It’s a Virtual
Work World

by Alyssa Quintero

Working from home can solve some of the daily challenges of progressive muscle diseases, such as fatigue and the need for personal care assistance, transportation and on-the-job accommodations.

Commonly referred to as telecommuting or telework, the world of virtual jobs includes home-based businesses, virtual administrative assistants, working from home for a current employer, and freelancing in such areas as writing, editing, translation, online tutoring, Web designing and event planning.

Although it pays to be tech-savvy, it doesn’t take much complicated technology to start or find telework. The key is identifying the right tools for your needs and weeding out the scams.

body because of the fatigue and exhaustion,” explained Gonzalez, who had to leave her job in a medical office because she got sick. Telework not only protects her from germs, but “you can work whenever you want, even if it’s at 2 a.m.,” she ^said. “^{It’s a lot less} “You can work whenever you want, even if it’s at 2 a.m.,” says Lorinda Gonzalez stressful on your of telework. “It’s a lot less stressful on your health.” health.”

Working from home works

Lorinda Gonzalez of Lantana, Fla., who has type 2 spinal muscular atrophy, teleworks to earn money while attending Palm Beach Community College.

Gonzalez, 23, has been an Avon representative for the last four years, but it became difficult to travel to deliver customers’ orders. She opened an online Avon store in June.

“It’s very convenient for me and the customers, and it has minimal out-of-pocket costs,” she said. “There are other representatives that have hundreds and hundreds of clients because it’s a global Web site.”

She says it took her about two minutes to set up the site (http://lorindagonzalez. avonrepresentative.com) with her customized features. She pays $7.50 every two weeks, or each campaign, to use the site.

Through the site, clients sign in and place their orders; Avon delivers directly to their homes.

With the help of her laptop and speech-recognition software, Gonzalez works about 20 to 30 hours a week monitoring her online store from home.

“It’s ideal because going out and having a full-time job is very trying on my

Find the right support

Netti Hoffman, 44, of Delray Beach, Fla., decided in October to start an online business and in February launched the Web site for her company, Jewelry That Inspires ( http://jewelrythatinspires.com).

Hoffman, who has myasthenia gravis, didn’t set out to be an entrepreneur and business owner, and admits “it wasn’t easy.” For four months, she studied such books as Home Businesses Made Easy, and learned how to design a Web site because she couldn’t afford a professional Web designer.

“There was a lot of trial and error,” she said.

She quickly learned she needed a Web hosting company, software to create the site, software to make it an e-commerce site, and a merchant account in order to accept online purchases.

Initially, Hoffman chose a Web hosting company by reputation and information provided by the Better Business Bureau, and “hoped for the best.” She experimented with six e-commerce hosting sites that offered low monthly charges, but ended up losing money because the sites weren’t as user-friendly as claimed.

Some hosting companies charged between $12.95 and $49.95 a month to host a store front, but Hoffman found the support was poor and the software was too complicated, especially since she isn’t a Web design expert.

“Each company taught me about a new issue that I hadn’t foreseen,” she said, such

as compatibility issues and limitations on how products can be listed.

She lost money in her search, but since has found a company that charges $100 a month. Hoffman purchased additional services like her SSL security certificate and merchant account services through the company, and pays a monthly fee that enables her site to accept credit card purchases.

“The company’s rates are high, but you get it all back in outstanding support,” she said. “If I have problems with my shopping cart, the Web site itself or my security certificate, I have the resources to fix it. Without the support, my business would suffer, and I’d lose money.”

Hoffman estimates she spent $2,200 to start the online business. Her valuable lesson: “You keep learning.”

Beware of scams

The Internet is a gateway to many legitimate home-based jobs, but beware of online scams: If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Doing some research can save money — and disappointment — in the long run.

Before giving out any personal information, start by checking opportunities with the Better Business Bureau (http:// us.bbb.org, 703-276-0100), which has a special section devoted to work-at-home schemes.

The Federal Trade Commission’s Bureau of Consumer Protection provides some special sections devoted to work-at-home-schemes and how to stay safe.