I don’t think there can be any doubting the legitimacy of working from home while answering phones for a large established company that just wants to tap in to the more flexible, and usually cheaper, WAHM or retired market. A professional job without the overheads for the company or the travel costs for the telecommuter. The problems arise when the company isn’t in the FTSE or NASDAQ.

If ‘Bobs Gardening’ in Vegas wants an out-of-hours customer support agent he can put a post on a site like ours and reach the very people he needs. But is Bob evil? Will Bob take a months worth of your work and then decide to fire you without pay? Is Bob legitimate?

Here are a few litmus tests to use when asking are work at home jobs legitimate -

1. What kind of email is the job poster using? Is it a free gmail account or is it acompany.com? If it’s acompany.com check that the address has a website. If its a gmail or yahoo don’t fret, they may not want their company inbox jammed up, just send them an initial message or resume but after reaching the negotiation stage make sure you do so through their bona fide email address.

2. Once you’ve checked that their methods of communication are legit then check that the company itself is. You can go through government bodies to check credentials but this is usually overkill. Just google the company name and see if any red flags go up.

3. Get paid fast. The above suggestions are fine when working for people that have some sort of registered company, but what about those that need you most. The one-(wo)man-band that is juggling 10 different aspects of his/her business at once that desperately needs a flexible hand. They may only have a gmail account! The simplest test is to get paid early and often. If you’ve just started working for someone insist on getting paid weekly, or even daily, until you build that trust between each other. This way if Bob is evil you’ll only have lost a little time and cash.

So – are work at home jobs legitimate? Yes, but take a few initial steps to make sure your employer is the good sort, they’ll understand, and as the trust grows you’ll become their telecommuting right hand and there’s nothing like being indispensable.

hiremyparents.com – vetted & screened work at home jobs

Take a look at the following tips on how to write online for a living:

Compare Different Writing Sites

There are countless writing sites online. Several of them are full of merit, others take some getting used to and the rest have as much potential of earning you a dollar as if you were to meditate on a stone until it turned into gold. Do your research before you start filling out registration forms and choose two or maybe even three sites to start sharing your attention. You can divide and conquer, but splitting your focus too much might just end up to be a waste of valuable time.

Realize that Freelance Writing is a Business

Freelance writing is so easy to jump into that it is necessary to issue a warning right out of the gates so those who are actually serious about making this a full time job are not fooled by the cavalier attitude of those that would treat writing as a mere hobby. It is definitely possible to make a full time income from writing online, but you must approach this goal with all the planning and energy of jump starting a home business to be successful.

Set Your Rates

Freelance writers need to decide early on what kind of rate they will be willing to write for. There are many sites that advertise lower paying jobs and online article sites may offer a share of ad revenue. It is advisable to have a mixture of both, since this protects you against fluctuations in one or the other.

Create a Freelancer Website and Blog

Every freelance writer should have a website and a blog. These two things are the marketing tools for your home business, because they display your crafty writing ability and also provide a means for interested clients to contact you for work. Think of your website as your storefront and your blog as your communication with your market.

Work on a Schedule

Finally, freelance writing does provide the lucky writer with the freedom to write from anywhere and at any time, but successful freelancers take this excess of freedom and mold it into a workable productive schedule. If you are a night owl, by all means work from midnight to four in the morning and rest during the day, but do it consistently.5 Freelance Productivity

Related Freelance Writing Articles …

Tips | All Freelance Writing

Clint Osterholz enlightens freelancers on staying on task when working for yourself.

Start Freelance Writing even if you are not fully prepared …

If you are interested in freelance writing you can get started before you are fully prepared.

Becoming a Freelance Writer « Freelance Writing Articles …

The freelance writer in home business requires you to have writing skills, good English, and the ability to write about different topics. You may like…

If you’re one of our members then you’ve probably noticed a few changes around the hmp site. It was good before but now it’s the best. And this isn’t an idle boast. We’ve listened to our members, we’ve combed the web and we believe we have brought together the very best resource on the web for anyone looking for a flexible life with a flexible income.

• Our job board now has over 600 flexible jobs on it, growing daily.
• Our new ‘Extra Income’ section shows the very best in instant income opportunities from around the web – vetted by our members
• The Library now has over $250,000 worth of courses, guides and software available for our members to download …and sell!

Combined with our expert panel, our member useable social network and customer service second to none we are ..the best!

Here ends the lesson.

Related Flexible Life / Flexible Income Articles …

Life and Style | The Independent UK – Poll shows ’18% of would …

However 30% said they lacked the necessary support from their senior manages and colleagues, with just 10% currently practising flexible working. Orange UK spokesman Martin Lyne said: “Businesses need to address this demand or they risk …

Republicans & Conservatives: Work-Life Balance

Telecommuting and flexible hours can work well and increase productivity and morale at the same time, always a plus, but whether or not you can have flexible hours or work at home first of all depends on what you do. …

Can someone help me find a real work from home job with flexible …

4 Responses to “Can someone help me find a real work from home job with flexible schedule?” STEVEN F says: March 17, 2010 at 5:41 am. IF there are any real work at home jobs, the effort required to sort them out from the scams is … If you are thinking that it is time to create some extra income from the internet, congratulations. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. In order to post comments, please make sure JavaScript and Cookies are enabled, and reload the page. …

Flexible Income Options No Longer ‘One Size Fits All’ – Retirement …

In today’s economic environment, consumers have an overwhelming need for flexible annuity solutions.

Related articles …

• One in five male workers wants to take six months paternity leave (telegraph.co.uk)
• Nanette Fondas: Peaceful Revolution: Everyone Is Talking About the Work-Life Equation (huffingtonpost.com)

Recently

This is a particularly contentious issue with the UK economy in recession and the SME sector, the engine of the economy, struggling to cope. Over the last decade business has argued they have been burdened with increased costs and bureaucracy that stifles their competitiveness especially globally where companies in other countries do not have the same legislative overheads. Understandably, the main objection from business to this, albeit well meaning, legislation is it could further increase businesses costs, resulting in increased business failures at the worst economic time in the last 60 years!

So should SMEs be concerned about this legislation? Predictably the answer is not necessarily and solutions exist to assist businesses to adapt and improve the effectiveness of their key assets: employees. The working environment is more matrixed and objectives driven and the need to monitor every working hour is less relevant. The ones who look further will be pleasantly surprised at the business advantages that are readily available by embracing flexible working. Businesses can make significant gains if they take an open-minded approach to this change and use the technology available to provide transparency to managers, the right work-life balance to employees and continuity to customers. The UK economy succeeds with innovation and the creative ability of its employees to create new opportunities and provide better skills than other markets. A stressed employee who is struggling to meet strenuous work like balance is less productive and creative. It is in all company’s benefit to ensure the creative abilities are exploited through better support.

With the correct service partner, implementing a flexible working policy is painless and the financial case is very strong. Where flexible working has been implemented the benefits to businesses have been strong in terms of reduced costs, increased business flexibility, greater motivated and productive employees who are loyal to an employer who understands the demands of the modern work-life balance.

Robust and reliable technology exists that now enable businesses of any size to implement flexible working without requiring expensive in-house skills or capital equipment expenditure. High speed, ubiquitous broadband networks now make critical business services easily and reliably accessible from anywhere and allow any company to leverage the benefits easily, quickly and cost-effectively. The concerns raised by some companies on employee transparency, productivity and control are readily addressed without incremental increases in existing budgets.

The gains are large in terms of reduction in required office space, cost of travel to and from work, staff loyalty and greater productivity. For the companies that see the opportunity this may be the catalyst to realise that the solutions are there to create a more competitive business. With the right combination of robust, tested telecommunications services, targeted HR policies and training for employees and management, any organisation can transform this perceived headache into a competitive advantage.

In conclusion, yes the SME sector can cope. The key barrier to embracing flexible working is no longer technological or financial but cultural. Businesses who embrace the change will realise significant benefits, not only in the short-term but will be ideally placed for rapid grow as the economy recovers.

Natasha Davies writes for ellesys – provider of hosted and CPE telephony applications, conferencing and collaboration focused on the needs of a business.

Related Flexible Working Articles…

Fathers unsure of flexible working rights

The poll found that a fifth (20%) of dads with kids aged 16 or under – who, by law, are entitled to request flexible working from their employer – did not know if their company offered flexible working to fathers; 34% of parents with …

Flexible working

Just discov ered this website and organisation totally devoted to flexible working. Now not all portfolio workers work flexibly and not all flexible workers want to have portfolio careers but we have much in common in terms of what we …

Family-first flexible working policies a winner

Modern economies are increasingly introducing flexible working conditions as a way of retaining skilled and competent employees, while simultaneously meeting their personal and family needs, ensuring good health. …

Related articles…

• Small businesses still averse to “work from home” option for employees (newstatesman.com)
• Harriet Harman accused of ‘breathtaking hypocrisy’ in row over hiring part-time workers (telegraph.co.uk)

However, despite the benefits, telecommuting ranks high on the list of data protection threats for organizations, particularly if there is no formal policy in place. The most common missteps include using unsecured networks, sharing company laptops or equipment with family members and friends, and failing to update software and install security patches, among others.

Below, I’ve included some important advice that every institution should know about telecommuting from ID theft expert Brian Lapidus, chief operating officer of Kroll’s Fraud Solutions, who has unique frontline experience helping today’s businesses safeguard against and respond to data breaches

• Establish a baseline by assessing all current telecommuting activities. Even if no employees are formally authorized to work remotely, chances are it happens anyway – think sick children, inclement weather and other unexpected events. The technology afforded to most office workers allows them to do a substantial amount of work from a remote location. Many employees take advantage of this fact to ‘work from home’ during an emergency or to ‘catch up at home’ when work starts to pile up. Regardless of the reason, the threat of data breach is very real, and must be assessed.
• Develop a comprehensive telecommuting security policy. A clear and concise security policy that establishes the roles and requirements of employees is absolutely essential to ensuring a successful telecommuting program. The policy should specifically outline security measures and procedures for handling sensitive data, including storage and disposal. While the focus will undoubtedly be on cyber security, organizations should make sure to address the proper handling of paper files. Consider providing employees with shredders or secure storage containers to meet this requirement.
• Make decisions on equipment usage. An organization’s policy on equipment usage is an important component to an organization’s telecommuting security policy (see #2). Organizations should decide up front whether telecommuting employees will use personal computers or company-issued equipment, as this will be a major factor in what cyber security measures can and cannot be implemented. Providing equipment gives the company more control over security issues, but employees must be provided with explicit instructions for the care and usage of the devices (i.e., never leave laptops unattended in public, never download and install programs without company approval). Even if the organization allows employees to use their own PCs, certain minimum security measures must be in place, such as firewalls, anti-virus and spyware programs, and encryption software.
• Provide adequate technical support and training. Before sending employees home with sensitive company information whether via laptop or hardcopy file, they should be trained on the requirements set forth in the organizations telecommuting security policy. In the case of laptop and network use, ensure that employees fully understand how to access data securely. Remote workers should be trained periodically in techniques to spot suspicious activity, including signs that a computer has been infected with malware. Access to technical support is also an important factor without support, an employee might be tempted to do whatever it takes to get the system up and running when something goes wrong, including disabling security features.
• Conduct periodic audits. Even if the company’s IT department has remote management capability, it’s important to verify firsthand that all equipment is in good condition and working properly. Have employees bring in equipment periodically for a checkup, and review logs to determine what information has been accessed.
• Don’t assume that restricting access to applications and systems is a fix for the program. Productivity will be negatively impacted if remote workers don’t have access to the tools and information necessary to perform. Don’t let the cons outweigh the pros. Face the problem head on with a comprehensive security policy and sound cyber security measures and organizations will be free to reap the rewards that telecommuting can provide.

Below are a few tips to keep that flexibility a reality and your new lifestyle on an even keel:

• Always meet deadlines
• Always be the one to answer the phone during work hours
• Reply to emails asap
• Treat your telecommuting job as if you were at the office
• Lay down the rules to your family and friends about your work hours

Stick to these simple rules as though gospel and your boss won’t have any regrets in letting you work from home and you can keep all the benefits working.

Related Benefits Working From Home Articles …

Four Benefits of Working from Home

More and more people are choosing to work from home. Not only is this a fantastic way to be your own boss and to control your own destiny, but you will find numerous benefits to working from home. Many people work from home – moms work …

Related articles …

• Flextime: A Win-Win Green Solution? (treehugger.com)

It turns out that mobility in the workforce is essential to prosperity but with the growth of telecommuting that doesn’t mean you have to physically move. We live in a world where a surgeon in Florida can perform an operation, via the web and a robot, on a crushed skull in Manila. Surely the wits of man, combined with telecommuting, can come up with a solution to worker mobility in a modern world; we just have to embrace the tech and promote the lifestyle.

Affordable internet critical to economic recovery

Consumer Groups on FCC Broadband Plan: Fast, Affordable Internet Critical to Economic Recovery, Growth FCC should declare broadband a telecommunications service eligible for universal service fund support … Broadband allows communities to reap the benefits of advanced emergency services, higher-education distance learning, telemedicine, and telecommuting. Without access to broadband, low-income and rural communities are cut off from new models of economic expansion and …

The Environmental Blog: Environmental Benefits of Telecommuting

Telecommuting and outsourcing are really starting to take off as the worldwide economic crisis is forcing employers to find new ways to reduce costs and increase employee productivity. … And if your company is planning to take advantage of the telecommuting trend, make sure to first implement a disaster recovery plan that’s able to handle it. About The Author: Storagepipe Solutions provides email archiving, online backup and server backup solutions that help companies …

Related articles …

• Spain mandates affordable broadband for all (news.cnet.com)
• Flextime: A Win-Win Green Solution? (treehugger.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Yes – once again the blue moon has risen and the UK has been brought to a halt by a bit of snow. Schools have closed and parents everywhere have to stay at home and send those ‘sorry I’ve got children’ emails to their boss. By the way, get it while you can – I’m writing this post and its snowball time for me.

In turn those bosses and business owners are thinking – ‘if only he/she had access to the database they could get those reports done at home’ or ‘if I had given them all internal skype numbers we could still have that meeting’. However, it will only be a day lost and we can all catch up tomorrow so putting all that in place will be just too much hassle.

What business doesn’t understand is that the level of tech in our private lives is often far more advanced than at work. Skype has over 20 million people signed in at any time with over 500 million registered users, the vast majority via broadband.

All that is needed is for the flexible work arrangements to be put in place and the vast amount of employees could work just as well from home as in the office. Give them a secure access to the database, a webcam and microphone and you can say goodbye to the rent and heating bills at the office.

I should stop there but want to add one more rant. If your company operates from 9-5 ask your staff if they wouldn’t mind starting at 8.30 for the same money but they could work from home. No commute, no petrol costs, no expensive lunch – no brainer.

On the downside, with everyone at home my broadband is a disaster.

UK winter weather woes:

 

Related articles …

• Home, Sweet Home Office (usnews.com)

My 5 favourite home business tools are listed below but there is one thing you really need – something I came across by accident after setting up a new computer in my office – a second screen. Trust me, with two open screens my productivity shot through the roof, less ‘tab snapping’ and great for having a ‘resource’ screen and a ‘working’ screen. Try it.

OK, so here they are, if you have any suggestions or if you’ve found a better option let me know in the comments.

1. Lastpass – I love this one. All those passwords you’ve got written down can now be kept in one place. Unlike microsoft explorers password storer this one holds your passwords on a secure server that you access with just one master password. After logging in it fills all those user/pass forms in for you automatically. It even stores profiles that you can use to fill in your address and credit card numbers. This one alone must save me an hour a week – highly recommended.

2. Ping – If you’re still adding the updates to your blog on all the social network sites by hand then you need this badly. Ping.fm takes your blogs feed (or any feed) and then passes it on to over 30 different social sites making sure you get the best exposure. It takes a while to set up the accounts but once done you will literally save days in the month.

3. only2clicks – I’m sure this probably says a lot about my personality type but I really hate bookmarks. A dropdown where you have to search for the site you need or the group that it’s in – hurts my eyes and my brain. The solution for me was only2clicks – a bookmarking site that stores your saved pages as screenshots under relevant tabs. It just produces a much nicer experience for me and I find I can navigate a great deal faster.

4. AWeber – Now I love my members, I really do, but if I had to write an email to every one and welcome them to the site I would get nothing else done. And then there’s the explanation emails, the new feature email, the new jobs email – the list goes on. Thankfully, there’s Aweber. This is the most robust autoresponder service on the web. As soon as a new lead signs up on your website for free info or a call back or to receive a newsletter AWeber starts delivering the info they need. It drip feeds information to your potential customers hopefully convincing them of your service or professionalism until they decide to bite and give you money. It stops your leads from going cold and turns them into eager buyers without you having to constantly keep them up-to-date manually.

5. RSS – We’ve all heard of RSS and you may have clicked that link a few times to see what happens. But it seems that few people in the non-webby business world have actually grasped the power of it. It is the perfect method to consume focused information. If you have a company in the widget industry you can go to every top website or blog in that industry and grab their RSS. Those RSS’s are then put into your favourite reader and you have the most comprehensive and cutting edge newspaper in the world. Every day when you boot up the computer you will have all the latest news from your business world at your finger tips.

For the nuts and bolts of RSS take a look at the video below and don’t forget to sign up to mine.

Those are my 5 favourites, if you have any further suggestions then please comment so we can share them.

Related articles…

• Google Wave (silenciobarnes.com)
• Microsoft Office Live ~ 5GB of Online storage! (momblognetwork.com)

This is an eye-opening piece about how connectivity and broadband will shape the future of not just work practices but the population flow –

Mobile giant Orange’s research shows that better access to both mobile and fixed line broadband could shape the workforce of the future.

Orange has created an interactive map of the country to pinpoint the connectivity hotspots of the future and work out how that will affect the next generation workforce.

Based on the mobile giant’s Connected Britain research, the interactive map went live today and highlights which areas of the UK could benefit from population growth thanks to their internet-based wealth. Conversely, it flags the areas that could see people leave in droves due to lack of mobile and fixed line broadband connectivity.

Indeed, the South West could see its population swell by a whopping 150 per cent by 2015, while Scotland and London’s head counts are set to grow by 50 per cent and 40 per cent respectively, according to the research.

“Our research found that a digitally connected workforce could change the face of Britain as we know it,” said Robert Ainger, Orange’s director of corporate marketing, in a statement.

“Not only could the population itself shift, but the way we work could also fundamentally change. The interactive map means that visitors to the site can quickly check out their current location or somewhere else that takes their fancy, to see how things are likely to pan out there in future.”

The map also showcases how each region fares when it comes to flexible working, which is generally interlinked with having the right technology in place.

Orange’s research suggested that businesses could save more than £30 billion by being a bit more savvy about the benefits of flexible working practices.

Orange maps UK’s future connectivity hotspots – Original Post by Maggie Holland

More Broadband and Connectivity Articles…

Next Generation Connectivity: A review of broadband Internet …

This report is commonly refered to as the “Broadband Study” looks at “broadband deployment and usage throughout the world” for the FCC. The U.S. did not show well and was relegated to “middle-of-the-pack performer” status, …

BBC – dot.life: Britain – the digital champion?

Note if we combine our payments for affordable broadband, affordable fixed voice and affordable mobile (voice, text, and broadband access) there is plenty there to pay for a better quality connectivity, but it will require encumbent …

Vice President Biden Kicks Off $7.2 Billion Recovery Act Broadband …

The funding is integral to a smart grid initiative and broadband service based on an open-connectivity fiber optic backbone network. • OKLAHOMA: Southeast Oklahoma, The Pine Telephone Company, $9.5 grant with an additional $4.6 million …

Broadband Stimulus

Related Articles…

• UK broadband slower than Greece (telegraph.co.uk)
• Obama moves to boost U.S. broadband access (wired.com)
• BT extends superfast broadband to 2.5m homes (telegraph.co.uk)
• FCC chairman: Broadband access should be universal (sfgate.com)