When you work from home as a freelance data entry specialist your income will depend on the amount of work that you produce. If you complete projects faster, you can accept more work. That is the simplistic formula to data entry success. Unlike data entry positions as a telecommuter where you work specific hours and meet specific goals, a freelance data entry specialist must complete projects quickly so they can move on to other orders.
Updating and improving your skills can help you improve your pay. Regardless of how much experience you may have in the field, a little off-the-clock practice or training can gretly increase your earning potential. Data entry specialists can use one or more of these six suggestions to increase their keystrokes and earnings:
- Invest into a typing program for your computer.
While many people took a typing class in school, how many can honestly say they tried to acquire the skill? Most will have to admit that they did enough to pass the course and that is all. Investing into a home typing course and following through with the lessons will improve your keystrokes. - Try Online Typing Courses.
If you are not able to purchase a home typing course at this time, there are plenty of sites that have typing courses available for free. You may be required to register with the site to gain access to the free typing courses, but there will never be a charge for the course. Never provide credit card or bank information to access one of these programs. - Adjust Your Chair and Desk.
One of the worst things you can do as a home based data entry professional is sit incorrectly. Not only will your keystrokes suffer, so will your lower back and shoulders. To be ergonomically correct, you should sit in a chair that is adjusted to your height so that your feet are comfortably on the ground. Your seat back should be adjusted to tilt into your lower back for support. If you have arms on your chair, they should not be set any higher than your waist level. If you do not have arms on your chair, you should set your keyboard in a position that you can type at waist height. Many computer desks have slide out keyboard trays specifically for this purpose. You should have your keyboard close enough so that you are not over extended. By sitting in the correct position, you will not cause strain to your body and decrease your typing speed. - Take Time To Practice.
If you take time to practice typing, you will improve. Use a few minutes time to pop off some emails to friends, post to your blog, or share on your social page. These all count as practice. There are always opportunities for you to find a reason to type that is not directly related to work. - Play Typing Games Online.
These games, often designed for children, are free and fun to use. They are specifically designed to help you learn to type quickly to respond to the game. Many data entry specialists also find that these games are a good way to “cool down” after a long day at work, or gear up for the full day ahead. - Invest In A New Keyboard.
There are many different keyboard designs, and you may not be using one that is best suited for you. Many typists have discovered that the new standard keyboards have keys that are really compressed, causing them to make a lot of typos and waste time correcting them. These work at home specialists could benefit greatly from purchasing a new larger keyboard. Some data entry personnel find that they have sore wrists from typing which decreases their speed as time progresses. Investing into an ergonomically designed keyboard with a split set of keys may increase your keystroke tremendously. It is always recommended to shop for a keyboard that best suits your physical needs and typing style. Having a keyboard that you are comfortable with will increase your speed.
