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Work at Home Jobs: Fee or Free?
Posted 09-30-2008 at 09:06 AM by WritingMadwoman
There are a lot of work at home opportunities on the internet these days; everything from telecommuting jobs, to home businesses, to blogging for money. With so many options, it can often be hard to tell the legitimate opportunities from scams, especially when many of them charge some kind of fee. This article is going to break down various options and explain when it's okay to pay money for an opportunity and when it's not.
Telecommuting Jobs
Legitimate telecommuting jobs will NEVER require a fee. Don't fall for clever language that some of the scams use, like the assertion that they have to charge money so they'll know you are "serious" about working from home, or trying to pass it off as an "administrative fee". Real companies that hire telecommuters won't ask for money from their applicants.
Exception: Some companies do require a background check which the applicant usually pays for. But you should do this only once you know for sure the company is legitimate; if you have spoken to other people who work for them, or the company has been in business for some time and has a good reputation, etc.
Telecommuting Job Databases
There are a few good job databases online that focus strictly on telecommuting jobs, and these usually do require a fee to join, either a one-time fee or an ongoing monthly membership fee. This is not the same thing as paying for a job, because these sites do not promise that you will find a job - they just offer you access to their database. You're basically paying for the convenience of having others do the legwork and find good leads for you. This would be a good option if you want to find a telecommuting job quickly but don't have a lot of time available to search yourself.
Note: Some of these databases are filled with scams and few legitimate opportunities. Do your research before joining any of them so you can be sure you pick a good one.
Home Businesses
Direct sales opportunities, multi-level marketing, network marketing, and other types of home businesses will usually require a start-up fee of some kind. Most often you will receive something in exchange for your money, like a product sample kit or other starter kit.
Note: Some of these opportunities are presented as "work at home opportunities" but they are different than actual work at home jobs. These opportunities do not pay a salary or include any kind of benefits like some work at home jobs do. You would be working for yourself.
Unclear Opportunities
Sometimes you'll come across work at home opportunities that make it hard to tell what it really is. For example, I recently came across an ad for processing rebates at home. Curious, I began investigating further and discovered that it's actually a form of affiliate marketing (promoting other people's products for a commission on each sale you generate). Affiliate marketing is absolutely a legitimate type of business - but this particular opportunity was portrayed as a "job", which it is definitely not.
Even more confusing was the fact that the website required a $100+ fee to join the program. In fact, there was no "program" - you just get instructions about how to market products as an affiliate and offer your customers "rebates" when they buy through your affiliate link. Needless to say, this opportunity wouldn't be a good fit for the majority of people seeking work at home "jobs".
Note: If you're not clear on exactly what the job or opportunity is and exactly what you would be doing, it's wise to research further - especially if they are charging a fee.
Bottom line - don't pay for a work at home job, and tread carefully when other types of work at home "opportunities" are presented to you. Use common sense and research as much as you can before making any decisions. If something doesn't seem right or you feel doubtful or suspicious for any reason, walk away.
Would you like to learn more about the ins and outs of working from home? Telecommuting (working from home) is fast becoming one of the hottest career choices today. People everywhere are escaping the rat race and enjoying the true freedom and flexibility that telecommuting can provide. If you are ready to do the same, visit http://www.Telecommuting123.com/success.html today and download our free guide, "How to Be a Telecommuting Success".
Telecommuting Jobs
Legitimate telecommuting jobs will NEVER require a fee. Don't fall for clever language that some of the scams use, like the assertion that they have to charge money so they'll know you are "serious" about working from home, or trying to pass it off as an "administrative fee". Real companies that hire telecommuters won't ask for money from their applicants.
Exception: Some companies do require a background check which the applicant usually pays for. But you should do this only once you know for sure the company is legitimate; if you have spoken to other people who work for them, or the company has been in business for some time and has a good reputation, etc.
Telecommuting Job Databases
There are a few good job databases online that focus strictly on telecommuting jobs, and these usually do require a fee to join, either a one-time fee or an ongoing monthly membership fee. This is not the same thing as paying for a job, because these sites do not promise that you will find a job - they just offer you access to their database. You're basically paying for the convenience of having others do the legwork and find good leads for you. This would be a good option if you want to find a telecommuting job quickly but don't have a lot of time available to search yourself.
Note: Some of these databases are filled with scams and few legitimate opportunities. Do your research before joining any of them so you can be sure you pick a good one.
Home Businesses
Direct sales opportunities, multi-level marketing, network marketing, and other types of home businesses will usually require a start-up fee of some kind. Most often you will receive something in exchange for your money, like a product sample kit or other starter kit.
Note: Some of these opportunities are presented as "work at home opportunities" but they are different than actual work at home jobs. These opportunities do not pay a salary or include any kind of benefits like some work at home jobs do. You would be working for yourself.
Unclear Opportunities
Sometimes you'll come across work at home opportunities that make it hard to tell what it really is. For example, I recently came across an ad for processing rebates at home. Curious, I began investigating further and discovered that it's actually a form of affiliate marketing (promoting other people's products for a commission on each sale you generate). Affiliate marketing is absolutely a legitimate type of business - but this particular opportunity was portrayed as a "job", which it is definitely not.
Even more confusing was the fact that the website required a $100+ fee to join the program. In fact, there was no "program" - you just get instructions about how to market products as an affiliate and offer your customers "rebates" when they buy through your affiliate link. Needless to say, this opportunity wouldn't be a good fit for the majority of people seeking work at home "jobs".
Note: If you're not clear on exactly what the job or opportunity is and exactly what you would be doing, it's wise to research further - especially if they are charging a fee.
Bottom line - don't pay for a work at home job, and tread carefully when other types of work at home "opportunities" are presented to you. Use common sense and research as much as you can before making any decisions. If something doesn't seem right or you feel doubtful or suspicious for any reason, walk away.
Would you like to learn more about the ins and outs of working from home? Telecommuting (working from home) is fast becoming one of the hottest career choices today. People everywhere are escaping the rat race and enjoying the true freedom and flexibility that telecommuting can provide. If you are ready to do the same, visit http://www.Telecommuting123.com/success.html today and download our free guide, "How to Be a Telecommuting Success".
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