by Lisa Van Dam

Created on: January 01, 2010

In this economy many families are struggling to survive. Childcare is an expense that many cannot afford. While the number of available jobs decreases, the cost of living is continually increasing.  Many of these families have begun looking for work at home. However, a work at home search can be scary, because there are so many scams out there. Families already facing financial hardship cannot afford to lose money on a scam. Here are some tips and resources for finding legitimate work at home. None of these will get you rich overnight, and any company making that claim is most likely a scam. Making money requires time and effort.

Working as a freelance writer can be a good source for a second income. It often doesn’t require any previous writing experience. You can sign up with websites like e-how, helium, associated content, or examiner; sign up for these sites is free and can earn some decent money if you are persistent. There are other companies out there for writing, just be wary of any who ask for money.

You can also start your own blog. This sometimes has a small cost involved, unless you use free blogging sites such as blogger or word press. Find a subject you like and write articles on your blog about it. You make money when you have ads from places like ad sense, click bank, commission junction, Amazon, eBay, or a whole list of others. Some ads pay when people click on them, others pay when a customer’s purchases an item. A good resource for someone new to blogging is the thirty day challenge (link in the resources at bottom). It is free, and they teach you how to make a blog that is search engine optimized (SEO) so that you can make more money.

Direct sales are another industry that people make money in. You can sign up with various companies such as Barefoot Books, Avon, Pampered Chef, and Lia Sophia. Just to name a few. Some are free like Barefoot Books (link in the resources at bottom), others have startup cost ranging anywhere from $10-$400. To be successful in direct sales you need to find a product that you love. It is much more difficult to sell a product that you don’t believe in. Does your research on what the different companies sell. Look for companies that are member of the direct sales association (DSA [link in the resources at bottom]).

Another option is to get a job at home. Working for places such as Alpine Access, you can answer phones for them. The downside to this is if you have children, you will need a quiet place to take calls. You will probably also need a computer with headset.  With many of these jobs you have set hours, so your days are not as flexible as with other opportunities. The upside is that it can be a more consistent income. These jobs do not require a startup fee, but you may need to purchase equipment, or pay for a background check. Be wary if someone tells you to pay a fee to work for them. Do thorough research on any work at home company.

Resources:  thirtydaychallenge.com

                      Readbarefoottoday.com

                      www.dsa.org/

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