New Mom Needs Guidance for work from home options

Alpine Access: A call center company that uses home-based customer service representatives to handle calls for a variety of companies, including J. Crew and 1-800-Flowers.

. Arise: Matches work-from-home agents with open positions in sales, technical support and customer service.

. Convergys: Hires home-based agents to serve as customer service, technical assistance or sales agents for clients.

. Liveops: Customer service calls for a variety of major corporations are routed through this center and answered by people who work from home.

. Staffcentrix: Finds virtual assistants who perform a variety of administrative and other business tasks from their home for CEOs and other clients.

. VirtuServe: A call center that hires home agents for various services, such as telemarketing, help desk support and survey research.

. VIPdesk: Home-based concierge and customer service agents are hired to work with various companies.

. West Corporation: Finds customer service agents based out of their homes for a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical, retail and hospitality.

Tips for Your Search
When looking for companies that hire work-from-home employees, here are some things to consider:

. Beware of work-from-home job postings that sound ideal but require you to pay a fee, transfer money, set up a bank account or give too much personal information up front. Research the company before you apply for a position to ensure it's legitimate. A little homework can help you avoid the many scams out there.

. Make sure you understand the expenses involved with working from home. A high-speed Internet connection, mobile phone, printer and other items might be necessary to perform your job, so know what you'll need and what you can afford. Check with a financial adviser to see if you can write off any of this equipment when you file your taxes.

. If you want to work at home so you can spend more time with your children or aren't looking for a full-time job, don't apply for positions that will be high-stress and have long hours. Working from home can be just as demanding as working in an office, so search wisely.

. Use search terms on job boards like "home office," "telecommute" and "work from home."

Tips for Working From Home
When you do land that home-based job, here are some tips to make your transition from the cubicle to the home office easier:

.Stick to a schedule. Although you're not at the office and nobody's monitoring you, a schedule helps you stay on task and avoid procrastination.

One Happy Mom in Arizona.

Just be aware that working from home is not always a "no daycare" option. Many places won't allow you to have children around even if they allow you to work from home.
A few of my friends work from home and still have the kiddos at a babysitter a couple of days a week.
The other thing that is tough is making time to work when you are at home. Once your baby isn't sleeping as much, it gets tougher.

Brooke Romney is an unbalanced mom of three young boys who constantly has too much to do, and too little time. She writes the Mom Beat column for The Gilbert Republic.

Hi McKayla's Mom,

I have been working from home for several months with a company called Work At Home United. I am enjoying it and finding it not stressful at all. My four kids are around me while I work. Here is my website to get more information. www.workathomeunited.com/arizona

I thought the information you had received was very good for telephone work.

IT is a tough thing to research and you are smart to look about you before you get involved. Looking forward to talking with you soon.

Clare W

Clare Willis -- Homeschooling Mother of four

www.myhomecottagebiz.com Supplemental income ideas for families like yours!

Hi McKaylasmommy!

Depending on what you would like to do from home, you can find other moms at http://bizemoms.com who are working from home or have a home-type jobs. Explore and you can contact the person on whatever you chose.

Enjoy and have fun!

I don't have any leads, just some advice. After having my first son, I went from full time to part time. After my second son, I went from part time in an office to part time at home. These were the best decisions I have ever made - my career has definately slowed down and I'm doing work that isn't always the most fulfilling. But who cares - I'm still working, getting a lot of time with my kids, earning a paycheck, etc. You won't regret this decision.

Susie is a discussion leader in the east valley for arizonamoms.com. She has two sons, ages 6 and 2.

I'm a stay-at -home mom too and have tried everything from Avon to Arbone to Mary-kay; nothing worked for me until i started selling Sashay Jewelry 2months ago and its the only thing thats brought in extra money (good money) and i absolutely love it! if want want to learn more please email me and we can get u started right away! if u love jewelry, sunglasses , clothes, hats, and handbags; its the Ultimate Traveling Boutique!
wwww.sashaygina@gmail.com

Sashaymom

Hi McKaylasmommy,
I've just launched a new company, Neighborhood Welcome, and am seeking independent contractors to recruit new sponsors and welcome new homeowners in our target markets. The job is flexible, fun and rewarding. If you are in the north or northwest Valley, check out the details to see if it might be a fit for you at www.neighborhoodwelcomeaz.com/careers.