Home-Based Data Entry Jobs – ‘Drop and Deliver’ – How to Make It Happen

In a previous article, we talked about the seemingly limitless online data-entry jobs available to you to earn extra money working online from home. With online data entry projects, no one has to actually travel anywhere; nor is any type of hard copy material usually exchanged. All transactions are done online, through the Internet.

As we learned, types of online data entry jobs usually require you, the online worker, to:

• Have available specific types of equipment, network capabilities and software.
• Set up, describe and maintain a data security and data protection process to ensure that data is kept private and carefully managed.
• Demonstrate your capacity for accuracy by providing work history and/or samples that illustrate the quality of your data management work.

An even larger number of data entry and data processing projects can be done from home than can be done online. Now we’re going to discuss the ‘drop and deliver’ type of data entry jobs that you also can do primarily from home.

The difference – these jobs involve the ‘dropping and delivering’ of hard copy data, or a portable disk of some type, to and from your home. This can happen in a variety of ways, depending upon your employer, you, your location, and the mutual arrangement made between the two of you.

GETTING THE DATA ‘TO AND FRO’

If your potential client is local or somewhat close by, you and they can agree upon a mutually convenient time, place, and system for securing the raw data and returning completed work. If you live at a distance, a common carrier, such as UPS, FedEx, USPS, can be safely and securely used to send work back and forth.

Just as was true with the online worker, you still will need an efficient, relatively new computer that is capable of running whatever data entry software the customer requires and uses. And, as with the online worker, you will be able to work at home whenever you’d like, establishing your own on-task schedule. The client will either provide you the software, at no cost to you, or you may be expected to purchase it on your own.

STOP AND DO YOUR HOMEWORK!

A word of caution if you’re required to buy any software up front – beware the scam artist! It is one thing to purchase generally useful software in order to work from home, and quite another to spend significant money on software that only the “so called” client uses.

Ask yourself: “Am I preparing myself in order to take a job that will pay me? OR “Am I purchasing software that may or may not lead to my being able to find work later?”

Some steps you might want to take before you invest any cash in a venture that may or may not be legitimate:

• Check with your local Better Business Bureau. If your client is nearby, the BBB should have a track/performance record on file. If your potential customer is at a distance, your local BBB can direct you to the proper source.
• Ask for references – any reputable company should be happy to share a roster of other satisfied data entry workers who are earning money working for this organization.
• Spend some time surfing the web – usually there is a blog or a user group that posts comments, opinions, and valuable insight about your potential organization.
• Do a Google search using the name of the company, and sift through the results for any red flags.
• Read the fine print when you agree to the “Terms and Conditions.” I know this can be a tedious, and sometimes overwhelming chore. But remember – the company is protecting itself from any liability. You are the only one who is protecting you!

WHO ARE YOU ANYWAY…?

…and what do you have to offer? Before you embark on your home based data entry hunting expedition, make sure you inventory your ‘gear.’ You’ll need the following ‘tools’ to ensure success:

• A reliable vehicle. (Have wheels, can and will pick up and deliver!)
• A decent computer and printer.
• A fax machine and a scanner are a bonus.
• MS Office (and knowing how to use it) is always a tried and true workhorse. In particular, refresh or update your skills using MS Access, the database software.
• A reliable phone number and e-mail address.
• A resume and portfolio of sample work.
• A supply of business cards.

If you are going to be your own business, create your business name, design a memorable logo, and start building your business identity.

Spending an hour on VistaPrints using their preset templates can yield you an amazingly impressive assortment of promotional items, ranging from flyers, business cards, letterhead and brochures, to car magnets, notepads, pens, calendars, and even baseball caps.

WHERE TO LOOK FOR HOME BASED DATA ENTRY JOBS?

1. Let’s start with my personal favorite – Google. I typed in ‘Home Based Data Entry’ and my first five resulting subheadings were: a) Home based data entry jobs, b) Home based data entry work, c) Home based employment, d) Home based jobs without investment, e) Home based jobs in the USA.
2. Then I went to another popular source – Craigslist – not to find home based data entry work, but to go through the process of posting my services to perform home based data entry work.
3. The process is relatively simple, beginning with establishing an account. The good thing about Craigslist is that it’s location specific – i.e., it recognizes the general area where you live, so that users can find products and services in their own geographical area. This is of prime importance when you, the home based data entry worker, are seeking jobs. The closer you are to your clients, the more efficiently and economically you can deliver services.
4. Don’t forget local print sources. Each community has one or more weekly ‘free advertising’ newspapers and fliers where you can post your availability and skills. And often you’ll see large bulletin boards in supermarkets, block stores, and even small local establishments where you can post your contact information in the form of a business card and/or a brief description of your skills and services in the form of an eye-catching flyer.
5. And then there’s your personal and professional network—Facebook, Plaxo, LinkedIn. Make professional-sounding announcements about your services and why you would be the best person to handle any data tasks your connections, or their connections, have pending.

I think you’re ready! You know where to look, and once you find your clients, you have all the tools you need to begin to earn money as a home based data entry worker! Go for it, and start making money NOW!