While
reviewing programs for this site, I spoke with more than one mom who
was earning $1000 - $1500 a week or more as a home agent with a
certain company. After doing research to verify that this
was true, I decided to actually join that company as a TEST for
this site.
This was my experience....
One
Sunday afternoon I received a call from a mom asking me to enroll her
as an agent with this company. I could've easily made a quick buck
right there on the spot (referral fee), but I chose not to and told her
she really needed to consider something more reputable. I just had this
"gut feeling" that this particular company was headed for trouble, and
I was right.
That was one of the best decisions I ever made. I would've felt SO bad had she joined me and lost money!
Well, that so-called
"reputable" company closed their doors not longer after that, September
30, 2008. They reopened under another name for a few months and closed
doors again right before Christmas! They still owe lots of people money
to the tune of thousands of dollars, and it remains to be seen whether
it'll ever be paid.
Why am I sharing this with you? So you'll be careful.
This company was a wolf in sheep's clothes. They were a small division
of an 8-year old company, but no one realized that the management team
was inexperienced and it was underfunded. They promised to put all the
other companies out of business (NEVER a good thing to say) with their
technology, and a lot of people were taken in by that. I admit, their
marketing program was VERY impressive.
One
lesson I'd like you to learn here is just what I've been saying for
years. It's always been my opinion that it's safer to go with a company
that's at least 3 years old. (In this case, the network marketing
division of this company was only a little over 1 year old.) I've read this many times, but never had any concrete evidence to back it up, but this case definitely supports that opinion.
Now, on a positive note...
I've
spoken with a few moms who've actually worked with two different home
agent (call center) companies, and I've heard nothing but good about
both of them:
While these companies have both been in business for a number of years (definitely a plus), I've never worked for either of them personally, so I can't officially "recommend" them.

I
did work through the application process for both of these companies
online. Once your application is processed and you pay the fees
required to set up your call center at home (background check, etc),
you also have to pass some tests (not hard). Once you've passed and are
actually hired, they pay you an hourly rate to take calls for different
companies.
One mom told me she's worked for
both of these companies and has done very well. Again, just keep in
mind that this is only LINEAR income, not RESIDUAL. (See my explanation here).
Another
twist to the home agent concept is working for local business owners
who need appointment setters (insurance agents, water testers, etc.)
One insurance agency I know pays its home agents $10 for each
appointment they set instead of paying by the hour. This can be
profitable if you don't waste time on the phone and are really good at
your script.
If this sounds like something
you'd like to do, I recommend you start checking local job listings and
making yourself available for hire.
The two
sites below are great for finding jobs in your area, and the second one
will even send you a listing every day via email if you request it!
If you want to keep in touch with me, don't forget to subscribe to my blog - Moms Work at Home Updates - where I review work-at-home programs as they come to my attention.
Also, if you're looking for a BUSINESS, then...
You
may want to research the company I've been with for 14 years since it's
very reputable. It DOES cost a SMALL amount of money to get started,
but the income potential is super and at least you don't have to worry
about it closing shop tomorrow!
If
you are currently working a Home Agent Program and
can provide me with proof that it is working well for you, please share
it with
me so I can review it and see if it's something I can feel good
about recommending to moms!
I hope this information has been of help to you!
