The Secrets to Their Success: 3 True Work-at-Home Tales

KRISTINA COWAN, SENIOR WRITER, PAYSCALE.COM

In the early 1990s Eddy Salomon fell prey to a work-at-home scam. After forking over his hard-earned cash and coming up short, Salomon made a decision.

"I never wanted to be scammed again, and didn't want others to be scammed, so that led me to creating my own Web site," said Salomon, an Internet marketer and online business owner.

In 2000 Salomon launched his site, WorkAtHomeCareers.com, which provides content on work-at-home job opportunities and hosts ads from companies offering home-based work.

"I help people avoid work-at-home scams and find opportunities they might not have thought of. And I offer the opportunities based on some of the companies I work with," explained Salomon, who is based in White Plains, N.Y.

Salomon, who also works full time as director of Internet marketing at New York Life Insurance Company, said he dedicates many evenings and weekends to his home-based business, which brings in about $10,000 a month.

Jennifer Logullo, a full-time home-based worker for Corecubed, an integrated marketing, design and PR firm, said it's critical to be aware of scammers.

"You have to be careful because there are so many of what look like good opportunities, where you can make a lot of money. .... If it sounds too good to be true, it is," said Logullo, who is based in Maryland.

KRISTINA COWAN, SENIOR WRITER, PAYSCALE.COM

In the early 1990s Eddy Salomon fell prey to a work-at-home scam. After forking over his hard-earned cash and coming up short, Salomon made a decision.

"I never wanted to be scammed again, and didn't want others to be scammed, so that led me to creating my own Web site," said Salomon, an Internet marketer and online business owner.

In 2000 Salomon launched his site, WorkAtHomeCareers.com, which provides content on work-at-home job opportunities and hosts ads from companies offering home-based work.

"I help people avoid work-at-home scams and find opportunities they might not have thought of. And I offer the opportunities based on some of the companies I work with," explained Salomon, who is based in White Plains, N.Y.

Salomon, who also works full time as director of Internet marketing at New York Life Insurance Company, said he dedicates many evenings and weekends to his home-based business, which brings in about $10,000 a month.

Jennifer Logullo, a full-time home-based worker for Corecubed, an integrated marketing, design and PR firm, said it's critical to be aware of scammers.

"You have to be careful because there are so many of what look like good opportunities, where you can make a lot of money. .... If it sounds too good to be true, it is," said Logullo, who is based in Maryland.

Working as executive and creative support, she provides administrative assistance to the creative and managing directors as well as the rest of the team, and serves as a human resources associate. All of Corecubed's staff work from home, according to Logullo, who said "the founder's philosophy is that she pulls from the top talent in the nation without being limited by demographic concerns."

Logullo started with Corecubed as an independent contractor in 1999, and became a full-time employee in 2006. She wanted to work at home so she could spend time with her son, now 11.

"I love it. It has changed my life, just to be at home and raise my son, I can't put a price on that. I have had 10 years with him I wouldn't have had otherwise if I were commuting and working outside of home," she said.

Lindsay Gibson also is a fan of working at home. Gibson, who works from the comfort of her farm-home in upstate New York, is director of training for VIPdesk, a provider of virtual concierge and customer service. Starting six years ago as a concierge manager and reporting to the company's call center headquarters in Virginia, Gibson worked in an office and managed home-based workers and concierges. She later moved north-and brought her job along. "I have the best of both worlds. I work from home and also live in the country, and am able to enjoy my animals and my husband runs the farm," she said. Over 95 percent of VIPdesk's concierges are remote, and over 50 percent of the corporate positions such as Gibson's are remote. VIPdesk's current turnover rate is between 5-10 percent.

Next: Work-at-Home Jobs That Pay

Kristina Cowan is the senior writer for the AOL Salary Center and PayScale.com. She has over 10 years of journalism experience, specializing in education and workforce issues.

Copyright Payscale 2008