How to Find your Work from Home

Do you want to find your work from home?

Finding something that’s legitimate, that meets all your needs, can be challenging. Whether you’re looking for financial independence, wanting to bring income in while avoiding daycare, or managing work and a chronic disease, or a whole host of other reasons, it seems everyone wants to work from home. So how do you find your work from home, without getting scammed or losing a lot of money in the process?

“How do you do it??”

I hear that a lot.

I’m a single, homeschooling mom of six. Every time I go outside, with my crew, it’s kind of obvious that we’re different. I mean, how does a single mom parent six? *and* homeschool?? How do I do that?

Well.. I work from home. For me, it was an absolute essential. When my marriage ended in 2013, I had 4 children under 5. Daycare was not only unaffordable, it was out of reach. There was no other way to be able to support my family and get the bills paid than to find my work from home. So I did.

Are you like me, that you absolutely have to work from home? Or maybe it’s just something that would give you more of what you want?

Looking for a way to work from home isn’t without its pitfalls though. Here are five tips to help you find your work from home.

Tip # 1: Know the difference between a job and a business

When people look for a way to work from home, they often blend in the best parts of having a job and owning a business. They want a guaranteed income — without the boss. They want to be able to pick when and how long they work, but they also want to have clear job descriptions and tasks.

And that’s just not realistic.

A job is defined as “a paid position of regular employment.”

Employees get a guaranteed income working a job. They get paid a set amount, either a wage per hour, or a monthly salary. And jobs come with clearly set expectations and tasks. You know exactly what you’re supposed to do every time you show up for work. But jobs also come with supervision and with expectations of when and how long you’ll be working.

A business is defined as “a person’s regular occupation, profession or trade.”

Notice the difference? A job focuses on the position, but a business is centered around the person. Owners control their businesses!

Tasks and hours vary, and there’s no one to tell the owner what to do — they’re the boss! But the income isn’t guaranteed. It will depend on sales. That can be a good or a bad thing, because on the one hand, there’s no limit to how much you can make, but on the other hand, there’s no promise either. Your income will depend on your effort as a business owner.

The key to finding your work from home is knowing what you’re looking for: a job or a business.

Tip # 2: Beware of scams

One of the biggest reasons people avoid looking for a way to work from home is because they’re afraid of getting scammed. We all know someone who was taken for hundreds, even thousands, of dollars, because they got caught by a scammer. But knowing what you’re looking for in your work at home search will help you avoid all the scams that are out there.

For one, a work at home job is no different than any other job. You wouldn’t pay to start a job at your local department store or coffee shop. You definitely don’t pay to start a job where you work from home. The only difference between a work at home job and any other job is your place of employment.

A work at home business is also not different than any other business. You would expect to have costs to start a retail store or a restaurant. You should expect to have costs to start a home-based business too. After all, you can’t start a business for free! Your financial investment into a business is what allows you to own it.

There are lots of different kinds of scams out there, from check cashing and money laundering, to pyramid and ponzi schemes, but these are the most basic. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Tip #3: Manage your expectations

That brings us to the next tip. Sometimes people looking for work from home get hurt because they expect way too much.

If you’re expecting to find a job at home that will pay you hundreds of thousands for doing simple tasks like answering the phone or stuffing envelopes — check yourself. Is that even realistic? Would you pay someone that much money to do that kind of thing?

It can be hard to manage your expectations with Pinterest pins that tell you how someone made 5 figures in their first month of blogging, or went to Tahiti after selling an ecourse (after buying some guru’s program). Some internet marketers can make it sound like making money online is the next gold rush.

The truth is, you can make a lot of money working from home, especially if you own your own business. But like the gold rushes a century ago, not every prospector is going to find the mother lode, and few strike it rich on the first shovel. Most online business owners make a good living, but it’s after weeks, months, even years of hard work and time and effort invested into themselves and their businesses.

Can you “get rich quick”?

Here’s the thing: sometimes you get lucky. And yes, sometimes you can get rich quick. But only about 15% of bloggers make any kind of income, and only 4.5% of YouTubers do. But if you hit on the right service, the right way to advertise to your perfect audience, and the timing is right, you could make thousands in your first week. It’s possible.

The stats tell us it’s not likely. So buying that course, ebook, or coaching service that promises you “get rich quick” is a fast way to lose money.

I’m not saying don’t buy ebooks, invest in courses or hire a coach. I’m just saying watch what they promise. I said it before, and I’ll say it again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

There’s no one right way to make money online. And there’s no guaranteed method. What works for one person may not work well for you — and sometimes even the coach or internet marketing genius doesn’t really understand what helped them make their fortune.

Sometimes, it’s a case of being in the right spot, at the right time, with the right idea.

Now if you need just a few dollars really quickly? Read this post:

Tip #4: Where to look for a job

So if you’re looking for a job at home, where do you look?

Where would you look for a job that’s not at home? Job boards, LinkedIn, your personal network and reputable classifieds.

Finding a job at home is no different than finding any other job. Your criteria for the job will just be a little narrower.

The first place to start looking is with your existing job! Some jobs translate really well to remote working, so if you have a job you can do from home, start by talking to your company. Ask them what it would take to allow you to telecommute your work, part time or full time. You might be surprised at the answer.

If your existing job won’t let you (or doesn’t work well to) work from home, or you don’t currently have a job but want one, then brush off your resume and update your LinkedIn profile. Narrow your search terms to jobs with flexible locations or jobs that specify that they are location independent.

Tip # 5: Where to look for a business

If you’re looking to start a business at home, where do you look?

Like starting any business, the first place you should go to is your local city hall. Most municipal administrative offices offer small business help. Many will have centers or resources devoted to helping people start a business — from free information on tax laws and business licenses, to mentorship and networking opportunities. Sometimes, these centers might even offer free sessions with an accountant or lawyer to help answer your questions.

You can find tons of free and low cost resources on the web devoted to helping you start an online business. So do your research, make a plan, and take action.

I did.

And I’ve never regretted it. Owning my own business and working from home has been a dream come true. (Want to know more about my journey? Click the image below!)

Find your Work from Home

Are you ready to make your dream come true? Intrigued by the idea of starting a business of your own? Or maybe that’s a scary thought? Grab your free ebook and Find your Work from Home. Inside you’ll get:

• myths about working from home debunked
• checklists to help you find your most successful work from home fit
• tips to find legitimate jobs or business opportunities while avoiding the scams
• and much more!

Don’t let your dream die. Find your work from home today.