How would I go about being a self-employed secretary working from home?

Question

I have really good general secretarial qualifications and have always liked the idea of working from home. I'm not sure though whether there is a market for an independant secretary and if so what market would I aim my services at??

Answer 1

Set yourself up as providing Virtual Office services.  I know several people who do this.  The amount of services they provide depends on their specialisms.

One target market is small businesses, even others that are run from home, that do not want the burden of employing full-time admin/secretarial staff or do not have enough work for an employee.

A good way to find your prospective customers is to network.

If you're in the UK, contact your local Business Link for help and advice on setting up your business.  If you're working from home just be careful about planning permission/business rates and any restrictions your mortgage company may have.  You'll also need separate insurance for your business - not covered on your home policy, usually.  And, finally, set up a separate bank account for your business.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I found the best source of business is from the local paper. There are plenty of firms looking to hire freelance workers doing secretarial work.

On the slow days, I supplement my income with work from home opportunities, doing some online surveys and stuff. Dont make a killing, but it keeps me busy

Check out http://www.makesomemoney365.com for some ideas!

Answer 3

advertise in your local paper and your local business development agency  - they help new start businesses who may not be able to afford their own full time secretarial support.

Good luck