Telecommute OR Run My Own Business?

WHAT IS TELECOMMUTING?
Telecommuters work for one or more companies that offer telecommuting jobs. The most common jobs are outbound and inbound phone calls. These are usually sales or customer service calls. There are also quite a few data entry positions available. Competition for telecommuting jobs is fierce. It may take a little while to find your first job, but once you get a foot in the door, and have some experience in the industry to add to your resume it will get easier to get other positions.

Telecommuters know how many hours per week they are going to work and as well as what time they work. For example, a telecommuter may work from 7 to 11 am Monday through Friday. The big advantage of working as a telecommuter is that you get a paycheck each week, or every other week that you can count on. You know exactly how much money you will have coming in and can budget accordingly.

Even though it is referred to as a telecommuting job, telecommuters are usually independent contractors who are responsible for their own taxes, and don’t enjoy any of the benefits like insurance, paid vacation and a 401K plan that traditional employees receive.

The disadvantages are that you can only work as many hours as the company has work for you, and the company decides how much to pay you. This obviously limits you in the amount of money you can earn as a telecommuter. Yes, you can sign up with several telecommuting companies to get more hours, but in the end, the day only has 24 hours and you are limited in how much you can work in a given week.


WHAT IS OWNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS
Owning your own business gives you a lot of flexibility. You decide what your online business is going to be about. The only limiting factor is whether or not it is profitable. You also make your own hours and decide how much you want to earn.

If you have a service based business, like working as a Virtual Assistant, you can set an hourly rate, if you sell your own product, you can add to your product to raise the price, or step up your marketing efforts to make more sales. As an affiliate marketer, you can create more sites, and drive more traffic to your existing sites. You can also tweak how you present content ads and affiliate products on your site. Both of these practices will result in more affiliate sales and thus more income for you.

The downsides of owning your own business are that it takes some time to get things started and that it takes a fair amount of discipline to keep going. There is no boss setting deadlines or making your schedule. You are the one that decides what needs to be done and then takes care of it, or finds someone else to outsource it to.

Getting the business started takes a lot of time and effort without much payoff to begin with. It can be discouraging at times. But with some determination and a willingness to learn, you can create a nice income working from home, and keep growing it, preferably by working less.


SO WHICH OPTION IS RIGHT FOR ME?
Now that you have a basic understanding of the two and how telecommuting is different from running your own business, it is up to you to decide which one you would like to pursue. If making money right away and being able to count on a paycheck each week are important to you, give telecommuting a try.

On the other hand if you are a self-motivated individual, enjoy the freedom to decide when and how much you will work in any given week and don't mind the ups and downs in cash flow that come with owning your own business, go for it. Take your pick and give it a try. The most important thing is that you get started with something to allow you to stay home and enjoy your time with your loving family.
_______________________________________________

Article written by Nell Taliercio of Telecommuting Moms