Since I’m suffering a return bout of agoraphobia and don’t know when I’ll be able to go back to working outside my home (and desperately need the income), I was curious to know if any work-at-home programs are legitimate. A couple of years ago, I searched all over the net, all in vain I might add, trying to find one that would be on the up-and-up. However, after doing some cursory research via Google this go 'round, I still can’t come up with anything and thought that maybe some Dopers here might’ve had some experience with them and could advise me of such. And I’ve got to start making money again soon. It’s getting dire around here and it’s already been over a month.
Also, mods, I repeatedly tried to do a search of GQ to see if this topic had already been covered, but the hamsters wouldn’t let me. I’m so sorry. If it has been done, could someone with better skills than mine link to it please? Oh, and I hope I posted this in the right forum. If not, I sincerely apologize and hope it can easily be moved.
Thanks for any suggestions or recommendations. I truly appreciate any and all help.
Selling crafts/gift baskets/what have you through an website store
eBay
some telemarketing
medical transcription or billing, but would probably have to leave home to train for it
taking in mending or other repairs
possibly Avon (leave catalogues around with your phone # on the back)
babysitting
Some regular companies need the odd person to do a piecework job that can be done from home, so don’t forget to look through the regular ads. Dh programs phone systems with IP Office and sends them out to customers, as a sideline.
I have some symptoms of agoraphobia, too, so I sympathize. Good luck to you!
Attrayant, thanks for the links. I hadn’t thought of BoardReader, just a plain ol’ search.
And Elemenopy (love your user name!), I should have at least mentioned that I have an extensive amount of experience in the data entry/general office work field. Some of the things you suggest sound at least plausible, like medical transcriptioning, and I wouldn’t mind driving or leaving home to train. I better stay away from eBay though. God, that’s addicting enough as it is. However, tell me more about that phone sex thing. Maybe there’s hope for me yet.
I’m also sorry to hear that you’re another agoraphobia sufferer. Seems like there are a lot of us out there. We should form a group.
I think there are darn few legitimate stay at home jobs and those that do exist do not pay much. (starting your own business a different creature of course)
Back in another job, I managed an area and did hiring during the difficult-to-hire late 90’s. I was amazed at the number of people that would apply but then want to work at home. I did have someone who worked from home after she had a kid but she was GOOD, experienced and worked hard. With these people, I had the feeling they wanted to be paid to raise their own kids.
I brought up this experience to other managers in other companies and they had the same problem. Several of them told me that their company had a strict policy that any day you worked from home you had to show proof that your child was being taken care of away from your home. If you fabricated you were never allowed to work from home again. Most just wouldn’t allow working from home.
I tell you this because I want you to know what you may face trying to find a job that allows you to work from home. They will be very doubtful of your motives. It will be especially hard finding a job that allows you to start working at the company from home. There are a few but they worked at the company for awhile and have proven themselves.
Jobs you will find will pay you by the task, not a salary or by the hour in order to get around the ‘paying you to raise your own kids’ aspect. They will also be very short-fused on computer/technology problems. You need to trouble-shoot yourself.
A vendor of ours had legitimate work from home jobs. In fact, most of their staff is work from home. They employ people to take written surveys and convert them to data on computer. You are paid by the keystroke. Not huge money but they employed people full time and part time and had benefits and all. I imagine there are these businesses in every larger city.
My sister build reproduction tiffany lamps at home, under the auspices of a distributor; they’d mail her the kit, she’d put 'em together, send 'em back, and got a little money. Didn’t pay a lot, but she said it was quiet and absorbing work.
Since I’ve pretty much been out of work for the last half a dozen years (excluding this last one), not making very much money wouldn’t be much of an issue. Also, I don’t have any kids (unless my pets count ;)) so I hope that would work in my favor. Other than that, I really do appreciate all the advice. If anyone has any more, please keep 'em coming.
I am not a therapist. Not at all. Are you sure you have agoraphopia? have you been diagnosed, and are you getting treatment? My neice “had agoraphobia” for several years until I quit (financially} supporting her, and she had to get a job. She found that she was uncomfortable at first, going to work, but not pertified. She’s ok now. She was mostly just way too fat, and ashamed of her appearance. And lazy. I don’t know why the doctors didn’t just tell her that in the first place.
We tried out that work-at-home stuff. Not only was it a rip-off, but it was enabling. She tried them all, it seemed. Some of them can cost you money.
I wish you well, and hope you can defeat the feelings that keep you isolated.
Peace,
mangeorge
Although there are some legitimate work-from-home opportunities, it’s a field that is absolutely overflowing with scams.
Before you get involved with any work-from-home position, and particularly before you send any money, check out Scams 101, particularly the sections on typing and data entry, envelope stuffing, and home assembly work. That way you’ll be able to sort out the legitimate offers from the cons.
I saw recently that one of the airlines, I think it was Jet Blue, had converted it’s phone reservation staff to home office. They give you a phone and a computer and route the calls to you.
To answer mangeorge- Yes, I’ve been professionally diagnosed with agoraphobia and I’m sorry that some people take advantage of having problems like that just to get out of working or whatever. They make it very difficult for those who do suffer from something like this and lay the ground work for others to not believe them. Only speaking for myself, I’d give anything to be 100% normal, functioning and contributing again. I keep trying and, until I find a way, won’t give up.
Also, for right now, I definitely won’t take on any of these programs that would require I pay them anything up front. Mostly, because I don’t want to be scammed, but also since I’m so unbelievably broke.
Thanks to everyone else for the advice and good thoughts. I’m going to thoroughly check out all the links posted; as well as continue my search for some sort of regular employment that might not seem so taxing. Here’s me crossing my fingers.
I work at home, as a translator. My situation is different, because most clients and agencies actually prefer you to work at home.
I don’t know much about these companies advertising envelope stuffing jobs and the like, but anyone that wants you to pay them for the privelege of working is not on the level.
Assuming that the few companies offering legitimate distance work over the web are probably overwhelmed with applicants, I would suggest taking Mohamed to the mountain, as it were.
I don’t know what your qualifications or skills are, or what work you have done in the past. You need to write a list of the things you are good at, and then see if you can match them with a job that doesn’t require you to be in the office. Then look for suitable jobs advertised in the conventional way, and see if you can persuade the employer to let you work at home. A covering letter explaining your situation could do the trick if read by a sympathetic and open-minded person.
As I said, I don’t know what you’re good at, but such jobs could include proofreading/editing, data entry, typing etc. I doubt if you’ll find anything overnight though. My mother is not agoraphobic, but ten years ago or so she needed to work at home for other reasons, and started off working for a university, just checking lists of addresses and entering them into a computer database. She found this job advertised as a holiday job for students, not as a work-at-home opportunity, but was able to take her work home with her.
A friend of mine suggested I try liveops.com. I can’t say much about this but he’s doing it and says they’re fine. Not telemarketing, sort of an answering service.
Maybe there’s hope for me yet.