Lots of work at home moms starting up a freelancing businesses or looking at freelance telecommuting job opportunities might see data entry work as a way to get started in a particular field. Companies in the medical and legal fields need a lot of data entry done, as do other kinds of businesses. Beginners who are looking for data entry work can benefit from knowing a little bit about how this remote industry works.

Freelancing in Data Entry

When it comes to clerical tasks like data entry, freelancing or outsourcing to remote independent contractors makes a lot of sense for a business. The company saves on the costs of "housing" an employee, and the freelancers who pick up this work get job flexibility while often receiving a steady volume of work. There are some things to keep in mind for moms and others who are looking at how part-time or full-time freelancing can help supplement the family income or lead to a sustainable business for a single freelancer.

Keystrokes and Cost

At its very fundamental core, data entry work is simply based on volume. Businesses often look at their payouts for data entry results based on a volume of processed text or numbers, and this can leave the freelancer without a lot of room to negotiate price. For anyone who is not a professional speed typist, staying competitive with simple data entry is tough. That's why a lot of freelancers who take on this kind of work like to offer "value added services" that can help them make a better living while providing more of a contribution to their clients' projects. Proofreading, creative content, spreadsheet analysis and communications are all part of what data entry typists or transcribers can offer a client to get more functional and lucrative contracts.

Self-Employment: Considerations for Freelance Data Entry Workers

Along with setting market rates that will help freelancers make a living from their services, these individuals also have to consider things like ergonomics. Data entry jobs that are unsafe for the wrists or eyes are not so good for the long term. Freelancers who provide a good environment for their work while making sure that they don't end up churning volume just to get by will have a better chance of profiting from a data entry career in future years. Data entry freelancers also have to consider their tax responsibilities and add these costs into the amounts that they bill to clients. Just like in any other business, data entry freelancers have to look at their total overhead costs to make sure they are earning what they are worth in order to keep the business activity going for annual profit.

A little attention to these basic principles can help beginning data entry freelancers enter the market the right way, and command the income that they need to benefit from their efforts.