There is an old song lyric that is very simple, yet profound: “Ain’t nothing going on but the rent.” From the working class to the middle class, most Americans struggle to make ends meet while aspiring to generate more income. Or, even start a small business. Great things start in small ways. So, it may make more sense to gradually work up to such aspirations.
The average American makes between $50,000 to $60,000 a year. However, the median income for most Americans is about $30,000. If we are talking about median level incomes, then about 20% of Americans make about $60,000 a year. Meanwhile, to be considered a member of the vaunted 1%, the wealthy elite who possess more wealth than the other 99% of Americans combined, you need to make at least $250,000 at the minimum.
Telecommute Work Means More Money
However, there are only so many hours in the day. With so many Americans juggling a career with family and running a home, getting an extra job to go to can feel like an extended delay of an aspirational dream. However, in the digital age, people don’t have to strategically schedule personal time to physically be in multiple places throughout the week for extra work. Not in the age of the telecommuting worker.
Many people are learning to earn extra money from the confines of home as telecommuting workers. It allows people to work and generate income on their own terms. Additionally, many businesses and employers are accommodating remote, telecommuting teams to streamline talent scouting initiative and to save on physical workspace overhead.
What is Telecommuting?
Telecommuting is a work option whereupon employees can execute their designated work responsibilities from the confines of home. Home essentially becomes an extension of the office just as long as a reliable wifi or internet connection is available. As a telecommuting worker, you can work from home 100% of the time, or report on-site to work from time to time, in part-time or full-time capacities.
Telecommuting is the Future
This type of work arrangement is not an activity for a select fringe of specialized employees. In 2018, the American unemployment rate was at 4%, the lowest it has been in decades. However, most of the jobs counted against that number are low-paying, part-time, and/or seasonal jobs. People are working and making money. But not necessarily to an extent where making ends meets, generating extra income, or realizing small business ambitions becomes easier.
That may be a reason why so many Americans are turning to telecommute work. Its easier than trying to physically report to multiple on-site jobs. Whether you have skills as a computer designer, computer programmer, graphic artist, accountant, data analyst, writer, or have negotiated with your employer a way to work from home, there are endless opportunities to telecommute.
You can find telecommuting work opportunities on websites like Craigslist, Upwork, Fiverr, LinkedIn, GlassDoor, or MonsterJobs. If you want to start a small business and virtually manage remote workers, you can do so on virtual worksites like Slack, Trello, or, Workplace By Facebook. Over 55% of American employees currently telecommute to work 100% of the time. About 28% of Americans worked on-site and from home on a 50-50 rotating basis. Another 15% worked remotely on an occasional basis.
Set Your Own Terms
As a telecommuter, you can work on your own terms. How much extra money you stand to make depends on how many clients you serve at any given time. Also, how well you manage your time. You must find a way to designate parts of your home as an office, which may be difficult if you have a family. Yet, telecommuting is the future of business and your chance to generate extra income on your terms.
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Allen Francis was an academic advisor, librarian, and college adjunct for many years with no money, no financial literacy, and no responsibility when he had money. To him, the phrase “personal finance,” contains the power that anyone has to grow their own wealth. Allen is an advocate of best personal financial practices including focusing on your needs instead of your wants, asking for help when you need it, saving and investing in your own small business.
