Setting Up And Working For An Online Business

The number of online job opportunities is growing exponentially. Some people, in fact, get a great chunk of their income from doing online jobs. However, not all online jobs can deliver their promise of big salaries and rewards. Worse, some are scams. But there are more online opportunities aside from online jobs. Starting an online business is one. Working for an online business—yours of course—is a good way to earn money while enjoying your independence.

The advantages
Starting your online business means you work for yourself. And because you are your own boss, you set your own work schedule, you don’t answer to anyone, and you most likely determine your own success. Your promotion and raise are not in someone else’s hands, but in yours. In other words, you control your own pace.

An online business is also the easiest avenue for you to start the business venture you have been brewing in your mind, as it is much easier to fund than to put up a brick and mortar business at once. You don’t have to rent a space, hire regular staff, or pay for utility bills; you only need to have a decent computer and Internet connection. So if, for instance, the business you are interested in requires huge start-up capital, you can first try it out as an online business and expand it once you have established its presence and credibility.

Because an online business can be run anytime and anywhere, it gives you some kind of flexibility. Respond to queries while taking a break in some off-map island. And do inventories way past the regular working hours. You can control your time, work any time you want to, and take a vacation if you see it fit.

Create the heart of the business
Setting up an online business, however, is not as easy as you would have wanted to. You need to do comprehensive researches, careful planning, and critical decision-making. And the first thing you have to decide on is the type of business you want to put up and the product or service you are going to offer. Only then can you create the heart of your online business—the website.

Following are the things you need to consider when making a website. Study them well and see how you can work them out.

1. Domain name. A good domain name is one that is strongly associated to the offered product or service. It should be short, has good recall, and easy to read. Though it should be unique, the domain name shouldn’t have complicated spelling. It’s also important to make as many versions as you can in case your first choice has already been taken. For a few dollars, have your domain name registered.

2. Web host. Having a web host would cost only a few dollars. Though you have the option to host your website using free blog sites, paying for a web host gives your business a professional and credible appeal. Only make sure to get a first-rate web host to ensure that your website is always functional.

3. Web design and layout. The overall web design and layout should reflect the nature of your business and your product or service. It should be easy to browse and easy on the eyes. Since the general look of your website can also draw or fend off visitors, you have to be very meticulous with the design and layout. Remember that without visitors, working for an online business isn’t possible.

# Golden Rules For Moms Working Online

Whether you have given up your corporate job to spend more time with the kids or want to augment the household income, work-from-home online jobs can be one of your best options to bring in steady profit. Setting up a home office sends the idea that you are committed to the family and your career. But as good as it is to make you both professionally and domestically functional, working online—and at home—can present some problems. What are you supposed to choose between a wailing kid and a project nearing deadline? How are the kids expected to behave when mommy’s working? And who’s going to wash the dishes? Moms working online are sometimes torn between work and household duties. So, how do you draw the line?

Families are as diverse as the individuals that make them; therefore, parenting and running the household greatly vary in style. But though that’s the case, online working moms should follow specific rules to allow productivity. Here are some of them:

1. Discuss the setup with the family. It should be agreed upon by the husband and, in case they are all grown up, the kids. If the kids are still toddlers or need close attention, decide if you are going to hire a caregiver, and if you are, identify if it’s going to be a fulltime or a part-time caregiver. In most cases, part-time sitters are more practical since mommies won’t work the entire day anyway.

2. Define your work schedule. It, of course, depends on your preference, family, and other duties. But whatever your schedule is, make sure everyone knows it to lessen distractions and interruptions. Setting definite working hours also gives your kids the impression that they have a space in your schedule and that they can wait for their time rather than barge in your home office any time they want. Stick to your schedule at all times, unless of course urgent events merit your attention.

3. Decide whether you will have a closed door or open door policy. A closed door policy works better if you have a hired sitter. This allows you to work with little or no distractions and your sitter to comfortably assume responsibility without your constant inquiry and checking. The open door, on the hand, is advised if you don’t have a hired caregiver. With this policy, you can instantly check how the things are going with your kids and the house. But since this can invite noise and distraction, you can close the door whenever you need extra concentration and are talking over the phone.

4. Orient yourself, the kids, and the caregiver about the possible interruptions that you can and cannot respond. Be as specific as possible and show sturdiness. Don’t go out of your home office at the sound of a whimper; instead let your caregiver do her job. If the kids are grown up, tell them the kind of environment you need and how they can help you achieve it. Children just need to be talked to and constantly reminded.

5. Lay out your expectations—how the kids are supposed to behave, the amount of household chores you can assume, the level of noise you can tolerate, among other things. Then, set out a plan. If, for instance, your kids are older, you can ask them to tidy their rooms on their own. Or you can work far from the living or TV room. Moms working online and their families, at the start, need to make certain adjustments.

# Guides In Working Online From Home

To be successful in working online from home, there is more you should do than just have a computer and strong Internet connection. Remember that this setup is unlike the traditional office environment. You need to make certain adjustments in your working style, schedule, and even attitude to ensure productivity. There are certain working online guides that can help you perform well. Here are six of them.

1. Have a definite work place. This can be a spare room anywhere in the house or a space in your bedroom. One thing you have to keep in mind is that your work place or home office, as what others like to call it, should allow you to function with little or no distractions. It should be well-lit and -ventilated and spacious enough to accommodate your other office gadgets. Once you have identified your work place, orient your household members about it and request them not to trudge in whenever you are working.

2. Determine your working hours. Though there are online jobs that require you to work during specified hours, some jobs allow you to work anytime of the day. Choose the time when you are most productive and be very disciplined. Just like in a corporate office, you are not supposed to leave your work when you feel like it. Keep in mind that you should maintain a professional attitude even without a prying boss or officemates.

3. Set daily goals. Doing so can help you identify your priorities and allow you to manage your time. Write your goals in a journal and see if they are met at the end of your working day. Without outlining your daily goals, you seem to be shooting aimlessly and might achieve nothing in the end.

4. Get away from online distractions. There are many of them really—social networking sites, video streaming sites, downloading sites, among many other things. Not only can they slow down your computer, they can also take much of your time. Consider this, the full 30 minutes you spend watching a video is possibly the same amount of time you need to type one thousand-plus words. And you don’t want that significant loss, would you? It’s not that you are not allowed to visit any of these sites; it’s just that you have to make good use of your working time and be as productive as you can be. Remember, there’s a proper time for play.

5. Take some breaks. The other extreme tendency in having a work-from-home online job is overworking. This is because work is just within reach and it is easier for you to spend more time doing it than relaxing. Working too much is not the way to do it, as this can potentially burn you out. Rest when you need to. Take your meal on time. Have coffee breaks. Take a day off.

6. Go out regularly. Since your job now only involves you, a computer, and a virtual community, you need to socialize and get connected with people. You can, for instance, have a movie date with your best friend or a slumber party with your former officemates. Never spend a whole week locked in the house; find a way to spend at least a day somewhere.

While these guides can help you function well, much of your success in working online from home still depends on your perseverance, dedication, and patience. This then calls you to be serious with your job.

# Planning Sets Working Online Success

There are too many people attracted to the idea of making it big online. Many of them probably got enticed with the multi-million dollar testimonials and the “get rich quick” scheme. It is true that there are those who found online success, given they are connected to legitimate sources, but they never made it that fast. The thing is, working online success doesn’t happen in an instant. You don’t get rich overnight. Achieving success in an online job is the same with any other career path; it takes a lot of time, a lot of work, and a whole lot of planning.

Step one: The planning stage
There’s no better way to plot your success than planning. The problem, however, is that some people are overtaken by their ideas that they tend to jump headlong without careful planning. Just a word: Don’t skip step one. Take a time out to consider your motivations and the involved risks. If you take a look at the most successful online ventures—whether a job or a business—you will see that meticulous planning was part of the whole process.

So how do you begin? You must first identify why you want to work online. Is it because you want to have additional income? Is it to replace a 9-to-5 job? Is it to gain employment freedom? Whatever your reason is, make sure it is justifiable and is not just a whim of the moment. Nailing down early on the reason for working online will also help you get motivated when the work seems overwhelming. It will help you stay focused and driven.

Set your goals. What do you want to achieve? Where do you want to go? How do you intend to get there? Write down both your short- and long-term goals. There are times, however, that you tend to draw more big goals than small ones, which can sometimes be quite unrealistic. It’s okay to have big goals, but make sure they are achievable.

Then find out ways to reach those goals. The online community, which of course has become almost like a global community, offers a lot of varied opportunities. You can choose to put up your own online business and start selling, or you can maintain a blog and earn from advertisers. Numerous companies are also hiring online workers as web content writer, proofreader, tutor, among many other things. Of course, what you should consider are the opportunities that allow you to do what you enjoy doing. Don’t just fall for those that promise quick and big cash because most likely you will feel like leaving them as soon as you feel exhausted. And doing that brings you nowhere near your goal.

Do a thorough research. Once you have identified the right opportunity, find out what is expected of you, how you can actually generate money, the necessary adjustments, the risks, and the potential income. Many failed to do this and in the end were deceived by online job scams that promised the world but delivered not even a pebble.

Step two and onwards
As you know, having the grandest plans alone won’t bring you working online success. It can only set the stage for you, and all the rest depends on your hard work. When you work, remember to double all the time and effort you put in planning when you are already in your actual working stage. If you do, success is inevitable.

# The Benefits Of Working Online

When someone tells you he has been making a decent living through online jobs, would you believe it? At first, the idea may appear a bit fallacious, especially since the Internet is now loaded with scams. But then think again. Though the legitimacy of some online jobs is questionable, there are those that are offered by reputable companies and individuals, which can provide you with new ways to earn money. The benefits of working online are also numerous. The first—and probably the major—benefit would be the opportunity to work at your own home, which inevitably gives birth to a lot more benefits.

1. More time with the family. Because online jobs can be done at home, you can set up your own home office and maximize your non-working hours by spending time with the family. You can, for instance, have lunch with your kids. Or after working hours, you can perhaps go straight to the living room and chat with your spouse rather than spend valuable time commuting. Working online, in essence, gives you more opportunities to be involved in the daily lives and routine of your family. In the end, this may mean improved relationships. Working online doesn’t mean, however, perennial availability; nevertheless, it can mean you are reachable. Of course, balancing time between family and work still depends on making a definite schedule and sticking to it.

2. Flexibility. Online jobs usually have flexible hours, with some even allowing you to work during non-standard working hours. While some might require you to work at a definite schedule, most jobs leave it up to you as long as you deliver outputs on time. This flexibility in turn gives you more control of your time. You can work into your schedule appointments and vacations a lot easier.

3. Cut down on expenses. When you work online, and therefore at home, you can save on transportation, meal, and clothing costs. You don’t need to travel kilometers and gas up. You don’t have to spend for lunch, coffee breaks, and sometimes dinner; and there’s no need for you to buy working clothes after every few weeks. And this translates to more savings.

4. Improved efficiency. Working online gives you that space and time to work alone and finish the task at hand. It is, of course, not ideal to isolate yourself from the rest of the world. But admit it, in a regular office, you sometimes find chatting with someone in the next cubicle tempting, and giving in may rob you of the time you have otherwise spent on working.

5. More job choices. There a lot of online jobs available today, from writing to data entry. This therefore means you have the freedom to choose which type of job you want to do and that which suits your skills, working style, and personality. This type of freedom is normally not available in regular jobs. In the corporate world, you often stick to one job and are not given the opportunity to explore your other capabilities.

You will discover a lot more benefits of working online as you trail the path. But remember that assuming an online job also involves a risk, therefore, before you leave your corporate job or take on a part-time online job, carefully study your options. And try to find out more about the job before you sigh up.

# What’s Behind Working Online As A Tutor?

Online tutoring is still in its infancy stage, yet many students from various levels and age are taking advantage of this industry. It is said that more than 70,000 students are enrolled online, and this number speaks highly of a growing market for online tutors. But what’s behind the job? What does it mean to be working online as a tutor?

The job
Online tutors either assist students with their assignments and researches or teach people, usually aged individuals who take on a hobby, about a specific non-school subject like music or foreign language. The tutor meets his student one-on-one in an online classroom and teaches through a virtual whiteboard. All communication is done via live chat session.

Tutoring is purely done online, which makes it a viable work-at-home job. This is a good opportunity for stay-at-home moms, fresh college graduates, retired teachers, and everyone else who is on the lookout for a potential work outside the confines of an office cubicle.

Most tutoring jobs also offer flexible hours, which means a tutor can make his own work schedule. He can either work early in the morning, late at night, or at the time of the day he is most productive. This kind of flexibility can be beneficial to those who have jobs other than online tutoring.
 
The requirements
Tutoring service companies usually require online tutors to have a Bachelor’s degree. But in the absence of a college education, some firms require a teaching certification. Online tutors also need to have some teaching experience and an expansive knowledge of the subject they are going to teach.

Aside from the educational and expertise requirements, online teachers are expected to have excellent interaction and management skills. Compared to the face-to-face setup, online tutoring can be more challenging since communication is done virtually and some information can be best presented in a physical setting. The job then of the online tutor is to present information in the most interesting ways using the available tools and minimize the potential limitations in the online setup.

How to look for work
There are two ways to land on an online tutoring job. One is to work for a tutoring service company. With the growth of the online tutoring industry, more and more companies are opening and hiring online tutors. Visit their websites and carefully study their programs and policies. Do their requirements fit your skills? Do you think you can measure up with their standards? Is the pay good enough? If you take interest in a company, research well about it and find out if it is legitimate. Keep in mind that there are bogus companies penetrating the web and the last thing you would want is to work for one.

You can also work independent of a tutoring service company and look for potential students on your own. You can ask for referrals and work your way from there. See as well students’ ads that are looking for an online tutor. Working independently is also so much like having a business, and like any other business you need to advertise. Advertise your service in campus bulletin boards and papers, online classifieds, and online forums. Make use of other avenues as well such as flyers. To start working online as a tutor, you need to get attention and promote your service.

# Where To Look For Working Online Opportunities

People often ask if there really are legitimate online jobs. The answer, in one word, is yes. In fact, the question people should now be asking is not about the jobs’ legitimacy but where to find them. The difference between successful and unsuccessful job seekers is the place where they look for working online opportunities. There are a handful of them actually. Though it takes some patience, time, and perseverance to go through them, the efforts will eventually prove to be fruitful.

Following are some of the places where you can find online jobs. Keep in mind, however, that none of them is completely protected from scams, so be extra cautious.

1. Search engines. Use search engines to look for company websites and job boards, from which you can start job hunting. Your success, of course, lies in using good keywords. Other than “online jobs,” use popular keywords that may generate good results. The key here is to experiment and identify which keywords produce the best results. You can also try to look at how legitimate companies label online jobs in their job posts, and then use them as keywords when searching. Remember to always narrow your search by adding your field of expertise to your keyword.  

2. Job boards. Many good online job opportunities are listed in job boards. Take a close look at each job that you find interesting. Read the job and company details. Then, find more information about the company. If you can, contact the employer to ask for other details not included in the listing. If the company name and contact details, however, are not provided, you may want to leave that out. The general rule in looking for an online job is to do an extensive research about the job before considering applying.

3. Forums. Online forums form a community where a free exchange of information is encouraged. Take advantage of it. Look for threads that might give you job leads, or perhaps you can start one. There are two ways you can start the conversation: either you directly tell people you are looking for an online job or you can ask for advice and guides, which can possibly lead you to job pitches. Gather the job leads you have and start your research from there.

4. Company websites. Unless the company is a sham, company websites are usually the safest place to look for online jobs. Your only challenge will be identifying which company is a sham and which is not. Legitimate companies provide you with complete details about the job and easy ways to contact them. Any company website that shadows information and sounds like too good to be true is most likely a bogus.

5. Network of contacts. Contact your family, friends, colleagues, classmates, and everyone else who you think might help you find an online job. Tell them specifically what kind of job you are looking for. The more specific you can get, the more chances they can find you a potential match.

When you look for working online opportunities, always be prepared with your resume. See to it that it is updated, readable, and provides all the information an employer might want to know. It also pays to have a cover letter. You can perhaps have a ready template in your email draft, so you will only have to replace some details whenever you need to send one.

# Working Online Jobs Are For Teens, Too

Part-time jobs for teens are not new. And having the time, vacation, and holiday to spare, teens are turning to the Internet for more part-time online jobs. Working online jobs not only give teens additional allowance, but also the sense of independence and the dignity of having to work for their own money. Working, albeit part-time, also prepares them for the real-life responsibilities in the work environment and molds them to be more reliable and committed.

The advantages
Unlike the traditional part-time jobs, online jobs for teens are simpler to carry out and thus have more advantages. First, because online jobs can be done at the comfort of their own home or, to some, their bedroom, teens do not have to commute from home to the workplace and back. Parents, therefore, have nothing to worry about the hazards of commuting and the workplace itself. They can also easily monitor the job their teens are involved in and can do immediate actions if something is amiss.

Second, since most online jobs do not require a definite work schedule, teens can be more in control of their time. It is easier for them to work their online job and studies into their schedule, with the latter still getting the largest part of their time.

And third, teens need not have previous experience to qualify for an online job. Most jobs available for them are easy to do and uncomplicated. Though some of the jobs may involve some special skills, such as writing and web designing, most jobs require the most basic skills.

The available jobs
There is a variety of online jobs for teens. They can choose to write articles, own a blog site, do paid surveys, or do data entry. More aggressive teens, on the other hand, can start their small online business. They can offer products that are easy to do such as cookies, accessories, and stationeries. Or they can offer traditional services such as baby sitting and gardening.

Assuming such online jobs is quite exciting for teenagers, but it is important to exercise caution when looking for and accepting jobs. Sometimes teens are so gullible that they end up taking on a bad online job.

There is no sure-fire way to determine if a job is legitimate or not, as scammers have a way of making job scams look like legitimate. But to lessen the risk of ending up with one, teens are advised to look for online jobs in reputable sites. They can also try to find as much information as they can about the job listing.

Involve the parents
It is true that having an online job teach kids independence, but parents still need to get involved and know what kind of jobs their teens are up to. The Internet, by nature, may pose dangers for teens, so parents need to figure out if there are issues of job legitimacy, safety, and modesty to address. They need to know for whom the teens are working, how they are going to be paid, how much time the job will consume, and if the job is helpful to the finances and personal growth of their teens. If the working online jobs are rather questionable, parents need to take action. And if they are not legitimate, the employer should be reported to the authority at once.

# Working Online Opportunities: The Ideal Jobs

The idea of working online is promising. Because the jobs are done through the Internet, you normally don’t need to report to a regular office, but instead do all the works from the comfort of your own home. This then means you get to save on transportation expenses, meal allowances, and clothing expenditures. In the end, online jobs are more about raking in money and less about spending it out. But the success in working online depends partly on finding legitimate opportunities. It may be a demanding task since scams and fraud in the Internet are ballooning in an uncontrollable pace. Yet, if you are careful, you can find the right opportunity that suits your skill, working style, and personal priorities. To help you in your search, here’s a few of the working online opportunities available for you.

Content Writing
If you have a flair for writing, this is a good and profitable time to pound on the keyboard. Online writing jobs are in abundance nowadays since a lot of companies are on the lookout for writers who would produce original articles for their websites. You can also take regular assignments from online magazines and send articles to article directories. There’s one thing you need to consider, though. Though a writing degree is usually not a requirement, good writing skill is. Therefore, constantly improve your writing to keep more assignments coming.

Blogging
Blogging has changed the atmosphere in the online community. Not only does it provide you a platform for personal expression, it also gives you an avenue for handsome profit.

To create and maintain a blog, you can either pay for a domain name and a web host or you can take advantage of free blog sites. If you get good traffic, which means a stable and wide readership, advertisers can pay you for placing their banner ads, links, and other forms of advertisement in your blog site. Other advertisements, however, are pay-per-click, meaning you get to be paid only if a visitor clicks on the link or the banner. Others still pay you for the ad space.

But take note that advertisers take interest only in the blog sites that have a remarkable page ranking, so keep yours high by posting valuable and useful content to draw in more readers. While you can write just about anything, it would help if you work on a specific theme that targets your potential audience.

Online Retailing
Start an online store and see the cash flowing. Although online stores can be a bit riskier than brick and mortar stores, they require only smaller capital and less leg work.

To begin, you need to think of a product that creates the more demand or something that touches a niche market. Then find a credible supplier and put up a customer-friendly website. Take note that the operative word here is customer-friendly, and this means a website that is not gruesome to navigate and provides every bit of product, shipping, and payment detail. However, if creating your own website is impossible, you can make use of free blog sites, social networking sites, or e-bay. Now if everything is set up, begin marketing your store.

Online retailing, of course, is a meticulous task, most especially when starting. However, when you already have established customer trust, it would rather be easier to manage it.

When considering working online opportunities, make sure to find as much information as you can. Carefully study the benefits, risks, and possible income. Remember that legitimate online opportunities are growing and so is the potential to fall prey to scams and frauds.

# Working Online Scams: How To Spot Them

There is always the possibility of scams in almost any kind of job, yet, it seems that online jobs are easier to scam these days. If you are vulnerable, you will easily fall for their promises, rewards, and easy hiring procedure, which all turn out to be empty. The presence of these online job scams, unfortunately, makes finding the real jobs rather hard. This is because scammers have defined more sophisticated schemes to make their phony online jobs appear legitimate. And usually, you only find that out come payment time. So how do you avoid such working online scams? How can you tell an online job is genuine or is a mere scam?

Here are some of the warning signs of online job scams. If you spot any of them in your potential job, trash it. You might be looking at a scam.

1. Asks for money. If a potential employer charges fees for more job and company information, start-up kit, training, software, or hiring you, it is most likely a scam. In the first place, you are not supposed to give money to an employer; it’s the other way around.

2. Describes itself as legitimate. If what is said about a job is more on its legitimacy but less on the company, pay, nature, and other important details, beware. This is probably just one of the marketing strategies.
 
3. Promises big and quick cash. Forget the job that says, “Get rich quick. Earn $1000 weekly.” Or anything of that sort. The truth is, no job can promise you fast financial success. It takes time. It takes hard labor. Such claims are typical to scams.

4. Requires no experience or skill at all. A real job needs to be done by qualified individuals. If an employer says there is little effort on your part, forget it. A legitimate employer wouldn’t entrust an important job to unreliable people. It would be a waste of their money.

5. Comes from an unsolicited email. A job posting you know you haven’t applied to and which appears in an unsolicited email message is most often a scam. Coming from an unsolicited email message, in itself, is quite suspicious.

6. Has a questionable website. A legitimate company normally provides complete contact details in its website. The absence of which might be an indicative it is a scam. If it also tells less about the company history, nature, and what it stands for, be careful.

What to do
The rule of thumb when looking for legitimate online jobs is to do a thorough research. If you find a company rather dubious, look it up in the web by typing the company name and the word “scam” in the search box. The search results can tell you whether a company is reputable.

You can also contact the employer. Ask for important details about the job such as the salary, mode of payment, and other job details not mentioned in the ad post. If the response is somewhat shady, you may want to skip that job out. An employer can tell all the job details upfront if it is legitimate.

To be more assured of the legitimacy of the job, you can ask for a list of references. It should include the company’s employees and contractors. Inquire from them how it is working for the company. Their responses should help you determine whether a job is a scam. Remember, you need to be very careful and decisive when taking on a potential job, as working online scams are growing in number.