| There are basically two options before you when | | | | reduce costs and have a more compact and dynamic |
| looking for work from home opportunities, freelancing | | | | structure. The amount of work that needs to be done |
| and telecommuting. | | | | remains the same and this is where freelancers enter |
| Freelancing means setting up your own independent | | | | the picture. If you are flexible and willing to modify your |
| business where you are your own boss and | | | | domain skills to meet emerging requirements, your |
| workforce. After you are successful and your | | | | future as a freelancer is bright. |
| business grows, you can look at getting people to help | | | | Telecommuting is the other of the major work from |
| you, but that comes later. By being a freelancer you | | | | home opportunities. Unlike freelancing, here you are a |
| are leveraging your domain knowledge into a sellable | | | | regular employee of a company with all the attendant |
| product. But what are the products that have a | | | | benefits. You have an assigned job function or role |
| market? We can break these down into a few | | | | which you execute as directed by your boss. Just like |
| sections. | | | | working in an office, except that you do not. You work |
| First of all and most common are writing / content | | | | from home, usually using a computer and the Internet. |
| development and editing. What these need are | | | | You rarely go into the office. You are assigned work |
| language and writing skills. Other work from home | | | | to do and are then left alone to complete it within a |
| opportunities require more specialized skills. The rapidly | | | | specified deadline. Within these deadlines, you can |
| emerging fields for freelancers are software | | | | usually work at your convenience. Of course, you |
| development, graphic and web designing, copy writing, | | | | need to be available on the phone should your |
| digital photo editing and conducting online surveys. This | | | | colleagues need to discuss things with you. |
| list is growing everyday. The classifieds in the | | | | Many companies are switching over to telecommuting |
| newspapers and the Internet are both huge resources | | | | since it cuts down on overheads. Many in-office jobs |
| for finding work from home opportunities. Once you | | | | are now being converted to telecommuting ones, sales |
| learn to search the Internet for freelancing work, it is | | | | (where direct client interaction is not required), |
| not difficult to find the kind of jobs that suit you. The | | | | documentation, human resources, customer relationship |
| best option is to try to find regular or ongoing projects | | | | management, copy writing, various types of |
| that will reduce the amount of time you spend | | | | consultancy operations, stock broking and financial |
| searching for work and will give you more time to | | | | planning are just some to myriad work from home |
| produce work that translates into income. | | | | opportunities that are now opening up. New options |
| Downsizing is a current buzz word. This does not | | | | emerge every day. Keep a track of the opportunities |
| mean companies are reducing the size of their | | | | that keep appearing and you are bound to find on that |
| operations. They are not. What they are doing is | | | | suits you. |
| reducing the number of people on their payroll to | | | | |