One of the most common complaints that we receive is from individuals that have been taken advantage of by one form or another of a "work from home opportunity." I imagine that the idea of working from home is so appealing that you could wrap just about any business opportunity inside that promise and generate a large amount of interest. I can share with you from my own personal experience that working from home is much more enjoyable than being an office environment (at least for me). For about 20 years I worked in a typical office, woke up early, put on a suit, and drove into work. I wouldn't typically return home until very late in the evening, usually in just enough time to eat dinner, visit with my family for a few minutes and head off to bed.
In 2002 when I became the victim of an embezzlement scheme and ended up going broke, I never thought there would be a silver lining to that terribly dark cloud. As I began to rebuild my life I realized that I was far too committed to earning money and had developed a very unbalanced life. I guess after nearly 20 years of hard work to end up with nothing was a real eye-opener. I started to focus on things that were eternal and truly important in my life. Through theses years of rebuilding and introspection, I now have a lifestyle much different than the one I had before. Yes, I still have to work very hard. Hard work will probably always be a part of my life and I enjoy what I do, so for me it doesn't even seem like work. In any case, I can decide when I want to work and have a complete freedom of the location from which I do my work. Having the ability to control my own schedule and the location that I work has really changed my life. There are days that I feel like sleeping a little later in the morning, so I do my work in the afternoon and evening that day. There have been countless occasions where I have needed to take one of my children to the doctor, go on a school field trip, or attenda parent teacher conference. Having the ability to choose my own daily schedule is worth more to me than any amount of money I might be able to earn that would put me in a 9 to 5 routine. One of the other things I really enjoy about working from home is not having to commute. I have a car but I don't drive very often. First, I don't need to use my car to travel to my workplace since I work from home. Secondly, to save money on gas I do most of my errands throughout the week on a small scooter. My typical attire is shorts and flip-flops. Perhaps my most favorite activity is getting to take a walk on the beach on my lunch break, which I'm able to work in almost every single day.
While the idea of working from home may seem enticing, for most people it is just a dream and something they really never see being possible for them. Today, I want to share with you some legitimate ways that you can make money working from home. I can personally attest to the soundness of these kinds of opportunities, since I am personally using them to earn money myself.
1. Start A Website Or Blog
Well, you are reading this blog aren't you? You might wonder how I get paid for writing these articles each week. There is no third-party sending me a check to sit down and write these. I get paid by you. What? How are you getting paid by me you might be thinking. You will notice at the very top of this blog, there are a series of ads. These ads are placed on my blog by Google. One of the ways I earn money is by having these ads appear on my website and blog. The name of this program is Google Adsense. If you would like to find out more about how this works, you can visit their website. Google Adsense It is very interesting to read some of the success stories of people publishing a simple website or blog, working from home, and making far more than they ever made at a regular full-time job. Take a few minutes and consider these success stories. Perhaps my favorite story in all of these is that of Tim Carter. Tim has a simple website called Ask The Builder. According to Google, they pay him more than $40,000 per month for the small ads that they have inserted on his website. Tim's site is simply an online do it yourself/home repair guide. As a former general contractor, he simply shares his knowledge and experience in the realm of home repair.
Many people think that is very complicated to launch their own website, and at one time it actually was. Now, with the current software and technology, virtually anyone can set up a simple website and begin making money from home right away. In fact, I personally became so enthusiastic about the idea of people making money with websites and blogs that I actually started an online school to teach people this business. If would like more information on that, please visit Christian Internet Income.
2. Become A Freelancer
Many employers today cannot afford to hire additional in-house employees. The latest craze is called "outsourcing." By outsourcing projects small businesses can pay for work to be done on a per project basis and avoid all of the additional overhead involved with hiring an employee. One opportunity that anyone looking for extra money should consider immediately is becoming a freelancer. You can keep your day job and still take on these projects that pay very well and provide you with the opportunity to complete them on your own schedule. One website that I have used on several occasions to hire freelancers to work for me is e Lance. There are literally thousands of available projects being offered every single day. While e Lance is the leader in bringing together freelancers and businesses around the world, there are plenty of other sites that offer even more opportunities such as this. For example, Rent A Coder posts projects that are specifically within the realm of computer programming. Other freelance websites To Check Out:
3. Paid Blogging
One company I have found to be very intriguing is Pay Per Post. They offer bloggers anywhere from $10 to several hundred dollars to write articles and post them on their blog. This is the newest way for companies to start a "buzz" about their product or service. Paying bloggers to write reviews and articles appears to be a burgeoning industry. One story is that of a stay-at-home mom that works with Pay Per Post and earns nearly $40,000 per year writing for three blogs she has created. If you like to write, this just might be a wonderful opportunity for you to either earn some additional money or even replace your full-time income.
Other Paid Blogging Opportunities:
4. Selling Digital Information Online
Most people have information that is second nature to them but would be very valuable to someone else. This is where the Internet has really become a fantastic tool for learning. I remember not too long ago when I decided to take on the manly task of changing the sparkplugs on my 2002 Ford Escape. After I got in far over my head and worried that I may not be able to put everything back together properly, I went online and bought a schematic drawing of my car’s engine with instructions on how to change the spark plugs for $4.95. If you are a regular visitor to my website, you know that we offer a series of "e Books.” These are not physical books such as those you would buy at a book store or borrow from a library. These are simply PDF files that are sent out by e-mail. People have for years been asking me about how to repair their credit, deal with IRS problems, or resolve a situation such as bankruptcy or foreclosure, so that is where the idea for all of these topics came from. The demand was there, I just decided to sit down and put together small overviews on each of these topics and post them for sale on my website (usually 40 to 80 pages in length). Creating an e-book is much easier than you would think. Here is a great article that provides a brief overview of the process. How To Create An e Book. If you get stuck while attempting to create your own e-book, feel free to send me an e-mail. I've done it plenty of times and am happy to pass along my own methods.
5. Online Opportunities That Are Problematic
I receive dozens of e-mails every week asking me about two online opportunities in particular; rebate processing and being paid to complete surveys. I have not found any of these opportunities to be legitimate. I am not suggesting that there may not be some legitimate ones out there, only that they have yet to be discovered by me in all of my searching for them. On the other hand, I have received countless complaints from people that had to pay to get involved with rebate processing and various survey type businesses only to find out quickly that they have been scammed. I continue to remain open-minded about these two business opportunities and if you know of any that are legitimate I would love to hear about them.
In closing, I know these are very tough times for many people. I receive e-mails all throughout the day from hurting families that in some cases are struggling for just the basic necessities such as food and shelter. The opportunities I have outlined in today's blog may or may not be for you, but I urge you to share this article with people that you know that need to earn extra money on a monthly basis. In our own program, Christian Internet Income, we set as a very realistic goal that a student earn $300-$500 per month working part-time with an online business. Of course, many earn much more than this. I believe there are literally millions of Christian families whose financial circumstances could be radically changed by an extra $300-$500 per month. While in most of these cases taking on a second job is not a practical option, finding 10 to 12 hours per week to work on an online business from home is something most people can do. If you are currently making money working online, I'm very interested to hear your story. Please use the comment section below to share your stories of success or your own questions about the topic of making money with an online business.
Helping you make the most of God’s money!
James L. Paris
Editor-In-Chief www.ChristianMoney.com
Follow Me On Christian Chirp www.ChristianChirp.com/jameslparis
Dear Jim,
I've heard you on the Point of View radio program in my home own hometown of Rockfrd, IL, and have checked out your website and like what I heard and saw. There's a lot to process, but it's something I'd like to try. It will take me a little while to "get on board", as my home computer crashed on me a few months ago, and I have to use the local library computer to get on the web. There's only a 90 minute window to use it on a daily basis, and at times I can't get on. However I'm not deterred, and will press on.
Right now I'm on Social Security disability, and would like to make extra income to pay bills, get out of debt sooner, etc. That's why I find your program so appealing. I just want to say keep up the good work you're doing.
Posted by: Laird Barber | March 12, 2010 at 12:06 PM