What is this site about?
- homeworkimg.com is a free website aimed at anyone who is thinking about working at home or from home. It provides information, ideas and support to help you find the right work for you. The most successful homeworkers are those who have found their own niche, but this takes time and perseverance to develop. There are no real get-rich-quick schemes and this site shows examples of the many homeworking scams that are around and to be avoided.
- We have many unique visitors each day who are looking for anything from a little part time work at home through to those wanting to be based full time at home. Often, visitors just do not know what is involved in working at home and through the Case Studies on the site can get a feel for the wide range of work that is done at home as well as the different strategies used to cope with the day to day challenges. The site looks at some of the practicalities involved, and shows the different types of work done at home from being self-employed to teleworking.
- Working at home is on the increase with an estimated 1.7 million people in the UK working at least 1 whole day per week for their employer. These are what are known as teleworkers. Freelance workers working at home represent about 9% of the working population in the UK whilst figures for the self-employed at home are difficult to determine. It has been suggested that as many as one in 6 of the working population are working from home running their businesses or enterprises. [October 2001 – figures sourced from www.emergence.nu and Home Business Alliance]
- Homeworking.com is part of Knowledge Computing which is an established home-based web publishing company.
Why was this site started?
homeworking.com was founded by Caroline Tresman.
“In February of 1999 I was commuting the 20 miles home from work and was knocked off my motorcycle into the path of oncoming traffic. I was so lucky to not have been killed that it made me re-evaluate my life and what was important to me (namely my two children and husband-to-be). I needed a different way to work – and didn’t want to spend two hours a day commuting.
During convalescence my partner and I did a search on the World Wide Web and found very little about becoming a homeworker. There were US sites that required payment before entry to the site, and there were many, many scams. I just wanted information, even though my partner had been homeworking as a Web Publisher for over four years. Then my partner (now husband) said one of those throw away lines “Why doesn’t someone put this information together on the web…”, and I thought “I could do that!…”, and just knew it was my ‘niche’. So we checked for Web addresses and found that “homeworking.co.uk” was still available, so I purchased it there and then. Since then we also acquired www.homeworking.com and then homeworking.info in October 2001.
“The purpose of the website is to provide free quality information. There is a lot of good information on the web, but it has been difficult finding it. I have been doing a lot of research and now have various specialists contributing. The site started life being put together in my spare time while working five days a week. By September 1999 I became a part time worker, and dedicated two full days at home running the Website. Just a year after the accident I gave up the job I commuted to and worked full time at home partly developing this website and partly as a web publisher designing and creating other people’s websites. It his hard to believe that just a year before I knew nothing of HTML or how web sites really worked, now I can talk a geek under the table!”
Can any job be done from home?
It depends on the job. If it is administration or service based then yes. However, attitudes are one of the major hurdles. It is quite hard for some people to overcome their “technophobia” and use technology in the workplace. It will still take some time to expect employers and employees to bridge the gulf of ‘them and us’ and to become partners. People who work at home really can work much more efficiently and there needs to be that element of trust and partnership from both sides. Not everyone will want to take the risk of working for themselves and being paid by an employer to work at home might be more reassuring.
What kind of person suits homeworking best?
Someone who is comfortable working independently, is self-motivated, self-reliant and fairly organised. In general, a more mature or settled person would adapt to it well. Some people work from home out of choice or necessity, for example, if they are disabled, have complicated family commitments or live in isolated areas.
Ten Top Tips from Homeworking.com (Homeworking.info)
- Becoming a homeworker is something to be planned rather than a knee-jerk reaction to problems such as debt.
- You should never pay to do homeworking, eg craft assembly. It is usually a scam.
- Get rich quick schemes do not work. You are kidding yourself if you send off your £5+ to join.
- Homeworkers work very hard indeed and you should expect to as well.
- If you are a new mother do not overload yourself with trying to find work at home. Small children and work do not mix very well ~ and you work hard enough as it is!
- It takes time to secure a steady income as a homeworker, unless of course you have an employer and do your job via telecommuting.
- Piece work and other such work can be found (from companies local to you) but they are usually badly paid.
- Most successful homeworkers create their own work, based on their interest or skills.
- Do your homework first before trying to become a homeworker! Check out what regulations there are concerning your chosen field of work and whether there is a market for your work.
- When the going gets tough setting up as a homeworker, remember that it will eventually be an extremely convenient and satisfying way to work!