There are more ways to earn extra money than you can shake a stick at – so what is so special about data entry jobs? Let me first explain what data entry work is – for those who do not already know: A company has a bunch of data that must be fed into a database or a spreadsheet, but the work cannot be done automatically. The company hires someone – perhaps you – to do the work by hand. Mostly, this means typing or copy/pasting data into the right place. This sort of work used to be handled by in-house secretaries in most companies, but since outsourcing work has become increasingly popular over the years, many firms choose to outsource these kinds of tasks as well, and focus their own energy on what they do best – whether that is running a law firm, doing marketing or something else.

What is good about data entry work then?

• Great beginner job. You can get started fast, with little or no training. All that is required, in most cases, is basic computer knowledge and normal reading abilities.
• Work from home – whenever you want. Much of this sort or work is offered online – and so is the data you will be working on. This sort of job is really great for stay at home moms (or stay at home dads), since they can work when then choose. Drive the kids to school, start the dishwasher and sit down and do some work.
• Little or no investment needed to get started. No fancy suits to look good on the job. No commuting costs. Just a computer with internet connection – which – if you are reading this – you probably already have.

All good reasons for getting into data entry typing jobs at home – certainly enough to consider it seriously. But to be fair, let us look at what can possibly be held against such work. There are certain circumstances which could be considered negative:

• Getting paid for the amount of work you complete means you won’t make much money if you are a slow typist. The good news are that you WILL improve your speed a lot, as you do the work. You may not see much money for your time in the beginning, but most people who stick with it, will see a change for the better.
• It can be tedious bordering on downright boring. Much of the work is very monotonous in nature, so you have to able to deal with that. But not having to commute for hours to do it – tends to help a lot in that respect.
• It will never become a high-paying job. In this line of business, you are considered as being on the low rungs of the ladder, due to the simplicity of the work. The fact that it may also be very boring, does not help on the wage.

So there you go – the pros and cons of data entry work. You can try it and see if you like it – it certainly is a nifty way of working, if all you need is extra cash. Great for stay at home moms or students alike. Even if it is only temporary.