Online Tutoring - a great work from home employment opportunity for moms and dads

hhhhhOnline tutoring is a wonderful source of income for a stay-at-home mom. Many mothers dream of finding a way to make money at home so they don't have to put their children in daycare. Legitimate work-at-home positions are few and far between because of all the competition. Sure, there are plenty of phone jobs out there, but with noisy kids running around the house, it won't sound very professional and most companies will not allow noise in the background. Luckily, there is a growing demand for online tutors and it is strictly an computer business; no phone required.

Most online tutoring companies require their applicants to have at least a Bachelor's degree, although some require a teaching certificate as well. For women who have put their careers on hold in order to rear children, tutoring is a great way to supplement their husband's income while maintaining activity on one's resume. A background in tutoring is a plus, but not required, as it is easy enough to be trained for the position.

Typically, an online tutor will teach via an electronic whiteboard and chat session. With the whiteboard, both tutor and student are able to see each other's work and are free to draw math problems, load lesson plans and homework, etc. The chat portion of the screen is, of course, a way to speak to each other. The fact that student and tutor are not physically in the same room does pose an additional challenge to the lesson.

Some online tutoring businesses have been funded through the No Child Left Behind Act. Because of this government funding, tutoring has been made available to many at-risk, inner city children. Again, this poses another challenge, as the tutor may encounter troubled kids that don't want to be tutored at all. Tutors are instructed to be friendly and personable, but not to address any crass or rude remarks made by the students.

Online tutoring will not make anyone rich. It does, however, provide a respectable part-time income, with most companies starting at $10/hr. Certain businesses allow tutors to bid for jobs and claim their own hourly rate, with some successful tutors making as much as $50/hr. That is, however, rare. Although a stay-at-home mom may not be able to make full-time income from one tutoring company, scheduling with several different companies may be a viable option and a way to increase earnings. Either way, it can be a blessing for those wishing to stay at home and it certainly beats telemarketing.

Free Virtual Career Training & Support for Military Spouses

There are a couple of great companies out there that provide support, services, and career matching for military spouses that want to work from home. While they primarily focus on helping miltary spouses learn to start their own virtual enterprises, the training they give is worth hundreds of dollars, and the support they give is priceless with their online communities.


VSS CyberOffice

Military Spouse Virtual Assistants

Home Base USA



We applaud these companies - please let us know if you hear of any more like them!

Telecommuting in the state of Washington

There's an interesting blog entry with some responses from people that telecommute in North Kitsap, Washington. One of the respondants works from home for Alaska Airlines as a reservations specialist. Her name's Mary Crawford. She sings the benefits of working from home: reclaiming four hours of her day by not commuting, saving money on gas, and getting sleep back. Another woman works from home as a medical transcriptionist and names a few local companies that employ telecommuters. Apparently, there's a bill out in Seattle supporting a new telecommuting initiative. And a lot of local employers over there see the benefits already. Read the whole article on telecommuting in Washington State over here.

Homeshoring Company Hiring in Canada - Rural Ex

It's an exciting time for homeshoring - everywhere. It seems that new companies are popping up all over - especially in Canada. RuralEx, a new teleservices provider in Saskatoon, actually has based its whole model on homeshoring.


"Weber is planning to tap into a somewhat forgotten workforce with the launch of his new company. The entrepreneur believes the work from home services provided by RuralEx, such as technical support, outbound marketing and market research, will appeal to stay-at-home parents, the recently retired, rural workers reluctant to travel for work and people with mobility challenges. Starting with 25 out-of-office positions, Weber hopes to expand his in-home workforce to 100 employees by the end of the year..."

There's an article on the business venture here. And a link to current openings here.

A link to a long list of work from home telecommuting jobs

I know there are a lot of websites with lists like this - but we came across this one from Persistant Sue that's just been updated. Keep in mind that this list is unsorted and each company offers various home based positions. You'll want to do your research before applying. Enjoy!

Homeshoring company Alpine Access is hiring in tennessee

Alpine Access has announced that they will be hiring 100 new agents in the state of Tennessee. They're a great company to get started working from home with - they hire W-2 employees, not independent contractors. Visit their website to apply for one of these virtual positions.

Here's the link: Alpine Access

The Best Virtual Jobs for Moms

If you're a stay-at-home mom, a virtual job can help you find that balance between raising a family and earning a steady income. Moms who want to contribute financially to their family while taking care of their children can find work as virtual assistants, customer service representatives and telemarketers. Home-based positions tend to be more flexible and allow you to create a schedule around the schedule of other activities.

Working from Home

In order to work from home, you need to be able to dedicate enough hours each day to complete a shift or accomplish all daily tasks required. If you have small children, you may need to hire a babysitter or consider daycare options so you aren't distracted during your shift. Many companies have specific criteria that require employees to work in a quiet environment in order to better serve their customers.

For most work-at-home jobs, you will need a computer, Internet connection, dedicated phone line, and other items including a printer, fax machine, or transcription equipment. When applying for a virtual position, you should ask if special equipment will be needed. You may have to attend on-site training for a week or longer to learn how to use special equipment or to learn more about the company's customer service procedures.

Types of Virtual Jobs Available

Depending on the job experiences and training you already having, obtaining a work from home position may be easier than you think. Virtual secretary jobs are best for those who have worked in business administration or those who have typing and other office skills. You can start your own virtual assisting business, or you can work for a virtual assisting service. Common job tasks include typing documents, transcription, email monitoring, meeting planning, event planning, and maintaining business calendars. You may also be asked to edit reports and other documents, create spreadsheets, or update web pages.

Work-from-home customer service positions require prior customer service experience in many cases. Because you will be answering customer questions, taking reservations, and processing orders, you need to have excellent typing and data entry skills. You should also be able to talk to customers easily and be able to problem solve quickly in order to maintain quality customer service. If you enjoy helping others and are able to maintain a professional demeanor in any situation, this position may be for you.

At-home telemarketing positions are best for those who feel comfortable speaking with others and selling goods and services over the phone. Some companies prefer hiring employees that have sales or telemarketing experience, but others are willing to train the right people.

Other virtual positions include appointment setting, reservation services, concierge services, and help desk services.

Where to Find Virtual Jobs

There are many places to look when trying to find a virtual job. Paid online classifieds (and a few free classified sites like Craigslist), job boards, and company websites are some of the best places to look. If you're interested in starting a virtual assistant service, you should ask former employers, former co-workers, place an ad in trade newspapers or local newspapers, and join a small business group in order to meet people who may be in need of your services.

A thought as the new year approaches

In prepping for the New Year, we've decided to post some video motivation for those seeking to change their career, job and life in 2008. The Motivator has some great things to say about what to do if you are unhappy about your current job situation.

Working from Home is Healthier

That's according to a study conducted by the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

That's a good thing. It's also healthier for the bottom line for many companies.

Let's hope this moves us toward more telework programs in the future.

A few more homeshoring employers - including one for military spouses

We've decided we're going to just post the new employers we come across in our blog until they are added to our ebook, to make life simpler. Keep in mind, you'll have to do your own research.

Home Base USA is a work-from-home call center employer that employs military spouses
PinPoint Select is a staffing firm that recruits for an (anonymous) virtual call center
Tele-Pros is a virtual call center specializing in lead generation and telemarketing

Oh, and Alpine Access is hiring work from home agents in Pennsylvania.

Work from Home Moms - in Pakistan

Here's an interesting news tidbit we came across today.

80% of Pakastani's work from home. That's right - 80% of the workforce. But that's not all.

"Surprisingly, 50 per cent of those HBWs are women, whereas, out of 50 million HBWs in the South Asia, 65 per cent consist of females."

Although this is a monumental trend, home-based workers aren't really considered employees, and don't have the same pay as office workers. (Think: sweat shop in your own living room...) Luckily, they're fighting for change. Read the whole article here.