5 tips for landing a legit work at home telecommuting job

According to the latest American Community Survey data, there are approximately 2.8 million people, not including the self employed or unpaid volunteers, who consider home their primary place of work. The struggling American economy has created the need for companies to cut back as much as possible. This has created growth in the work-at-home industry as it allows companies to save on expenses like office space, equipment and insurance costs.


However, the telecommuting world can be a hard place to get your foot in the door. Linda Dickerhoof, Public Relations Director at VIPDesk, one of the leading virtual concierge and virtual customer service providers in the United States, reports that they receive as many as two hundred resumes a day. With that kind of competition, it’s imperative that you stand out from the crowd. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when applying for telecommuting employment.

Do Your Research – 

This is, by far, the most crucial aspect of your work-at-home job search. There are many legitimate companies that hire at-home employees. However, in order to weed out at-home job scams, you need to know what “red flags” to look for.  A legitimate work-at-home opportunity won’t ask you for any sort of “affiliation fee,” nor will they send you any type of list of employers to contact.


A legitimate opportunity will also not offer an unrealistic salary. The ads that you see offering $5k/wk with no experience usually are just what they sound – too good to be true. Avoid work-at-home opportunities advertised via infomercials, signs taped to a lamp-post, stop signs or via spam e-mail. Always check with the Better Business Bureau to see what type of reputation the company you are considering has, then follow up with an Internet search to see what is being said about the company in blogs, on twitter, and in the mainstream media.

Resume Success for a work at home job  - 

Applying for a working-at-home or telecommuting  position should be treated just like any other job application process. The company may allow you to work from home, but they will not tolerate an unprofessional attitude. In fact, it’s highly unlikely that your resume will be selected if it’s anything less than top-notch.


In order to get ahead, put together a professional resume outlining your job experience and highlighting any special skills or training applicable to the position you’re applying for. Keep your resume to one page, if possible.

Interviews Are very  Important  in landing a working at home 

 The interview process is more critical than usual in the work-at-home world because the interviewer will not be meeting you face to face. Most at-home employers have a strenuous screening process to filter out applicants who do not fit the professional standards required.


Prepare ahead of time for questions not only about your employment background, but also about what your home work environment will be like (they do not want to hear animals or children in the background). Interviewers will be listening intently to how you present yourself over the phone, so be as prepared and professional as possible.

Know What To Expect  when telecommuting – 

One of the best ways to succeed in any career is to know what your employer expects of you. Before your interview, put together a list of questions that will help you understand what to expect from the employer, and what they expect from you. Ask about things like training, support offered during work hours, and specific job expectations.

Get Set Up – 

Once you’ve begun the process of searching and applying for telecommuting positions, it’s time to make sure your home workspace is appropriate. Most employers will be looking for you to have a noise-free home office that includes: a landline phone, a  high end computer or laptop  (most companies will have specific computer requirements that will need to be met),  and high speed internet.


If possible, do your research ahead of time to ensure that your home office set up will work for a telecommuting opportunity. There are some employers who provide the necessary equipment, but most will require you to have these items in place.


Telecommuting can be one of the most rewarding career decisions available today. It provides flexibility and scheduling that many other types of employment are unable to offer. Prepare yourself to stand out from the job applicant crowd and you’ll find yourself with a remarkable new job in no time.





ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jill Hart is the founder of Christian Work at Home Moms, a website that provides resources and encouragement for women who work from home. She is the author of So You Want To Be a Work-at-Home Mom and has been featured in places such as The Wall Street Journal and FIRST magazine. But mainly Jill is a wife and mom of two. She lives with her family in Nebraska.  Visit Jill at http://cwahm.com

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Work at home telecommuting job leads July 27th

Mommy Blogger for new frugal site

How I paid for Christmas last year! 

I'm Gael, a successful internet marketer. I'm getting started with a new domain and I'm looking for someone with the Mommy blogger profile to start blogging on my new domain frugalligence.com. 

If you love buying stuff at a discounted rate. If you have tricks to avoid buying expensive products and replace them with cheap household products. If you go on holidays for less than $500 with your whole familly. I'd love to hear about you and pay you to write about it! 

Real estate sales training writer

We are looking for a writer with specialized knowledge in sales training and real estate sales training, NLP, psychology, and personal development. 

Passionate Android Bloggers

Do you love mobile technology? Do you love Android? Do you want to be paid to follow your passion? 

We are looking for experienced bloggers. If you possess writing talent, know WordPress like the back of your hand, and have a social following - then we want to speak with you. 

You must possess the following: 

- significant knowledge about Android and the mobile technology industry. 
- you are a self-starter and can report on breaking news. 
- your writing, grammar, and spelling are impeccable. 
- you can concoct content in such a way that gets people excited and engaged! 
- your voice is informative, entertaining, and worth reading. 

health and nutrition writers

Are you a health and nutrition expert interested in sharing your knowledge? We are looking for qualified writers to contribute to the Healthy Eating section of SFgate.com. To be considered you must meet at least one of the following requirements, 

Master's degree and corresponding accreditation in diet and nutrition 
Experience writing articles about diet and nutrition for premium, high-circulation publications 
Medical degree or Master of Science in a medical field 

*If qualified, we invite you to apply via our online application where you will,* 

- Upload a resume highlighting your health and fitness writing background. 

Work at home program manager

Working from their home office based in Oklahoma state, the Program Manager will have accountability and responsibility for the effective operation of a portfolio of virtual school programs. This position will work with management and educational leaders within the various virtual school programs to establish and maintain the various programs, ensuring outstanding academic and business outcomes. The program manager will perform a variety of roles, including account liaison to our customer, issue resolution, business measurement and reporting, curriculum development, and other responsibilities.

You’ve seen and heard those ads on the internet, in the paper, and on the radio promising great work from home jobs, but you’ve wondered if they’re too good to be true. Well – this one is good, it’s true, and we think you’ll really enjoy it! Amazon is a trusted, dynamic Fortune 100 company, and we love our customers – in fact, we're a bit obsessed with delighting them each and every day. We’re also pretty obsessed with making sure we create a fun, challenging, creative, green, and slightly peculiar work environment for the folks who work here, and we’d love to have you consider joining us. 

Transitioning Veterans - Amazon Work From Home Customer Service Associate

In preparation for our busiest time of year – the winter holiday season - Amazon North American Customer Service is now hiring Work From Home Customer Service Associates in several US locations. There are no sales and no schemes, and you can work from home in your pajamas (really, we don’t mind!) solving customer issues via phone, email, and chat. We provide extensive paid training and ongoing daily support to make sure you’re successful. 

The ideal Work from Home Amazonian will demonstrate the ability to work independently with the utmost of professionalism, integrity, and dependability. S/he will be confident and organized and will know when and how to reach out for assistance. An Amazonian has a bias for action and is strongly self-motivated not only to take great care of our customers, but also to proactively identify systemic issues that need to be resolved to prevent future customer concerns (Amazonians don’t pass the buck when it comes to customer issues). Finally, an Amazonian is supremely internet savvy and has high technical aptitude when it comes to online tools and research.
Your home address must be located

• in WA,OR, KS, KY, WV, DE, ND, NH, NY
• and
• be within 90 miles of a physical Amazon site

Work at home telecommuting job leads July 26th

Freelance Editor/Production Assistant

Part time, on-going at-home freelancer to assist with editing, posting and revising Websites and Intranets. Knowledge of Dreamweaver and Wikipedia coding experience is necessary. Send resume, work samples, hourly rate requirements, and contact information. 

Translation Opportunity for Multilingual Individuals ((National))

Are you fluent in Portuguese/ Spanish/ Mandarim/ French/ Hindi, passionate about helping others explore foreign cultures, and would like to earn supplemental income in your spare time from your home. An innovative new start-up is seeking talented multilingual individuals to join our global community of translators. Opportunities include:

- Live interpretion between Portuguese/ Spanish/ Mandarim/ French/ Hindi and English over the phone
- Transcribing and interpreting through your computer
- Incentives for referring your friends and family to join the translator community

Online start-up seeks superstar marketing and social media intern! 

Apron Avenue (www.apronave.com) is a hot online startup, which is really going to change the game for its customers. We are a passionate, bright and dedicated team of entrepreneurs who are truly excited about this venture. As the launch of the site and mobile app draws near, we need some equally passionate superstars to help us shine and let everyone know what a great service we're creating! 

Your main area of responsibility will be working with the founders to think of and execute a strategy for marketing and social media. We need to let our customers know we are out there, create buzz and drive traffic to the site. Don't worry, we have some ideas already, but we want yours too! So if you like being paid to think and you like to see your work turn into something great, then this job is for you! 

Superstar Intern Responsibilities:
• Brainstorm and support development of the marketing strategy and plan
• Help create marketing materials such as presentations, emails etc. 
• Maintain an organized content schedule for social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter, etc. 
• Create and post content to social media and blog sites 
• Compile a list of media contacts
• Research popular blogs, websites and topics for content pieces
• Assist in special projects such as site research, SEO research and trends

Lead Generation From Home

Lead Generation From Home 
Earn Daily Pay and Residuals! 
SalesteamUSA LLC is a successful, respected, business to business Sales company located in Illinois since 1995. 
We are looking for the best of the best; enthusiastic, motivated lead generators /Sales /recruiters representatives to work at home.
Here is how our program works
We purchase 4000 new leads a day!
You create the lead. . ..We close the Sales!
PC Internet dialer calls for you!
Earn $275 / $600 per sale !
Reps earning $850 per week!
Daily Pay- Weekly Sales Bonus!

Creative social media position (Bergen County, NJ)

Fast growing Eyewear Company based in NJ is looking for a social media Guru to manage our social media efforts and help keep track of our online engagements with users. The candidate will be working from home 3-6 hours a week. We are looking for someone who is hard working and can grow with us as we continue to expand.

Responsibilities:
- Working closely with the founders to create social media strategies and help manage social media outlets
- Posting relevant content to our Facebook and Twitter
- Managing and responding to comments and inquiries via Facebook and Twitter
- Brainstorming creative engagement campaigns for our users, i.e. contests
- Seeking out media outlets and blogs to improve web presence

Auditor - CPA (La Jolla, CA)

Software company based in La Jolla, CA is seeking a contractual Auditor. We are looking for someone available to work part time (maybe a few days in a month) to assist our bookkeeper. This is a great opportunity for a CPA looking to make extra income or has extra time to spare. 

Responsibilities (but not limited to)
- Analyze financial results for both internal and external use
- Track and maintain monthly P/L and balance sheet activity
- Review of general ledger and balance sheet
- Resolving various accounting/reconciliation issues
-Assist on producing Financial reports: monthly, quarterly and annual reports, including but not limited to monthly and fiscal close, internal and external audit reporting, report preparation and distribution
- Supervises Accounting staff, ensuring that deadlines are met.- Responsible for accuracy and timeliness of accounting for all transactions ensuring all transactions are recorded in accordance with GAAP and company policies and procedures which includes detailed preparation/review/analysis of all transactions

Appt SETTERS: Huge commissions and residuals (Home based)

We are a national advertising company 

We provide a unique service to professionals (Realtors, attorneys, etc) that guarantees them clients. They love it.

You can set 5 to 8 appointments daily. We are closing 25-50% with average commission exceeding $300 per. And this is just for the first 3 months. Renewals have the same commission so building a 6 figure income will happen.

We are only will have 2 confident sales pros for this area

Work at home telecommuting job leads July 25th

Commission Only Sales Position (Arlington, VA)

Infotech Management, Inc. is a leading information technology consulting firm serving clients throughout DC Metro Area. Since 2008, we have been providing a comprehensive selection of cost-effective managed services, technical support, computer repair and IT services to commercial organizations. 
Sales Representative will make cold calls and attend meetings and networking events in order to generate sales leads. Sales Representative will also create and compile marketing materials for use in presentations to clients. 
Sales Representative pay will start out as a 15% commission only, leading to a base plus commission with success.

Appointment Setters

Locally owned business is currently looking for motivated Appointment Setters. 

DUTIES:
The specific responsibilities of this position are: 
• Follow up interest using email, phone and mail. 
• Book appointments for needs assessment meetings.
• Record activities in our prospect database.
• Minimum 3 appointments per day.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS:
• Must have professional, articulate phone demeanor 
• Must have excellent written communication skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

Advertising Sales - Sales Pro needed

Boxtop Advertising uses innovative marketing & advertising strategies to help companies locally brand themselves. We seek 1 representative for the Southern MD area. Our success has been the direct result of our ability to reach the consumer. When it comes to growing our business, it begins with the individuals that represent our clients Recruit will be given an exclusive territory to work with and develop prospective clients.
Representative must be proficient in:
Outside Sales (Business to Business)
Inside sales (email marketing)
Client retention
Territory Management

B2B Lead Generation Reps -- Appointment Setters

Sales Genesis is a fast-growing sales acceleration firm that provides B2B lead generation and related services to professional services, software, BPO and IT solutions companies. Our clients target C, VP and director level decision makers at Fortune 500 and Small and Medium Business (SMB). 
Our full- and part-time Appointment Setter opportunities are for experienced solution sellers and appointment setters. You will use your qualifying and influencing skills to set firm appointments where the contact and their decision making role has already been confirmed -- you will not be "scrubbing lists," but instead, closing opportunities. 
Ideal candidates will have experience prospecting VP and Director level contacts at companies of all sizes, including the Fortune 500. This requires the ability to deliver a strong, eloquent value proposition, assess business issues and pain points, document qualification criteria and set qualified sales appointments. Our most successful team members have sold technology and other solutions in either an inside or outside capacity. 
Working from your home office will require a computer, high-speed internet connection, standard software (see below) and proficiency in their use. This position is a 1099 pay-for-performance position requiring that performance metrics are met on a monthly basis If an appointment setter makes the average number of meetings in a month the approximate hourly wage would be between $18 - $22 per hour. 

Fitness Writers Wanted for SFGate Healthy Eating

Are you a fitness expert interested in sharing your knowledge with a wide audience? We are looking for qualified fitness writers to contribute to the Healthy Eating section of SFGate.com.
To be considered you must meet at least one of the following requirements,
• Personal training or fitness certification from a national organization or certification in a fitness practice (yoga, Pilates, etc.)
• Licensed nutritionist or certified homeopathic practitioner (ABHt, HANP, NASH)
• Licensed or certified E.M.T, Home Health Aide or those currently enrolled in medical or nursing school
• Experience writing articles about sports, fitness, or nutrition for a high-circulation publication
*If qualified, we invite you to apply via our online application where you will,*

Telemarketing Reps Wanted, No Cold Calling, Base Pay vs Commission (Work From Home)

Online Music Promotion company is seeking Experienced Full and Part Time telemarketing Reps to work from home.

*****20-40 hours a week is required. (Weekends ok) You will be paid as an independent contractor.
*****Shifts are available 7 days a week from 8:00am-8:00 pm Pst.
*****No Cold Calling. Unlimited qualified Leads provided.
*****Work at Home Make your own schedule, flexible hours. (Weekends ok)
*****Top Telemarketing Reps earn $800-$1200 Per Week. ($10 Hourly vs Commission)
*****Generous Commission Structure. ($10 Hourly vs Commission)
*****Weekly Paychecks.

Calendar Coordinator (In the Cloud)

Successful candidate checks emails obsessively. This work from home opportunity is perfect for a Stay at home mom  or someone reentering the work force, needing new skills or wants to contribute to a nonprofit organization.for youth. No experience necessary. Responsibilities include, calling and scheduling appointments, managing the Program Director's calendar. If you have an hour or two during business hours and would enjoy making calls and being on the internet, this may be a good fit.. Hours are 8am to 9am M-F and other random times (flexible) not to exceed 10 hours. To apply, please send your resume along with a cover letter explaining what attracted you to this position, why you are the right candidate and what you hope to gain from the experience, please also state how you would sustain yourself while contributing your time. 

Work at home telecommuting job leads July 24th

Internet cloud worker at Lionbridge

As an Internet Crowd Worker your ultimate goal will be to contribute towards making internet search and online products more exciting, relevant and interesting for all end users in the US market.  The main purpose of this role is to perform research and to capture your opinions to ensure we achieve the best results possible to make a difference to the user experience. In this role the quality of your contribution and your work is of utmost importance for us, our clients and most importantly for your own success on the program.

Payment is on a per task basis, the rate will be linked to task complexity.

Social Media Manager (Part time)

You need to be a REAL expert in social media, know how to engage with end-users and drive traffic through social media and have a track record of creating and implementing a successful social media campaign.

Education Assessment Scorer - Work from Home

Write Score is an assessment company that services schools in several states in the area of writing based on individual state scoring criteria.

We are currently looking for 100 seasonal scorers to join our team.  Our season begins in late August and continues through April.   While work throughout the academic season is fairly consistent, there are busier or slower months than others.  

This is a unique working position as an independent contractor and will fit some lifestyles better than others. You will score at home using your home computer with high speed internet access.  A training period with a successful completion is required.  Scorers will be required to read individual essays and assign independent scores that accurately describe those attributes of the essay.

Entry Level Virtual Assistant needed

About this position.

• Since we're a virtual company, you can work remotely from your home. You set the hours you work.

• There are NO start-up costs whatsoever. We pay you, not the other way around!

• No cold calling, sales, or MLM. You're paid on your own efforts not on sales numbers.

• We're a six-year-old corporation with an "A" rating from the BBB.

Requirements: 

• Computer with an internet connection

• A desire to earn money from home

• Attention to detail!

Salary: 

• Varies, depending on time and effort invested

• Up to $10-20/hr

 Technical article writer

We are looking for qualified writers on the topic of surge protection including various technologies, applications, standards etc. Prefered bidders have experience with the application of surge protection, grounding and bonding and/or have worked in the telecommunication, rail, or energy industry. We are looking for a long term freelancer to help out with article generation for our newsletter as well as white papers on agreed upon topics.

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGNER/WRITER 

Immediate need for Instructional Designer with strong written and organizational skills.
Project involves learning a Sales Process software (managing accounts, logging territory, etc.) capturing screen grabs and writing instructions on how to use the processes.
MUST HAVE AN IPAD 3 (screen captures must be taken from IPAD3)
Develop instruction in POWERPOINT (on the PC (no MAC), not on the IPAD)
Detail oriented person required. Self starter - work from your location - contract work.

Denver Metro area graphic designer needed

Web and Graphic Designer with Database experience needed 
COLORADO APPLICANTS ONLY!!!!! ABSOLUTELY NO RECUTIERS OR CONTRACT COMPANIES!!!!! This part time position is for local Colorado residents only and pleases no contractor companies or individuals outside this state. We have to comply with our customers' requirements and processes. 

Being that this position is Part Time and 90% working virtual from home it is a must that deadlines are met and are very sensitive and meeting them is a requirement for obtaining and retaining this position. Perfect for someone working part time or someone working nights/weekends. There is sometimes you will be meeting with the client based on the request.

We are currently looking for a Web Designer and Interactive Developer in Denver Colorado. This position is project based and the scope of work has been added below. 

This position requires 3+ years work experience and proficiency in HTML, Flash, Action Script, XML, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript as well as Adobe CS3/4 products and web-graphics production standards. Must have a strong familiarity with SQL/MySQL Databases and .ASP, ASP.net and .PHP 4/5 integration. C# experience a plus

Work at home telecommuter job leads July 23rd

Administrative Assistant, Science Operations (Metro West/Worcester)

The Consortium of Rheumatology Researchers of North America, Inc. (CORRONA) was founded in 2000 by leading rheumatologists dedicated to advancing and improving the care of patients with rheumatic diseases. CORRONA's mission is to advance rheumatology research and improve the quality of rheumatology patient care. CORRONA is an independent registry without any ownership links to the
pharmaceutical industry.
The CORRONA research initiative consists of a database, data collection protocol and data analysis dedicated to the advancement of treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. It is our mission to provide excellence in the necessary interaction between the Clinicians and the scientific community to gather high quality data and data analysis for the advancement of treatment for the disease.
CORRONA is seeking an experienced and highly professional Administrative Assistant located in the greater Boston area to support our scientific team.
CORRONA is a virtual company with employees across the United States. This is a home-based position that requires an effective working environment and a high level of employeeengagement. Domestic and international travel is required to represent CORRONA at client meetings, professional meetings, symposia and trade shows.

Gadget Gizmo Writers Wanted (Work From Home)

We are a small web-based company currently hiring writers to write for our new gadget and tech website.
We are hiring writers who can write short articles on tech stuff such as gadgets, Video Games, Mac, PC, Google, Smartphones, tech related news, device guides and other technology that is emerging. 
We want material--articles that readers are most likely to share with others.

• Write and post short, interesting articles on anything tech related
• Should have a passion for writing and a strong work ethic
• Writers will be able to write from anywhere.

Professionally-Trained Writer for Multiple Books - Contract (Your Home/Office)

What is a "professionally-trained writer" you ask? I'm not entirely sure, but I can tell you that I'm looking for someone with more writing experience than updating their facebook status 5x per day.

The ideal candidate is interested in writing several 50-100 page books about different topics. I have several ideas and I can provide research materials, but I need someone who I can depend on to create easy-to-read books.
You should love the challenge of explaining somewhat complex information in a clear way, have the ability to organize ideas effectively, and know all the nuances of grammar.
This is a freelance position that may turn into full-time work.

Middle School Science Teachers Needed to Create Test Questions (Work from Home)

I am looking for MA middle school science teachers who are currently teaching and licensed. Candidates must be knowledgeable of all MA Frameworks Standards, and experts within their subject.
Job will involve creating multiple choice test questions on our website; you will be given specific topics to address for each quiz. Questions will be considered 'accepted' after they have been edited,
and author has replied to all editing comments. All our website's formatting and instructions must be adhered to, and questions MUST be original.
I need teachers for Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Science and Technology/Engineering. Questions must be completed by 8/1; editing and comments will be completed by 8/10.
If you are interested, please reply with current teaching position information, prior positions held and education.

Tutor in Your PJs! Online SAT & ACT Tutors Needed (Online)

We're PrepNow, an online tutoring company focused on providing a personal, customized test prep experience for students in the comfort of their homes. We help students throughout the United States who are preparing for the SAT, ACT and PSAT. PrepNow isn't new to the tutoring world. Our parent company, StudyPoint, has offered personalized and convenient tutoring to students in 25 major cities, dating back to 1999. We're backed by the impressive and effective tools and resources that have helped over 16,000 students fulfill their goals. At PrepNow, you'll work with students in a virtual environment, from the convenience of your home or office. There's no commuting, no getting lost, no wear and tear on your car. 

• Go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of students.
• Have 2 or more years of experience as a tutor or teacher and are passionate about education. 
• Have a positive attitude, professional demeanor and are available to tutor at least 6 hours a week.
• Can commitment for one full academic year (this is not just a summer job!)
• Possess a BA/BS with at least a 3.0 GPA.
• Earned an degree (or are pursuing a graduate degree) from a Top 25 college or university.
• Have scored at least 650 per section on the SAT or at least a 28 on the ACT. No test prep tutoring experience is necessary.

Web Marketing/Blogger Position (Atlanta)

Wordever Inc., operator of Wordever.com (http://www.wordever.com) is seeking highly socially engaged interns for a web marketing and blogger position. This position will provide invaluable experience in web social marketing and online blogging and publishing - two of the fastest growing skill segments in today's workforce. This internship will turn into a paid internship or a permanent position (within one month) depending on how well the intern understands and is engaged with the Wordever service. You can work from home.
Wordever is aiming to change the way you discover, organize, and share information that you are interested in on the Web. This is a fun an exciting position in a startup environment. Telecommuting is ok. Must devote at least 10 hours per week (20 hours preferred).
Instructions to apply: Please login to Wordever.com http://www.wordever.com and learn about the service, clip some articles, etc to see if this fits your career path. Create at least 5 topics and post at least 5 clips in each topic (takes 10 mins). Then, simply reply to this email with your Wordever profile URL. We want to know what topics you are interested in.

How to set your work at home job schedule

I have been a work at home mom for over 10 years. Every day it has become a balance especially during the summer  months where I need to earn money but want to be off spending time with my teen and 2 tween kids.  Luckily I am an earlier riser and often do 3-4 hours of call center work before the kids are up from bed.  I also do some  freelance work as a virtual assistant.

Wanting to be a work at home mom  is a simple decision for many moms who long for more time with their young . Finding a way to make that transition possible is not always so easy. Once you are working at home, you will find yourself balances various demands on your time and energy. If you do not work to make the balance work, you will find that you cannot determine what portion of your day is work and what is home or family. There are, however, a few ways that you can begin to make working from home a bit easier.

First, you will need to determine how much time you wish to work on your business each week. You may only be able to put in five hours at the beginning, or you may need to work 40 or more hours to start your business.  Either situation will require a bit of planning, but you must know how many hours of your time you need to budget to your business each week.   I know for me  when I am doing phone work I need the house quiet . 

After you have determined the amount of time you will need to budget, it is important to decide when you will work those hours. You may find blocks of time that are convenient. If you want to work on your business for 10 hours a week and your child goes to preschool for three hours every morning, you have a built-in time in which to work. You probably will find as  I did , though, that you must adjust your schedule so that you work for a few hours  before the kids wake up and at other times throughout the day. It is vital that you create this schedule now because otherwise, it will be too easy to work too much or to put off work for other tasks. During the school year this is easier due to being at school for 6 to 7 hours a  day. 

Now you have a schedule. You will need to make sure everyone else in your family respects it. If you are lucky enough to have a dedicated office space as I do , I made  you’re the . Let your family members know that when the sign is posted, you are not available unless it is an emergency. Everyone - your children and your husband needs to know that you are working when the sign is posted.

You can still have set hours without an office; it only means that you will have a bit more work to do. Working from a corner in the living room or a portion of your bedroom means that you need to post your schedule elsewhere. Write down your schedule and put it in a highly visible place. Let your kids and hubby  know that you are working according to that schedule. You will have to stand firm here, too, because you may find it tempting to drop everything and play tea party with your toddler or have a cup of coffee with your partner. You must respect your work hours, though, from both ends. When your workday stops, come out of your office and give your full attention to your family. If you do not, then you will find that you never get a break and can face burnout.

One of the biggest challenges is when others know you are at home during the day. Your family will not be the only ones who will take advantage of your time once you begin to stay at home. If the neighborhood folks with several small children or your good friend who is a stay at home mom or scores of other people find out that you work from home, they will begin to invade on your time. Your schedule becomes vital to your success here as you will need to make sure that you do not cave in when they ask for favors or to go out. Be firm about your work. It is acceptable to remind other that you do work from home, and you need to spend your days working so that you can spend other time with family and friends. If you must, do not answer the phone during the day. Answer personal email only in the evenings. Make conscious decisions to use your time to work.

When you first begin working from home, it is important to keep a log of what you do with your work time. You may think that you are working solid for four hours a day, but a detailed breakdown could reveal that you only work three hours and spend the other hour surfing the net or doing meaningless tasks. Write down everything you do and times associated with the tasks for the first two weeks you are working at home. Then evaluate your list and see what you need to change and if there are areas where you could improve. One thing that I used now is timekeeper software especially when I am freelancing. 

Remember that working from home still means that you are working. You must take yourself - and your job - seriously if you expect anyone else to. If you are clear about your schedule, then you will find that other people will be more likely to treat your work with the respect it deserves.