Working from home has become more popular with working Americans.
If it seems like more people you know are working from home these days, even occasionally, you may be right. Working remotely is on the rise. More Americans workers are working remotely today than ever before. The United States Census recently released data, which showed that 5.2% of workers in the United States, about 8 million people, work at home in 2017, an increase over the 5% in 2016.
A study published by the research group The Conference Board, a non-profit research group, found that the number of employees working from home has increased significantly over the last ten years, nearly doubling among full-time non-self-employed American workers, and more than tripling over the same period for clerical workers.
Why are more and more Americans working from home?
The upward trend in Americans working from home is caused by two factors, according to the United States census report:
- Improved internet connectivity. Connecting to the internet nowadays is very easy and more and more have access to it than in the past. And, to work from home, all you need is connection to the internet.
- The desire of workers for more flexible work environments. As more and more people show the willingness to work remotely, more and more companies are providing their employees with opportunities to work from home with flexible working arrangements. A recent Gallup poll found that companies benefit in a big way by having some of their employees work from home because it helps them retain their employees longer as well as increase employee productivity.
Pros and cons of working from home
Pros
- Freedom.
No more boss looking over your shoulder.
- Flexibility work hours.
When you work from home, you will be able to control the hours you work. As a result, you will devote more time to family activities and the other things you want to do.
- No commuting.
Most commuters spend hours getting to and from work every day. So, when you work at home, you no longer have to commute, so, those commuting hours go back to your day.
- Less overhead expenses
Working from home saves you money on work clothes. You also save on food. You will not have the cost of dining out five days a week or the daily commuting expenses.
Cons
- Isolation.
You are going to miss the social interaction, and that comes with working in an office. You may feel isolated and lonely.
- Slow start
Some work-from-home activities such as affiliate marketing or blogging may take a long time before you make money.
- No medical benefits.
You won’t have any health benefits unless you purchase it on your own.
- No steady paycheck.
You are not going to get a regular paycheck when you start online. And when you start making money, it won’t be much because it will take a while before your business reaches its potential.
- Self-discipline.
You must be self-motivated to make it all work. You must decide how many hours a day you want to word and stick to it. The onus is on your shoulder to make sure everything gets done.
- What you need to get started.
Working from home as an entrepreneur is easy to get started. The ability to connect to the internet is all you need to start. Some form of conferencing capability may become necessary as you go. You also need to have a good training platform to show you the way.
- You must separate work from family.
You must be careful when working from home that you do not allow your work to spill into your family time. You must keep them separate.
Easy work from home ideas
In addition to the opportunities that companies offer their employees to work from home, many people are looking for work-from-home programs that provide the opportunity for them to be self-employed working from home on a part-time or full-time basis.
These offers can be found online. But be careful, watch out for scams. Not every opportunity that comes across is legitimate. Read reviews and fine prints before accepting any offer. Also, keep in mind that not all work-from-home options are created equal. The main categories of online work are product sales, providing service, online marketing, & investing.
The following work-from-home ideas have been tried and tested over time.
- Affiliate marketing may not be the most natural home business opportunity but one of the best work-from-home jobs. Affiliate marketing is merely connecting between buyer and seller of products online.
- Websites Design. Website designing is an easy way to make money online. There are training platforms that will train you to build a website using a few simple keystrokes
- Content writing. Another easy work from home idea is content writing. If you have ever heard the saying that “content is king,” it is true. People all over the internet are always looking for good content writers. So, if you can write content, you can make money online.
More and more Americans are becoming affiliate marketers every day because more and more companies are turning to affiliates to help market their products to consumers. As a result, it has never been easier for new entrepreneurs to begin their own home business. As an affiliate marketer, you can be part of a multimillion dollar company, such as Amazon, advertising its products from the comfort of your home.
What to watch for in affiliate marketing
- No get-rich-quick scheme.
Like any other business model, Affiliate marketing has the potential to make you a lot of money, but you will not be able to retire from working in a few months in business. However, starting out with the understanding that you should treat it as a career can provide you with an incredible source of income.
- It is not easy work as it takes a ton of patience and determination.
You cannot merely just put in a little effort, and expect to earn a high income. It requires some basic education to enable you to grasp the concept.
- Not all products you promote will be profitable, so do your research before you choose.
The best product for promotion will not be the same for everyone but depend on your audience. The products you promote must be what your audience love and will find helpful.
- Avoid products that come with a lot of hype, claiming that they can make you rich in no time.
As you can see, affiliate marketers have to put in a lot of work and the time necessary to make decent money.
How to learn affiliate marketing
There is no better time to become an affiliate marketer than now because there are so many opportunities available to newbies from large companies with affiliate programs to market their products, as well as, due to the existence of training programs such as Wealthy Affiliate to provide the training that new affiliates need to start out. Of course, proper training is essential if you want to be a successful affiliate marketing because it takes a lot of time, effort, and patience to build a successful affiliate marketing career.
Do not try to do it on your own unless you have prior experience as an online marketer. Wealthy Affiliate will provide the training you need. It is the best training platform for affiliate marketing and online entrepreneurship available online, and you can join for free. You will learn everything you need to build a successful online business, including how to create your own website, choose a niche, write content, and monetize your site.
Conclusion
You will enjoy the experience of working from home because you no longer have to experience the daily grind of commuting to work. The financial rewards can be great as well if you choose a great niche and write useful content. If you want to generate income online, you need a great niche and helpful content.
But don’t worry, the Wealthy Affiliate University will provide the training and guidance you will need to master the process. It is the best training affiliate training platform anywhere online, and better yet, it’s free.
Open a free lifetime account with Wealthy Affiliate, and learn how to build your website, choose a niche, write content, and monetize your site
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