Within the resounding racket on the Web, you’ll come across some common possibilities, that you might have tried, or thought about trying. We found out the hard way, that while some do have potential, others are total time-wasters and all have drawbacks.
• TelecommutingWith a good telecommuting job, you can earn a reasonable salary doing work like data entry, typing, or customer service calls. Doesn’t it sound perfect to be able to work from home, while your kids crawl around next to you?
But…(there’s always a “but,” isn’t there?)…• Hordes of people are chasing a handful of legitimate telecommuting jobs.
• Wages are typically less than you’d earn at an outside job.
• Work hours are often inflexible.
• If you’re sick, on vacation, or can’t work for any reason, you don’t get paid.
• You still have a boss!
Perhaps you’ve stumbled across sites offering to pay you to complete surveys for market research, read ads via email or surf the Web.
Beware! Some of these programs do pay money. But the amount is minuscule and the task so time-consuming, all you’ll end up with is pocket change. If you need a reliable source of income that takes on more of your family’s financial burden, look elsewhere.
As for autosurfing programs, where you get paid to surf to sites in order to enhance their visitor numbers, be doubly careful! These companies ask you for money, then pay you “interest” in return for visiting websites. These are pyramid schemes. Invest only money you can afford to lose - and who can afford that?
What’s more, if you’re living outside the US or Canada, you may already know how difficult it is to work these types of online opportunities. Companies often restrict their employees to North America, making it even more challenging for “mums” living in places like Europe, South Africa or Australia to find realistic money-making opportunities.
• AuctionsMaybe you’ve tried eBay – we have. Its explosive success has allowed moms across the globe to stay home and make money.
But… (Aha! You knew that was coming, didn’t you?)…
• Sales are seasonal. You buy product off-season, so you may have girls’ swimsuits cluttering up your garage for months before you unload them.
• Competition. Unless you find that secret stash, you’re fighting everyone else for sales.
• Fees. Both eBay and Paypal take a chunk out of your hard-earned money.
• Finding reliable dropshippers who sell unique items at low prices is tough.
And again, if you’re not working, you don’t get paid. Those are just a few of the job possibilities you’ll come across on the Internet. Some are scarcely worth considering, and there are disadvantages to them all.
But there is one common-sense approach that you may have never considered. We’ll tell you about it in a moment. But first…