You have to do your own research, because no one is going to do it for you. Whether you're answering an ad for home-based work or starting your own business, help is available from the association, the state and the Better Business Bureau. The Home Business Owner's Association can help people check out companies and find out whether they deliver on what their ads promise. State licensing boards and local chambers of commerce can also help in determining how legitimate a company is, Richard said. The Better Business Bureau is a good place to contact to find whether any complaints have been registered against the particular company you are considering.
Some people do find full-time work at home for other companies.
It's more common to move from full-time work at an office to work at home, or telecommuting, Richard said. It also helps if you fit the profile of a home worker. Kathryn Stafford, associate professor of consumer sciences at Ohio State University in Columbus, studied 899 home-based workers in nine states. But you have to pick the right job and the right occupation. Richard added that just because you work at home doesn't mean you work less or invest less of yourself financially or emotionally.