| A freelancer is an independent contractor. | | | | opportunity for a business to improve |
| Have you been looking for freelance | | | | services and provide training. The shopper |
| employment? Are you thinking you have the | | | | provides detailed reports answering the |
| skills and discipline to work independently? | | | | questions posed in guidelines for conducting |
| With a computer, high speed internet, phone, | | | | each shop.This is not a field in which you'll |
| fax and skills you can work from home in | | | | get rich. You may find steady work if you |
| almost any field with companies in almost any | | | | provide great reports, follow job guidelines |
| country. Companies benefit by working with | | | | exactly and live in an area where frequent |
| freelancers or contractors because they are | | | | shops occur. Signing up with multiple |
| not responsible for employment/tax costs. | | | | mystery shopping service providers should |
| Make sure your home environment fits with the | | | | bring you more frequent mystery shopping |
| type of work you want to do. If you plan to | | | | jobs.How Much Do Mystery Shopping Jobs |
| do phone work, you can't have sounds of small | | | | Pay?Mystery Shopping pay rates vary depending |
| children or dogs barking in your background. | | | | on the type of assignment and establishment. |
| Companies still want their home workers to | | | | Sometimes it is just reimbursement for money |
| appear to be working in the companies' | | | | spent during the shop. You are given a set |
| offices.Writing/Editing/ProofreadingIf you're | | | | spending limit and are told if it will be |
| hoping to find job listings for writers or | | | | reimbursed. For example, you shop an express |
| freelance photography jobs there are | | | | lube service. Your oil change and lube will |
| opportunities online. In previous times | | | | cost $29. You are reimbursed $29. In |
| freelance writers and photographers contacted | | | | another case you shop a supermarket, you pay |
| magazine and book publishers with samples | | | | for the job is $11 and up to $6 of your |
| sent via the mail. Now, you can search the | | | | purchase will be reimbursed. Your total pay |
| web and find organizations hiring freelancers | | | | for the job is $17. Shopping auto |
| of all sorts. Freelance writing, editing and | | | | dealerships, property management firms, and |
| proofreading are valuable services to many | | | | other such establishments often pay a rate |
| businesses. Companies can't afford to | | | | anywhere from $30 to $75. Other examples: |
| distribute documents and marketing materials | | | | retail stores pay $10 -$30/shop, fast food |
| that contain errors. An extra pair of eyes | | | | $5-$15/shop, casual dining restaurants pay |
| help to find errors that could be costly or | | | | $15 to $30 with a meal allowance of $15 - |
| embarrassing. They need accurate and | | | | $20.Virtual AssistantIf your administrative |
| professional workers to create and polish | | | | skills are strong you may consider being a |
| written materials. | | | | Virtual Assistant. A Virtual Assistant (VA) |
| | | | supports one or more businesses remotely. |
| There is a wide range of pay. Low paying | | | | Duties may include secretarial work, meeting |
| jobs range from $10 per article to $200 per | | | | and travel planning, project management and |
| educational paper. High paying jobs range | | | | web maintenance. As an independent |
| from $600 to $1,000 per article. Ghost | | | | contractor you'll decide with whom you'll |
| writing a novel can get you thousands.Web | | | | work and how and when you'll work.Clients are |
| DevelopersWith technological advances | | | | most often small businesses and will hire a |
| telecommuting jobs became possible and | | | | Virtual Administrative Assistant to save |
| prevalent. Freelance opportunities have | | | | money. Since you are working from home you |
| moved beyond writing and photography. Other | | | | use your own equipment and the client incurs |
| freelance employment areas to explore include | | | | not employment costs like taxes and benefits. |
| jobs for web developers. Web developers | | | | You are responsible for your own taxes as an |
| usually offer HTML and programming services | | | | independent contractor. Virtual assistants |
| to create interactive or database driven | | | | can support just about any industry. The |
| websites. Web developers are programmers and | | | | ones hiring VA's most often include real |
| work with web based code like ASP, .NET, Cold | | | | estate, coaching, financial services, |
| Fusion, DHTML, Javascript, PHP, SQL and | | | | accounting and legal.You can learn how to |
| more. Web development and web maintenance | | | | become a VA and earn certification through |
| are viable freelance jobs ideal for work at | | | | one of many online training organizations. |
| home."Someone who wants to be a developer has | | | | These organizations work with your existing |
| to have a good eye, think like a programmer | | | | skill and teach you how to create, operate |
| and have some graphic design capabilities. If | | | | and become successful in your VA business. |
| you only know HTML then you won't get very | | | | Many refer you to your first virtual |
| far and will find that you have a lot of | | | | assistant job. You should research training |
| limitations to the types of sites you can | | | | providers well before paying for |
| build", says Joey Costa, owner of The Tek in | | | | training.Virtual Assistants usually charge by |
| Cary, NC. In addition to HTML, you should | | | | the hour. Rates range from $25 to $50 per |
| know C programming, pearl, and good graphics | | | | hour. Some VA's work with clients on a |
| programs like Photoshop.Mystery | | | | retainer. The VA is paid up front and the |
| ShoppingConsider also, mystery shopping. | | | | client sends work when needed.Read more about |
| Mystery shoppers provide businesses with much | | | | working from home.Michelle Yanik, is co-owner |
| needed information on customer service and | | | | of Smart Moms, a company committed to being |
| help increasing sales. A mystery shopper | | | | the top online resource for moms who want to |
| covertly evaluates the cleanliness of a | | | | earn money from home and find work/life |
| facility, how products are placed, the | | | | balance. |
| staff's helpfulness and knowledge. It is an | | | | |