^{NOTE: This is intended to be a general guide on telecommuting jobs. I am not listing actual telecommute or work at home jobs - I have provided a link (to the right) to a site that has many legitimate online jobs.}

What is telecommuting?

Putting it simply, telecommuting is working from a remote location, typically your home, using a computer, telephone, fax machine, and other technologies.

Telecommute Jobs are on the rise. Research shows only about 4% of the working population works at home, but 40% of the available jobs have the potential to become legitimate telecommute jobs. According to the 2005/2006 National Technology Readiness Survey (NTRS): "although a quarter of Americans work for employers with supportive telecommuting policies or jobs that would allow them to work from home, barely more than one in 10 are actually doing so." Now, nearly three years later, many more people seek jobs with the personal benefits they feel outweigh the standard benefits offered by employers, and employers acknowledge the fact that they can retain high quality employees. Many employers are now realizing that offering telecommute jobs allows them to reap the rewards of what telecommuting has to offer.

What Are The Benefits of Telecommuting?

• Enhancing family values. The opportunity to have a telecommute job allows for more time spent in the home and the flexability to coordinate the work schedule around family issues. In terms of the commute alone, this could account for at least one extra hour a day with your family.
• Cost savings. We all know the price of gas. And, if you don't drive yourself, you are still affected in other ways due to the cost of gas: higher bus and train fare, higher food cost at your favorite lunch spot (the trickle down gas affect)...Not to mention you'll save on daycare costs and quite possibly the expense of building and maintaining a wardrobe.
• Reduction in office overhead. In addition for the need for smaller office space and fewer parking spaces to rent, companies will not have as much of the added expense of the perks such as coffee and bottled water.
• Reduce Absenteeism. The flexibility of working from home means a parent does not have to take a "sick day" to tend to a child.

What Are The Disadvantages of Telecommuting?

• Social drawback and isolation. If you are a social person, the social aspect of working at home is greatly reduced.
• The "Out of sight, out of mind" aspect. This is just human nature - you may notice you are overlooked when it comes to special projects or requests if you are not regularily visible. If you are not visible to your employer and co-workers, you need to make certain your work is.
• No face-to-face contact with clients. Some clients may feel uncomfortable working with someone who works at home.
• Distractions. There are many temptations when it comes to telecommuting: household chores, personal errands, television...You need to express discipline and commitment as it is hard to separate your work from family life
• Longer work hours. It's true, you will find yourself working earlier in the morning and longer in the evenings. Your co-workers may have perceptions that you are at home goofing-off, so you will try to dispell these perceptions by working longer hours. You may also feel as though you will miss an important announcement or request and find yourself checking your email more frequently.

How to Negotiate a Telecommute Job:

While many companies allow employees to telecommute, The decision to telecommute is made jointly between an employee and his or her manager, based on the feasibility of performing the work from home and other factors.

1) First of all, it is important to understand that it is not about you. It is about your employer and the benefits you can provide to it. Give your employer a reason to want you to telecommute. Create a professional proposal outlining how you will increase productivity, save the company money by reducing costs, make you more accessable to clients. Just rmember it is not about you and how nice it would be not to have to get up early every morning.

2) Start out small. Propose that you start working at home a day or two a week to test the plan. After a few months, revisit the proposal and request a few more days per week.

3) Always be available. Pobably the biggest fear of employers is the thought that you will not be available for certain requests or meetings. Make sure to include in your proposal the fact that you will always be available during the regular business hours. Provid your cell phone number, email address, fax number. Also, stress your acknowledgement that you will always be availbale to come to the office for meetings even on your telecommute days.

4) You must proove you are dedicated. In your proposal, let your employer know you have a dedicated work environment with all the necessary technologies, storage capabilities, and privacy.

5) Do you need additional equipment? If so, address this in your proposal. This will prevent any unneccessary surprises later.

When your employer agrees to your proposal, don't make him/her regret the decision. Make the transition as seemless as possible, and proove to him/her that allowing you to telecommute will definately be to the company's advantage.

What if Your Employer Won't Allow Telecommuting?

What do you do then? I don't promote quitting your job, but for some people the need for flexibility is paramount. If you really want to have a telecommute job, there are a few options.

1) Find a Freelance job. Freelancer, Consultant and (Independant) Contractors. Freelance jobs allow the flexibility to work on your schedule as well as offer you the opportunity to be creative in your personal outlet. Without being confined to one single employer, you have the chance to express your abilities to a variety of potential clients. Your vocation may be bookkeeping, writing, website design, internet research, or tutoring; freelance jobs are available in every sector. Freelance job posting website are gaining in popularity. Generally speaking, someone offering a freelance service bids on projects (aka jobs) posted by clients. The jobs are often one-time gigs and you are paid after the project is complete. Following are some high quality freelance sites where you can identify and market your talents and bid on freelance jobs:

These freelance sites have an escrow service for payment /withdrawal of payment. This is a secure service that protects both the one who needs to have a project done and the one providing the work.

• Guru.com This service offers a free membership/project bid, but they get their cut of 10% of the project total. They also offer paid memberships for freelancers, at a lower cut per project.
• ELance.com In my opinion, this freelance site has the largest variety of projects on which to bid. They do offer a free sign-up - with no monthly fees - and other "programs" that are progressivly more expensive. They also get a cut of the final project cost.
• RentACoder.com This freelance site is traditionally for those in the software/coding arena. While it is free to join and bid on projects, there is a fee of 15% of the final bid - which comes out of the freelancer's profit.
• GetAFreelancer.com A freelance job site for those in programming, web designing and copywriting. It is free to join GetAFreelancer; they receive their revenue by charging a commission of either 10% of the project total or $5.00, whichever is greater.
• Scriptlance.com A large variety of projects from which to bid: programming, writing, marketing... There is no sign-up or monthly fee, but they do get a cut of 5% of you total project fee (minimum of $5.00).
• Sologig.com Posted projects are in the fields of engineering, IT, creative design, marketing (to name a few). Per Sologig: "Unlike other websites for independent professionals, Sologig never charges you project fees. Additionally, there's no bidding on Sologig. You choose which projects you are interested in and negotiate pricing directly with the employer."

These freelance sites do not have an escrow payment service. Bidding on projects, making and receiving payments are at your own risk.

• 12Freelance.com No sign up or monthly fee. Projects range from accounting to web design.
• IFreelance.com They do not charge a commission so they receive their revenue by charging a monthly fee to those bidding on projects: Basic: $3.91 Silver: $5.25 Gold: $6.58.
• HotGigs.com Mainly used by Human Resources personnel seeking contract and full time personnel. They offer both premium membership ($90.00 per year) and a free membership option.
• Lance247.com Per Lance247: "As soon as you are chosen as the Freelancer for a project you have bid on it will be closed/archived and you will be charged 10% of your bid, or $5, whichever is greater."

2) Start your own home based business. This can be a scary concept, but the rewards are often well worth the risk. Following are some basic small business start-up tips:

• Access your strengths; do you possess the following charateristics: Are you a self-starter? Do you have a willingness to work hard? Do you possess an ability to handle uncertainty? Do you have self-discipline?
• Identify your business opportunity: It's important to determine what it is you truly want to do. Will you still want to do "this" a few years from now?
• Write a business plan: A business plan allows you to gain a better understanding of your industry structure, competitive landscape, and the capital requirements of starting a small business.
• Name your business: The right business name will help distinguish you from a sea of bland competitors, provide your customers with a reason to hire you, and aid in the branding of your company.
• Choose a business structure: The most basic of all business legal structures is the sole proprietorship. Other possible structures include the popular limited liability company (LLC), a partnership, or an S corporation.
• Register your business: Your business can be registered at a Secretary of State offices and/or County Clerk's Office. Setting up your small business may require an employer identification number, which is also used by state taxing authorities to identify businesses.
• Find start-up money: Most small business start-ups aren't funded by grants, venture capitalists, or banks. Funding could come your personal savings, friends, family, and any other creative means such as bartering.
• Get business insurance: As a new small business owner, you have the responsibility to manage the risks associated with your business. Don't put your new start-up at risk without getting the proper small business insurance to protect your company in the event of disaster or litigation.
• Create an accounting system: Setting up your accounting will help you understand the financials of running a business.