Almost nothing I say interests people more than when I tell them I work from home. This revelation never fails to bring out exuberant responses from others ranging from curiosity to assumptions; and as anyone who works from home can tell you, the latter can have you pulling your hair out!

However, from the innocently curious I get a host of genuine questions, overwhelmingly pertaining to the nature of my work and how one might go about working from home. Obviously, everyone’s experience is different, but I’m happy to share my many-fingers-in-the-pie approach with the hope that you can find something from my situation that might be of help to you.

My history of home-based work began several years ago when I was working in an office while my husband was out of work and we were barely scraping by (Shout out to my awesome Grandparents here, they were a huge help!). I’m one tough nut, but the particular office in which I was working was rife with poor office morale due to managerial incompetency; rampant discrimination and harassment; and an abundance of interpersonal conflict; all of which contributed to my fair share of pre-work-morning meltdowns before I finally decided I’d had enough.

While my husband picked up a very modest teaching gig, I got down to business looking for another job. However, as I had two small children at home my heart wasn’t really into finding another position that would take me away from them and I found myself on the Internet endlessly searching for ways to make money at home. After researching more than a few of the work-at-home marketing schemes, I concluded that working at home was going to be no different than obtaining a conventional job in that – are you ready for it? – I was really going to have to work for it! Sure, I wouldn’t be spending hours combing the job sites; editing and re‑editing my resume, tailoring it to the specific inquiry or application I was making; researching potential companies in order to come up with intelligent questions at interviews; or even having update my professional wardrobe; but it was evident that I was going to have to invest time, energy and even a little money into setting up a home office, including the acquisition of any necessary equipment and applicable merchandise; marketing myself; any necessary training; and figuring out how to find and maintain balance between business and personal within the home setting. The bottom line? There really is no such thing as quick and easy, passive income.

After coming to terms with that disappointing truth, I turned my attention to realistic opportunities that required little or no overhead. In the past seven years I’ve worked my way through various endeavors that have enabled me to bring in good income while working from home. I’ve done customer service for several large companies, as well as telephone marketing; I’ve sold crafts and goods on Etsy and bulk merchandise on eBay; I’ve done some writing and graphic design; performed voice-over work; and I’ve even done medical, legal and general transcription for various business, legal and government agencies throughout the United States and Canada. I’ve learned a lot along the way and have even used my experience, contacts and expertise to start a business of my own.

Without a doubt, there are many legitimate and lucrative ways to work from home but much like a conventional eight-to-fiver; time, energy and effort are required in order to successfully make a living from such ventures. In the coming weeks, I will be highlighting several of the work-at-home opportunities available that I personally have been able to take advantage of. I will explain the equipment and skills required to fulfill the job in addition to the particulars regarding how to apply and land the job. Finally, I will share the pros and cons of each opportunity based on my own personal experience.

In the meantime, please check back regularly for new postings and always feel free to ask questions, comment and share!