A Guide to Working from Home: Secretarial and
Typing
The home computing revolution
and the advent of the Internet has made the dream of “Working from Home”
a very real and lucrative possibility for millions of Americans. And
this does not only apply to those who have found they can now
"Telecommute" in their chosen professions. Many have been bitten by the
next wave of entrepreneurial spirit that is sweeping the nation, and are
actually leaving their jobs to start their own home based businesses.
But choosing the right home based business can be a challenge.
I remember when years ago in my
home when things got tight my mom would take in pages to be typed or
work as an office temp or “Kelly Girl”. Today men and woman alike are
turning Computer, Typing, Data Entry, and Secretarial skills into
lucrative Home Based Businesees.
AT A GLANCE
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Expected Hourly
Income |
$10 – 20.00 hour |
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Start-Up Costs
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High, Moderate,
Low |
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Start Up Degree of
Difficulty |
Easy, Moderate, Difficult, Very
Difficult |
|
Potential Problems |
Internet Scams |
Getting Started
As with any home-based business
to earn a living doing Secretarial, Typing or Data Entry Work requires a
few basics, in this case primarily a computer with Internet access,
basic computer skills, a comfortable workspace, and some patience and
perseverance. Unlike with other home-based businesses getting
secretarial or typing work does not require much in the way of
advertising or marketing yourself. You will not need to create a
website, brochures, business cards, letterheads, or other sales or
marketing materials. You will however need to find the companies that
are offering the most money for “Virtual Assistants”. There are many
sites on the internet that offer opportunities for typing, computer and
data entry work – bust as always be weary of potential scammers – the
Work from Home Credo – if it sounds too good to be true – your right.
Start-up costs
Since the start-up materials are
minimal for Typing and Secretarial Services, start up costs are also
minimal. You may choose to join “pools”, membership sites and or pay for
lists of companies that hire virtual secretaries. These fees can be
usually around 30.00 – 40.00 to join. But again beware of scams or
purchasing useless information, check out any site with your local BBB
before you pay anything to join or for a list of job opportunities. As
with any Internet business, if you do not already have a high-speed
connection you should consider upgrading, it will make working much
easier. Good deals on broadband connections abound and can be had for as
little as 25.00 – 30.00/month depending on the ISP’s in your area. As
in any Home Based Business – if you have left work to pursue Typing and
Secretarial work from home full time, and do not have access to health
benefits through a spouse, you need to include the cost of health
benefits in your monthly budget. More information on Insurance for the
Self-Employed can be found at
www.insurancebudget.com or
http://www.nase.org/
Hours and Income
As with any Home Based Business
what you get out is largely a factor of what you put in. Many people are
under the mistaken belief that working from home will require less hours
then their full time occupation. That may be so eventually, and of
course you eliminate the time of commuting, but if you want to be
successful at making money typing and data entry, you must be willing to
put in full time hours. Most typing/keyboarding jobs will average pay
around 10.00 –25.00 an hour.
Potential Problems
The greatest pitfalls with
typing and secretarial work as a home-based business is wasting money on
sites that do not deliver on their promises. Unfortunately next to Paid
Surveying ‘earn Money Typing at Home” is probably the most common
“internet scam” out there. Your best defense? Common sense. If something
seems too good to be true it probably is. Stick with sites that make
reasonable claims on earning and income potential and offer trial
periods and money back guarantees. Check with your local Better Business
Bureaus, or States Attorney General’s office for any complaints about a
given “Pay for Typing” site. You can also check
http://www.complaints.com/.
Other Resources
Scams:
www.scam.com
More Legit Work From Home
Opportunities:
http://www.moneyfromhome.com/
Conclusion
Despite some outrageous claims you will not make 10’s of thousands of
dollars a month working 15 minutes a day doing data entry and typing.
However if you start a business offering legitimate virtual secretarial
services, and follow good businees sense to obtain and keep clients -
typing and data entry can be a very good supplemental income
opportunity.
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