Data Entry Work from Home Jobs

The most common work-at-home job wanted is data entry. 

Many people think that if they can type well they can do data entry from their home. There is more to data entry then just typing. Most companies that hire people for this type of job require them to be able to type and do 10 key by touch with few to no errors. 

I have many people ask me what type software they would need to be able to do data entry from home. There is no specific answer to this question. This is because many companies have their own database program in which they key their information into.

When you are hired by the company they will almost always supply you with the necessary program. However, they will not supply you with their program if they use software that is available to the public, such as Microsoft Office, Lotus, Word Perfect, etc.

We do have data entry jobs listed on our site, but these jobs get filled quickly. I tell all members that if they can type accurately and do error-free 10 key by touch they can get a data entry job. One important factor in getting a data entry job is that you must be able to promote yourself. Some people get discouraged because they cannot get hired by a company that has advertised an opening in this field.

There are several reasons for this:

1. The positions go quickly as I mentioned earlier.

2. Many companies think they can hire in-office workers cheaper than someone working in their personal home office. This is simply not true and it is important to let the companies know the benefits of contracting work out to at-home workers.

There are many success stories from our members who have used the information that is available on our site and other information they have found on the Internet to put together a brief letter that was sent to companies that are hiring in-office employees. You present a letter that explains telecommuting and its benefits, and how your service can help their company.

You will be able to promote yourself best to small companies. When I say "small" I am referring to companies that have fewer than 20 on-site employees. Try to find a company with fewer than 10 employees if you can. If you have a phone book, you can find more than a handful of companies that could possibly benefit from your services.

I cannot stress enough the importance of promoting yourself as a professional, while also explaining the benefits of telecommuting to prospective client-companies. Many people also get discouraged and tend to give up when they contact several companies and get turned down by each.

You need to view this process as the more “No's” you get out of the way will just bring you closer to your first “Yes”! This is just like people who work in sales. Sales people love the word NO because it is a numbers game to them; they know that it takes so many No's to get to those people who say yes!

We will show you the correct way to write a "work at home" resume
(which is called a "précis").

Use your précis along with the other self-promotion ideas that we offer and you should have no problem getting data entry work from home.

Open up the Sunday paper to the employment section. Once you know the correct way to approach these companies you can start faxing or emailing your telecommuting presentation to them. You want to make sure you have all the information you will need to answer their questions before you send out that first fax or email.

How to price your work will come from research that you do for similar work being done in your area. Different areas across the United States generally pay different rates. Make some telephone inquiries to Secretarial Services, Temporary Agencies and ask what they are charging companies for the type of work you want to provide. You can even call a Secretarial or even a Data Entry Service and present yourself as someone who is looking to contract out data entry work. Ask them what they typically charge for data entry. Use your imagination on the type of questions to ask.

For your information: Temporary Agencies typically pay the temp about 60-75% of what they charge the company. If you were to ask a Temporary Agency what they would pay you, and then make the calculation to add another 25-40% to determine what the temp agency charges their client. You might get a more up-front answer this way.

For Example: What they charge for data entry into an Excel spread sheet.

What they charge for data entry into an Access database.

Do they charge per record, per character, line, hour, etc?

I usually suggest that a new member work up their "work at home" resume and then email it to me. I then will look over it and make any suggestions on what I feel needs to be changed. This will help the new member create a précis.

You can also use this type information for searching in the "Word Processing" field.

Before you decide that Data Entry at home is for you, ask yourself these questions:   

• Am I self-disciplined enough to meet deadlines?
• Do I have a room or another area where I can work at home without interruptions?
• Can I type at least 60 WPM with few to no errors?
• Can I do 10 key by touch on my keyboard with few to no errors?

If you can answer yes to these questions then you are on your way to landing you a data entry position. :)

The majority of data entry jobs that we have listed on our site and in our Job Database can be done from anywhere in the United States.