| Author | Message | ||
     sheilam2000 Rating: N/A |
Hi I have been taken off my disability cause I was told I was making to much money at my current job I dont think I will get my disability back and am in the process of moving in a few months I am not able to work an eight hour day and am off work more than on so I am looking for something to do at home Iam good on the computer and think I can be trained to do something . I dont have a collage degree and I am alittle scared to cause there are alot of scams out there If anyone can come up with an idea please help Thanks Sheila | ||
| caroline Rating: N/A |
Hi Sheila It is good to hear from you. Sorry to hear about losing the disability benefit, especially as it sounds like you have a variable income. That sounds tough. You are right that there are a lot of scams out there but with a bit of commonsense there is no reason you should be conned by any of them! My first suggestion would be to look through our Case Studies of Homeworkers to see the wide range of work people do. You will see that none of them stuff envelopes or build dodgy models. You may get some inspiration from some of the ideas there. Your choices for working at home are to create your own work or to find some work based at home. Creating your own work means developing a service or product you could offer. At the moment you do not seem to have a clear idea of a service or product you could offer but with a bit of thought and discussion I bet you would be surprised to find that you probably already have a lot you could offer! Finding work based at home will involve contacting companies local to you (check your Yellow Pages for Manufacturers) to see what work they have for people based at home. If you are looking for assembly type work then this is the best option. But bear in mind that this sort of work does not pay well. There is no reason to waste money on the so-called homeworking directories because they are mainly there to benefit themselves (to get your fee) and not you. You didn't say whether your disability affects the sort of work you can do apart from wanting to be home-based. This is a generally vague answer because it will help if you could say a bit more about yourself and the sort of work you have done before. If money and location was not a consideration what sort of work would really like to do? I look forward to hearing from you and others contributions to this discussion :-) | ||
| sheilam2000 Rating: |
Hi first I will give alittle backround Have worked for 19 years in a grouphome setting for people with diabilities I have always been medically disabled and in 85 when I started recieving disability checks they were not specific on how much I could make so I continued to work the big problem is I am very tired all the time and cannot continue working with kids like I used to. I am also out sick alot. In mach or sooner we will be moving and I dont want to go through the hassel agian of going to work cause I am not up to it but I do want to work at something else I have cronic kidney problems and a heart reflux which most of the time I have to sit or lie down I have told social secuity this but they said they wouldnt let me reaply I will need to be making money from somewhere Right now I have an understanding boss I feel it better to get a job at home so I wont feel so bad about not being able to go in to work. I am on my computer most of the time(yep I am a web addict lol) I am pretty good on keyboard I type fairly well and reading is great sometimes though I have to read something twice to get the meaning I have made my own webpage as amatter of fact am in the process of starting another one I dont think anyone will hire a person that needs to lie down at a moments notice I love to write and know some html I now use microsoft frontpage If any thing else let me know :> maybe some training could be invoved with anything computer wise Anything I have learned so far I have taught my self Anything that has to do with The Entertainment industry has been my hobbie as long surfing the web Sheila | ||
| sheilam2000 Rating: N/A |
Hi while I was thinking of Would there be a problem starting a job now while working cause in a few months I will be moving and will need some work Sheila :> | ||
| caroline Rating: N/A |
Sheila - I haven't forgotten you  I'll write something a bit later on. Kind regards Caroline | ||
| sheilam2000 Rating: N/A |
Hey thats ok the only complaint I have is I am freezing here in Florida :> lol Take care Sheila | ||
| sheilam2000 Rating: N/A |
Hi There is a websirte called money fom home dot come to get a list of jobs avialable it 35 dollars should I be very cautious of this Sheila | ||
| caroline Rating: N/A |
Deep breath - get a cup of coffee - long message alert ;) Well… I need to be a bit careful here because I do not want to be accused of libel or slander. You are asking whether or not it is worth paying $35 per year to an organisation offering to find you work at home. I wont say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ but I’ll help to look at the facts. There is a page on their website which gives you a flavour (or flavor in US spelling!) of what you get for your money. It includes: reports; links; local telephone numbers of a US business service; free stuff; and a few hundred jobs. Going through that again: the reports are probably those that are peddled on the Internet and are widely available as freebies when you buy other services or one can buy the whole set for $99! The links could be to anything – many sites provide lots of links to other sources of information, job sites and the like without including the links in a paid package. Local telephone numbers are available in your telephone book free of charge. Free stuff is widely available across the web, some of it turns out to be useless or of dubious quality or actually having a cost attached. Some free stuff is excellent such as the Credit to Cash package we have links to from our home page – no charge! Other free stuff includes website creation tools and web promotion tools. Again, available elsewhere without a charge. And then there are a few hundred jobs and include (mentioned elsewhere on their site) envelope stuffing, stamp affixing and assembling etc that all can be done from the comfort of your sofa in front of the TV. Hmm. Sounds too good to be true (if that’s what one thinks homeworking is about). The only point I want to actually make here is these jobs are more than likely all US based and with just a few hundred ‘on offer’ across the whole of the US it doesn’t sound like there are enough to go around. Is that worth a fee? Once you have paid a fee, how many of these ‘jobs’ then require a fee from you as well? I belong to one or 2 professional organisations for which I pay a fee. They are very clear and upfront as to what I am paying for that annual fee which includes a monthly magazine, weekly ezine, annual handbook, and plenty of contact details not available anywhere else. The magazine and ezines provide constantly researched material and information and represent real value. If anyone is thing of paying for a homeworking service or directory of any sort then you really need to be clear about you are going to receive. Make sure that you are getting what you think and not some waffle and promises. | ||
| sheilam2000 Rating: N/A |
Hum I need to get the phonebook from my sister in Pensicola Florida where we will be moving I also have semt a letter to a paper we have here in the us that handles disputes and stuff so I wrote about my disabilities to them hopefully I will find out something Sheila :> | ||
| b2bscott Rating: N/A |
Hi Sheila, I am the United States Representative for the Forum. Please forgive me for the time which has expired before I sent you this reply. I also have a disability which prevents me from working full-time. Some days I am pretty good, but others are a real trial. I have been watching the forum (and your) requests for help. Please give me some more information about yourself, your education and your disabiliity. Happy Thanksgiving! Will be awaiting your information - and please don't send any money to anyone until we have the chance to talk off-forum first. I may have some better leads for you - free sites, etc. Julie Scott | ||
| sheilam2000 Rating: N/A |
Hi Well thanks to Julie I have alot to do lol I am trying a paid to surf called spedia I will give an update as soon as I see how it goes Sheila :> | ||
| sheilam2000 Rating: N/A |
I now have to more things I am trying out the third one is testing web pages sounds like fun since I love looking at pages so now I can comment on them:> Sheila | ||
| caroline Rating: N/A |
Well done Sheila - I'm glad you are now in touch with Julie and are making some progress. | ||
| sheilam2000 Rating: N/A |
Hi Well they say if you don't try something you will never know if you can do it or not. I went to a site called TerraShare.com and they pay you for making your website and other neat stuff so I am trying it . If anyone has had experience with these people give me your comments . It looks legit, but looks can be decieving. Sheila :> | ||
| timo Rating: N/A |
Hi I am writing to ask if anyone out there has any advice for me as i am a newcomer to this site and i would be grateful for any advice you can give me. I am a chef by trade and i love my job very much but in the last two years i have suffered with twisted vertibrates in my neck and rheumatoid arthritis in my feet. I have explained to my employer that being on my feet all day is adding to my problems and is becoming too much strain for me to deal with and i am having to take too much time off which is not fair to myself or my boss and i hate feeling like a liability. I need advice beacause i don't know what to do next to find home employment as i don't want to sit around and do nothing and i want to work but don't know how i would be grateful for any advice thanks Timo | ||
| chemicalfree35 Rating: N/A |
Hello Timo, Do you want a home business or work from home? Do you want to work totally on line at a business? Or do you want to work off line? What are some of the things you like to do besides being a chef? Would you like to try and make a home business as a chef? Give us some thoughts and feelings on what you want to do and what you want from either a business at home or work from home. Anna | ||
| timo Rating: N/A |
Hi Anna I have thought more about what i would like to do but am still not sure. I like using my pc but i don't know if i know enough about computers to work on line. I never knew i could make a home buisness as a chef, that appealed to me and i would like to find out more about catering from home but i feel there are more skills i can learn too. I would like to work online but i feel i may not know enough but i am willing to learn and get some training if needed. I have always wanted to start my own buisness but have always dismissed the idea beacause i don't know enough about running a buisness and i decided it would be best if i took some management courses before i did. Tim | ||
| timo Rating: N/A |
Hi Anna I have thought more about what i would like to do but am still not sure. I like using my pc but i don't know if i know enough about computers to work on line. I never knew i could make a home buisness as a chef, that appealed to me and i would like to find out more about catering from home but i feel there are more skills i can learn too. I would like to work online but i feel i may not know enough but i am willing to learn and get some training if needed. I have always wanted to start my own buisness but have always dismissed the idea beacause i don't know enough about running a buisness and i decided it would be best if i took some management courses before i did. Tim | ||
| chemicalfree35 Rating: N/A |
Hi Tim, If you would like to start a home business and have it center around catering, lets see if we can't work on that for you. I like to cook myself, but I could never be a Chef. My mom is from Germany so I like to cook a lot of German type foods. Thats what I was raised on. If you would like to talk more about this idea, let me know, I would like to get you pointed in the right direction of something that you like to do. Anna | ||
| dj_griffin Rating: N/A |
Hi, I am a disabled person who wants to work from home, but I don't know where to start, and iI feel like I'm being bombarded when I look at all the "get paid to surf" stuff!I'm stuck at home 90% of the time...bad back problems(arthritis in my neck, and sciatica)and have a few other problems which don't always allow me to leave the house.I am fluent in English (obviously!)and Dutch,and can get along alright with French and Spanish ("o" levels in all the above!)and am doing an extended Spanish "O" level from home at the moment,and can understand a bit of German, Italian and anything else which branches of from my main languages.I got my computer in January, so I am still getting used to it..but I've enroled in an online course with learn direct for basic computer skills so hopefully I'll have more experience with the different applications in the near future. I don't mind what work I do, although I would preferably work for someone else..I don't want to work for myself or own my own buisiness really, as I quite often need a kick up the ... so if I'm working for someone else at least I have certain deadlines to keep. If anybody's got any suggestions, please help! :-) | ||
| caroline Rating: N/A |
Hi dj_griffin First suggestions coming up. Even though you have clearly said you don't want to run your own business you should still take a look at the following people who work at home. Case Studies of Homeworkers who are also disabled: The Office Support Service Provider The Cartoonist & Illustrator The Author of Children's Books And this is a Case Study involving translation. The Translators and Web Page Creators Perhaps it is worth your while dropping them a line to see if they could do with knowing that you are available for Dutch translations? And then you might want to check our List of Contacts page which has some useful links for translators and linguists. If you are doing freelance work then you will find there are always deadlines - do you think you could cope with that? And if so, it is just a step away from marketing yourself and running your own business. Do you think you could cope with that after all? Hope that helps for starters. Caroline Moderator PS. I love your saying in your profile | ||
| suews Rating: N/A |
I started off as a linguist and I know it can be hard to get work in that field tho Dutch is sufficiently unusual to be useful. (Talking about horses, every time I fall off, when I get back up I find myself on a new one! I guess life's too short to hang around one that's already thrown you off!) Just recently I was researching disability resources for another project and I was cheered at what I found out there. I was researching a different area of disability so the list I kept on file won't be relevant for you but if you search on the internet I am sure you will find resources which will help you find something to suit your particular circumstances. For example, check out www.radar.org.uk and www.disabilityuk.com and then work through some of their links. As you are a student, you could also check out www.skill.org.uk In some senses employers are 'crying out' for good people who are disabled so they can fulfil their quotas - a little cynical but your wish to be 'employed' at home could be to your advantage. Good luck SueWS | ||
| suews Rating: N/A |
SheilaM - How are you doing? Did you try terraserver.com. I've just read they are closing down. "Our extensive attempts to find additional advertisers for the site or someone to acquire the company ultimately proved unsuccessful" They sound good people - shame. Hope all is well. SueWS | ||
| b2bscott Rating: N/A |
Hi, Couldn't help but to latch onto your words "I need to work for someone else ..." Did you know that every homeworker works for "someone else" and if you keep your deadlines and produce a quality product, the "someone else" will keep coming back. They also talk alot and word-of-mouth advertising costs nothing and goes a long way. (In the meantime, go to tjobs.com - there is a special area within the job board that is for translators. If you know that many languages, you may well fit into one of these assignments.) Come back and let us know how you fared! Regards, Julie | ||
| dj_griffin Rating: N/A |
Hi, Just wanted to say thank you to Caroline,SueWS, and Julie for getting back to me so quickly.SO THANKS! I also thought I better add that although I'm studying, I'm 35 years old(..not ancient yet though!) and although I'm fluent in Dutch (I grew up in Holland), the only qualifications I have are my "O" levels..looked into graduate courses, but I couldn't afford them (already used my I.L.A. for my Spanish)and I thought actual translators/ linguists would have to have reasonable qualifications. Anyway..I'm looking into all the suggestions you've all given me,so I've got quite a bit to be getting on with! I've got a feeling this site's a bit of a godsend to me...it's good to have a direction to go in..so THANKS again! Happily dj_griffin :-) | ||
| suews Rating: N/A |
:-) You just made it all worthwhile! Happily, back. SueWS | ||
| rhs2000 Rating: N/A |
Dear All, Disability is a major problem with earning a living, but DJG has already started to prepare to earn - he's getting into computers. Well done! Above advice is very sound, begin to forge a few links and contacts. Short-term I'd write, by snail, to a few LARGE International companies just to get my (DJG's) name and skills on their books. A short course re: running small business would cost him 0 and help him attune to deadlines etc. (Local Tec Establishments)But, as he gets into computers and the 'net he will find translation work in this area. The key word is PERSISTENCE. On no account give up if the first few weeks or months bring 0. If DJG reads this at any time I'll place him full-page links at all of my web-sites if he can e-mail me some contact details. His skills will be of great help to many writers that visit there - many from the Euro. continent! Good Luck DJG! Get in touch anytime! Dave. rhs2000 Note from Homeworking.com 15 June 2001 Following a negative response to this writer both on this Forum and via emails, this writer had been asked via email to give this Forum a rest for a while. The decision has now been made to suspend his Forum account for the time being. If you disagree with this decision then please let us know. | ||
| rhs2000 Rating: N/A |
Dear Sheila & the Chef, Keep a record of your earning attempts, particularly your successes! From this 'diary' write-up a small booklet 'How I overcame my problems' Sell it. They do VERY well indeed in the U.S. The chef...if physical cooking is a problem WRITE about it - Delia Smith is now worth just over £20,000,000 she started by writing simple recipes sent to Womens mags! Can't do it? Just think of the great Professor Stephen Hawking. If he can, YOU can! Dave rhs2000 Note from Homeworking.com 15 June 2001 Following a negative response to this writer both on this Forum and via emails, this writer had been asked via email to give this Forum a rest for a while. The decision has now been made to suspend his Forum account for the time being. If you disagree with this decision then please let us know. | ||
| dj_griffin Rating: N/A |
Just a little "P.S" ! Why is it assumed that because I'm a dj I must be male! Believe me, the blokes at the bike rallies I dj at can vouch that I am definitely a female!(only do it occasionally now though because of my disabilities!) Just a bit of additional info about the computer course I'm doing incase it might help someone else..it's through learndirect, but instead of going to my local "provider"/college, I went to the "virtual" site and the course I'm doing,which would have cost me about £70 including discounts for my being on benefits from my local college, is now free through tyneside college. You can contact them at <Email address removed by Homeworking.com> and the whole course is online so your free to do it when you want. Hope this might help someone, and in the mean time if anyone's got any ideas on how to get into proofreading,(another option I'm looking into!) please give me a shout.. Thanks again... dj_griffin ;-) | ||
| b2bscott Rating: N/A |
Hi, dj - Just a note on proofreading. While you are looking for a way to break into the field, it is important that you practice on your own product! Case in point: ... whole course is online, so your free to do it when you want. This is a mistake that so very many people make. You have used the possessive form of you instead of the contraction (you're) for 'you are' in that sentence. Some other stumblers include the words 'their', 'there' and 'they're'. This may seem a minor point to some, but if you're being paid to proofread, it will be part of your 'job' to be particular about word forms such as these. I hope this comment is helpful for you. Think about the skills and strengths that you have NOW and capitalize on them before you spring into something that requires learning time. Julie | ||
| suews Rating: N/A |
Hi dj - happily, I did assume I was talking to a woman!! :-) I recommend a support and training group called Women in Publishing for those interested in proofreading. I attended several of their courses some years ago and it was great meeting women in a variety of jobs and with such a variety of interests. All very low key and friendly and clued up on disability and discrimination. They now have a website and I've put the links permanently here - just look for the entry dated November 3rd 2000. I hope it proves useful. SueWS | ||
| dj_griffin Rating: N/A |
Hi every one, Tee hee, thanks for pointing out my mistake Julie, (spell checker didn't catch that one then!).Point taken, but there again I've never done translation either, so all in all anything I do is going to be new to me, so I thought why not try something I'd enjoy...reading!I achieved a "B" grade in my English Literature/Language "O" levels so I thought that may be something I could do...and with time on my hands I don't mind studying as long as it leads me somewhere.I am also in the process of writing my own book at the moment(although it's a long term project which will probably be for personal viewing only!),so it is an area that I'm interested in, but, as I must admit, I don't know the actual qualifications or skills you need,so I thought I'd ask...(and it's typing lessons I need more than grammar lessons!he he!) Thanks for that tip SueWS..I've printed the application form out, and will contact them ASAP. I've been looking at a lot of sites that cater for proofreading courses, but apart from costing £140 upwards, the problem is knowing which ones will deliver what they promise, and finding one which will allow me to learn from home.So that link will hopefully prove very useful to me. Basically I want to look at as many different options as possible to be sure that when I start something it's going to be something I will keep on doing..so I don't want to hatch any eggs 'till they're well and truly laid! Thanks for all your help, Grinning largely dj_griffin (Jo to friends!) | ||
| dj_griffin Rating: N/A |
Hi all, Been busy doing some research into different options, i.e. I'm still going round in circles! (I have discovered something about myself though:- I seem to be good at the research, but not so good at the applications and decisions! :-) )It seems that every time I think I might have found something suitable, there seems to be lots of people who say it might not be such a good idea (eg Proofreading).I sent an e-mail to W.I.P sueWS..but I haven't heard anything back as of yet.I also sent of for some information on different options of "home work" courses supplied by Regent Academy,of 153 Regent Street, London, and to Chapter House, in Exeter (this one was a proofreading and editorial skills correspondence course) the costs of which can be paid for with an individual learning account (unfortunately I've already used mine!). I'll list the ideas the Regent Academy gave me at the end of this note incase it gives anyone any extra ideas...but the question I have is is there any way of checking wether or not these different courses hold any weight in the business world, and wether they are worth while doing or not? At the moment I'm still floundering around not really getting anywhere, so any ideas are , as always, very welcome as I will be losing my benefits soon as I will be moving in with my other half, and as he doesn't earn that much,and is very careful with what he does, I am going to be desperate to have some sort of income.Also,do you think there would be any point me posting an advert on the net to see if anybody needs help with typing up documents,searches, etc? Or maybe phoning different companies and explaining I'm disabled, can speak a few languages (though I'm not sure if they'd be to translation standards)and have a computer and access to the net, so do they have any work from home available? My main trouble is my confidence...I've been registered disabled for 9 years (I'm only 35)and haven't really worked during this time, and the only qualifications I have are my "o"levels. Anyway , here's that list I promised... Complete writing course Specialist writing course Aromatherapy and massage Reflexology Counseling Feng Shui Interior design Antiques Gardening and garden design Soft furnishing techniques Fashion design and dressmaking Proofreading Import/Export agency Public relations I don't know if these will help anyone (as I said, I'm still confused and undecided!)but if it only helps one person get a new idea,that can't be a bad thing. Thanks again for all your help so far, and just for being there to chat to! It all helps... Take care of yourselves dj_griffin (Jo) | ||
| caroline Rating: N/A |
Hi DJ (may I call you that?) I've enjoyed your posts Just to quickly pick up on one thing you said and for you to feel more positive about it: "It seems that every time I think I might have found something suitable, there seems to be lots of people who say it might not be such a good idea (eg Proofreading)." Try to remember that if you really felt good about a particular direction, and if it was good for you and meant to be, then you wouldn't let anyone's comments put you off. Earlier today on this Forum I said how I find proofreading to be soooo tedious. (I'm sorry David, I have only admiration for you!) It takes a particular character trait to cope with this particular skilled job. Have you considered telephone sales work from home? You sound outgoing enough to cope with it, and it can pay well if you have a mixture of pay and commission. Try the link from our Job Search page to Telepeople.com for home based work. Caroline Moderator | ||
| dj_griffin Rating: N/A |
hiya Caroline, just a very quick one as I'm rushing out of the door to go to a ralley, ty for the info...checked it out and have sent my CV to one company dealing in music...will tell you all when i get back....see you later! PS please excuse any typing errors......rushing! bye! dj_griffin.....or just dj, or Jo! | ||
| dj_griffin Rating: N/A |
Hi Caroline, and all! Back again...listening to "Destiny's Child" "I'm a Survivor", and "Independent Women" as I write......I think it helps! Had a good rally...and maybe a part time job for digital/satellite/internet radio because of it too!Had an e-mail waiting for me when I got back to say the position I'd applied for had been filled..which was possibly a good thing as I hadn't understood the advert completely..it said the pay was O.T.E. which I asked a few people what it meant, and no-one seemed to know, but I bumped into a young friend of mine who's doing a "back to work" course and he told me that the social security advise not to take jobs which are O.T.E. That aside, I've stepped up my search (I think the confidence boost of the weekend helped!) and I took the yellow pages into my hands yesterday and started phoning different marketing companies asking if they needed any work doing from home, and out of about 8, 4 have asked for a C.V! You never know! Well, I'll keep in touch as long as you'll have me! You don't need a new researcher for this site do you? :-)I don't cost much, He He!!! See you soon dj griffin (JO) | ||
| craig Rating: |
Hello Joanne My understanding of the abbreviation OTE is that it stands for On Target Earnings. This term is commonly used when discussing incentivised employment, particularly a sales position, or when promoting the prospects of a self-employed business opportunity. I cannot understand the circumstances under which a Government department should categorically advise anyone against seeking a position with OTE as part of the job description. However, if they were specifically warning return-to-work job seekers to be cautious about accepting commission-only employment for their first return-to-work job, then that would be more understandable. As for yourself Joanne, if you possess the initiative to pick up the business directory and proactively contact a number of organisations seeking a sales or marketing role, perhaps a position offering OTE could be just the ticket. Do be cautious, however, as there are sharks lurking in the OTE ocean as there are everywhere. Good luck with the search. Regards Craig | ||
| suews Rating: N/A |
Jo, that's great! Now you've got going, just keep going and don't let any 'no's' put you off. It's easy to get demoralised bya few 'no's' but what worked for me in the past is thinking in terms of the numbers game! There is some evidence that different kinds of activity actually do work on a percentage basis (ie you have to take an action n times in order to have one success). On that basis, with 4 out of 8 asking for a CV, you've got an incredibly high success rate!! Suppose the success rate was 1 out of 10 for someone asking for a CV, then it would be 1 out of 10 for the request to lead to an interview and a further 1 out of 10 to get the job - which gives you some idea of how much to just keep plugging away 'doing the activity' (ie just making those phone calls) and just knowing that every 'no' is leading you to success just as much as every 'yes'! It worked for me!! Lots of luck SueWS | ||
| cochiefsgal (152.163.253.33) Rating: N/A |
I have been on disability for 2 years and it will end this month. I will have to change my field of work to an office type job, but i dont have the software experience that most of the jobs need, so i'm looking for something to do at home. Any suggestions please????? thanks vicki | ||
| b2bscott (152.163.253.33) Rating: N/A |
Hi Vicki! First, let me say that I walk in your shoes; however, without the disability payments you have had. Could you be more specific about the field of work that you mention above? Sometimes, we look for our destiny and see only a roadblock instead of a detour. You are asking for suggestions for 'something to do at home' (the job) instead of looking at your skills and deciding to 'work from home' (the place). You can find a wonderful listing of many types of home-based enterprises at www.Bizymoms.com and, also, in the career books written by Paul and Sarah Edwards. They can be purchased in most book stores and online at Amazon.com. I am USA-based, but would suggest these sources to anyone anywhere in the world. Ultimately, what you decide to do from home will depend in large part on your personality, interests and skills. Julie Assistant Moderator USA |
