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By Wendy Betterini
Securing a work at home job can take a lot of time, patience,
and persistence. Unfortunately, by the time most people begin
searching for a job to do at home, they are already in a
severe
financial bind and need to begin earning right away. That's
just
not realistic with most work at home jobs and businesses.
However, it is very possible to begin earning some income
almost immediately by using your existing skills and
abilities.
The first step is to figure out exactly what your skills are.
Don't say you don't have any. Everyone has things they are
good
at. ;-) Whether your skills have been learned in a job or
everyday life doesn't matter. What type of work have you done
in the past? Are you good with accounting, clerical work,
filing, typing? Look at your hobbies and interests also. Can
you design web pages, take great photographs, sew, knit? Do
you
love children or animals? Are you a great organizer or
cleaner?
Do you love to shop? Write down all of your skills, abilities,
and interests.
Once you know what you can do, figure out a way to use those
skills to earn some money. Get creative! Think in terms of
products or services. What products or services can you
provide
that others will find value in? Big hint: people are always
looking for ways to save time, save money, or improve their
quality of life. Can you help them do that?
Here are some examples of ways you could use your skills:
shopping, cleaning, organizing, party planning, childcare,
pet-sitting/dog-walking, taking pets to veterinary
appointments, errand service for Moms or elderly, assisting
small businesses in your area with clerical work, painting
(both interior and exterior), junk removal, yardwork, taking
photographs at special events or tourist attractions, making
and selling craft items at fairs or flea markets, designing
websites for small local businesses, catering or cooking.
That's just the tip of the iceburg, but you get the idea. Once
you have some ideas for possible businesses you could do, find
out what legal requirements you'd have for starting a business
like that in your home. Call your Town Clerk's office and your
state's Dept. of Revenue to find out what paperwork or
licenses
you'd need to get started.
Then research the going rates for the work you're considering.
If you're really not sure how much to charge, consider how
much
you'd like to earn per hour, and ask yourself whether most
people would be willing to pay that or not. You don't want to
under-charge and make it not worth your while, but you also
don't want to charge ridiculous rates that people wouldn't
pay.
Your rate per hour will vary depending on the type of work
you're doing, but in a general sense, try to keep your rates
reasonable while still paying yourself what you're worth.
Then you can start marketing. Marketing does not have to be
expensive. Make up some flyers yourself or have a print shop
do
it, and begin posting them on public bulletin boards. You can
also pay for an inexpensive classified ad in your local
newspaper. You might need to invest a little money to get
started, but there is no need to spend hundreds of dollars.
Start small. Once you begin building a client base you can
always pay for more advertising. You can also have some
business cards made up (or make your own) to pass out to
potential clients. Don't be afraid to approach your target
market directly, either! If you want to provide a service to
small local businesses, go in and introduce yourself. Tell
them
who you are and what you do. Leave a flyer with them. Don't
sit
home waiting for the phone to ring, get out there and make it
happen.
Guess what? You're in business! Even if this isn't what you
want to continue doing forever, that's okay. You can still
continue searching for jobs or researching home businesses
that
will more closely match what your career vision is. In the
meantime, at least you will be earning some money to reduce
the
financial pressure in your household.
About The Author: Wendy Betterini is a freelance writer, web
designer and owner of www.CreativeWorkAtHome.com, a
resource center for home business owners and telecommuters.
Visit today for information on how to make your work at home
experience successful.
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