Working from home: what can you do?

For Carol, the effect of globalisation on pay has been a real eye-opener. ‘Because people can bid from anywhere in the world, those living in high cost economies are easily undercut by contractors in other parts of the world where living costs are lower. Most projects do pay a realistic rate but I don’t rely on Smarterwork entirely.’ Carol also uses contacts from her previous work and continues to develop new ones.

Effective networking is crucial for homeworkers, not just for making business contacts but to replace the social aspects of going out to work. Carol admits, ‘Working this way has its downside – it can be fairly isolating. Trying to look after the baby and hit a deadline is not easy and I do miss the guaranteed monthly salary, but despite all that I’m in no hurry to go back to an office-based job.’

To bid for projects through Smarterwork you must register. This involves demonstrating skills, experience and qualifications through online tests or submission of a CV. As with any other form of work the more skills you have to offer the greater your choice of work and the more money you can expect.

Unqualified success
There are a growing number of opportunities for those who don’t have particular qualifications but enjoy spending time on the web. A good place to check out what’s on offer and whether it’s worth following up is Lynne O’Connor’s website, www.homeworkinguk.com.

A couple of years ago Lynne was on maternity leave and looking for something she could do from home using the Internet. ‘There was very little for people outside the US so I decided to make a site based on my own research and experience. From that basic idea it’s just grown and grown and virtually taken over my life.’