Understanding Working From Home

by Amy Motheral

Are You Sure You Want To Work From Home?

That is the first question you need to ask yourself. And it will probably be the hardest one to answer. Sure, the idea of working from home sounds great, doesn’t it? But there are many things to consider.

First of all do you have the time to work from home? Any job or opportunity takes time. Make sure you have the time to devote to a job. Being at home doesn’t necessarily mean that all your time is yours. Are there kids to be picked from school? Or are there errands to run?

The second thing to ask yourself is whether or not you have a place to work from home. A kitchen table or a desk in the bedroom is great as long as it is a place that you can work without distraction. Remember you will need a work place and time to work.

A Job vs. An Opportunity

As we all know there are ads offering work from home, but are those ads from companies that will hire you as an employee? Or are those opportunities to work as an independent contractor?

There is a difference, a big difference. As an employee of a company, you are hired by the company to work for the company. Most times as an employee, taxes are automatically taken out of your paycheck before you even see it. Many times there are added benefits such as sick leave or vacation working for someone else. Dictionary.com's interpretation of an employee is: A person who works for another in return for financial or other compensation.

As an Independent Contractor you basically work for yourself.

You may be performing duties for a company or website, but you are responsible for taxes yourself. No one is going to set the tax money aside for you as an employer would.
Independent Contractor: One that agrees to perform services at a specified price.

Be sure and check with your tax accountant or tax office in determining whether you may be able to deduct any of your home office or expenses you may incur while you are an Independent Contractor.

In the ads that we see, many are represented as jobs, but may actually be offering an opportunity to become an Independent Contractor. I'm not saying that one is better than the other. I have found benefits to both. One of the benefits I have found as an independent contractor is that in most cases I am able to take on more than one opportunity at a time. The ads that you see online and many ads that are in the newspapers offering work from home jobs are that of an independent contractor.

Should you pay to work at home?

How many times I have heard people say that you should never pay for a work at home job. I agree. As we said earlier, there is a difference between a job and an opportunity.

You wouldn’t expect to go to an interview in the office building down the street and after being offered the job be required to get your checkbook out and start writing. No. The companies offering employment to someone should never charge you to work for them whether you’re working from an office cubicle or a corner in your kitchen. If you are an employee with that company, you work for them, they pay you.

Yet we see so many ads on and offline that read, “Work from Home, only $29.95.” Your first reaction is probably that of most, toss it, delete it, don’t believe it. Now I’m not going to say that such an ad is a scam or one to be doubted. But then again I’m not going to say that you can believe it. Just like an ad for anything, all ads need to be researched.

So why do so many post ads asking for money in exchange for a work at home opportunity? Because it is not uncommon nor is it unexpected for one to pay for a “business opportunity.” That’s the difference.

Many folks out there read ads and as soon as they see a dollar sign they are quick to assume it is a scam. That is not necessarily the case. Ads that offer a home business or work at home opportunity are in essence offering to sell you a franchise of sorts. In a home business you are an independent contractor, a business owner. You are not an employee with the company.

You frequent the local fast food restaurant and one day you see a sign offering a franchise of that business, an opportunity to work for yourself. Would you scoff at the fact there’s a price tag associated with it? No. You would expect it. Just because there is a fee for a work at home opportunity is no reason to dismiss it.

There are many people working successfully from home and making money after purchasing a work at home business opportunity. As we’ve said so many times before read the ads, talk to others, research, research, research.