Setting up a data entry business from home sounds like a daunting prospect, but with a few basic requirements in place and the knowledge of what to look out for, it is much easier than it sounds.

So What is Required?

Essentially, all a person needs to get started with a data entry business is a computer with a regular Internet connection, MS Word, Excel and/ or Access and an ability to type reasonably quickly and, naturally, accurately. An Adobe reader to view or work on PDF files may also be necessary.

Then, of course, they will have to find work. This is where it gets a little more difficult, because many of the myriads of data entry opportunities advertised on the Internet will ultimately turn out to be elaborate scams set up to deceive people into handing over their money.

This should not, however, discourage an individual from trying. There are also many genuine, well paid jobs out there, and it is simply a matter of sorting the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. Knowing what to look out for and how to check out potential providers of work will protect an individual looking for work from becoming a victim to scam artists.

Finding Data Entry Work

By following a set of basic rules, it will be possible to avoid scams and get started without major pitfalls and costly mistakes. They are basically just three simple tips on checking out a potential person or company offering work.

Rule Number One – Avoiding Programs

The first rule is never to get involved with people, companies or so-called programmes offering work for which the individual looking for work has to pay to start with. Real employers pay for work, they don\’t ask people to pay them!

Let\’s face it, nobody would expect to pay to get a job interview on their High Street or on an industrial estate. The same applies to Internet based work. If it is genuine, no advance payment will be required.

Rule Number Two – Checking the Company

Even if there doesn\’t appear to be an obvious problem with a potential employer, the best advice is to check them out thouroughly before submitting any work. Some companies have been known to accept the work and then fail to pay for it.

Although this is comparatively rare, it does happen and a quick enquiry at one or both of these two websites: Better Business Bureau, referred to as the BBB for short, or the second site, Small Business Administration, known as the SBA, will reveal if a company can be trusted to pay on time.

Posting a query on a public forum can also be an excellent resource when trying to determine the authenticity of a company. If there is a problem, someone will know and respond to the query with a warning.

Rule Number Three – Checking the Work

An additional way of checking includes taking a good look at the way in which the provided work to be done is presented. A good, genuine employer will detail how they want the finished work to look, including details on file formats, formatting of text, the deadline for submission and rates of pay.

File formats usually include DOCS or RTF, excel or occasionally access files, PDF, HTML or SGML. Often the work is provided in the actual format it should be returned in.

The applicable rates of pay should equally be outlined clearly, usually the rates are per quantity submitted, rather than consisting of fantastic promises of easy money. Data entry, like any other work, is not easy money; earnings have to be worked for. Anyone promising otherwise can be regarded as dubious at best and should be double-checked, before falling into a trap.

Brian Scott is a professional freelance writer and home-based data entry worker. He recommends a free jobsite, http://www.DataEntryJobs101.com to find current data entry jobs that let you work from home.

Brian Scott is a professional freelance writer and home-based data entry worker. He recommends a free jobsite, http://www.DataEntryJobs101.com to find current data entry jobs that let you work from home.

Author Bio: Brian Scott is a professional freelance writer and home-based data entry worker. He recommends a free jobsite, http://www.DataEntryJobs101.com to find current data entry jobs that let you work from home.

Category: Career
Keywords: data entry jobs, virtual assistant jobs, writing jobs, work from home, freelance jobs