Janelle Johnson refuses to get dressed for work.

“I take a shower the night before and then get up and work in sweatpants and socks. It’s more comfortable and besides, I don’t have to worry about impressing anyone,” she says.

Johnson, a legal customer service representative from Perry, Ia., is one of an increasing number of workers who spend at least part of their workweek from the comfort of their own home. In fact, one-in-five workers spend at least part of workweek working from home according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2003 “American Time Use Survey.” Johnson takes calls from a spare bedroom turned office two days each week, and the personal benefits are endless.

As fuel costs continue to punish daily commuters and more home buyers move to suburban areas to capitalize on low interest rates and affordable housing, telecommuting has emerged as an attractive alternative to the nine-to-five office grind. And as technology continues to flourish, what once was limited to the artistic and sales communities is quickly becoming an integral part of any workplace.

Johnson, who works for Des Monies, Ia.-based Arag North America, was able to download her company’s software to her home computer, which shows incoming calls on her screen.

“My phone doesn’t ring when a call comes in, it just pops up on my screen. So I have to watch my computer all day long,” she says.

Employment experts agree that at-home work has infiltrated nearly every industry and has created new opportunities – and challenges – for the modern employee. Getting your company keen on the idea might be the only obstacle, says Bill Redford, general manager of the Niagra Falls, N.Y.-based Independent Homeworkers’ Alliance.

“Some companies seem to be fighting it, but the truth is that employees are more satisfied,” says Redford, whose company helps at-home workers find jobs and learn how to run a successful business from home. Finding a manager who embraces the idea is an important first step, he says. “Make a written proposal outlining the times you’ll be working, what you’ll be doing, where and how you can be reached and your flexibility to come in for meetings,” he says.

Flexibility is what many telecommuters cherish about their jobs, but that doesn’t give you absolute freedom. Paul Edwards, co-author of “Working From Home” (Tarcher, 1999), says that creating your own hours is a benefit, but you need to create a functioning work environment that includes consistent hours and a dedicated space to work – or you’ll soon find your work life taking over your home life.

“When I came downstairs this morning, I left the newspaper and my breakfast upstairs,” he says. “If you have kids, I suggest making a rule: unless there’s blood it has to wait until you come out of your office.” Edwards stresses that not all people are comfortable being segregators of their work and home lives. In fact, a study he did for his book found that 55 percent of telecommuters were integrators and preferred blending the two.

“Whatever way is right for you is fine, but it’s still important to keep an organized office, have specific parts of the home that are your work area and try to keep some regular hours,” says Edwards.

Redford says that what time you work isn’t the major factor. “I’ve met people who work best between 9pm and 3am in their pajamas, and if that works for you, that’s what it’s all about,” he says. Redford says that to be an effective worker you must have an office where you can close the door and eschew personal obligations. “If the phone rings and it’s a personal call, call them back or let the answering machine pick it up.”

Before her legal call commence, Janelle Johnson takes the kids to daycare, turns off the television and puts all of her personal distractions away in order to create a respectable work environment for the customer on the other end of the phone. Paul Edwards says that eliminating these distractions is an important way to make working at home work for both you and the company.

Another important aspect in Edwards’s eyes is to understand why working at home is good for your company. Studies show telecommuting is cheaper for businesses and creates happier employees, but you’ve got to find out what your company needs.

“When people work two days at home, that frees their work computer and desk to share with another employee, which reduces general administration costs,” he says. Edwards also says that many people are more comfortable when they don’t have to deal with office politics, a major nuisance for most workers.

Many telecommuters treat their at-home workdays like any other, including getting showered and dressed.

Communication is key for telecommuters because there will be no hourly updates around the water cooler. Redford suggests remaining in constant contact via e-mail and Instant Messaging.

Both Edwards and Redford agree that many employees suffer from feelings of isolation when cut-off from the office scene. Janelle Johnson is not immune. “Sometimes I feel lonely, but you also have the perks of recent technology, e-mail and Instant Messenger, that can keep you in the office loop,” she says.

“Find a way to break up the solitude and have human contact. Talk on the phone, or if you’re close, scoot in for lunch to keep in touch and get the daily scoop,” says Redford.

About the Author:
Matthew M. F. Miller, author of “Maybe Baby: An Infertile Love Story” (HCI, 2008), is a syndicated fatherhood blogger.

- Courtesy CTW Features

Arise Virtual Solutions Inc., the world’s leading provider of virtual business services, has announced that it plans to add an additional 5,000 at-home professionals in the U.S. over the next several months to its network of 12,000 Arise Certified Professionals (ACPs). Arise is expanding its relationship with globally recognized companies across numerous industries, including telecom, travel & hospitality, high technology, and retail.

“Arise is experiencing rapid growth as companies recognize the significant value derived from a self-employed virtual workforce operating within a secure environment,” said Angela Selden, CEO of Arise Virtual Solutions Inc.

“Arise attracts talented people who are passionate about the premium brands they support. Using a results driven approach that significantly improves performance, Arise delivers the best value in terms of quality and reduced costs to clients, and at the same time provides a new way of life for thousands of professionals seeking a better way to make a living.”

Arise pioneered the work-at-home business model in 1997 and developed several industry firsts and key innovations. Today, more than 200,000 people in the U.S. provide virtual customer support from their own homes, also known as “homeshoring” in the outsourcing industry.

“Homeshoring” is like outsourcing, but instead of hiring overseas, companies tap U.S. workers in their homes. Commutes consist of turning on the computer, logging on to secure networks and answering questions via phone, e-mail and chat.

The industry received wide recognition in 2009 when Arise’s CEO joined President Obama at the White House’s “Jobs Summit.” To learn more about becoming an ACP and to establish a Virtual Services Corporation (VSC), please visit http://www.arise.com.

If you’re looking for a job, you may see ads for firms that promise results. Unfortunately, some firms may misrepresent their services, promote outdated or fictitious job offerings, or charge high fees in advance for services that may not lead to a job.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, says scammers advertise jobs exactly where legitimate employers do — on popular Web sites, in the classifieds and even on TV. The ads sound promising, whether it’s for hourly work or an executive-level job. But ads placed by scammers come with a twist: You have to pay-and then, there’s no job.

Many con artists are good at what they do. They can sound very convincing, especially when your defenses are down. They may say they have a job waiting for you — or they might guarantee to place you in a job. But you can’t believe the promises-even when you want to. Legitimate companies won’t guarantee you a job.

The FTC urges job seekers to be aware of the red flags that may signal a job scam:

If an employer or employment-service firm wants you to pay-even if it says it’s for certification, training materials or for its expenses placing you with a company-don’t do business with it. Legitimate employers and firms don’t ask you to pay for the promise of a job.

Some listing services and “consultants” write their ads or phone scripts to sound like they have jobs waiting for you. The truth is, they’re only selling information about looking for a job-information that’s generally available for free.

If you’ve been the victim of a job scam and paid someone for a job that didn’t exist, the FTC wants to hear about it. Complain to the FTC at http://www.ftc.gov/complaint. Letting the FTC know about your experience can help put an employment scam out of business. For more information and to watch an educational video, visit http://www.ftc.gov/jobscams.

When it comes to finding a rewarding job, a growing number of people think there’s no place like home.

According to trend watcher Mark Penn, over 4 million Americans now work entirely from home and 20 million work from home part-time.

Some say that tech jobs–such as programming or computer and smartphone repair-are particularly well suited to be part of this trend. For example, a leading provider of online technology services called Support.com recently announced that it is embarking on a campaign to hire more than 100 work-from-home online technology-solution engineers within the next 100 days.

Prospective hires must be bright, self-motivated individuals who are already highly competent at fixing computers as well as syncing printers, smartphones and other consumer tech appliances. They’re also likely to be the person who friends and relatives call when their computer goes on the blink.

Upon an initial screening, Support.com applicants will undergo additional competency testing and, if selected, will be compensated to receive rigorous online training to ensure that they meet the “best in class” standards of technical aptitude and customer service developed by Support.com for its team of personal technology experts.

“Our services are in greater demand than ever as consumers are looking to us to ensure their computers, printers and other critical devices such as digital cameras are operating efficiently,” said Josh Pickus, president and chief executive officer of Support.com. “To meet this demand, we’re seeking to hire individuals with the right tech experience and talent in areas where jobs have been scarce and we can make a positive impact on their recovery.”

Tech-savvy individuals who think they have the right stuff can click or visit http://corp.support.com/node/114/ to review the qualifications for employment and submit a confidential application.

Support.com, Inc. provides what it describes as “instant technology relief” to consumers and microbusinesses. Its expert “solutions engineers” can provide quick, cost-effective and satisfying technology support experience over the Internet and the phone using an advanced technology platform.

If there’s an upside to this recession, it’s that it’s apparently unleashed the entrepreneur in a lot of us. Wait, make that the “homepreneur” in us.

That’s the latest shorthand used to describe small-business owners running “viable enterprises” from their homes. Today that definition easily fits about half of all small businesses in the U.S.–everyone from freelance writers to caterers to online retailers–as compared to just 38 percent as recently as 1997, according to a new study by Emergent Research. Most of that increase has to do with technology having made it simpler to start and run a business from a corner of your bedroom or garage.

So if you think there’s a homepreneur lurking inside you, here are some tips from the experts to make the transition more lucrative:

If you build it right, they will come. Today, a small business can’t reach its full potential without having some kind of a presence on the Web. So your first priority is to either create a site yourself, at little or no cost, using standard templates– Websites-builder-review.com lets you compare the different services–or pay a pro to design a fancier one for you. And when it comes to choosing a domain name, Web expert Murtuza Abbas says to consider this: “If you want to optimize for search engine traffic, then add high-traffic keywords to your name.”

To tweet or not to tweet. Done right, as MarketWatch.com columnist Jennifer Openshaw notes, Twitter can help establish you as “a thought leader in your space and even drive customers to your business.” Done wrong-and this goes for all social networking tools and blogs–you run the risk of alienating existing and potential customers. To avoid lost opportunity, an accountant, say, can use search.twitter.com search.twitter.com to type in a relevant term like “home office deduction” and start monitoring the conversation. Then when someone poses a question, he’ll be alerted and can reply with his expert answer.

Web 2.0. Web applications are a great way for homepreneurs to keep their focus where Pitney Bowes’ Director of Customer Strategy Christine Martin says it should be: “retaining and growing their customer base.” GetSatisfaction.com, for example, provides an online forum where customers can quickly get answers to their questions. And if you’re looking to convert browsers into buyers, click-to-call widgets offered by KarmaCom.com put you directly in touch with those looking for a callback.

One last thing: Even during the Great Depression, fortunes were made by entrepreneurs like Iowa physicians Ralph Falk and Donald Baxter, who seized an opportunity to bring intravenous medical treatments to the masses. Today, Baxter International is a multibillion-dollar company.

Flexibility could be helpful in weathering a stormy economy.

That’s the news from a new study by the Families and Work Institute (FWI), The Impact of the Recession on Employers, showing that 81 percent of U.S. employers are maintaining and 13 percent are increasing the flexibility they offer during the recession.

A Guide For Work
The study is cited in a new book called the 2009 Guide to Bold New Ideas for Making Work Work, also from FWI. The annual guide features 260 employers selected for the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility. It sorts the featured employers by geography and by innovative practice, allowing readers to search for organizations in the area or find examples of best practices from around the nation.

Among the examples featured are a semiconductor company that avoided layoffs by scheduling a temporary factory shutdown, a customer contact center that offered an emergency relief fund for employees facing financial catastrophe, and an international accounting and consulting firm that covered 100 percent of requested emergency and sick leave time by enabling employees to donate their unused time to one another.

Ellen Galinsky, president of the institute-and principal editor of the guide-says that leading employers are being open with employees about the financial state of their organizations and asking for their suggestions about cost containment.

“In many ways, the guide has helped increasing numbers of companies and organizations to improve their workplaces so that they work for the employer and the employees,” she says. The guide highlights unique workplace programs such as sabbaticals, leaves of absence, compressed workweeks, flextime, volunteerism and strategies to monitor overwork.

To view a searchable online edition of the guide and to find other FWI studies and practical tips for managing work and family life, visit http://www.familiesandwork.org or call (212) 465-2044.

Starting a business in today’s economy doesn’t have to be as expensive — or as scary — as it sounds.

Check out these five ways you can save money and still run a professional, efficient business.

Work from Home
Working from home helps you save money starting a business in a number of ways:

• You don’t have to buy or rent office space.
• You probably already have several, if not all, of the business tools you need already at your home.
• You won’t have to spend money traveling to and from work.

Plus, working from home isn’t only a great way to save money starting a business; it’s also a great way to help the environment! The green movement is in full swing, and people across the country are taking steps to be kinder to Mother Nature. When you work from home, you save money starting a business but you also use less resources, such as the fuel to fill your gas tank, as well as cut back on the pollution emitted from vehicles – even public transportation.

Shop for Refurbished Electronics
You shouldn’t be afraid of purchasing refurbished electronics, such as refurbished telephones and computers. Although these items have been returned to the store or manufacturer, it’s generally because the customer either changed his or her mind or because there was a slight problem with the function of the gadget. The manufacturer then inspects the item, makes any necessary repairs, certifies that it’s properly functioning and ready to be sold again, and then sells it at a significantly lower cost than the item would cost if sold as new.

So, whether you decide to work from home or work from a commercial office space, refurbished office equipment like refurbished telephones and computers are great options for the business on a budget!

Look for Free Software and Hardware
The kind of software and hardware you need to run your business obviously depends on what kind of business you’re running. While buying refurbished electronics is one way to save money on hardware, you can also help your business save money by looking for free software and hardware.

Family members, friends, and other businesses might be willing to give you or loan you hardware they don’t need anymore are aren’t currently using.
Free open source software is a great alternative to paying for expensive computer software. You can find open source software all over the Internet!

Don’t Be Afraid of Do-It-Yourself Projects
There are plenty of things you can do yourself to help your business save money. For example, consider making your own:

• Business cards. Search the Internet for templates or free graphics, or get creative yourself!
• Website. You’ll probably need to pay for your own server space, unless you can use a friend’s, but there are plenty of easy-to-use free website templates available on the Internet.
• Stationary. You can create your own letterhead and print it on basic white paper as well as good quality stock paper.

Learn How to Network
Advertising is key for running a successful business; after all, how could your business succeed if you have no customers or clients?

However, advertising can be expensive; networking with other professionals, however, is free.

Get to know people in your business area, people who work in businesses somehow related to yours, and even business owners who run completely different kinds of businesses. These people can refer clients to you who they might be too busy to take on or who need services they’re not equipped to provide. Attend conferences potential clients might also attend. Use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

About the Author:
After working with two large telecom resellers, Denton Darnutzer started his own business advising companies on their telecommunication options, which includes helping them optimize efficiency and save money with both new and refurbished equipment. Learn more at http://www.telecomwholesale.com.

Imagine being able to work from your own home, doing a job you love, and getting paid handsomely for doing it. Wouldn’t that be great?

Well, the good news is that this is not just a fantasy. It is a prospect that is well within your reach.

Today, millions of people worldwide have established highly-successful careers as freelance professionals. Writers, designers, programmers and many other home-based consultants have discovered that freelancing offers the perfect combination of freedom, creativity, flexibility and profitability.

Of course, the biggest challenge for new freelancers is finding enough work to justify giving up a day job. How can you be sure that you will keep yourself busy with lucrative work? This used to be a concern, but thanks to the advent of the Internet, things are now much easier.

Go Freelance has been established for a number of years, and has a great record of matching freelancers with projects. Wherever you are in the world, you can apply for jobs and projects, most of which can be undertaken remotely from your home location.

So do you need years of experience and fantastic qualifications to join these lucky people? Not at all. You just need a skill that you can offer to potential clients, and the willingness to learn how to run a home-based business.

Here are just a few examples of the types of opportunities available:

Write for Discussion Boards: $1200 per week, plus bonus
A writer is needed for an ongoing writing project. You will need to write copy to stimulate others into joining the discussion board. The writer needs to actively encourage regular and meaningful debate on the relevant discussion board, with some moderating of the content. You must have solid writing skills and good ideas.

Administer a Web Business from Home: $4000 per month
A successful e-commerce venture is seeking a part-time virtual assistant to act as a home-based office manager. You will deal with email correspondence, update site content and deal with general admin issues. You should have your own computer and Internet access.

Transcribe Author’s Notes: $80 per hour, flexible working
A publishing company is seeking a freelance with an eye for detail to transcribe authors’ notes and recordings for a range of ongoing projects. You must have a good grasp of English, be able to edit content into readable form, and be able to submit work from home by email.

An Investment That Paid Off
Karyn Martin was cautious about launching her freelance career online, but she soon got results:

“I remember the days when I dreamed of being a freelancer,” she says. “The word seemed magical to me somehow. Romantic, almost. Now, after having actually been a freelancer for a while, the scales have been lifted from my eyes and I have seen the light. You pay for being able to manipulate your time. You pay by working more, working harder, and – hopefully – working smarter. But what you get in return is priceless. Now I can call the shots about when I work, for whom I work, and how much I make.”

One day, Karyn decided she was no longer willing to commute in smog-laden traffic to sit in a cubicle for eight hours, come home, eat, sleep, wake up, and then do it all over again. Going through the same routine, day after day, week after week , only to wake up one day old and tired – wondering how life might have been if she’d had the guts to go it alone.

So she decided to become a freelancer – but how would she find work? She had spent endless hours surfing the ‘net, signing up with one freelance site after another. Yet there was an incredible amount of competition. She never seemed to win any bids, and was adamant about not lowering her hourly rate.

“I had always heard, “don’t pay to work!” repeatedly, and I was too poor to risk getting scammed, but I took a chance one day when I was flush and sent twenty bucks to gain access to the Go Freelance Professional Edition.

“Since then, I’ve edited a sales letter, a follow-up letter, an 11-page Web site, and a brochure. I’m ‘on call’ to do pinch-hit proofreading for a medical newsletter editor in Florida while he’s on vacation, sick, etc. And I’ve landed a gig editing a new Canadian magazine coming out this fall. All this from taking a $20 chance on Go Freelance.”

Of course, it helped to send prospects a few previous work samples she’d had the presence of mind to scan and save on disk. Also, since she has been ‘in the business’ for more than five years, she has a fairly good résumé with some experience to back up the claims, along with a strong list of references.

“For every one of you out there feeling a little discouraged, and especially for those of you on the verge of throwing in the towel, I’m here to tell you this. There may not be a Santa Claus, but there is a place to find work without paying some ridiculous “transaction fee” or never knowing whether or not the projects are ‘fresh’.”

You can sign up for a trial subscription for just $7.00, and get instant access to all the projects in the jobs database.

Be the next work-at-home success story.

With technology making it easier than ever for people to operate a business out of their house, many taxpayers may be able to take a home office deduction when filing their 2009 federal tax return next year.

Here are five important things the IRS wants you to know about claiming the home office deduction.

Generally, in order to claim a business deduction for your home, you must use part of your home exclusively and regularly:

As your principal place of business, or as a place to meet or deal with patients, clients or customers in the normal course of your business. In the case of a separate structure which is not attached to your home, it must be used in connection with your trade or business. For certain storage use, rental use or daycare-facility use, you are required to use the property regularly but not exclusively.

Generally, the amount you can deduct depends on the percentage of your home that you used for business. Your deduction for certain expenses will be limited if your gross income from your business is less than your total business expenses.

There are special rules for qualified daycare providers and for persons storing business inventory or product samples.

If you are self-employed, use Form 8829, Expenses for Business Use of Your Home, to figure your home office deduction. Report the deduction on line 30 of Schedule C, Form 1040.

Different rules apply to claiming the home office deduction if you are an employee. For example, the regular and exclusive business use must be for the convenience of your employer.

For more information see IRS Publication 587, Business Use of Your Home, available on http://IRS.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).