Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.
Job Description: A telemarketer place calls for companies and organizations to get contacts to book appointments, get donations, or purchase a product or service.
Education: None required beyond a high school diploma or equivalent.
Skills: A pleasant phone manner and ability to remain unruffled when talking to upset customers. Cold-calling and customer-service experience a plus.
Job outlook: While the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t see a bright future overall for telemarketing, for those who wish to work from home in this field, there will be more opportunities as more companies and organizations are outsourcing their cold calls to third parties. These third party companies hire full-time and temporary employees, many of whom work from home.
Possible employers: Companies that hire at-home telemarketers include Intrep.com, Telemarketingfromhome.com and West.com. Also search online job boards for home-based telemarketing positions but do not pay for leads.
Preparation: Invest in a hands-free headset that connects to your phone. Make sure you have a high-speed Internet connection and working computer.
Get your foot in the door: See if some of the above companies will offer a two- or three-week trial period to see if telemarketing is a good fit for you.
Now available on Kindle and Smashwords: HomeWork, which gives details on 50 at-home jobs or businesses.
Until next time,
Sarah
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Minimizing Workplace Distractions
Working from home can have its distractions. Here are a few ways to minimize your distractions at home while you're working.
Turn off or set to voice mail all phones.
Close out of email programs and de-activate any email notifications.
Exit all web pages, unless you need to access specific ones for work.
Keep outside noise to a minimum by having the children play in another room, etc.
Prioritize your to-do list and tackle the most pressing things first.
These might seem like simplistic ways, but by following these simple ideas, you can keep focused on the work at hand.
Until next time,
Sarah
Turn off or set to voice mail all phones.
Close out of email programs and de-activate any email notifications.
Exit all web pages, unless you need to access specific ones for work.
Keep outside noise to a minimum by having the children play in another room, etc.
Prioritize your to-do list and tackle the most pressing things first.
These might seem like simplistic ways, but by following these simple ideas, you can keep focused on the work at hand.
Until next time,
Sarah
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: House Cleaner
Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.
Job Description: A house cleaner cleans the homes of clients to the client’s specifications.
Education: None required.
Skills: The ability to clean and manage the interpersonal relationships with clients.
Job outlook: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says that “the number of building cleaning workers [which includes house cleaners] is expected to grow by 5 percent from 2008 to 2018, more slowly than average for all occupation.” However, most urban areas, especially larger cities, that have dual-income families will likely see more opportunities for house cleaners. Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.
Possible employers: Ask family and friends for recommendations. Contact home healthcare companies to see if they recommend house cleaners to their clients. Try churches or other nonprofits that work with the elderly or dual-income families.
Preparation: Make sure you have working cleaning equipment. If you want advertise yourself as a “green cleaner,” make sure all your products are all natural, nontoxic or organic. Sign up for insurance, as this is a must for house cleaners. Also consider getting a background check and police record, so you can show potential clients your clean background. Draw up sample work orders that include what you will clean in each room and also “special” cleanings, such as deep cleanings or spring cleanings.
Get your foot in the door: Donate a house-cleaning to a local charity or school auction in your area. Put an ad in your local newspaper offering half-price cleanings to the first 10 respondents.
Now available on Kindle and Smashwords: HomeWork, which gives details on 50 at-home jobs or businesses.
Until next time,
Sarah
Job Description: A house cleaner cleans the homes of clients to the client’s specifications.
Education: None required.
Skills: The ability to clean and manage the interpersonal relationships with clients.
Job outlook: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says that “the number of building cleaning workers [which includes house cleaners] is expected to grow by 5 percent from 2008 to 2018, more slowly than average for all occupation.” However, most urban areas, especially larger cities, that have dual-income families will likely see more opportunities for house cleaners. Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.
Possible employers: Ask family and friends for recommendations. Contact home healthcare companies to see if they recommend house cleaners to their clients. Try churches or other nonprofits that work with the elderly or dual-income families.
Preparation: Make sure you have working cleaning equipment. If you want advertise yourself as a “green cleaner,” make sure all your products are all natural, nontoxic or organic. Sign up for insurance, as this is a must for house cleaners. Also consider getting a background check and police record, so you can show potential clients your clean background. Draw up sample work orders that include what you will clean in each room and also “special” cleanings, such as deep cleanings or spring cleanings.
Get your foot in the door: Donate a house-cleaning to a local charity or school auction in your area. Put an ad in your local newspaper offering half-price cleanings to the first 10 respondents.
Now available on Kindle and Smashwords: HomeWork, which gives details on 50 at-home jobs or businesses.
Until next time,
Sarah
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Winners of HomeWork Announced
I'm happy to announce the two winners of my ebook, HomeWork: Laura F. in Fort Worth, Texas, and T. Smith in Decatur, Ga. Thanks to all who subscribed to At Home News, my free, monthly e-newsletter, over the past few weeks, and congratulations to Laura and T!
Until next time,
Sarah
Until next time,
Sarah
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Herb Seller
Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.
Job Description: A herb seller grows, cuts and sells herb plants and cuttings to consumers, businesses and restaurants.
Education: None required.
Skills: The ability to grow healthy, vibrant herb plants.
Job outlook: Opportunities abound for those with a green thumb in herb growing. More people and businesses, such as restaurants, caterers and bakers, want fresh and freshly dried herbs. Demand varies depending on local need and population density.
Possible employers: Try area restaurants, which are looking more and more to locally sourced ingredients. Also, local businesses that might be interested in fresh herbs include caterers, bakers, meal-preparation facilities, and cafeterias (company, schools and government).
Preparation: Bone up on the best herbs to grow in your area’s climate. Read books like Growing & Selling Fresh-Cut Herbs by Sandie Shores for specific details on becoming a seller of herbs.
Get your foot in the door: When contacting area restaurants or other companies, bring in small samples of herbs to leave with them. Be sure to leave business cards tucked into the bunches.
Now available on Kindle and Smashwords: HomeWork, which gives details on 50 at-home jobs or businesses.
Until next time,
Sarah
Job Description: A herb seller grows, cuts and sells herb plants and cuttings to consumers, businesses and restaurants.
Education: None required.
Skills: The ability to grow healthy, vibrant herb plants.
Job outlook: Opportunities abound for those with a green thumb in herb growing. More people and businesses, such as restaurants, caterers and bakers, want fresh and freshly dried herbs. Demand varies depending on local need and population density.
Possible employers: Try area restaurants, which are looking more and more to locally sourced ingredients. Also, local businesses that might be interested in fresh herbs include caterers, bakers, meal-preparation facilities, and cafeterias (company, schools and government).
Preparation: Bone up on the best herbs to grow in your area’s climate. Read books like Growing & Selling Fresh-Cut Herbs by Sandie Shores for specific details on becoming a seller of herbs.
Get your foot in the door: When contacting area restaurants or other companies, bring in small samples of herbs to leave with them. Be sure to leave business cards tucked into the bunches.
Now available on Kindle and Smashwords: HomeWork, which gives details on 50 at-home jobs or businesses.
Until next time,
Sarah
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