Essential Guide to Data Entry Home Business

In May 2004, a survey conducted by the US Labor Department showed that 20.7 million Americans, 16 years old and older, did some type of home-based work as part of their primary means of living.  A significant portion of that, about 2 million, offered professional business services, which include data entry.  More and more people are taking that bold step to strike a balance between family and work.  The most common solution: data entry home business.  Read this article to know all about it.

Right smack in the middle of the Information Age, data entry home businesses have been on the rise since 2001.  Companies need to handle enormous amount of information on a daily basis, thus the need for data entry personnel to process them.  If left untouched, corporations will need to contend with massive paperwork that tend to take up valuable office space.  They may also lose data, information, and revenue in the process.  By staying abreast with all the data and keeping their records organized, businesses resort to the data entry industry to augment their labor and ensure continuation of their businesses.

The main equipment used in the Information Age is a computer.  That box which churns out words and numbers faster than you can imagine.  If you have one at your home, then you are already riding the wave.  However, having one is not the key to being successful at data entry home business.  You must be an EXPERT at using it.  Ensure proper training and practice especially on word processors and spreadsheet applications as well as audio processing software used in transcription.

Work of data entry varies from simple name and address entry into a list or database to more challenging work as medical transcription.  One thing is common in all of them: All can be done at home.

Data entry inputers or keyers create lists of information like numbers, names, addresses and the like.  The data is keyed into forms that show up on the computer screen. They are also tasked to edit existing information or spot errors in existing entries, like proofreading.  

Word processing involves preparing letters, professional reports, etc. Most companies provide templates or standard formats for all documents that will be processed, so that makes the work easier.  For more experienced data entry processors, they can handle more complicated work like spreadsheets, statistical tables, legal transcriptions and medical transcriptions.