Is it natural to think negativly about working from home opportunities?

Jon

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So, there have been quite a lot of good opportunities listed on TMS recently and I am always up for sharing those opportunities via social media to other people.

As soon as you do you get 'what's the catch?'

Does that just come from an already conceived idea that every opportunity to work from home is a scam? How can Mystery Shopping and the like be a scam?

I will be honest and say it winds me up a bit as I see people signing up to various money making MLM facebook pyramid schemes quite happily but if you present then with an opportunity to earn some cash normally they don't want to know. Is it because the carrot being dangled may only be £10 and not the UNLIMITED £5 BILLION they are used to seeing offered in front of them on Facebook?
 

alundra

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I think there are some mystery shopping scams. Also, people think "Wait, someone's paying me to go shopping? That is really too good to be true. With this MLM thing, I am physically selling something, so I see why I am being paid."

I used to share my opportunities in real life with people, but only 1-2 of them took up focus groups. Everyone else refuses, including my husband who says his time is worth more than that (despite the high pay and things that would interest him).
 

Jon

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What mystery shopping scams are there out there? Am interested to know
 

caledonia1972

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I think it's partly that there are a LOT of scams out there and partly because people can't think out of their own little boxes.

In order to make a success of working for yourself - whatever sort of thing you want to do - you have to be proactive. You have to log on to Roamler and see what's around then snap it up quickly before anyone else. You have to do the same with the other mystery shopping sites, or market your handmade cakes actively, tweet about what you're doing, apply for gigs on freelancing sites etc etc. You cannot just wait for it all to happen.

Most people I have come across are not prepared to take that step. They want the sort of job where you sit in an office and people tell you what to do, or you are given your "work" by a boss. The idea of stepping out of that box and creating your own work is a step too far, it's big and scary and most people don't want to make that leap. Avon and the rest are not as "scary" as it is a familiar concept and everyone knows how it works and what it is.

Which suits me as it means more work for the rest of us.
 

caledonia1972

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Mystery shopping scam:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-12633484

There are also unscrupulous "agencies" out there who say that they will give you all the mystery shopping work you can handle in return for a £50 registration fee / training pack / admin charge.
 

Jon

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Bad times

I would say that is down to not doing any back ground checks am replying to a random email about shopping that just happens to be transferring money abroad and over £1000

I do get your point though
 

jena

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I totally agree with Caledonia. It is about being proactive and you need to have good organisational and time management skills to be successful or at least, as in my case, recognise your weaknesses. I am notoriously bad at time management (I'm a natural optimist) even though I know the theory and have actually taught the subject in the past!
 

Jon

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I think it doesn't matter how proactive you are in regards to attitude if you are negative from the start and have a 'why should I go and take a photo of those flowers for £2.50' kind of guy or gal I don't think you will ever get out of the starting blocks

flexibility and having an open mind are absolute key to getting started in working from home
 

auntygeek

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Flexibility is the absolute key. Some people are used to going into work on their set hours and with Field Agent, if you want to earn ££££ from it, you have to just drop everything and go when there's a new task out.

I got a friend into the premium Gapbuster malarkey, and she was like 'I hadn't bought lunch because my husband was doing this MS, then they cancelled it' and apparently that was a huge disaster and wrecked her entire week!? I mean seriously. You can't be that prescriptive, you have to roll with the punches...
 

FreeSwagSites

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If I may sneak off the deckchair for a moment, I think there is a lot of basic ignorance of economics and business in the UK. They only think it's too good to be true because they don't understand what the paying party gets in return. Also, a lot of people are too intimidated by the technological knowledge required to take up the opportunities. For many of us it's basic computer stuff, but for others it's more akin to magic.
 

Chammy

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TheRewardGuy said:
If I may sneak off the deckchair for a moment, I think there is a lot of basic ignorance of economics and business in the UK. They only think it's too good to be true because they don't understand what the paying party gets in return. Also, a lot of people are too intimidated by the technological knowledge required to take up the opportunities. For many of us it's basic computer stuff, but for others it's more akin to magic.

No you may not, back to the deckchair with you!

pointing-monkey.jpg
 

caledonia1972

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I also think for a lot of people it's fear of the unknown. Those of us who work for ourselves and don't have a "proper" job as well never know exactly what we are going to be earning month to month. There are good months and not so good months. Some people prefer the certainty of employment and knowing exactly what you're bringing in each month.

Also (getting on my high horse here) I have seen LOTS of posts on Netmums and the like about work at home or other sorts of job opportunities and the first question is never "what can I make doing this" it's always " how will this affect my benefits". People seeem reluctant to take on any sorts of opportunities which they think might cut the cash they get from the State, whether or not they are better off in the long run.

There is no excuse though for not embracing things like Roamler which can be done while you're going round the supermarket and doing your weekly shop anyway.
 

Jon

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caledonia1972 said:
I also think for a lot of people it's fear of the unknown. Those of us who work for ourselves and don't have a "proper" job as well never know exactly what we are going to be earning month to month. There are good months and not so good months. Some people prefer the certainty of employment and knowing exactly what you're bringing in each month.

Also (getting on my high horse here) I have seen LOTS of posts on Netmums and the like about work at home or other sorts of job opportunities and the first question is never "what can I make doing this" it's always " how will this affect my benefits". People seeem reluctant to take on any sorts of opportunities which they think might cut the cash they get from the State, whether or not they are better off in the long run.

There is no excuse though for not embracing things like Roamler which can be done while you're going round the supermarket and doing your weekly shop anyway.

See now I am wondering if this is what I am coming up against

never thought that they might be thinking that..
 

caledonia1972

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I think also there is a lot of suspicion around the process of registering as self-employed and completing a tax return. People think it's complicated and difficult. And it's not, well, it doesn't have to be.

I don't get tax credits so don't know how the system works. I do know though that the whole claiming and updating process is a nightmare and geared to people in paid employment rather than PAYE. Just look at this page and you'll see why people are put off..

http://www.revenuebenefits.org.uk/tax-credits/guidance/how-do-tax-credits-work/self-employed/

I suppose it depends on your circumstances and what other income you have coming into the house. If you're only aiming to earn £25 a week doing online work or work from home, then the hassle of tax credits, having to apply all over again for whatever other benefits you are getting and being potentially left short while they reassess the claim is just not worth it.
 

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