Legitimate job or business opportunity?

If you’ve been looking for work-from-home opportunities for any length of time, you’ve probably come across something called Arise Work From Home, a network of home-based micro call centers. A lot of people have strong feelings about Arise and today I want to give my own opinion.

As someone who has been working from home since 2007, I’ve seen a lot in the work-at-home universe. In fact, my work-at-home journey actually began at Arise. So what do I think? Let’s discuss. Pay special attention if your background is in technical support, sales or customer service.

What does Arise offer?

The most important thing to be clear is: you are not becoming an employee of Arise. Instead, you’ll be your own boss and are essentially shopping at a company that establishes a working relationship with clients, collects your invoices and payments, and provides you with the training and software you need to complete your work. When you join the Arise platform, you are an independent contractor – for the most part – running your own show.

The main thing that turns people off when they learn the specifics about Arise is the startup cost. It’s very common for people to say that any work-from-home setup that requires you to get paid to start is a scam. And while this is true in many cases (hence the popularity of the suggestion), it’s certainly not 100% true across the board. In my opinion, Arise is one of the (few) valid exceptions.

How it works

To get started with Arise, you need to do a few things. First, you must go through a registration process that includes an application, and pass a basic skills assessment, which consists of a few questions and a voice assessment. Assuming you go through with it, you’ll have to order and pass a background check and sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Next, you go through the certification course and once you pass the training course, you need to incorporate a business in your state. I recommend using an LLC formation service such as IncFile or IncAuthority because they only charge state filing fees. You will need to set up a separate bank account to be used only to receive your Arise payments.

In addition, you’ll need the typical home office setup — a computer, a dedicated phone line or a VOIP line, a quality headset, and a high-speed Internet connection. Needless to say, since you’re taking customer service calls, a space in your home with minimal background noise is important.

They may seem high-maintenance and illogical, but they’re best practices when you become a legitimate independent business owner, and they’ll protect you, Arise, and your clients in the long run.

Once you’re set-up, you’ll be eligible to start taking on clients. You will need additional training before you start working for individual clients. Training costs typically range from $50 to $250, depending on complexity and length. Training is unpaid and can last several weeks.

Arise says your startup costs should be around $250 to $770, plus monthly recurring charges of $124.

Once you get to work, you’re usually paid for the time you spend with customers, not the time you’re “on the clock.” This works out to an hourly rate in the ballpark of $10-$20 depending on the client. Payments are made by direct deposit every two weeks.

Benefits of Arise Virtual Services

These are just a few of the great things about working with Arise:

• They bring you clients. The hardest part when you work for yourself is finding your own clients. With Arise, you don’t have to worry about that part — you just need to schedule your work hours, accept your job offers, and get paid.
• Get up with a well-established reputation. Many companies turn to Arise because their contractors (you!) are highly trained, well equipped and great additions to their company.
• You can pick and choose your clients. That’s one of the great things about working for yourself. And with Arise, you can have multiple clients.
• Business requirements set you up completely legitimately. They may seem like a pain, but it’s actually a very good thing. By setting up as an LLC and having a separate business account for your finances, you’re forced to keep your business finances separate from your personal finances — which will make this part of your taxes easier if you ever have to deal with the IRS. LLCs also offer certain tax benefits that other self-employment setups do not. Talk to a tax professional to get any questions answered. But trust me – if you stick with it in the long run, the tax savings will almost certainly pay off for you!
• They have all the training you need. There is no guesswork about your eligibility or how to qualify.
• You can hire people to work under you. Many Arise IBOs do this and take a cut of that person’s earnings. I wouldn’t recommend this without first talking to a professional who can advise you on any legalities you need to be aware of. After all, it won’t be on the hook if something goes wrong. contracted with that person you.
• It is working from home. With Arise, you can set your own work hours, giving you access to a flexible schedule of your choice. This makes it perfect for stay-at-home moms, military spouses, or retirees. You can even work third shift if that’s what works best for you — and that often means extra incentives from the companies that hire you. Just remember that once you agree on a work schedule, you need to stick to it. 10 am to 5 pm is supposed to be on the clock then no midday nap!

Difficulty getting to work from home

Get Up is definitely not for everyone. Here are some reasons you should think twice before jumping in:

• Training costs money. This is one of the reasons Arise has a bad reputation – they charge for their training. But for most jobs in their own settings – which it is – there isn’t even free training. On the other hand, this isn’t training you can use to advance your career in the workplace outside of Arise. It is only good for working with one client. Most other customer service companies will train you for free. In many cases, they will pay you for your time. Arise training is unpaid and usually lasts a few weeks.
• There are recurring fees, too. They’re not very expensive — about $40/month — but you do have to pay a monthly fee to be a part of Arise They say it’s for their “infrastructure”, meaning their software and overhead/admin costs.
• Startups seem complicated. It’s not rocket science, but it’s also not like you just go and incorporate a business and install a phone line to your house every day. It takes a real commitment of time, energy, and money to make the work you put in pay off.
• Rates are lower when you factor in costs. Most people report an hourly income of about $10 to $14 per hour. It’s comparable to most remote customer service agent opportunities, but you have to remember that you’re also paying a monthly fee and training costs.
• It is only available in the US, Canada and the UK. If you live elsewhere, you cannot work for Arise. There may also be some state exclusions.
• The work may be seasonal. Such is the nature of call center work, but know that sometimes your clients will come and go. There will usually be work available for you throughout the year, but you may not always have it funny work available.
• You will still have some control over your schedule. One thing I didn’t like about Arise, which led me to quickly establish my virtual assistant business, was that I still wasn’t in complete control of my schedule. Arise is not much different from other work-at-home virtual call center jobs. Each client usually has a minimum number of hours you need to work each week. Some of these hours will likely be required during weekends or evenings. If you’re on the last of the shift bids, you may not have the flexibility you want. And, if you have multiple clients, those time requirements can add up.

Ultimately what Arise does is set you up with your own business. If that’s not something you want, then Arise probably isn’t the right opportunity for you.

It is legal to work from home

While paying for an opportunity isn’t ideal, at least the Arise work from home program seems legitimate. While my experiences have been mostly positive and my launch pad, it’s worth noting that reviews from customers Better Business Bureau (BBB) ​​Not the best. I’m sure you’ll find more people complaining if they’ve had a bad experience than a good one, but it’s worth looking at the reviews to see if there’s a theme. However, after 27 years in business, Arise Virtual Solutions has an A+ rating, but a customer review of 1.73/5. There are only 30 reviews so this may not be the best data point to make a decision. Trustpilot There is also some customer feedback with a 3.3/5. There are only 2 positive reviews out of 7.

Is climbing right for you?

Work from home with the bottom line Rise Virtual Solutions What is it: It realizes only as a long-term commitment. This is a legitimate business opportunity. If you’re looking for a way to make some money on the side, this probably isn’t a great option for you, and you’d be better off finding a remote job with a traditional call center (or pursuing something else entirely). But if you’re truly committed to a work-at-home career that can turn into a real, long-term career, you love the idea of ​​working in customer service, and you’re open to the idea of ​​owning your own business and assuming all the responsibilities that come with it, Arise Could be a great place for you.

And, if you’re like me, Arise can be a catapult to take your fledgling business and accomplish great things on your own.

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