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Don't let the sluggish economy and poor job market keep you from earning money. There are numerous opportunities to work online. Having an online business is just as real as a brick-and-mortar establishment, but without the high overhead.

Many people may have found themselves unemployed and in a difficult situation. Because of downsizing or business closures, job scarcity is a real issue and finding decent paying jobs can be a problem. Although there may be a lot of low paying fast food and retail cashier jobs available, you spend almost as much for gasoline, uniforms, and other expenses as you earn in your paycheck. There are some alternatives, however, that can help get you through the difficult situation of unemployment.



For many years, working online was considered unrealistic. In fact, because of a large number of scams that received a lot of publicity, the idea of working online lost favor. However, over the past several years, working online has become a legitimate source of income. There is an entire community of online workers who enjoy the benefits of working from home or on the road. Here are a few of the many benefits of online work.

• Flexible work schedule. Being able to work whenever you want is a truly special benefit that is available with many online employment situations. Many jobs give you the choice of how many hours you work and when you work them. Of course, you do have to work to make a living.
• Low overhead. Unlike owning a brick-and-mortar business, working online relieves you of having to pay for an office and commuting every day. Even if you work for someone else, you still pay for gasoline and work clothes. However, working online means no travel and you can wear whatever is most comfortable for you while you work.
• Work anywhere. Many online jobs give you the opportunity to work from any place in the country -- or in the world. You can travel and enjoy your favorite tourist locations in the off season and for as long as you want. As long as you have electricity and an internet connection, you are set.

So being self-employed online offers some unique benefits that you won't find at most other jobs. It really may be worth looking into.

Legitimate Businesses

There are many types of jobs online. You can be a freelance writer, or you can get paid by taking surveys with the help of internet. The number of jobs is actually very high, and if you can develop some basic skills, you may find yourself with more work than you can manage. Here are some possible jobs that you can get working online.

• Online auctions. Selling products and handmade crafts can be a lucrative business if you have products that are unique and sought after by customers. 
• Bookkeeping. If you have experience with accounting software, you can find work doing bookkeeping for several clients. 
• Survey taking. You can find self employment with online survey jobs. There are numerous sites available (GetPaidSurveys.com is one) with legitimate survey work. 
• Voiceovers. If you have a quiet place in your home, you may want to purchase a good quality studio microphone and get hired to do voice recordings for books and videos.
• Photography. If you have a camera and a good eye, you might be able to pick up work taking photographs and then sell them online. 
• Graphic arts. There are many website companies and other businesses that need the services of a good graphic designer, so if you have some skill and the right software, it might be a very rewarding line of work.

There are so many types of jobs available via the internet, it's impossible to list them all. Spend some time searching online. There are many websites where people can post genuine work.

Avoiding Those Scams

Although there are those people who will try to scam you online, it doesn't take long before you recognize the good jobs from the bad ones. Basically, if they want you to pay money in advance so that you can work, you probably want to avoid them. Legitimate businesses won't ask you to fill out a W-9 unless you're actually being paid money -- most will ask you to complete tax information if you make $600 or more in a year.

You may still run across scams even with your legitimate work. Some people are dishonest and will try to keep from paying you for work that you do. This happens even in traditional businesses, so don't be too offended if it happens to you. Learn from the situation and move on.

Working online can be a great way to earn money. The good news is that you can often set your own hours and work as much or as little as you desire. Don't let naysayers sway you from the possibilities of running a well-paying business from home.

Author Bio
Jennifer is a work from home mom who is currently living in NYC with her two children. She loves working from home and earns money by freelance writing, finding and taking surveys on sites like Getpaidsurveys, training kids and working on some data entry jobs.