Can a person really have the best of both worlds, work from home while earning an income? It is possible and not as hard as you may think. Companies that allow their workforce to telecommute, or work from home, benefit with more flexibility and increased productivity from the employees. For the person who needs to stay at home to care for a family member, or due to medical reasons, they can also enjoy the benefit of earning an income while being in the home.

There are many options to choose from when searching the job market. Everything from customer service representative or online tutor to transcribing audio into text. Most of these jobs will train you, and some even pay while they train. Some jobs require you to already have necessary training or a degree, such as home based nurses or medical coding and transcription. There are many legitimate opportunities, but also just as many scams, so if you have to pay upfront, try dealing with those who offer a money back guarantee.

On your end, there are some things you will need to provide, like a computer with unlimited access to the internet and a phone that allows you to talk while on the internet; you may also need to use a headset. Make sure that you also can provide the necessary time needed for your shift and a quiet environment, as you don't want the baby to start crying or the dog to start barking while you're talking with a customer.

For those who are able to successfully work from home, the payoffs are numerous; you save on gas, wear and tear on your vehicle and rush hour stress. Another huge payoff is that if everyone who could work from home did, it would greatly reduce our dependency on foreign oil.