Let me ask you a question. Do you work full time? What do you do? Do you work for yourself? An employer? Whatever it is, do you work from home? Or do you go to a workspace each day to complete your tasks? Is there any freedom in your schedule? I’m curious!

If you do stay home, what does it do for you? I think it does something different for everybody. Maybe working virtually or from home is not for everybody. It may be something a lot of people desire, but when it comes down to it, may not be the best option.

I know it took me a little while to figure it all out, but I’ve always been a sort of free spirit. I want to do whatever I want when I want! So for me, it was really appealing to be an entrepreneur and create my own schedule- to be my own boss and work for me, myself, and I.

So we’ll talk about different ways that you can work virtually! If that’s something that appeals or interests you, then let’s break it down and see if it’s the right fit. At the end I’ll talk about my income and general incomes for at home businesses in 2014. Let’s get started!

1. You can talk to your employer about working from home.

I suggest exploring the possibility with your employer about the benefits of working from home. When you go to them, you should have a plan as to why it would be beneficial to them and why it would be beneficial for you. So make a game plan that will bring your employer to see your side. I really feel like that’s going to be the way for many corporations here in the future anyway- to get their employees at home, because it ends up being less expenses for them than bringing everyone into the corporate offices.

Pros: You will still have a consistent income.
Cons: You will still need to be available and online during those work hours. You are still working for someone else’s dream- you’re working for their company.

2. You can become a consultant.

A consultant is someone who can provide expertise from the outside- a different set of eyes to view the situation. They teach people. They offer different services. Basically you’ll be working for somebody else. When I say that, I mean in the realm of someone with their own online business. If you go this route, you may have many clients. If I were to take this route- I personally know a lot about social media, so I could help other businesses with their online presence, how to share their story, run a webinar, the world of Facebook ads, etc. That is my expertise.

Pros: Gives you a bit more freedom to choose your clients, hours, and schedule.

Cons: While working so closely with clients and businesses, you are in high demand and there’s usually a lot riding on your shoulders. It can be stressful at times with many deadlines.

3. You can start a business with your own product/service/branding.

With this option, you are creating your own product and selling it to consumers. When I say product, I’m speaking more along the lines of a virtual product, like an e-book or series of videos teaching on a particular topic, etc. It is similar to a consultant, but when you create a product, you can reach masses of people who see it and want to buy the product directly from you.

Pros: You have tons of freedom. You can teach whatever you want. You can reach a ton of people because you have a service or product that will still be relevant to give as long as the demand stays high and consumers need it.

Cons: You must do a lot of research to make sure you know what consumers need. It is a lot of work to get yourself out there and make it known that you have this particular product, then to showcase the necessity of it. You have to do a lot of research, and for that, you must devote a lot of time.

4. Network Marketing / Affiliate Marketing.

Network Marketing would be when you join a company and sell a product or service, while with Affiliate Marketing you are an affiliate for a product that you stand by, and each time you sell or refer someone to said product, you receive some type of commission off of it. Let’s say you’re a blogger and you promote a particular product you purchased at Target. You can actually connect with that brand and link up with your affiliate link, so that when people click and purchase it based on your review, you get a small commission. If you love to write and blog, this would be a great option for you! You just talk about the products you use in your daily life, and those blogs are out there forever. If you’re good at SEO and essentially advertising, you’d be great at affiliate marketing. The main difference between the two is that with network marketing, you can create a residual income by building a team, who then in turn brings others to the team, and so on. All while you teach them how to build their own business. You are continually generating new income from the same and new sources. With affiliate marketing, your income or commission is a one time transaction. They buy the product, you get a percentage. Done. Until it happens again.

Pros: You can inspire others to do what you do and possibly earn a residual income.  

Cons: People don’t always understand your career, they might think you’re constantly trying to sell them something, and you may receive a bit of negativity. It can come across as taboo to those people, because it’s not a “traditional” job.

I hope you seriously consider these options and take the time to think about if working virtually might be right for you, because it is legitimate and has the ability to empower you to live the life you’ve always wanted to live, if you let it. It really becomes more about experiences than things, and you will see that.

When you create a business or income where you can work virtually, you’ll have so many more options to do things like that. You won’t be stuck working for the man. You’ll actually be doing something for yourself, and when you share those travels and experiences you’ll actually be inspiring other people to do the same, and I can tell you there is no greater feeling than that!