Finding a Work-at-Home Opportunity
Cyberagents, Virtual Assistants and Hobbyists
Working from home can be great for parents and retirees. But exploring the world of work-at-home opportunities can leave a person dazed and confused. Here are a few ideas
As companies have worked to reduce overhead costs while still meeting customer demands for quality service, several new practices have developed over the past few years. These include not only offshoring -- a word that seems to bring shudders of fear to many employees – but also a more employee-friendly concept known as homeshoring.
According to Business Week homeshoring is all about moving call center positions to the suburbs -- rather than offshoring them overseas -- where “cyberagents” work from home.
CYBERAGENTS
For the cyberagents, it means they gain flexibility and control (shifts can last as little as 15 minutes) along with a short commute, while companies get workers who are paid only for the time spent on the phone, technology that can monitor performance with precision, and overhead that is about as low as it can get. The cost of hiring someone in-house is approximately $31 an hour (base plus benefits and incidental costs) versus the $21 an hour for using a virtual cyberagent.
Something potential cyberagents should keep in mind about homeshoring opportunities: unlike JetBlue Airways, one of the most famous homeshoring practitioners that uses approximately 1,400 reservation agents who work from home and are employees, most homeshoring jobs are independent contractor positions offered by outsourcing companies like Alpine Access, a company that handles calls for retailers like J. Crew and 1-800-Flowers and uses approximately 7,500 home-based agents. Or there is Convergys, which is in the process of tripling the number of its home-based agents from 1,000 to 3,000.
Because of the contractor status, cyberagents are responsible for their own benefits and taxes, and any start up costs associated with setting up a home office.
VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS
For those who prefer something other than customer service for their home-based jobs there are other options. According to an article at CNNMoney.com, virtual assistants, who handle all the typical administrative assistant responsibilities like call forwarding, audio-conferencing, and preparing and submitting documents, can also find work-at-home opportunities through companies such as Staffcentrix, which has been matching people with virtual assistant jobs since 1999, or Virtual Office Temps.
One final option for those in pursuit of working from home: consider turning a hobby into a career.
The immediate benefit for a hobbyist turned professional is the ability to call their own shots and have complete control without being responsible to an employment service or traditional organization. Then again, with responsibility comes accountability.
That’s why it is very important to ask questions like: will the hobby still be enjoyable if it’s work and what is the non-hobby side of being in business? However, for many the chance to turn a passion into a home-based business oppotunity is the only way to go.
So whether it’s being a cyberagent, a virtual assistant, or a professional hobbyist, there are a lot of opportunities for individuals who want flexibility and choice in how they earn a living. It’s just a matter of identifying the right work-at-home opportunity.
