Data Entry Jobs Working From Home
Anyone who wants to earn a few extra rand should consider working online. It is increasingly easy to find data entry jobs working from home.
The Work
There are many different kinds of data entry work available. The majority of the work is really transcription work. However, you may be asked to type out what has been said into a document, or pick out details such as a name or date of birth from a conversation and fill out a form. Medical coding is another type of data entry job. This involves taking the tape of a consultation or other data and producing a bill for the patient for procedures carried out.
What You Need to Get Started
To get started you need a PC or laptop with access to the internet. Sometimes, you will need a set of headphones and maybe a microphone. Most firms require you to enter data into software products like Microsoft Word or Excel. However, you can often use free software like Google Docs to produce work that can be opened in programs like Microsoft Word. You will usually also need a PayPal account.
Finding Work
Finding data entry work you can do from home is not difficult. A basic Goggle search will get you started. In South Africa, many firms advertise through job agencies, so a search on the big job agency websites will bring back plenty of results. You will occasionally see jobs advertised in the press and internet cafes. Sites like MTurks, Odesk and other freelance work websites also often have data entry work.
The best place to find work is through online forums run by people who already earn money working online. Using these forums you can find out which firms are hiring, which pay well and more about the type of work you will be doing.
Don't Get Scammed
Unfortunately, there are quite a few scammers who take advantage of people wanting to work from home. The biggest scam is charging a fee for providing work opportunities that never materialize. Never, pay someone for access to data entry jobs - these are always scams.
Some companies will ask you for money for the software you need to do the data entry work. This sounds reasonable, but it is normally a scam. You will be sent the software, but not get any work. The software will be useless, so you end up losing the money you have spent.
How Much Can You Earn?
Most data entry work is not well paid. You are not likely to get rich doing it. However, if you are fast and accurate, you can earn a reasonable amount of money. Most firms pay via PayPal and in American dollars.
Pay rates vary widely. Some firms pay per hour, but most pay per document or by keystrokes.
Keystrokes are paid at 0.85 cent to 6 Rand per 1,000 keystrokes. Documents are paid at between 9 and 51 rand each, and hourly rates vary between 10 to 86 rand per hour. Who you work for really matters.
The firms that pay well require experience. Therefore, you usually have to start by working for firms who pay very little to acquire the necessary skills and experience.