What type of work at home jobs are truly viable? What would one have to do to find a job like that?
Thanks,
SC
only jobs that neither you or I have any interest or skill in doing. Or jobs that require you to go months without a paycheck and get one big check at the end of the contract (“oh sure, I’ll pay my mortgage with the line of credit at the bank and pay that with my Visa”). Can you tell I’m cynical about my job now? 
There are a lot of jobs you can do at home. I work at home for myself and do a lot of different things. I just call myself an Artist since I do:
Custom black and white photography
Photo restoration
Custom stained glass
Web page development
Writing
Research
And a whole bunch of other fun things. It wasn’t easy to get here though, I had to build up a lot of contacts and then went solo. My best advice to you is find something you really love to do, get really good at it, pay off ALL your debts (as best you can) and then start up your own business. I say pay off all your debts since you do need to have a cash reserve because sometimes business is slow. Also you don’t have to wait until you’re old and wise, I’m only 33 and have been doing very well at this for over 2 years.
You have to be VERY lucky to get a good job, let alone a great one.
I started a a programmer (good pay, somewhat boring / anti-social).
I left on a whim to a job in chess administration. I should have realised there would be problems at the interview. Sample questions: ‘are you married, or going to be married?’…’ will you sign a contract to buy a local house in 6 weeks?’…
They nearly went bankrupt in 3 months - there was just enough to pay me off. So I tried going back, but my old job had gone.
Slight depression - then I got offered my present job teaching chess, roleplaying and computer games. I work from home and I love it!
I am so jealous. I have a degree in classical guitar and composition. It takes a long time to develop a studio/repertoire to actually make any decent money at it. If I taught. I guess that since I am still relatively young (24) that I have time to do that. The main problem is that if I go solo, I won’t have the job benefits, insurance, retirement plan that I have now. I still would like to hear of other jobs like this.
Thanks,
SC
Well, it’s much tougher these days than it was when I started 2 1/2 years ago, but back then, when I got into Internet Porn, I was making $10,000 a month within 3 months of starting.
But like I said, things have changed drastically and most of the people who were doing well back then had to get out of the business.
I’m still in it, but I have a very special site. (Shrug)
He who laughs last thinks slowest.
Do you REALLY do internet porn?!? I’m intrigued. I’ve often thought about getting into that business. Seems like most people won’t even go there - meaning there must be some great opportunities if you’re willing to tell your parents you do porn for a living. What’s it like?
Athena – if you don’t want to tell the folks about it there is another thing that is similar. Write. I write erotic novels under a different name and NO ONE knows about it. It’s not so much that I’m ashamed it’s just that I don’t want them to read it and think I do that myself. Things that sell best? Check out the line “Blue Moon” or “Black Lace”. It’s really a lot of fun but hard to type with just one hand (kidding!).
You can count the number of apples in one tree but never the number of trees in one apple.
Athena:
Of course I do. Would I come in here and lie? it’s listed in my profile.
I started out by having a crummy site that ran banners, that’s how I made the big bucks. But that was back in the days when it was relatively easy for someone reasonably clever to manipulate the search engines. Those days are pretty much over, and the key to making money is traffic. And porn is the most competitive area on the internet if you are trying to get traffic. Logically, since porn is still the only thing on the net that makes any real money. That and ebay selling, which runs a distant second.
I also have no problem telling my parents anything. Even if they disapprove, which my mother kinda does, why should I care? I am not ashamed of it, and I am vry much a grown woman. I wouldn’t do something I had any personal shame about, and I leave it to others to figure out how they feel about it and act however they feel they must. Being the person I am, however, I surround myself with the sort of people who dont’ have issues with it. Although only 1 or 2 other people in my circle are issue-free enough to think about doing it themselves.
I wouldn’t recommend getting into it now, unless you have helluva lot of capital and a really good understanding of the business. Things just arent’ the same as they used to be.
He who laughs last thinks slowest.
Byzantine, I have some questions I want to ask you but I can’t get your e-mail link to work…would you e-mail me please?
VV
I would have loved to be part of a team that DHs / assists writing for an on-going project. Some of what I come up with here is as good as what other people get big bucks for, so I know its in my skill set and my comfort zone.
Yuu bump a 15 year old thread to explain that you wish you died painfully 13 years ago?