3 Great Alternatives To Envelope Stuffing Jobs
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Wondering if there are any good envelope stuffing jobs? The answer is no. It's most definitely a scam and in this article, you'll learn why.
There are tons of places that advertise jobs for envelope-stuffing. It sounds like a dream job: make money for easy work. But, as the saying goes, if it's too good to be true, it probably is.
Keep reading to learn more about envelope stuffing jobs, why envelope stuffing is a scam, if making any money is possible, and if any legitimate envelope-stuffing jobs really exist. You'll also discover 3 alternatives to envelope stuffing jobs you can check out.
Let's go!
Contents
What does an envelope-stuffer do?
The envelope-stuffing jobs advertised talk about stuffing envelopes for work. You will stuff documents, flyers, or other materials into envelopes for mailing. It's common to find these work-from-home job offers in classifieds and as advertisements in print magazines or journals.
Many of them talk about sending a kit with materials to you to get started with the work.
All of the envelope-stuffer jobs I've come across require you to pay to get started. Some are small payments, as low as $5 to $10, and others require a large upfront payment.
But the truth is, there are ways to make money online without paying. You're certainly not limited to pyramid schemes or multi-level marketing (MLM) programs to earn money (check out Multiple Income Funnel as an example). Generally, you'll want to check companies on the Better Business Bureau to see if they're legitimate business.
People are drawn to envelope-stuffing jobs because they seem like low-skill level work for high pay and think it's easy money.
You may see ads talking about paying $1,500 a week for envelope-stuffing or paying $3 per envelope stuffed. You think you've stumbled upon a golden opportunity of a job, but at the end of the day, it's a scam. Here's why…
Can you get paid to stuff envelopes at home?
No, you can't get paid to fill envelopes.
Envelope-stuffing jobs you see are scams because they make false promises and scam you out of money.
So is there any such thing as a legit envelope-stuffing job? Unfortunately, jobs offering to pay you good money to stuff envelopes are not legitimate. The hope that these illegitimate companies have is to recruit as many people as possible so they can make money. There's no real business operation.
These businesses are either collecting money from people who will have to recruit more people to make money or, just stealing people's money who send the startup fee and receive nothing.
Many envelope scams are floating around. Here are two common examples:
Example 1: You register on a website, then you're asked to pay a registration or startup fee to get the materials sent to you.
After you pay the fee, you get a flyer mailed to you and you are required to copy it and hand it out to keep spreading the scam.
For every person that signs up, you earn a small commission. It's kind of like a pyramid scheme. The goal is to get people to pay and sign up, then recruit more people to pay and sign up others.
Example 2: You send a startup fee to get materials sent to you and receive nothing.
I'm sure there are other variations of the envelope-stuffing scam but these are two known examples.
Are Envelope Stuffing Jobs scams?
Yes, envelope-stuffing is a scam. If you see an ad for an envelope-stuffing job, however appealing it might be, ignore it because it's a scam. Don't waste your time or money.
Is envelope-stuffing worth it?
Envelope-stuffing is not worth it. You will get paid little to nothing. It's not a true job, it's been a scam circling classified ads for decades. It dates back to the Great Depression.
Are there any legitimate envelope stuffing jobs?
There's no legitimate job for envelope-stuffing.
Envelope-stuffing appeals to people who are looking for high-paying, easy jobs. But there are plenty of other legitimate jobs you can pursue that will pay you money for your time.
Don't fall for the envelope-stuffing scam. It's not real.
Here are 3 alternative jobs you can pursue instead of trying to find jobs where you earn money to do similar work at home.
Alternatives jobs to get paid to fill envelopes at home
These 3 jobs are legit work. They are good alternatives to the home jobs stuffing envelopes scam:
- Virtual assistant
- Data entry work
- Customer service representative
1. Virtual assistant
Virtual assisting is working as a personal assistant to someone online. This is real work you'll do, helping your client with tasks using the internet. Virtual assistance is a good job for extra money on the side, and it can also be made into a full-time career.
This virtual assistant makes $6,000/month and gets to travel the world!
Virtual assistant work is similar to the kind of work you envision with envelope-stuffing – you handle the administrative functions of a business in a remote yet professional manner.
Both jobs are task-oriented and include work that will keep you occupied, like stuffing mail.
The work you do as a virtual assistant will vary based on the needs of your client.
You don't need a degree, specialized skills, or experience to work as a virtual assistant. Think of this job as an online helper. If you're computer-proficient, well-organized, and a good communicator, then you can do this job. And one of the perks is you don't have direct supervision, so there's some autonomy.
General vs specialized virtual assistants
A general virtual assistant is someone that does not have specialized expertise. They can work with a variety of different clients doing general task-based jobs like:
- Note-taking
- Answering emails
- Answering phones
- Scheduling meetings
- Ordering lunch
- Clerical tasks (like mailing materials)
A specialized virtual assistant has expertise in an industry like design, education, human resources, etc. This could translate to having a degree, background, or experience working in an industry.
This is not required to work as a virtual assistant, but if you're an expert in your industry, you'll get rewarded with higher-paying jobs usually and task work specific to your specialty.
For example, you could work as a sponsorship outreach virtual assistant, catering to publishers in the media space. Dealing with the outgoing mail functions of the business.
You would work with bloggers, creators, influencers, podcasters, and other creatives to help book paid sponsorship campaigns with company sponsors.
How much do virtual assistants make?
According to PayScale, virtual assistants make an average hourly rate of $16.03/hour. You can expect to make between $15/hour to $100/hour depending on your skill set and expertise.
2. Data entry work
Data entry work is another example of legitimate work you can do from home. It's task-based work revolving around entering data into a system for your client. Some examples include:
- Adding data to a spreadsheet
- Online report filing, management, and maintenance
- Organizing data into a software system
The best Data entry workers are well-organized, detail-oriented, and self-starters. A background in admin or customer service is also helpful.
For this entry-level job, the work you do might get boring at times, but if you take pride in the accuracy and timeliness of your work, this job could be the perfect fit for you.
Where to find data entry jobs
You can find these jobs via the best job sites for remote work, such as Upwork. Searching social media sites like LinkedIn or community websites like Reddit (learn more about how to make money on Reddit) or Facebook groups can also turn up data entry jobs.
Check Out Jobs on UpworkHow much do data entry workers make?
Data entry workers earn between $11 to $17 per hour.
If you have more skills and experience, then you can earn at the upper end of this pay range.
3. Customer service representative
A customer service representative helps customers with their inquiries.
This can be an in-person or online job.
If you take pride in providing the best service, being helpful, and solving problems, then this could be a good job for you. If you like working with people, you're a good communicator, and good at multitasking, then customer service work is a great alternative to envelope stuffing work.
There are many different kinds of customer service jobs in various industries. You could be doing work like:
- Sales
- Order or returns processing
- Answering customer calls or emails
How much do customer service representatives make?
In the United States, the pay range for customer service representatives is between $31,400 to $40,400 per year.
Final Word on Envelope Stuffing Jobs
I hope this provides some clarity.
You can definitely earn money doing clerical tasks at home, but the bottom line is that envelope stuffing jobs are not legitimate work. Those envelope-stuffing jobs you come across are scams. Don't fall for them – you can't make good money stuffing mail.
There are many legitimate online jobs you can try instead. Check out Upwork to find legitimate work-from-home, online job opportunities. Good luck!
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