At Home Job vs Home Based Business

I think that when people are looking to work from home, one of the important things that needs to be looked at is the differences between having an at home job vs having a home based business. First let's look at one of the bigger mis-guided things about these two separate positions. Is it a scam if you have to pay to get into it? Most people think right away yes, and they are both right and wrong in thinking this.

The reason that they can be wrong in thinking this is because people like to mix at-home jobs and home based businesses together into one. Where in reality these are two entirely different things. An at-home job is just what it says, you are working for someone and getting compensated for the work you do. That can be hourly, by commission, or by whatever terms they hire you under. However instead of getting in your car every morning and driving to work you are getting out of bed and walking to your home office. In this type of situation you should not have to pay anything to get the job! Just like you wouldn't pay the Hotel to hire you as a front desk clerk, you should not ever have to pay to have an at home job.

Here is an example of at home jobs you shouldn't have to pay to work for. Customer service jobs...you can get a job doing inbound and outbound customer service jobs for many different companies right now and more and more companies are turning to home workers to cut down on costs. So these types of jobs are now pretty easy to find. Sales jobs...if you have sales experience or are looking to get into that you can find many companies hiring individuals to sell their products for them, be it credit card machines or jewelry the sky is the limit.

In most cases with a sales job you would need to leave your home to meet with potential buyers but that is not always the case. Administrative or Book Keeping...a lot of companies are now hiring people to do these types of jobs at home as well. All it takes is experience and a good home office. Web Design...this is a great at home job if you love art and designing. There are lots of companies that need experienced people to help them create websites and many other artistic en devours. These are just some of the at home jobs you can get right now and none of them should ask you for any money to work for them!

Now on to Home Based Businesses. A home based business is again just what it sounds like, you are going into business but instead of doing it the brick and mortar way you are doing it from home. In other words instead of going out and buying or leasing a building, fixing it up, hiring people to work it and so on you are choosing to reduce all that cost and start your own home based company/business instead. Most home based businesses are run on the Internet, you can start your own just like you would with a brick and mortar business or you can do the usually more inexpensive and stress free way of joining or partnering up with one already established.

In this case you need to understand that you will most likely always need to invest in this type of en devour. It is not like a job where you are paid to do the work for the business owner you are instead paying to start your own business. So the first question you need to ask yourself when making the decision to work at home is do I want to have a job or do I want to have a business? Then once you are clear on that you are going to be able to judge opportunities correctly. If you want a job it is most likely a scam or no good if they ask you for money.

However if you want a business an investment is almost always required and should not raise red flags to you that the business you are looking into is a scam. Now not all at home jobs that don't ask you for money are great, you have to be smart about it. Look at the company very closely, and look them up on the Better Business Bureau. If you get a bad vibe from the company, trust that gut instinct and look elsewhere. The same goes for starting a home based business, make sure that you are partnering with a reputable company. Do you like their products/services, is it something you can get behind and will be glad to invest in?

Again look them up on the Better Business Bureau to make sure they are reputable. Or if you are starting your own business make sure it is something that people want right now, look at the investment amount it will take to get it up and running. Look at the marketing costs etc. So now that you have a little more understanding on the differences of an at home job and a home based business you can begin your search for that perfect opportunity. Good luck and if you need help on finding a good home job or home business please feel free to contact me.

Beth Linden, Life Style Mentor and Successful Entrepreneur, is helping many become the next success story. Whether you're looking to create an extra few thousand dollars per month, be an ex-corporate executive, or the next millionaire Mom, Beth can assist you to create a second stream of income and greater peace of mind. visit : 5 Steps to a Better Day