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Telecommuting Careers - Work At Home

Telecommuting careers have many benefits for both employers and employees. So if your boss doesn't seem to keen on the idea, try pointing out a few of the advantages. Telecommuters are actually significantly more productive than their office based counterparts, due to not having as many distractions and the lack of time wasted traveling to work. And they save the company money, as they don't require office space and equipment, although many companies will provide some of the necessary equipment.

People who work at home have much more flexibility in terms of where they live. As a result, employees are more likely to remain with the same employer for a longer period. Having to employ new staff is a costly procedure and so this is particularly advantageous to the organization. Telecommuters can also be employed on a part-time or contract basis, which again saves money for the employer.

But if you are looking at a real as opposed to a virtual business, costs are likely to be a lot higher.

The type of jobs best suited to telecommuting are those which involve working at a computer, such as accounting, book-keeping, word processing, data entry, graphic design, photography and web design. Other possibilities are jobs which involve visiting clients at home, for example health visitors and midwives.

Even if you can persuade your boss that working at home will benefit his business, you will still need to convince your boss that you are the ideal candidate for teleworking. Do you have the discipline to sit down at the computer at 9 o'clock and do the contracted number of hours per day? Or will you be tempted by daytime TV, the sunshine and the park or interruptions from friends and family?

If you current job is not suitable or your boss is not happy to allow you to work at home, there are various options. You could look out for contract work in the area of work in which you are already involved, perhaps trying it out at weekends or in the evening to test the water. This will help you discover if there is enough work out there and you are sufficiently experienced and qualified to get it. In addition it will help you decide if you like working at home, before you make the leap from employment to self-employment.

Another option is to set up a business in a different area, perhaps retraining in a field you have always been interested in or learning about web design and online marketing.

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