Doing work from home holds a definite appeal for many people in today's world. Many stay at home parents or others with commitments to family, as well as those in remote locations, or those who simply want to escape the drudgery of the daily commute and office politics, hope to find legitimate work from home opportunities. It is important to select a work from from home job that fits with your skills and interests, your home life, and the legal and zoning requirements where you live. Some legitimate work from home jobs include child care, writing and editing, transcription, and bookkeeping.

Child care is the most obvious choice for mothers who want to be able to stay home with their children. The advantages are significant; the mother is at home full time to raise her children as well as look after other children that her children can also interact with. The mother can also earn a steady income through her child care work from home, and reduce her own child care costs in addition to other expenses such as transportation and office clothing.

The downside to doing child care work from home is that you must have a big enough home, such as a house with a finished basement, if you are to take in enough children to make a decent income. State or provincial laws have limits as to how many children a caregiver can look after, so this may require hiring another caregiver to assist you. Also, most states and provinces have licensing requirements. Furthermore, patience is a necessary quality for dealing with so many children on a day-to-day basis, and not all of us possess it. Yards must be safe, allergies must be considered and toys, books, and learning activities must all be provided as well.

Writing and/or editing work from home is an excellent choice for those with top-notch writing, editing and grammar skills. Some experience is usually required to find enough work to write and edit on a steady basis. Hourly rates can be high, especially for business writing, or copywriting, but there is stiff competition for these types of writing jobs. Doing writing and editing work from home part-time while still employed elsewhere full-time is a good way of getting some experience before venturing into this kind of work as one's main source of income. However, the work is not always steady, so having a few clients before you go freelance, along with some money saved to cover basic living expenses for at least a few months, is highly recommended by many experienced writers and copywriters.

Medical transcription work from home is a great choice for a fast typist with training in transcription and medical knowledge. Checking with your local hospitals and doctor's offices is a great idea to see what the demand is in your area for those who want transcription work from home. The work can be steady and pay well. Opportunities for legitimate remote work do exist, but it is probably better to gain local experience and references first before applying for remote transcription jobs as you would be more likely to be hired.

Many small and medium-sized businesses need outside bookkeeping services. If you have the right education and experience, bookkeeping work from home can provide you with a steady income when you have a few regular clients. Check the demand for your service by calling local businesses to introduce yourself and your service and also place ads in your local newspaper.