How to Make Money at Home

Most of us love the idea of earning extra income or quitting our full-time jobs altogether and working from home. But aren’t all the home-based opportunities just scams?

Not at all. There are plenty of authentic and reliable ways to make money by working from home. The secret is knowing how to separate the scams from the real jobs.

Here’s a hint: Legitimate jobs will typically never require you to pay a fee to get more information, and they don’t come in unsolicited junk e-mail messages.

Still, there’s plenty of earning potential in working from home. "Companies are learning they can save a lot of money by hiring home-based working moms to do projects such as word processing, writing, computer programming, even tutoring," says Lesley Spencer Pyle, founder of Home-Based Working Moms ( hbwm.com).

Most of the jobs listed below require an up-to-date computer, a high-speed Internet connection, a phone with a dedicated land line and a quiet place to work. Imagine reporting to work in your pajamas!

Customer service rep

Many companies, such as J. Crew, Express Jet, 1-800-flowers, and even the IRS, outsource customer service operations to third-party companies who then hire home-based workers or "agents" to take calls and orders. When you call 1-800-flowers, you may be speaking with Rebecca Dooley, a retired police officer and employee of Alpine Access, a major call center service. When you dialed the number, your call was automatically routed to Rebecca’s spare bedroom in Colorado.

Alpine Access currently employs more than 7,500 work-at-home customer service agents who take in-bound calls (there’s no outbound or cold calling) for dozens of companies. "This works perfectly for me because I can set up my hours around my family’s busy lifestyle," says Rebecca, who usually works 20 to 32 hours a week, depending on her schedule.

While the typical hourly rate is about $9, Alpine Access agents can earn up to $20 an hour with incentives and bonuses. Rebecca also receives benefits and a matching 401(k) plan. (Some companies consider their staff independent contractors, so they don’t provide benefits.) Go toalpineaccess.com. Other companies that hire virtual call agents: