Working at Home While Homeschooling

A lot of homeschooling families give up a second income so that one parent can stay home with the kids full-time and guide their education. This is not always easy to do, or even feasible if the family's debt is significant. The holy grail for many homeschooling parents is a work-at-home job. Setting your own hours, making extra money from the comfort of your kitchen or living room, and not having to worry about money going to babysitters or the bother of commuting seems too good to be true, but it isn't. There are may work-at-home opportunities, if you know where to look, and what you're getting into.

The first thing to consider is whether you are looking for a work at home job, or to start a home-based business.

A work-at-home job is when you are hired by someone to do your tasks at home, and for that you collect a steady paycheck at the end of the week, or the end of the month. The problem with work-at-home jobs is that legitimate ones are very difficult to find. Not many employers are willing to hire someone and send them home to do all of their work unsupervised, particularly if the employer would have to supply the person with tools or materials. Their concerns are understandable: the person might not log hours accurately, not do the job up to par, or perhaps never show up again with the work or the materials.

When it comes to work-at-home jobs, there are a lot of scams. When seeking a work-at-home job, it's like a minefield out there, with a lot of bombs to side-step.

Be wary of any company that tells you there is a fee to get started. A lot of "companies" are very vague about the actual work you'll be doing. If a company doesn't outright list a job description and duties, but wants you to pay for the information- forget it. They're most likely just going to sell you a kit so that you can start your own website trying to recruit people to work at home, so that you can send a kit to those who contact you.

Some require a supply fee for assembling products or stuffing envelopes. They tell you they need to do this to cover the costs for people who ask for materials but don't do the work. The scam is that they have you do the work, and say that if your work is up to par or fits their needs, they'll purchase the finished work from you. The problem is, they never do, and never intended to do so.

Legitimate work at home jobs are rare, but are out there- businesses looking to keep overhead low by not having big office facilities, or small businesses that are experiencing a sudden growth spurt may seek work-at-home employees to take some of the workload off. Just be wary and do a thorough background check on any companies that ask you to pay them anything to begin working for them, especially if they're promising lots of money for very little work.

The majority of legitimate jobs you can do at home fall into the home-based business category. Some examples of these are selling Avon, Tupperwear, Pampered Chef, or Creative Memories products. They provide you with a good product and a reputable name, and often offer training from experienced salespersons and support in getting you started in your endeavor, but the work is up to you. Rather than issuing a paycheck, you receive commission. You are not an employee, but an independent contractor. These types of companies often do require a fee, but this is to buy start-up materials for your own home-based business. You'll need to buy supplies from the company, such as samples, catalogs, and forms, in order to conduct business.

If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, these home-based businesses can be a great way to earn an income working mostly from home, allowing you to set your own schedule and work as much or as little as you like.

Of course, you don't need to sign on with any company to work at home. If you have any marketable skills, you can start your own business. This might be making crafts to sell at fairs or online, freelance writing internet content or blogging, or consulting in an area in which you have some education or expertise. To start your own business, look into other similar businesses in your area to see how they are run, and pick up some books on starting a home-based business.

One great thing about homeschooling is you may be able to get the kids involved on some level, which can be a wonderful hands-on educational experience for them.

The benefits of a work-at-home job, if you can come by an honest one, is that you will receive your work without having to be an entrepreneur, and a steady paycheck for the work that you do. The drawbacks are that, like any other job, you may have to go by their hours as opposed to setting your own, have deal with deadlines and keep up your productivity based on the employers needs, and may have to get and install equipment in your home. Some work at home jobs, particularly those that require telecommunications or equipment, may require you to work when your children are not around, which may require babysitters.

The benefits of a home-based business is that you can set your own hours, work as little or as much as you like, and have your children around as much as you like. The drawbacks are that they don't usually turn a profit immediately, may require an initial investment, and require time for you to build your business before your income is steady. Home businesses can especially be difficult for people who are not very good with time management or who are not very self-disciplined, or for people who don't have a go-getter attitude to build up a clientele and sell themselves or their work.

The opportunities of all kinds are out there, however, and can be found. The key to working at home is knowing what you want, doing your research, and doing your best at whatever work you find.