More about oDesk - the real earnings are not always immediate

I decided that you folks might benefit from hearing a little more about oDesk and how it has helped me to not only earn money from home by simply doing data entry jobs, but has taught me the first steps toward truly earning a full time income online. I will explain to you how this opportunity came about, and hopefully you will benefit as much as I have. I don't stand to earn anything from this post, I'm not even posting a referral link, but this is too exciting not to share it with you.

One of my first (and best) online data entry jobs entailed working on an online resource directory called Boomja. I had never heard of it, but I didn't need to know anything about it, I only needed to research and enter data. I soon discovered that Boomja is a massive online directory for virtually anything you would want resources for. I must admit that I found the job a bit challenging at first, but I stuck it out and it became second nature. I finished the first job and was thrilled when I was offered a second one, and then a third. Now, this is the first benefit; ongoing work that is familiar and has become easy to do. I became curious about the Boomja directories, vaguely recalling an email telling me I could build my own. At that time, I was still trying to figure out how to enter the data, building my own directory was not anywhere on my radar. I finally went and checked it out, and sure enough, I found that it is free to build a directory based on the topic of my choosing. I had to submit an application, which was approved within 24 hours, and I then received a comprehensive instruction manual. The manual included not only the basics, but great information about how to market the directory, monetization, keywords, etc. That's the second benefit; the directory instruction manual has taught me so much about marketing sites in general. I went ahead and started my directory, added Google AdSense, and viola!, every page I completed loaded AdSense ads. We're talking hundreds of pages here, all included in my AdSense account. Therein lies benefit number three; passive revenue from AdSense. So, if you're following this so far, I am not only being paid to build directories for other people, I am learning how to build a rockin' directory of my own. Finally, I have been offered the opportunity to be paid for marketing the directories on sites like Digg and Reddit, and I will be receiving an instruction manual to show me the best way to do that. Guess what I will do with my new lessons? You guessed it, apply it to my own directory. My directory is already earning a small amount, and it's not done, nor have I marketed it very much. I am so excited at the potential once I complete it and truly begin to market it. You can also have this same opportunity. Just go to Boomja.com and see if it looks like something you want to try. I suggest you take a look at other directories before you apply. As with any other legitimate income, this is not a free ride. There is a lot of work involved in setting up a Boomja directory, I have been working on mine for months.

As I said, this is just too good not to share. If you are willing to put the time into, there is a tremendous amount of income waiting for you through Boomja directories. See, I told you, no referral links, just info you can use. Happy earning!

PTC/PTR Sites..earning cash from reading ads

As promised (albeit a bit late...sorry), I am going to tell you a bit about the PTC/PTR sites that I belong to. You won't ge rich, but you will earn cash. I have signed up for hundreds, but there are only a few I remain active in because they actually pay me cash. I have one that is my absolute, hands down, no holds barred favorite. I will, of course, save the best for last.

First on my list is Hits4Pay
http://hits4pay.com/members/index.cgi?firemom31

This site does have a rather high minimum payout of $25, but they do give you $10 at sign up. I generally get between 3 to 7 ads at a time, so the earnings add up rather quickly compared to similar sites. The only drawback I have seen so far is that occasionally there will be several days with no ads, but I don't consider this a major problem. If you decide to try them, make sure your profile is complete, check as many interests as the system allows, and make sure you click on the link in each ad. I had a bit of trouble with this at first. I didn't realize that it wasn't enough to just view the ad. You must click on the link at the bottom, which will bring up a frame. When you have viewed the ad long enough, it will give you the option of viewing the next ad. On a 1 to 10 scale, I give this one a 9.

Another favorite is DollarClickOrSignUp
http://www.dollarclickorsignup.com/members/register.php?ref=firemom31

This site is nice because it has several different ways of earning, which takes some of the boredom out of the whole process. The site owner runs contests, games, and other types of competition to keep it fun. There are ads to view for cash, as well as offers to complete. Personally, I hate offer completion, now matter how much cash I can earn, so I would like to see less of that and more PTC on this site, but overall, it's pretty good. There are several ways of receiving payout, each with a different minimum requirement. There is an eBay virtual gift certificate for $5, for example, or a $5 money order. If you choose PayPal, the minimum is only $1.00. This site gets an 8.5. They could have a 9 or 10 if there were less offers and more PTR.

Next on my favorites list is YouData
http://www.youdata.com/join/firemom31

YouData allows you to create a "MeFile" that details your demographic information and interests. The site then sends you ads that you are paid to view, then paid again to read. They pay every Friday via PayPal. You will most likely make more during your first two weeks, then the earnings trickle down. I almost removed this site from my favorites because I haven't received an ad in two weeks. I decided to keep it for a couple of reasons. First, other members I have spoken with are still getting ads, but the main reason is that they are fairly new and I believe they are struggling to maintain as one of the few honest sites out there. I decided that I am willing to hang in there with them; I think it will pay off in the long run. This one is a 7.5 until the ads start coming in again.

And my very favorite site...{insert drum roll here...lol}...PaidToClick
http://www.PaidToClick.in/index.php?ref=firemom31

This site just rocks! They have a minimum payout of $.02 for free members, and all you have to do to get paid is click the withdraw link and insert your PayPal address. Not only do they have a great low minimum, but there are several ways to earn, including PTR, PTC, offers, and referrals. By only using PTC and PTR every day, I get a daily payout. It isn't tons of money, but what other site will let you get paid daily? Also, may sites make it hard to even reach one cent per day, this one makes it easy. I just can't say enough good about this site. The only drawback for me is that PayPal is the only way to get paid, and I despise PayPal. But hey, I'm not gonna let that stop me from earning. You won't be sorry if you join this one, I promise!

In closing, I would like to address the subject of payment proof. I have been asked by a few people to provide proof of payment. I see no reason to do this. It takes time that I don't have. With today's technology, fake payment proofs are generated all day long, so why should I spend time posting something that can easily be faked, just to prove I earned a few dollars? The sites and methods of earning that I review and recommend will speak for themselves, the proof comes when you earn for yourself. I would encourage all of you to avoid making decisions about opportunities based on a screenshot of someones PayPal account. I could generate one showing I have been paid $7000 if I wanted to, and so can those who are hawking their wares. They want you to believe they are making thousands per day so that you will pay them for the opportunity to do the same. Bottom line, if it sounds to good to be true, don't go there, even if there is "proof". Now go earn some money, and have an awesome day!

Just so you know...

I am gathering info, and tomorrow I will publish my experience with PTC/PTR sites. I will only tell you about the ones I actually participate in. See you tomorrow!

Captcha - Earning Immediate Cash

As promised, today I will talk about Captcha data entry as a way to earn extra cash online. If you are very fast at data entry, this may be for you. First, if you want quick cash, you will need to have a PayPal account, since most will offer that as a payment processor. If you want fast cash now, you don't want to wait for a check in the mail, right? Second, for those of you who don't know what Captcha codes are, those are those little jumbles of letters and numbers you are sometimes required to input at the bottom of a form, just to make sure you are human and not a bot. Many companies do data entry outsourcing, and Captcha entry is the easiest for them to assign to home workers. So, on to the resources...

By far, the easiest and fastest is www.PixProfit.com This site requires only your name and PayPal address to get started. Once you reach $3.00, you get paid. It just doesn't get any easier. There is no referral program, you won't get any spam from them, it's just sign up and start working. If you are have a good typing speed and can sit and type repetitive information, you can earn some serious quick cash here. If you really want to make this into a job, you can get a few friends together and form a work team. You all type as fast as you can, the payments go to one person, you divide the profits.

Another good to find Captcha data entry work is www.GetAFreelancer.com There many other work at home opportunities there, but you will have no trouble finding Captcha work at this site. It is similar to oDesk, but not as detailed. There are no tests to take, you simply register and bid on jobs.

Bottom line, if you need to earn extra cash from home, and you need that cash quickly, Captcha is the way to go. Good luck and happy typing!

Next post, I will be discussing paid to click and paid to read programs, the good, the bad, the ugly.

So, you want to earn money working from home...

Let's face it, times are hard for most of us. We all need to earn some extra cash, right? Unfortunaltely, there are lots of unscrupulous scammers who earn their extra money by scamming the rest of us. You can earn part time income from home, even full time income, if you are careful to choose the right job source. I have been working from home in addition to my "regular" job for several years. Did it make me rich? No. Did it pay some bills and buy some groceries? Absolutely! After watching so many people get scammed, struggle, and ultimately get nowhere, I decided to share what I have learned.

If you really want to earn money working from home, the best site, hands, down, no competition, is:

The On Demand Global Workforce - oDesk

Keep in mind, the operative word here is "work". When you sign up with oDesk, you will work. There is no easy money. You won't just sit back and collect your cash. You will take a competency test to qualify you. It is not a hard test, but it does require reasonable intelligence. You will need to take some time to look around the site, read the FAQ's, and understand what you are doing, before you apply for your first job. When you apply, be prepared. You will need to submit a cover letter to introduce yourself. There are guidelines for a good cover letter on the site, so don't be afraid of it. You will also need to be prepared to install an IM service on your computer, most use Yahoo Messenger. Many prospective employers will use this for a live interview. If you have already done some data entry work, have your data entry resume ready to copy and paste during the interview (if you didn't submit it with your cover letter). There are many other jobs available, not just data entry. There are one day jobs, long and short term jobs, part time, full time, hourly and fixed rate jobs. This site is a work at home Nirvana! The best part? You won't have to worry about getting scammed, they are completely legit.

If you sign up for eDesk work, please come back and post about your experience, good or bad, so others can benefit from your knowledge. Oh, and tell em' firemom31 sent ya!

Check back for my next post - Earning from Captcha data entry.