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