Be Your Own Boss Online

There are so many different remote and home-based opportunities out there. Freelance. Direct sales. Home-based businesses. Work from home jobs. How do you choose?

Well, it depends what you’re looking for and your personal working style.

You can work from home and receive great benefits as an employee for large companies like Hilton or American Express. There’s also plenty of remote positions available at lesser-known but equally amazing startups and other companies who embrace the work-from-anywhere culture.

These positions are ideal for those who want some flexibility but crave the security of employee-based positions.

But what if you want to work from home with just a little guidance while also taking control over your earnings and schedule? Well, then, one of these companies that allow you to be your own boss online is probably perfect for you.

 What do You Mean by Be Your Own Boss Online?

There are several well-known and reputable companies that contract with people, like you, who want to work from home but don’t necessarily want to take on an employee role. This gives you the chance to work on projects you want without having to worry about finding clients. You bill these companies for your time and get paid twice a month as a contractor.

Sound like a pretty perfect work arrangement? Check out these companies that let you be your own boss online.

LiveOps

• Type of Work: Mostly inbound calls
• Payment: Per minute of talk time; Base plus commission; Strictly Commission
• Cost to Start: $65.00 for a background & credit check

LiveOps offered so many work-from-home Independent Agent positions in 2015, that FlexJobs named it the number one company to watch for online and telecommuting jobs in 2016. Pretty impressive, huh?

What is an Independent Agent? Independent Agents contract with LiveOps to provide services to LiveOps clients. Typically, this means answering incoming calls and/or placing outbound calls to customers (it’s mostly inbound calls).

Generally, the types of calls LiveOps Independent Agents handle involve:

• Inbound sales
• Insurance sales
• Insurance claims
• Healthcare
• Roadside service
• Customer service

After you become an agent, you get to see the current contract options and choose which one is perfect for your skills and interests. As you become established, you can contract with multiple clients and grow your business.

Even though you’re an independent contractor, LiveOps is very supportive and wants to help their agents succeed. Agents can even interact with one another through their official LiveOps Agent Community Facebook Page.

So how exactly does this allow you to be your own boss online? Well, you get to schedule yourself in blocks of time as little as 30-minutes, take calls during your self-scheduled blocks, and bill LiveOps for your time when you’re done. That’s it. Payments are made every two weeks via check or direct deposit — your choice!

NexRep

• Type of Work: Sales and Tech Support; Inbound, outbound, and email customer service
• Payment: On average, the equivalent of $15.00/hour with talk time, bonuses, and incentives
• Cost to Start: $25.00 for a background check

NexRep Agents get to work from home without having to commit to standard workdays or 8-hours shifts. Since you work as an independent contractor, you get to choose the hours and days you work. Instead of receiving a paycheck, you send out invoices for your services and are paid twice a month.

In addition to the flexibility and autonomy that comes with working as  NexRep Agent, you get to be your own boss online and work as much or little as you’d like.

The average agent makes about $15.00/hour (some of the best agents earn up to $25.00/hour!) while taking calls like:

• Outbound sales
• Inbound sales
• Customer support
• Virtual receptionist
• Beauty consultant
• Customer care

You need to pass certifications before you can work on certain contracts. And, since you’re in charge of your own time, you can optimize your schedule so that you’re working during peak hours — no sitting around waiting for work or sales opportunities.

Arise

• Type of Work: Sales and Customer Support
• Payment: $9.00 – $19.00/hour depending on performance
• Cost to Start: Cost to incorporate, Background check, Certification (total $200-$500)

When you partner with Arise, you get to support Fortune 500 customers as an independent business owner (IBO). Becoming an IBO will require you to incorporate. The cost to incorporate varies by each state, but will likely cost in the neighborhood of $100. When you incorporate, it really allows you to take the reins and be your own boss online.

As an independent business owner contracting with Arise, you get to create your own mini call center and perhaps even have agents work for you under your corporation. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, partnering with Arise can offer you the chance to develop and grow your own home-based business.

Arise even has a Premier Partner Program that you can work your way up to which offers additional incentives and unlimited earning potential. Arise pays independent business owners twice a month via direct deposit. You can expect to earn anywhere from $9.00 to $19.00 an hour depending on the contracts you work on and the incentives offered.

What You Need to Know About Going Solo

As a home-based independent contractor or independent business owner, there are a number of notable benefits like:

• Flexibility
• Work-life balance
• Autonomy
• Increased earning potential
• No commute

But remember, when you get to be your own boss online, you are your own business. This means you are completely in charge and will need to set yourself up for success by providing your own:

• High-speed internet
• Computer
• Headset
• Landline

And as an independent contractor, you are responsible for paying your own taxes on money earned. But for those who are looking to start their own legitimate home-based business, the startup fees and monthly expenses are much lower than what it would take to build something entirely from scratch.

So, if you’ve always wanted to work from home but shy away from the traditional 9 to 5 routine, consider one of these opportunities that let you be your own boss online.