1. Read my work at home guide:
http://www.workathomensocams.com/workathomeguide

a. It will provide you with a list of companies that hire work at home seekers in various industries including some in your field of expertise.
b. It will teach you how to find more jobs and avoid being scammed.

I hope it helps.

Good luck.

Thanks again Lisa!

Yes, I agree, it’s horses for courses – not everyone would be suited to becoming a Virtual Assistant, because indeed you become your own boss. It’s not like having a job at all, which has its pros and cons. Personally, as you know, I love it partly because I know that if one of my clients decides not to use my services any more, I am not reliant on that one client, because I have multiple clients. So it’s just a matter of replacing that client with another one.

With a job, you’re reliant on one single employer. I could never go back to the ‘job’ mentality, but that’s me.

Ironically, the current economic climate is causing a boom in demand for Virtual Assistants, because companies still need help; they can’t afford a full-time employee, so they’re turning to Virtual Assistants as a cost-effective solution. This is being reflected by ever-growing numbers of people who are interested in becoming a Virtual Assistant – I know this because of the increasing number of inquiries I’m getting as to how to become a VA, and by the growth in ‘newbies’ joining VA forums to ‘learn the ropes’.

Anyway, as you’ve said, it’s worth checking out the article at http://www.workathomenoscams.com/2008/03/24/virtual-assistant/ to see if it would be an option for those interested in working at home for themselves.

I’m aware that the focus of your original post is about affiliate marketing. I’ve also had good success with affiliate marketing myself, so I can attest to the fact that it’s another legitimate way of making money online. At the end of the day, it’s about focus, persistence, hard work and determination. These universal laws will never change!

Lisa

Great to hear from you again. I hear what you’re saying, but the fact of the matter is most people want jobs. i know you’re aware of this just based on offline discussions we’ve had. Most of these folks are under the impression that there is security in jobs, they don’t want the headache of being the boss or don’t think they can be the boss. So becoming a virtual assistant isn’t even an option for them which brings us back to square one.

It’s unfortunate because being a V.A. would be the answer to their prayers. But it also involves a lot more work & a switch of mentality. But maybe this discussion will give folks something to consider. If so, check out the following article: http://www.workathomenoscams.com/2008/03/24/virtual-assistant/

In any event, thanks for chiming in Lisa. It’s always good to have a different perspective about this stuff. You’re a shinning example that being a VA is a great way to get paid to do what you want if you’re willing to work at it and be your own boss.

I simply must add a contribution to your article. As a Virtual Assistant, I have to disagree with the premise that typing and data entry jobs are on the verge of extinction. I have a couple of clients who need ongoing help with digital transcription, however I outsource this to other VA’s as I hate typing! I know that there are many more potential clients who need help with this kind of work.

If we just take the example of the internet marketing arena, there are countless internet marketers who produce content in the form of audio interviews and webinars. These audios can be turned into ebooks to sell on the internet, by getting a Virtual Assistant to transcribe the audio content into a document. In addition, the content can be transcribed and chunked down into articles.

In terms of data entry, I can give you an example of a client who wanted someone to copy data from a range of clothing brochures, and enter it onto a website. This was also ongoing work. Just because people can type or enter data on their own, doesn’t mean to say they’re going to do it. It’s not an effective use of their time!

I’m sure there are many, many other examples of data entry and typing.

However, I agree that you should be very skeptical if a work at home product, site or service promises you typing or data entry jobs in return for a fee. These ARE usually scams, targeting those who are after an ‘easy’ work at home opportunity.

Note that the examples I gave above of ‘real’ typing and data entry jobs were not obtained by paying a fee to an anonymous site. They were won by marketing my business as a Virtual Assistant to attract bona fide clients. Obviously, it’s harder and more challenging to market yourself like this rather than pay a fee to a site, but ultimately much more profitable and rewarding!

Great post you got there! Another insight has just opened for everyone planning to shift from being employed to start working at home.

Looking forward for your another post.. More power!!!