Love to plan parties?
Become a virtual concierge.
A computer, Internet service and a phone are all you need to join VIPdesk Connect, which connects you with high-end clients. You might be making travel arrangements one day, setting up dinner reservations the next, and tracking down the dress Julia Roberts wore in Ocean’s Eleven the day after that. You’re like a hotel’s go-to person; you just happen to get things done from your home. And since no two days are the same, it’s tough to get bored. Plus, you can work as many or as few hours as you like. Salary:
8 New Ways to Work from Home
Have a passion for crafting?
Become a designer.
In the past, you’d need a studio, a shop and a business team if you
wanted to sell your handmade sweaters, pillows, pottery or
jewelry.Now, all it takes is a clever idea and a click of the
mouse. Many companies are more than happy to give you a venue for
your designs. Upload pictures of your handiwork onto the website,
and for a minimal fee (either a listing fee or percentage of the
sale), the company will take care of advertising, listing, payment
and sometimes (depending on the site) shipping. Salary: Varies
based on how much you sell. For more information: Etsy.com, Zazzle.com, CafePress.com
Know another language? Become
a translator.
Put your foreign language skill to work and earn more than $50,000
a year translating documents. Japanese, Spanish, French, German,
Russian and Chinese are most in demand. But you must be fluent in
the
language, have access to the Internet and have an area of
expertise, such as finance or law. That doesn’t mean you have to be
a Wall Street whiz or a high-powered attorney. If you’ve worked in
the field and know the terminology, that may be enough. Earn extra
money by getting certified through the American Translators
Association. Salary: Full-time translators make an average of
$61,000 annually. For more information: atanet.org
Have an opinion? Become an
armchair judge.
Lawyers looking for feedback before their cases go to trial often
use focus groups in mock trials, either online or sometimes set up
in one of their local offices or a hotel conference room. All you
have to do is
listen to or read through the cases, then give your opinions.
The best part: You don’t need to know anything about the legal
system to participate. Salary: $40 to $150 per case, depending on
its complexity. For more information: OnlineVerdict.com, TrialPractice.com
Love to talk? Become a
customer service agent.
As more and more companies close office space, there’s an
increased need for virtual customer assistance. Jet Blue Airways,
1-800-flowers.com, Eddie Bauer and Bluefly.com are just some of the
major retailers outsourcing consumer calls to virtual agents, who
do everything from dealing with transactions to handling
complaints. To become one of them, you’ll need Interney access
and prior customer service experience, although most companies
provide brief training. Salary: $8 to $15 per hour. For more
information: VIPDesk.com (which reps Eddie Bauer,
Bluefly.com and
many other companies), 1800Flowers.com, JetBlue.com
Always at the mall? Become a
mystery shopper.
No, it’s not a scam. You can get paid to shop. Clothing stores,
restaurants, auto dealerships and tons of other businesses use
mystery shoppers to evaluate their customer service and to judge
their merchandise. You’ll have to leave the comforts of home for a
while, but once you’ve scoped out the situation, you can relax on
your couch to complete the second half of the job: filling out the
survey or evaluation form. You’ll even get a “free product” coupon
on occasion that you can use in the store, and if you’re testing a
restaurant, the cost of the meal may be reimbursed. A paycheck and
free stuff? What could be better than that? Rules of thumb to
make sure your assignment is on the up-and-up: You should never
have to pay a fee to become a mystery shopper, and you should be
aware of offers promising big bucks. Both are tip-offs to a scam.
Salary: A typical assignment pays $8 to $20 per visit. For more
information: MysteryShop.org
Have an eye for detail? Become
a medical coder.
Government regulations have increased the amount of paperwork
involved with insurance claims, so many companies are looking for
people to translate information into numerical codes. You’ll need
to know general medical terminology, as well as anatomy and
physiology, all of which you can learn online or at a community
college. With a little studying, you may be on your way to a new
at-home
career. Salary: $39,000 to $46,000 annually. For more
information: aapc.com
Fast typer? Become a
transcriber.
Anyone with solid typing experience—legal secretaries, executive
assistants or simply those with quick fingers—can
work from home as a transcriber. Some companies offer very
specific work (such as transcribing legal documents only), while
others pair you with assignments that match your expertise and job
background. Salary: Payment is by page or an hourly rate;
approximately $10 per hour. For more information: ProductionTranscripts.com,
aaert.org
All Work and No Play
Turn Your Dream Business into a Reality
How to Make Money at Home
10 Smart Ways to Make Money from Home
