Do You Have What It Takes?

By TORY JOHNSON

Aug. 31, 2006 —

We were inundated with responses from Wednesday’s segment on home-based customer service agents.

Based on questions from viewers interested in learning more about how to pursue this line of work, we’re providing more details for your consideration.

This growing trend throughout the country is focused on agents handling incoming customer service inquiries from their homes while connected to a network via computer and phone.

It’s replacing the traditional bricks-and-mortar call centers and helping to keep jobs in the United States as opposed to outsourcing them offshore.

For customer service agents, this offers the ultimate in flexibility.

You can schedule your hours and determine how much or how little you’re willing to work.

In this case, working from home is not only a benefit, it’s a requirement of the job.

Companies also can tap into a diverse pool of sophisticated workers who wouldn’t ordinarily want to work in a bricks-and-mortar call center, but who would be thrilled to handle this type of work from home.

The result is improved customer service without the often-challenging cultural barriers, which is proving more important than ever for many of America’s top companies, including banks, airlines, retailers and more.

Do you have the basic requirements?

To become a virtual customer service agent where you’d accept incoming phone calls from customers of large companies, you must have a computer, high speed Internet access, a landline telephone, and a quiet work space.

You must provide all of that at your own expense. You will be not reimbursed.

Are you a punctual self-starter?

Are you entrepreneurial? Not everyone is cut out for this kind of work. You have to thrive on running your own show. If you work best in a more structured environment, this kind of home-based call center work probably isn’t for you.

Do you have a pleasant phone manner, common sense, and a desire to solve problems efficiently?

Prior sales or customer service experience is a plus, but not a requirement. Bilingual skills are also an asset.

In addition to typing, writing, language and computer tests, be aware that the application process, which differs with each company, may include background checks, credit checks and drug testing.

Hiring is handled online and on the phone, which mirrors the type of work that you will be doing.

Research the companies you might want to work for.

There are two distinct business models in this industry: independent contractor or employee.

One company, Alpine Access (www.alpineaccess.com) hires virtual agents as employees.

Other companies, including Willow CSN (www.willowcsn.com), LiveOps (www.liveops.com), and VIPdesk (www.vipdesk.com), among others, require agents to incorporate, and they’re hired as independent contractors.

The main difference is that as a contractor, you are responsible for managing and paying your own taxes, as well as some other start-up costs. Visit their sites and explore the sections on how to become an agent.

Aside from determining on your own — or with the advice of an accountant — whether employee or contractor status is best for you, there are several factors to consider when deciding where to apply:

•  Location: At any given time, one company may be hiring virtual agents in your state while others are not. Check with each company to determine its current and ongoing needs for your area.
•  Type of Client: You’ll likely want to work on clients that you have a connection with. A horticulturist would enjoy working on a 1-800-Flowers account through Alpine Access. A savvy traveler might want to work for Willow CSN as an agent for Virgin Atlantic.
•  Compensation Structure: Hourly wages range from $8 an hour to $15 an hour, which is determined based on experience, skill level, and the specific needs of the client you’re serving. Ask in advance how the company pays its agents. Some pay hourly from when you clock in until you clock out. For others, the meter runs only while you’re on an actual call; you’re not paid for downtime between calls.
• Volume: While most companies want you to commit at least 15 hours to 20 hours a week, ask about the anticipated workload. Find out whether they’ll have enough work to keep you busy consistently or on a seasonal basis.

Some clients have low volume in summer months, and they’re swamped during the holidays.

Other clients experience high volume in the evenings, while others peak on the weekends. This is important when trying to determine how much time you can devote and how much money you can make.

•  Upfront fees: Some companies, such as Alpine Access, have no fees to get started. Others may require applicants to pay for their background and/or credit checks. These fees are typically under $30. Others require you to pay for a training manual or to attend unpaid training sessions. This will depend on the company you work for, as well as the types of clients you opt to serve.

If you become an independent agent, you’ll have to assume the costs of incorporating in your state.

A Willow CSN spokesperson says most of the company’s CyberAgents say they have recouped these costs within their first paycheck.

While insurance and other benefits are not paid for by the companies, virtual agents often can purchase coverage through designated providers that offer group rates.

Rest assured, becoming a home-based customer service agent is not an envelope-stuffing scam and it’s not a pyramid scheme where you’re signing up simply to recruit other people.

This is legitimate home-based work for which more than 100,000 people across the country are being paid for their part- and full-time services handling customer inquiries for some of the biggest brands in the world, including AAA Auto Clubs, Walgreens, Virgin Atlantic, 1-800-Flowers, J. Crew, and many more.

Tory Johnson is the workplace contributor for “Good Morning America” and the CEO of Women for Hire. Connect with her directly at www.womenforhire.com.

Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures
 source: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TakeControlOfYourLife/story?id=2378167&page=1

If you found the right WORK FROM HOME business and income opportunity that would secure FINANCIAL FREEDOM for the rest of your life! Would you be excited? Then read on, because if you missed the profits of the IT BOOM and buying the best INVESTMENT PROPERTIES at the best prices, click here for an online presentation on the fastest growing industry in the world.

from http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/TakeControl/story?id=3626238&page=1

Direct Sales Can Increase Your At-Home Business Income

By TORY JOHNSON

Sept. 20, 2007 —

Not long ago we featured a segment on starting a direct-sales business to make money from home. The response on the “Good Morning America” message boards and through e-mail proved that many of you were eager to tap into this opportunity, while others were already doing it and looking for ways to grow their businesses.

According to the Direct Selling Association, last year there were more than 15 million direct-sales representatives in this country, which is an increase of more than a million people over the previous year. Many of those people are content earning the median income of $2,500 a year, while others want to generate that figure per month.

One woman I met, Jeanne Wildman, a Longaberger direct seller, says she went from making about $200 a month to generating 10 times that much: a whopping $2,000 a month. Almost 20 percent of all direct sellers are now making more than $20,000 a year, so we know it is indeed possible to reach any financial goal that you set for yourself assuming you’re ready to put in the work.

Do something daily. I received e-mails from more than 100 women who are in the $20,000-a-year bracket and each of them say they’ve reached that milestone because they contribute to their business daily.

They don’t just dream about making money, they take action every single day to make that money. It could be contacting customers about re-orders. It may be networking and socializing outside of their homes where they always talk about their business. For some it’s as simple as meeting someone new at the hair salon and passing out their business cards. Just about everyone says they’re constantly focused on planning future parties because the primary sales forum is getting friends to host parties, where people are invited to socialize and shop. Bottom line: Work isn’t just on their minds, it’s also in their actions.

This follows the direction once offered by Mary Kay Ash who would motivate her sales force to maintain written lists of the six most important things to do each day. The focus then was on achieving daily accomplishments, just as it is today.

Form a team. Many women who are making in excess of $2,000 a month have found that they’re so passionate about direct sales, they want to form teams of other direct-sales representatives. These women become team leaders and they recruit friends to become independent sales reps who report in under them. This means they’ve now taken on two roles: They continue to sell, and they also motivate and lead their team. By managing a team, you make commission on the sales of your recruits.

Yet, it’s not a walk in the park: As a leader, you’re now doing your own sales, worrying about your own customers and you’re also motivating your team to achieve their sales goals.

In many ways, this mirrors the traditional work force: Every manager knows that his or her direct reports have different motivators. Some people work hard to get a promotion. Some perform just to keep their jobs. Others work hard to make more money. In direct sales, people get into it for different reasons: to save for the holidays, to earn a vacation, to pay for home repairs or to socialize. A great team leader recognizes that she’ll have to know what motivates her team and she has to work to meet their needs. It’s not just about signing people up to make more commission.

Bridging the gap. For some people, a desire to work at home may just be a temporary need, especially if they are taking care of children or an older parent, but they plan to return to the office one day.

Direct sales can be an ideal way to bridge the gap in employment. Starting a direct-selling business and forming a team not only means good money, but it builds invaluable leadership skills that many people can leverage into corporate careers. This is a way for anyone who wants to be at home to keep their hand in making money and building professional skills. This can make it easier to re-enter the work force later if desired.

It’s all about how you spin it. Building a customer base by selling cosmetics or gourmet food where you consistently raise the bar on your financial goals is something that any employer can relate to. Direct sales is also a smart way to maintain contact with a personal and professional network.

Outgoing personality, drive, motivation. Of course direct sales isn’t for everyone. For somebody who is shy and introverted and prefers to work alone as opposed to having to get out there and hustle, direct sales is not the right opportunity. If you’re not comfortable getting out there and pushing your business, it’s very difficult to be successful. You must really want to have the drive, personality and motivation to make it work.

Select the company that’s ideal for you. Consider the type of product sold, compensation model and whether or not you want a long-established name (Longaberger, Tastefully Simple, Avon or Mary Kay, for example) or a new entrant to the market (Luxe Jewels, Private Quarters or Baby Crazy, for example).

Tory Johnson is the workplace contributor on “GMA” and the CEO of Women for Hire. Connect with her at www.womenforhire.com.

Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures

If you found the right WORK FROM HOME business and income opportunity that would secure FINANCIAL FREEDOM for the rest of your life! Would you be excited? Then read on, because if you missed the profits of the IT BOOM and buying the best INVESTMENT PROPERTIES at the best prices, click here for an online presentation on the fastest growing industry in the world.

Excerpted from http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=3466175

With health-care costs rising, some large employers are taking radical new steps to cut corners: They’re charging overweight employees a fee if they don’t slim down.

It’s a strategy companies have used for years with smokers, which has many people wondering whether these heavy-handed employer tactics are a sign of things to come.

It’s not necessarily the wave of the future. While controlling costs is paramount for any business, the happiness and morale of its work force are also quite relevant. There are many people who believe that when employers start requiring weigh-ins and cholesterol checks, they’ve gone way too far.

So the issues of employee loyalty/satisfaction and privacy concerns, combined with some serious legal challenges, given the protection afforded to employees in the Americans with Disabilities Act  which says that employers can’t discriminate on the basis of health  will be cause for concern among employers before they rush out to adopt this stance.

It’s no secret that skyrocketing health-care costs are of concern to employers and employees alike. Each of us is paying for it, and our bosses are too. We’d all like to save money. But it’s more than just obesity and smoking that contribute to those enormous premiums, which leads to several questions.

How far can  or should  an employer go? Do you penalize an employee with breast cancer because her treatment costs are astronomical? What about someone with a brain tumor or a skin disorder? Do you monitor alcohol intake to determine whether employees are showing up hungover and therefore aren’t as productive as sober people?

Reward Versus Punishment

In theory, anything an employer can do to help its work force to be healthy is great and should be perceived as great  often a blessing in disguise  even if it is motivated by business needs, not necessarily the health and welfare of its people.

That said, there are many critics who say punishment through financial penalties is not a sound solution  and that rewards are often much more successful. Not only do incentives boost morale, but they achieve the desired results. Not long ago we focused on companies that were investing in health and wellness programs and challenges  and the management was thrilled with the results.

In fact, a recent survey found that when major corporations took the time to measure their return on investment for health and wellness incentive programs, more than 75 percent said it was greater than breaking even.

Slippery Slope?

Many critics worry that employers could get too familiar with our private lives and our personal relationships. And indeed many already are. Last month we introduced “Good Morning America” viewers to the growing trend of workplace chaplains  on-site clergy who minister to employees, mainly about personal issues that range from marital woes to coping with a family member’s illness.

There are other companies that are now introducing forms of marriage counseling. The theory is that when your home life is a wreck or you’re worried that your spouse is cheating, you bring those fears to work and it impacts your performance. So it behooves an employer to offer on-site seminars on improving relationships and maintaining healthy marriages  because happy individuals make happy employees.

But in the end, most people say the buck’s got to stop somewhere with a healthy balance between controlling costs while allowing employees to maintain their personal privacy as well.

Tory Johnson is the workplace contributor on “Good Morning America” and the CEO of Women for Hire. Connect with her at www.womenforhire.com

Copyright © 2007 ABC News Internet Ventures