Is Arise Work from Home Legitimate?

Thanks to the pandemic, more of us than ever want to work from home. There’s been a major culture shift from working in the office to remote working from home. It gives you ultimate flexibility and helps to cut down commuting costs. For some people, it’s the only option they have if they need to balance work with caring commitments.

Arise is one working from home option that you might have come across on your job search. We’re taking a deep dive to find an answer to the question of “is Arise work from Home legitimate?”.

What is Arise?

Arise makes some bold promises. They claim to give you a way to earn money from home while creating a schedule that works around your life, choosing who you work for while controlling your income. The platform promises to make you your own boss. So, what’s it all about?

It is a platform that allows you to “provide customer support from home and have control over your income”. The website claims that thousands of people have used Arise to link up and work with well-known brands. Arise allows you to “operate a home-based business”.

Arise promotes itself to businesses as the “future of customer care”, meeting the needs of businesses in challenging times.

The Origins of Arise

Arise launched in 1994 as a technology company selling a proprietary switch before swapping over to customer care. Their ‘Arise Platform’ was launched in 1997, setting out to create a community of small enterprises that acted as an inbound call center resource.

The platform has continued to develop, becoming a network of ‘Service Partners’, providing “authentic customer service experiences”. Arise describes itself as a “customer experience innovator”, supporting businesses to exceed their objectives by providing amazing customer service.

What Does Arise Offer Businesses?

Before we look at working for Arise, it’s worth seeing how they pitch themselves to business clients.

Arise sells itself to potential business clients by claiming that they have refined “outsourced customer service solutions”, providing people who are “trusted brand advocates” that can engage with customers. With the Arise platform, they provide businesses with the flexibility to utilize a scalable customer service solution. Businesses have a high level of flexibility, being able to up their usage by 40% in hours and 250% in days.

Their major selling point is that they provide businesses with a cost-effective customer service solution. They state that most of their clients achieve a 25% reduction in the total cost of contact center services by using Arise.

Arise is a Fortune 500 company that invented virtual on-demand customer service care over 25 years ago – before the gig economy of today became the norm.

What is it Like Working For Arise?

Arise describes their customer service providers as ‘Service Partners’, who can join the platform by registering their business. You’ll need to register as a sole proprietor or incorporated entity. If you don’t want to set up either of these, you can join another call center business that is already utilizing the Arise platform. This setup gives you the flexibility of either working for someone else or being your own boss.

Once you’re registered with the Arise Platform, you’re able to review and select different opportunities with clients that work best for you. You’ll take a certification course to help you prepare to provide the right customer support for that client.

After you’ve finished the certification course, you’ll sign an SOW (statement of work) for that client opportunity. Most SOWs work for three months.

When you work as an Arise Service Partner, you’ll be providing customer support services to different businesses. Arise promises to let you create your own schedule with freedom and flexibility.

The one thing to note is that you are not an Arise employee while using the platform. You’re also not an employee of any of the clients that you provide a service for. This setup is why you’ll either need to join another company that uses the Arise platform or register as a sole proprietor or incorporated entity.

Small Business Opportunities With Arise

While working from home has its appeal, some people want to utilize remote working to launch their own business. Building a business can help you create a stream of passive income and give you even more time with your friends and family once your business is established and on its feet.

One of Arise’s major marketing points is that it allows you to launch a remote small business. Most platforms like Arise are tailored to freelancers who want to work for themselves. The difference with Arise is that it gives you the flexibility to either work solo or build a business.

Unlike a traditional small business, the start-up costs are minimal, and you can hire people from anywhere. Instead of having to hunt for clients, Arise allows you to connect with Fortune 500 companies that are looking for customer support.

Clients of Arise include Carnival Cruise Line, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Intuit. You can use Arise to have the unique opportunity to work with these household names from the comfort of your own home. These companies choose to partner with Arise to use independent businesses and contractors to provide work-from-home customer support.

When you start a small business with Arise, you’re able to build and run your own small call center and use technology and Arise’s infrastructure to find clients.

You can get started by registering on the Arise platform to support some of the largest companies in the world. As your small business starts to grow, you can hire qualified agents or train them to work for you.

If you’re looking to start a small business, Arise might be the solution for you. It’s one of the few types of small businesses that you can start without needing a large amount of disposable cash. You can start making money as soon as you get on the platform, allowing you to scale up your business.

As you and your employees can work from home, you don’t have to worry about covering travel costs or financing an office space. The super-flexible remote working schedule means that you can set your schedule and give your employees ultimate flexibility. You can run your business as you see fit, letting you hire your agents or become an entrepreneur and work solo for yourself.

How to Register Your Company with Arise

If you decide to use Arise as a sole proprietor or a small business, you’ll have to register on the platform. The process will be different if you choose to work for another company that uses the Arise platform.

You’ll start by registering your business on the platform. If you’re already registered as an incorporated entity, the process will be smooth sailing. If you’ve not yet completed this, you’ll need to do this before starting the Arise process. You can only gain access to the Arise platform with your Employer Identification Number (EIN).

Arise has several resources available to help you with your small business, and it’s a good idea to utilize all these resources in the early days of your partnership.

The platform offers ‘Welcome Information Sessions’. It is an interactive webinar that provides specific guidance on how to use the system, along with everything you need to know to get started.

How to Incorporate Your Business

If you’re thinking of using Arise to start your small business, you’ll need to know how to incorporate your company. Most states charge an incorporation fee of between $100 to $350. You can find the cost and more information on your state or region’s official website. You’ll need to choose a name and check your state or regional registry to ensure it’s not already being used.

You’ll need to file a ‘Certificate of Incorporation’ through the website and seek advice from an accountant to help you decide which type of business set-up is right for you. Don’t forget to complete your EIN application to get the Employer Identification Number that you’ll need to register your business with Arise.

Registering as an Agent for the Arise Platform

While we’ve talked about working for yourself or establishing a small business, you can also work for another company that is registered on the Arise platform. In this scenario, you’ll be an ‘agent’ and need to look for a call center company to work for.

Arise provides a list of their current U.S. Premier Partners on their website. While Arise does not endorse or recommend a specific partner, it’s a good tool to use if you want to start on Arise as an employee for another company.

Once you find a company, it’s easy to get registered on the platform. You’ll set up a profile, sign an NDA, submit the company ID, and select the client opportunity.

Is Arise Legitimate?

Arise works with several Fortune 50 brands and household names. They’re recognized as having an innovative approach to customer care, providing reliable service to companies. Arise has a history of providing professionals who can give businesses an exceptional level of customer service.

They were named a Leader in Everest Group’s 2021 PEAK Matrix for ‘Work-At-Home’ Agent Customer Experience Management Services. The Arise platform enables you to become your own boss and work with Fortune 50 companies by meeting their customer service needs.

Arise is accredited by the ‘Better Business Bureau’ (BBB), with an A+ rating.

What People Are Saying About Arise

While Arise can promote itself as the solution to all your remote working dreams, it’s worth taking a step back. We’ve searched for information from people who have worked with Arise or tried applying for the platform.

One user on NetMums mentioned having to pay an up-front fee for a background check. Another user on the forum mentioned they were put off from using the platform as you have to be VAT registered while earning around £6 ($8.28 USD) per hour. Although Arise promotes itself as a low-cost way of setting up a business or going freelance, the same user mentioned needing to pay £100 ($138.03 USD)+ for a course.

On the same thread, a user who claims to work on the Arise platform clarified that you only need to register for VAT when your income hits a certain threshold – which you’re unlikely to meet right away. They did share you need to invest in your workstation with a phone, headset, and laptop to get you started, along with the background check report.

Most Service Partners will likely have most of the equipment they need at home, but this could be an expensive investment if you’re getting started on Arise. The same user mentioned that the average agent earns £7-£10 ($9.66-$13.80 USD) per hour.

Arise was the subject of an article by The Times in November 2020, focusing on how these self-employed agents earned less than minimum wage and had to buy their own phones and training. It’s important to note that they based this article on Arise in the UK, where the minimum wage is £8.91 for those over 23 years of age.

The article notes how some people have to spend hundreds before they can make a penny – while not being entitled to holiday or sick pay. Arguably, this is similar to any freelancer position or where you’re self-employed – although the money you can make isn’t as adjustable or scalable as other types of freelance work.

How Can I Start Working With Arise?

If you’re thinking about Arise and want to find out more about the platform, they have an in-depth guide on getting started. It covers the set-up process, as well as the system and equipment policy that you need to be a Service Partner. You’ll want to make sure you have everything set up to help you get started on Arise as quickly as possible.

Should you work with Arise? It could be a solution for remote working for you, and it will appeal to certain people. We always recommend doing your research, so that you’re fully aware of what you’re signing up for with platforms like Arise.