Working from home

[tammybear]

I would like to work from home, but I dont know what I could do. Not a good start hey? Does anyone know of anything that you can do from home?

[ZolaPola]

I never had much luck with this, maybe my line of work. However, did some sporadic stuff while on unpaid m/l - on-line mystery shopping, Saros market research etc. IT/charity sector jobs seemed to be better for home-working, on a least an occasional basis, from what I've seen.

[Jimjams]

I do a number of things from home. I'm a real nappy agent, I'm a freelance CV writer (not done much of that yet though) and I've just started working with another mumsnetter. Be careful though as a lot of work from home "opportunities" are cons. I spent about 6 weeks actively researching different options, before deciding what to do.

[AlanP]

I don't know your skillset but there are a number of companies (slowly expanding) that allow office work from home. BT is one. I tend to work 2 - 3 days a week from home the rest of the time in the office but leaving early to pick up kids and then get online at home to complete my work.

[hatter]

child-minding? or do you want to work in part to have time-off from the kids

[katierocket]

tammybear what are your skills/experience?

[tammybear]

oops sorry for the delay.

hatter - my mum used to do childminding, and i learnt a lot from it, but i dont think i could do it myself. i have little control over dd, let alone over other children lol. But I would like to do something from home, so I dont have to pay more for childminder etc.

katierocket - im not sure lol. em.. work that ive done = worked in clothes shop, office, film company, nursing home as a cleaner.
i can use the computer, er... i think ive gone brain dead now cos i cant think of what i can do. not very helpful am i? my dp thinks i should write, as im quite creative and artistic minded, as i write poetry and sometimes short stories/screenplays. or to do something in photography

[newgirl]

please don't get into selling anything - I'm really fed up with my mates holding parties where you have to buy over-priced aloe products, makeup etc!

kids photography is a fab area to get into as it can be really pricey so you could undercut and you would get customers. magazines etc are really competitive so probably a bit tricky at the mo. writing stories and screen plays is really hard - loads of my friends have tried it and the odd ones that get published get paid about £100 for an article and it would be better to work in tesco for the time you put in. but if you love it and do it for pleasure then theres no harm at all. did you see the woman on tv this week who helps people with busy lives? she organises all sorts of things from getting flats ready while they are on business trips, to shopping, diy etc - it looked really varied.

good luck with whatever you choose to do!

[gosh2]

Tammybear it depends what you mean by work from home. Do you mean work and have your children in nursery in which case you can do anything, or do you mean save on childcare and have them around.

If the former and you have a good uni degree (for back up) the world is your oyster.

If the latter you can still do it, you just have to work around their little sleep times, and work evenings.

[tammybear]

gosh2 i was thinking of working whilst being able to look after my dd at the same time, but i dont know whether id get much work done lol

[littlemissbossy]

i work from home, my dh and i have design business ... i do the paperwork/accounts only now though, boring as hell if i'm honest but the money is in my pocket and i can be at home for the kids, particularly good in the school holidays

[motherinferior]

Please don't think about working from home unless you have childcare/are prepared to do absolutely no work some days, and/or work at unpredictable times and/or into the evenings when you're already exhausted after a day's looking after your daughter. I'm sure other people will post saying they manage it, but I think very few of us do pull off a reliable amount of work combined with children.

I work four days a week, from 8.30am to 4.30am. I'm based from home and wouldn't have it any other way. And at 4.30pm I down tools and go and pick up my girls from their childminder.

[Galaxy]

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[Galaxy]

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[katierocket]

tammybear - you won't be able to work and look after your dd (weel I'd say it'd be really difficult), I work from home 3 days a week and ds goes to nursery. if he's off ill or I have something to do that can't wait and he's around, it's very difficult (I can frustrated and so does he).
if your computer skills/secretarial skills are very good you could become a 'virtual assistant'
www.allianceofukvirtualassistants.org.uk

(is that the longest URL ever or what!)