Online Business Opportunity v.s. Online Jobs

The number of Internet searches related to "online jobs," "work at home jobs," and "work at home Internet jobs" is staggering.  I mean, this is a very popular search request, and I suspect there is a certain amount of desparation driving what might be considered a frenzy of interest.  The phrase, "online job" gets 450,000 local searches on the Google external keyword tool.

When you examine what people are searching for in the way of jobs, you see a phenomenal number searches for data entry, typing, customer service, survey, envelope stuffing, transcription, and the like.  Survey and envelope stuffing "job" are generally scams, and these days "data entry" has been co-opted and corrupted to mean buying into a course that teaches pay per click advertising, such as Google Adwords.  Probably the most common legitimate online job areas are customer service, transcription, medical billing, and virtual clerical/assistant work. 

My impression of the interest frenzy in online jobs is that the job searchers see themselves as relatively unskilled and are looking to the Internet for low to medium wage employment.  Stay at home mothers and senior citizens make up much of the group searching for such jobs.

I did a quick search on Yahoo Answers and found a really good answer to a question asking about the top ten work at home Internet jobs.  Here is an excerpt from one respondant:

Ok, when you say you are looking for a work at home job, what are you really meaning? Are you looking to telecommute for a company that will pay you for data entry, etc?

Or do you mean that you are looking for an online business opportunity? Meaning that you promote products online and make a commission on sales?

Just to make something clear, the paid to read email or paid to take surveys programs are not anything that you will be able to make any money with. You will be lucky to be able to cover the cost of your internet access with those. Trust me, I did those back in 1997 and it is not the same today.

If you are looking for a legitimate home based business opportunity, there are many companies that you can join. Many are the typical home party type companies like Tupperware, Mary Kay, Candles, etc. With these types of opportunities you are required to purchase a kit. You are also responsible for advertising your business and getting leads and customers. Many of these types of companies allow you to run your business online exclusively.

The reason I like this reply is because the writer spells out the difference between online telecommuting, business opportunity, and quasi scams such as surveys, email reading, and data entry.   Actually, data entry–if you are talking about a salaried telecommuting job  may be legitimate.  However, more and more often I see PPC scams being advertised as "data entry" in order to fool people into thinking they are "buying" into a legitimate job. 

This site is really about business opportunity.  Because many of the people coming to Simpleocity are coming from an Internet marketing context, I will be discussing much of what by now may be considered a sort of standard repetoire of Internet marketing.  In other words, affiliate marketing, ecommerce, EBay, selling information products, blogging, site flipping, free lancing, article marketing, and so forth.

However, when you and I talk about online jobs from the perspective of creating our own business, then really there is no limit to the end of possibilities.  Generally speaking, online business–just as any business anywhere–breaks down into two categories, goods and services.  So one question is what are you offering–goods, services, or both?  Wherever you can identify a niche demand, you have a potential business, whether it be web design, a lawn vacuuming service, dog walking, pinball machine repair, or anything else.  I mean, the field is wide open.

I’ll say it again, the field is wide open.  I repeat this because I know a lot of people who see this are skipping around Internet marketing sites, and the discussion in Internet marketing it tightly manipulated by very successful, very clever marketers.  And in IM, the talk is all about Google Adwords, article marketing, and niche affiliate sites, and blog flipping.  Before you know it, you might find yourself thinking that there is nothing else.  Well, those are all fine money makers if you take the time to really learn the skills, but they are just a tiny part of the potential for online home business.

The Internet is a great tool and does change the landscape a bit.  Because affiliate marketing, article marketing, eommerce, and blogging are areas I know something about, I’ll spend time with them and provide resources to learn about them in greater depth.  These are area where virtually anyone can get a toe hold.  However, as I mentioned above, the spectrum of possibility when it comes to home Internet business is mind boggling, and I caution you to not let yourself be manipulated into thinking that affiliate marketing, for example, is all there is to business opportunity. 

All for now.  Thank you for reading.  There is more on the way . . .