I’ve read in so many places, questions from people who don’t know where to begin when they want a work-at-home opportunity. There are so many scams out there, and even when an opportunity sounds legitimate, there’s always a catch. I joined one group that said there were no strings, but I found out later that I needed to charge things to a credit card, so I got out of there quick.

You should not have to pay for a legitimate job online. You may be required to have your own equipment, such as a computer, fax machine, or other office supplies, but no one should be charging you any type of fee to get started. If you are taking a class online to learn a skill, that’s a different story. Be sure to research online schools before you send them any money however, because there are good and bad online schools too.

To get started, think of things you like to do when you’re on your computer. Do you like surfing the Net? There are people looking for folks to search for certain things online, so that might be something you’d enjoy. Do you like to write? People sometimes look for ghost writers for their e-books or articles, so if you’re a good writer and have a strong grasp of your native language, punctuation and page formatting, this could be your niche.

Do you just like typing in general? You could do data entry, transcription, customer service (such as answering customer e-mails), or word processing. There may be businesses in your area that are in need of someone to type letters and dictation, or who need mailings sent out on a regular basis. This is where you’d do some offline work first, and then use your computer to complete the tasks. Many documents don’t need to be printed in your home office; you can send them via e-mail as Word documents or PDFs and your clients can print them on their end.

Are you a talented artist? If you don’t know how to already, learn to use graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop. There are always people looking for website graphics, book illustrations, logos, and pictures. I have a friend who tapped into a popular website where people could put in their own banners on personal pages. She is a super graphic designer and offered to create banners at a very reasonable price and was able to pay her mortgage payment with her first month’s worth of orders! That’s creative thinking.

In whatever area you decide to offer your services, don’t offer unless you have bona fide skills. Don’t accept a job not knowing where to begin and then not finish it. That will just make your client angry when they have to find someone else to do it. Plus, that ruins things for fellow freelancers out there who may know what they’re doing and can’t find any gigs–because people who do that are ruining everyone’s reputation, not just their own.

Use the Internet or your prior experience to do research on prices you should set, the time each project should take, how to deliver the finished product, and so on. When a potential client asks a question, you need to know the right answer. Even if you think you know everything about your particular industry, do more research and learn more! Nobody knows everything, so show some humility and make yourself teachable.

Most importantly, learn how to give good service to your clients and customers. Treat them as you would like to be treated. Always be fair and open-minded. Aim to please your clients so they will return to you for their next project. Happy clients means more happy clients, because they will tell their friends and colleagues about you. Word of mouth is one of the best, of not the best way to gain new business. Never be a flake! It can be so easy to disappear online and leave someone in the lurch, but never, ever do that.

With this information, how would a person get started finding gigs and clients once they’ve honed in on their talent and selected a service to offer? Stay tuned!