By VIPDesk [5]
Alexandria, VA – June 17, 2009-As telecommuting becomes a viable option for many workers, unfortunately work-at-home scams increase in numbers. Savvy workers, however, can avoid being taken advantage of by a work-at-home scam, while still finding great opportunities to earn money from the comfort of their own home office.
VIPdesk (www.vipdesk.com [6]), the award-winning pioneer of virtual contact center services, has been working with home-based customer service representatives for over 10 years, and has identified the following 10 tips that can help a potential telecommuter identify legitimate work-at-home opportunities.
Top 10 Tips for Identifying Legitimate Work-at-Home Opportunities
1. A legitimate work-at-home opportunity won’t ask you for any sort of “affiliation fee” – if you are asked to spend any money, it should be directly attributed to something you receive for the cost (i.e. training, background or credit check, “starter kit” for direct sales).
2. Do an Internet search on any company that you are speaking with about working at home, and see what is being said about the company in blogs, on twitter, and in the mainstream media.
3. If the company promises unrealistic salaries (such as $5k/week with no experience!), it is too good to be true.
4. Most legitimate organizations don’t advertise work-at-home opportunities via informecials, a sign-taped to a lamp-post, stop sign, or other such venue, or via spam e-mail!
5. Always check with the Better Business Bureau and other consumer advocacy organizations.
6. Look for a job with a defined job description and scope of work.
7. Ensure that the company is a corporate entity with a physical address, phone number, and business history. If there is no headquarters office, be wary.
8. If the company can’t provide employee or customer names, or you have no direct contact within the company or otherwise can’t speak with a “real person”, stay away!
9. For honest, unbiased advice, utilize resources such as:
* Telework Coalition: www.telcoa.org;
* Women For Hire: www.womenforhire.com;
* Rat Rate Rebellion: www.ratracerebellion.com;
10. Always trust your gut. If intuition (and common sense) tells you that the opportunity is too good to be true, it probably is.
“Working from home is a great way that allows hundreds of thousands of people every year to make money, even if they live in an economically depressed area. Telecommuting is also a great way to save money on fuel costs due to a lack of commute,” said Mary Naylor, CEO of VIPdesk. “Working with virtual call centers, doing direct sales, and medical transcription are three areas in which someone can successfully work from home, but it is absolutely imperative that anyone interested in working from home do their due diligence.”
Founded in 1997, VIPdesk is an innovator in the use of a home-based workforce. For more tips on finding legitimate work-at-home opportunities, or for more information on VIPdesk, email [email protected] or call 703-837-3507.
About VIPdesk
VIPdesk specializes in delivering virtual contact center solutions and concierge services to premium brand leaders. We serve more than 40 blue-chip clients with over 10 million customers and are continually recognized through numerous awards, including the Inc. 500, Inc. 5000, NCBEA Business Ethics Award, Stevie Awards for Women in Business and Smart CEO Future 50. To find out more about VIPdesk, visit www.vipdesk.com.
# # #