Gigpreneur

Imagine being able to only work during a 4-5 month period out of the entire year? With this entrepreneur gig, you can earn a full year’s worth of income in just a 4-5 month period.

Is this truly possible as a Tax Preparer? Yes. If you start your own tax preparer business. The earning potential depends on how much you charge your clients. Some independent tax preparers earn anywhere from $50-$100+ per client.

If you get hired by a company such as H&R Block, there is a limit on the amount of money you can earn. They usually pay their tax preparers an hourly rate plus commission. Preparing taxes for individuals or businesses is rewarding because you get a chance to work with people face-to-face and help them prepare their taxes quickly and hassle-free.

The advantage of working through a tax company is that they supply you with everything you need such as a computer, desk, office supplies and etc. If you’re an “E-personality” type (entrepreneur type) and you decide to prepare people’s taxes on your own, you’re responsible for promoting your tax preparer business and finding your own clients.  Working for a tax company, however, you don’t have promote and find business because business comes directly to you from their marketing efforts. All you have to do is prepare taxes and collect your pay.

Tax Preparer Future Outlook

Although there are tax software available for people to prepare their own taxes with, the majority of people in the U.S. still prefer to hire a human-being to file their taxes.

To become a tax preparer, you must take a course through H&R Block, Jackson Hewitt, etc.  The course last for a few weeks and the fee varies. Fees generally range from $100-$150 depending on the company that trains you.

Some people who attend the tax preparer training course attend so they can either learn to do taxes as a business or prepare taxes through a tax company as mentioned previously.

What does a Tax Preparer do?

Tax Preparers basically file federal and state taxes for their clients. According U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are an estimated 62,000 Tax Preparer jobs in the US. This number is expected to grow to 2016.

How Much Can You Earn as a Tax Preparer?

According to Payscale.com the median salary is around $40,000 to $44,000 — unless you work independently and charge your own fees. Keep in mind that pay scales vary from company-to-company. Usually, when you start off with an H&R Block or Jackson Hewitt, they start you off with an hourly rate and not a salary.

What is the Fastest Way to Become a Tax Preparer?

Companies such as Jackson Hewitt and H&R Block offer training programs that allow people to train as a tax preparer in less than a 5 month time-frame. Upon completion of the course, they offer on the job training if you’re hired. Although there is no guarantee that the company will hire you upon completion, you can start your own entrepreneur gig as a tax preparer and earn a good living.

There are several cool entrepreneur gigs out there. Today’s cool entrepreneur gig is an Answering Service Operator. I chose this particular entrepreneur gig out of hundreds of gigs because I have dabbled in the answering service business from home.

Starting an answering service business is fairly easy and enjoyable. You can set your own hours and earn as much as you desire. For instance, you can work full-time or part-time. If you’re a night owl, you can work nights. In 2009, I worked full-time (Monday-Friday 9-5) from home. I took off weekends and absolutely NO HOLIDAYS.  I eventually reduced my hours to explore other entrepreneur opportunities.

Another great advantage? Your client base is unlimited. Your clients can range from local businesses, national and even international. My client base consisted of U.S. Internet businesses with 1-5 employees. My calls were sporadic which gave me extra time for other projects.

Some established answering service companies charge a flat fee such as $19.99 per month and charge per call (i.e. $1 per call). I have seen answering service companies charge an hourly rate of $15-$27+ per hour including a monthly retainer fee.

When I launched my answering service gig I charged $15 per hour plus a retainer fee. I received 1-2 calls per hour. The good thing about this cool entrepreneur gig is that it allowed me to multi-task on other projects in between calls. The only down fall is that I wasn’t able to run errands unless I had someone to cover my calls.

Once you become established, you can hire out someone reliable to cover your calls. There are several retired people who wouldn’t mind answering calls for fun or to earn extra money.

You can even work for an answering service company and get paid weekly or bi-weekly to answer calls. I personally would not work for an answering service company because it reminds me too much of working in the rat race. If I’m going to work from home, I want to work on my own terms.

How do you earn money answering phone calls?

It’s up to you. You can charge your clients a flat fee upfront or place them on a weekly or bi-weekly payment plan. Don’t place all your eggs in one basket. For example, let’s say you have three companies you answer calls for.

You should have at least one company that pays you a percentage upfront. Offer your clients that option. If they pay you upfront, they receive a discount. I had one company that paid me in advance every week in order to answer phone calls. Another company paid me on time bi-weekly.

Before placing any company on a weekly or bi-weekly payment plan, make sure you’re dealing with a reputable company.

How to get started with an Answering Service Business from home?

Make sure you invest in a separate phone line from your personal home phone. Also, you can answer calls via Skype to save on your phone bill. However, it is recommended to use your local phone service provider. If your Internet is down, you can’t answer calls. It’s always good to have a reliable backup. This is where having someone to answer your back-up calls comes in very handy!

Make sure you buy a high quality head-set. I don’t recommend using a cell phone to answer calls because it sounds unprofessional. You want to sound as professional as possible — as if you’re calling from an office suite on the Avenue of America’s in New York. You should also have a computer or a way of tracking incoming calls.

Answering service gigs are perfect for people who live in a quiet environment. If you have screaming children, barking dogs and other noise interferences, make sure your home office is sound-proof.

What you need to get started?

• Reliable headset
• Separate phone line
• A computer to track calls
• A great enthusiastic speaking voice!

Answering service business Future Out look?

People still like to hear a human voice on the other end of the phone. In fact, people like to hear a non-descript American Speaking voice. As an American based answering service company, you have an advantage because many companies are outsourcing their calls to other countries. Unless you’re a good actor, a non-descript voice you can’t fake.

Consumers are more likely to do business with a company who has American speaking answering service operators. Even many international companies prefer answering service reps who have non-descript speaking voices.

In addition, most small businesses can’t afford to hire an in-house receptionist. Many companies are sole proprietorships and need someone to answer their calls. This entrepreneur gig is in high demand and will be for quite a while.