specific items or stores. There is a website called PBN that is totally dedicated to pro-blogging. Check boards for local colleges. Many are looking for writers to do their papers. Post an ad on a college bullitin board.
Like doing laundry? Sounds outdated but with people being on the go constantly these days, they don't have time to do laundry and would consider someone doing it more cheaply than the drop off launders.
Present your own online surveys, pass out some flyers. See if people are interested in whatever service you want to provide. What ever you decide to do, it will take some work, especially at first. There is always the risk you will fail, but the people who succeed are the ones who keep trying!