Friday, December 01, 2006

Desktop Publishing Courses

With the net lending itself best to individualization and autonomy—combined with a profound globalization of those individual entrepreneurs and businesses—desktop publishing courses have become imperative. For Microsoft Word users, for instance, people want to learn how to set up templates, import graphics, work with menus and submenus, work with toolbars, establish file properties, set margins, use column and graph functions, and manipulate colors, shading, borders, and fonts.

Desktop publishing courses offer lessons on such techniques and strategies as well as on many more processes. What about, for example, page layout? Do you know how to change the page from portrait to landscape style? Or, regarding formatting, could you use some help importing and placement of text boxes, columns, headers, and images?

Hundreds of desktop publishing courses exist in the physical world and online. Many are accredited, taught by qualified professionals and instructors, and most offer a thorough and comprehensive syllabus package in general of desktop publishing courses in particular. For instance, the following offerings are found online (described as featured, for example, at elearners.com): a course that takes eleven and a half hours; courses that cover 40 weeks worth of material; classes in elements of design; desktop publishing courses focused on planning and designing documents such as newsletters, memos, calendars, flyers, and cards; and classes teaching you to merge documents, manipulate fields, and format and/or manipulate outlines and edit text.

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Make Money With Google Adsense

Many people are interested in finding out how to make money with Google Adsense. You can find this as the topic of discussion on many blogs and on some websites as well. Those who are not savvy about web design, content and Internet advertising may want to consider using Google Ad Sense as a supplemental source of income rather than a second job.

Bloggers make up a good part of the curious population so this article is directed towards them. I have some experience since I did make some money with Google Adsense on my blog. However, there are a lot of things to consider before jumping in and using this vehicle for extra cash.

First of all, you have to consider the content in your own blog. If you are keeping a personal diary that does little more that share your witty insight and your experiences you may want to forgo using it as a way to make money using Google Adsense.

There are other bloggers who get annoyed with advertisements on blogs that so not provide a particular service. There is a kind-of unspoken rule that it is bad taste to use advertisements on a personal log of your experience. Many visitors will leave comments letting you know that, too.

However, if your blog is useful to the readers and if they can benefit from the advertisements you should definitely use it to make money with Google Adsense.

Monday, November 27, 2006

Get Paid To Take Surveys

Everyone would like to get paid to take surveys. I can think of no way I’d rather make money than to get paid to take surveys online, especially about interesting things. For some reason I’ve always liked surveys, and quizzes. Even in high school and college, I actually kind of looked forward to my exams. While they were in a sense of course stressful, there’s just something fun about answering questions for me.

Maybe it’s just a quirk of mine, but I always fill out any surveys people send me, even ones people call me on the phone for. I definitely prefer to do the ones online, but I feel a sort of sympathy for phone surveyors as I used to have a similar job. Online surveys are best because they can be done on your own time. When I learned that you can get paid to take surveys online I was of course interested immediately.

While it is true that you can get paid to take surveys online, there are some serious catches to this would be good news. Like everything else, if it sounds too good to be true, it is. I’m not the only one that would like to get paid to take surveys, and some less than ethical internet scam artists have picked up on this common desire. If you’re researching ways to get paid to take surveys, be on your guard for scams.

The vast majority of the sites you’ll find online that claim they can hook you up with paid surveys are just trying to take your money and run. I’ve seen some ridiculous claims on these sights about making thousands of dollars a month doing nothing but taking surveys. While it’s a tempting thought, you can tell these are scams just by looking at them. Why would anyone ever clean toilets for a living if they could get paid to take surveys online for about the same wage or more? If you research a little further you’ll see that many people have complained about these scams, and that they really don’t deliver anything.

The truth of the matter is there isn’t anyway to get paid to take surveys consistently. While there are a few sites that offer coupons, gift certificates, and sometimes small cash rewards for taking surveys, most of these sights only reward you with a ‘chance’ to get the prize by doing the survey. Sights like these are real, and aren’t scams. One example is the NPD Online Research group. I’ve been a member of their site for several months just because I like surveys, but I’ve yet to actually win any of the rewards they offer.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Make Money On The Internet

The world is filled with money making schemes. From the game of gambling to the stock market trade, you can surely find some form of alternative income. Countless people turn the World-Wide-Web to turn a buck from home. You too can make money on the Internet if you know the right way to do it. This ever-changing world we live in may always continue to advance, but one aspect will always remain the same; capital will be necessary to survive. If you're not familiar with cyberspace on an income producing level, it's time to change things and make money on the Internet today.

The great thing about cyberspace is that it's free. While we will always pay for tangible goods in the physical world, we don't have to fork over big bucks for a website. In fact, we can create websites of our own. I was somewhat shocked when my computer savvy brother taught me how to build my own website. I couldn't believe that it was free. I actually had my very own spot on the Internet. No one could take that away. Do you have your own web space? Maybe you post photos online for family members to view at will, or possibly have your own business. This is a wonderful vehicle to help you with this. The Internet can not only provide you with gobs of information for starting your own company, but it can be your vehicle in doing so. You can make money on the Internet to support your family. Just take a look at every business online today. There truly are infinite services and products at your fingertips. It doesn't have to be a mere pipe dream.

Are you anxious to make money on the Internet? What is your forte? You probably have a gift or strong suit that can produce some serious cash. Maybe you refurbish computers. I have a close friend that does this on a daily basis. It's how he makes a living from home. I was utterly shocked when he revealed the cash he brought in every week. While he does make money on the Internet, he doesn't have to work for a separate employer. This is the way to go if you ask me. You decide your hours; you get all of the profit; you answer to no one. If he makes a solid living in a posh southern California neighborhood this way, then so can you. Jump online and browse through the number of ways you can make money on the Internet without sacrificing the comfort of your own home everyday.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Should You Quit Your Home Office?

It seems many people want to work from home, but in some cases, the home office could be holding their business back. Let's take a look at some of the reasons why.

Imagine you start your work from home business, building it steadily to the point where you need to hire someone to help you out. Maybe they can get on with less challenging tasks while you continue building your work from home business. At this point, you could waste time, money and even break the law.

By having someone work in your home, you could be breaking zoning laws for a start. You might even waste your valuable time and money advertising a job that no one wants. While I am quite happy to work out of my box room, how many people do you know who would be happy to do the same?

You might also lose a big contract if you have to hold your big sales pitch in Starbucks. That would break my heart for sure. In fact, shutting yourself away in your home office might even prevent you meeting the people that offer the big contract in the first place.

These are just some of the considerations you face when you start your work from home enterprise. I know I can only grow my business so far, but when the time comes, I won't hesitate to quit my home office, so I can move up to the next level.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Consider Business Cards Full Color For Your Work At Home Business

If you are shopping for business cards full color is the way to go. Choosing to go bold is a great move when it comes to this kind of item. Color can make your business cards stand out and this can get you more business. When designing business cards full color should be one of the major considerations that you make.

One of the most important correspondence you will have as a company professional is your calling card. This little item sums up your style, service and product in a very small space. You can really make a strong impact on an individual when you create a presentation that is appropriate and tasteful.

Some people think that a work at home business does not need to have business cards at all. That might actually be true in a few cases, but almost everyone has a chance to spread the word about their business and business cards full color fit the bill perfectly. I never miss a chance to hand over one of my business cards full color if I think the recipient might be able to refer a potential customer to me. You shouldn't miss the chance either!

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Start Your Own Business

The dream of being self employed is shared by many people and a good number of these people are women. There are a lot of reasons that you might want to start your own business if you are a woman. Whether you are tired of having to answer to a supervisor or whether you just want to create a work-from-home opportunity for yourself you might want to consider some of the following options.

The drive to be able to work at your own pace and during your free time has led to a path of self-employment. However, you might be a little apprehensive about trying to start your own business. After all, the whole process is scary. You are never quite sure if you will have a steady income and you probably need to rely on another source for benefits like health insurance.
Nevertheless, changes in your life such as a new baby will make the option to start your own business seem like the only choice you have. The cost of daycare is staggering. You might find that the money you make at work barely covers your child’s daycare costs. It would be beneficial for you to start your own business so you can work at your own pace.
The best way to choose your particular field is to find something that you truly enjoy. If you are a magnificent cake decorator you might want to contact your local craft and hobby store and offer to hold workshops and demonstrations. Just about any craft or hobby can be a tool for you when you start your own business.

I contacted my local community college and offered to conduct a poetry workshop. The non-credit course is designed around my schedule. I chose to work in the evening with the class. This won’t make me rich but it is a great start. I can also work from home on other ventures as well.
This may seem like a dream-come-true but you really have to dedicate yourself to your new venture. When you start your own business you are really starting a whole new life. Part of the problem with working from home is that others tend to think that you are not actually working.

Others may think that you have all the free time in the world. You don’t. Make sure that you make it perfectly clear to friends and family that after you start your own business you will not be available during certain times of the day. The benefit of being self employed is having the option of creating your own schedule. However, there are only 24 hours in a day no matter what.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Paid Surveys Online

Some “paid surveys online” are sent to you and called preliminary or qualification questions. So you click through five or so pages and then are told you are not eligible for the survey they need answered. Who knows if his is an actual survey they are getting away with administering without rewarding you for…but real surveys pay real money (in excruciatingly small increments, but hey, money is money).

WHERE TO GO

Which is which? Which will actually pay and will follow through with claims of being paid surveys online? And which will just waste your time and leave you feeling puzzled or used? Through a writers’ newsletter I found what is called the Survey Club. They did all the research into the legitimate and also the most profitable programs. All you have to do is fill in the individual forms on the individual sites.

WHAT ELSE SHOULD YOU DO?

At surveyclub.com, then, you can (for free) register and get insight into what the club has found to be the top twenty-five survey websites. You manually visit each program website and register with three or four safe pieces of information, including your email address. Each program sends you a confirmation email with a link for you to click on (in the email), which takes you to the site and announces you have been confirmed as a survey participant. From that point, it will be announced whether there are any available surveys to take, or whether you should just watch your email box for survey announcements.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

Making Extra Money Isn't Hard

You do have options for making extra money that are perfectly legitimate. Many people have turned to eBay. They can sell used or new items there, and many make a living doing so. In order for this to work for you, you have to be serious about it, and you have to put a lot of work into it. If you wish to go this route, do some research before you begin. There are many sources for advice online that will help you be more successful when selling on eBay.

If you are a freelance writer, the Internet is a great place for making extra money. You can find many websites and businesses that are looking for writers, but again, watch out for the scams. It may take you a while to break into content writing for online sites, but once you get rolling, you will find you can make some decent money if you set your mind to it. Other people go about making extra money by having their own websites. They have these sites set up to sell any number of goods or services, or they rely on web content to earn money through Google’s Adsense program. These sites tend to come and go, but if you do your research and invest a little time and money, this can be a great way to go about making extra money online.

Ways To Make Money

Over the years, I have learned that there are some other ways to make money than resorting to prostitution or selling drugs. While both of those "jobs" may earn decent money and be tax-free, they are not the idea ways to make money. Ending up in jail or even worse, is not going to help your bills disappear any quicker.

I will share with you some of the ways to make money that I have uncovered or tried. Some of them may sound ridiculous or pathetic, but if you need money, there is a need for creativity. If you don't have a job, one of the best ways to make money is to find one. If you are capable of having two jobs or picking up a part-time job in addition to your other jobs or schooling, it would be the most ideal way. I currently work full-time and part-time and am raising a child. It is not easy but I am determined to become debt free as quickly as possible.

If you have hobbies or talents that you could turn into money, go for it. Whether it be making crafts or painting murals, something that interests you and you are good at can be a great way to increase your income. While there are tons of ways to make money, utilizing your talents could also lead to other door openings in your life. I've walked my neighbors' dogs before and cared for their houses and lawns when they've been away. Other ways to make money include yard sales and selling items you no longer need. Not only could you earn a few dollars by doing this, but it is an excellent way to clean your house as well. I've sold lots of things that I've been storing in my garage. I can now fit my car inside of it.

Money Making Ideas

Whether you go into business for yourself, or tackle the competitive job market, you are surely in pursuit of capital. This is the reason many of us work so hard in this buy-many buy-large society. We always want something better. We crave the largest home and the flashiest car. It is a learned quality that we simply can not discard at will. The media and our neighbors won't let us. Good thing there are so many money making ideas.

Most of us have one or two that we consider or take a shot at. A buddy of mine wanted to be an actor more than anything. He did not yearn for this position merely because of the passion, he wanted a lot of money. Who makes more money than celebrities. While most of society is in awe of their neighbor that pulls in 250K a year, a movie star is banking 20 million for a single flick. There is really no comparison. They are different worlds. While the majority of us give up on this Hollywood utopia, we look elsewhere for money making ideas. Maybe we have that perfect, new invention, or possibly that revolutionary web site idea. Regardless of our dreams, there are many ways to achieve them.

Tips To Make Money On The Web

Speaking from personal experience, I searched and searched for a decent way to make money on the web. All along it was right in front of me. I was actually looking for some new-age thing that would surely bring in the bucks, when I should have stuck closer to home. Then one day I thought to myself, "What do you like to do?" The answer was simple. I had a BA in English and loved to write, therefore I became a freelance writer. This was the perfect way for me to make money on the web. I could remain at home and work from my G4 Ibook. It is true; all you need is a good computer and high speed Internet access.

Maybe you do not like to write? Don't fret yet. Remember, there are a ton of ways to earn online. Writing is simply one of the many different avenues you could pursue. For example, another way to earn cash from home is by creating your own content based websites that focus on a particular topic. What is a content based website? Basically, it is an information based website which brings quality information about a specific topic or interest.

Once you manage to create a good quality website around a specific topic, you can then put ads on your site to earn money from your website visitors. Putting ads on your website is also known as monetizing a website. One program I use to help me monetize my website is Google Adsense. Yes, you have probably heard of Google before. Google Adsense is a program for web publishers that allows you to copy some code from their website and then paste it on your own website.

Placing this code on your website will automatically start showing related ads on your website. Google handles the ad delivery and targets it to your niche or what your website is about. This is a very popular way to earn money from your own websites, and you will notice those very ads we are discussing are being used on this very web page! The way it works is after google starts showing ads on your webpage, any visitors that come to your site and click on one of those links will make you money on the web. The price per click will vary depending on a number of different factors.

Read more about how to make money on the web.

Money Making Business Ideas

Are you currently working for the man? If so, do not forget that there literally are autonomous money making businesses out there. You simply have to look for them. Capital currently flows in a variety of forms, which is great for those of us who strive for something new.

It is certainly feasible to make money in various ways. Whether you have chosen a career with perks galore, spend your day buying and trading stocks, or have created your own money making business at home, you know how to produce capital. The trick is finding the best vehicle to get you there. Many people these days have said "the heck with big corporations that get rich off of my hard work." In fact, many of us simply do not want to be a cog in the machine. We want to make the decisions and earn the big bucks. The World-Wide-Web has definitely granted this wish to people everywhere. Millions of us have a money making business these days. This is great if you ask me. Who wants to dread that lay off or plant shut down, which can happen on a whim? We demand security in our lives. We crave that ideal money making business that will feed our families for years to come.

Make Easy Money Online Starting Today

Everyone wants to be able to earn a comfortable living from the house. The internet is making it easier for people that once thought all they could do was work for someone else to be able to provide for their families from home. I do not know about you, but I sure wouldn’t mind finding something that did not commit all my time and money. So where do you start looking for a way to make easy money online?

For most income opportunities and small home based businesses you will need a personal computer system with high speed internet access preferably. Once you have this in place you can then start looking for something that appeals to you so that you can begin to make easy money online. You will probably want to steer away from opportunities that seem too good to be true because they almost always are!

If a site is claiming to be making thousands of dollars a day from home without lifting a finger, well, there is just something wrong with that. If that is your goal, perhaps you should spend more time in Vegas or playing the lottery. You have just as good of a chance of winning the jackpot as you do not working and getting paid. Anytime you see an ad or offer claiming to make tons of cash without hardly working, that should immediately raise a red flag. It just doesn't happen folks.

Make Money At Home

The advent of the Internet and the accompanying technological advancements have done so much to assist those who are committed to make money at home. With wireless networks, laptop computers and cell phones, business can be conducted from the comfort of one's own home, or even their backyard swimming pool for that matter!

Even mothers who have decided to stay at home with their small children can get in on the action and make money on home. Whether they decide to open a small home-based daycare center, or if they prefer to get online and try their hand at selling on E-bay, there are ways for nearly everyone to make money at home if they are really committed to success.

Graphic designers can take on freelance projects, those with administrative skills can take in typing and data entry work and recruiters can set up a home office in their living rooms. Really, the opportunities to make money at home are endless!

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Creating A Website To Earn Online

My brother’s wife is creating a website and she has asked me to come to her house to guide her through the process. She is extremely aggravated by the process and she seems very confused and frustrated. I agreed to give her a hand, but I really do not know that much about creating a website myself. I was flattered that she thought that I did know how to create a webpage, but I was not sure why she thought that I had experience with it.

I came to the sudden realization that my sister in law is under the impression that I am efficient at creating a website because she has visited my blog. I think that she is confusing blogs with websites. I may know how to set up a blog but this does not qualify me to tutor someone on creating a webpage. I have come to the realization that many people do not understand the difference between a blog and a webpage.

I am not sure if I understand the difference between creating a blog and creating a website, but I’m going to give it a shot. Actually I have trouble describing the difference between a blog and a website. A blog is a kind of online journal. The person who creates the blog posts short articles, pictures and various entries to give the blog some depth. There is little work in creating a blog. Blogs are free and very user friendly and I am quite comfortable with the format.

Read more on creating a website.

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Making Money With Paid Online Surveys

Paid online surveys sound too good to be true because most of them are. There are literally hundreds of paid online survey sites floating around on the internet, mainly because it’s a scam that is easy to propagate and promises the scammer pretty easy money (and definitely more money than the people completing the surveys). Here’s how it works: you see a job posting in a classifieds ad or after a web search which promises easy money, a flexible work schedule, and allows you to work from home. “Why, this sounds great!” you say. “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!” You navigate to the company’s website and find that the company connects you with paid online surveys which you get to complete at your leisure. There’s only one teensy little catch: in order to join the program you need to pay a one-time fee of $30-$100. Of course, the survey promises that you’ll be able to work off this payment by the time you finish your first or second survey, so it’s really not a big deal.

Once you pay your fee and join the program, you’ll probably have a sensation that you’ve been had. Once in the program you’ll receive a number of emails or offers for surveys, or perhaps just a long list of websites that purportedly offer paid online surveys. Most likely the list will be out of date, and the surveys you do find won’t really pay you to take the survey.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Letterhead Designs

No matter how many new technologies come into play that make the regular mail system of communication seem completely out of date nothing is more effective than sending letters to friends, family and clients to maintain relationships. There are a number of letterhead designs available to make your paper communications uniquely yours.

The right logo is an integral part of a company’s image and this image can be reproduced on your business stationary through the letterhead design. These icons help people remember your company at a glance and they often come in as handy ways of advertising your product through everyday communications. Different letterhead designs serve different purposes for various companies.
Not many people choose to communicate through old-fashioned methods like letters these days. However, the art of the traditional letter may be coming back into vogue. For those savvy individuals who find joy in sending correspondence through snail mail there are many letterhead designs from which to choose. The key is finding the right one. The right letterhead designs should capture your style and personality in a glance.

The purpose for letterhead designs differ for these two groups. Individuals who use the stationary for personal correspondence have a little more room for creativity in their letterhead designs because the icon is not necessarily used to promote a specific concept or product. There is nothing to sell or advertise. The purpose of the letterhead designs in these cases is to delight the eyes of the person who receives the note.

There is something so appealing about the idea of having a personal stationary to share with those who are important to you. I use different letterhead designs for different occasions. I write letters from Santa that I send to my nieces and nephews each and every Christmas. I also use special stationary for the Easter Bunny, too. These notes have specific letterhead designs that relate to the special holiday.

Business stationary is quite different than personal notes. The business letterhead designs should be clean, distinct and relevant to the service or product. This is no time to use very abstract images that leave your clients and potential customers left scratching their heads.
I do not have any personalized stationary other than the letters I send to my nieces and nephews. As we get older, we become accustomed to receiving emails rather than receiving notes though the traditional mailing system. However, I have to admit that I love finding a personal letter in the mail. The ones with nifty letterhead designs are my personal favorites.

Company Logo Design

Before going ahead and launching my own business, I meticulously researched everything that I would need to do first. I knew I would have to set up office space, buy all the right computers and equipment, write out a five-year plan, and make sure I had enough capital to get me through the lean times that I could expect at the beginning. I also would also have to order business cards and stationery with my name and logo on it, so it's a good thing that I had been working closely with an artist on a company logo design for the last few weeks.

At first, I had tried to come up with a company logo design on my own. I have Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and I am pretty comfortable using both programs. However, generating a nice, catchy company logo design was much harder than I thought it would be. No matter what I did, I just couldn't get the thing to turn out quite the way I wanted it. Even after I looked at more than a hundred sample company logo designs online, I couldn't make my artwork look professional enough for business cards and stationery. So I knew the next step would be to start looking for a graphic designer to help me out.

I didn't have any contacts in that field, so I just checked the Internet for artists that had experience with company logo design. I was easily able to find plenty of promising candidates and I devoted several hours to reading resumes and looking through portfolios that were posted on their websites. I wanted to hire someone whose previous company logo designs fit in with the general idea of what I wanted my own to look like. I was looking for a company logo design that was conservative, yet not boring. I wanted something that would be memorable for all the right reasons.

After a bit, I settled on a particular graphic designer whose body of work I was very impressed with. I got in touch with him and told him what I had in mind for my company logo design. I then explained to him what my new business was going to be about just so he could have even more information to work with. The artist said he understood exactly what I wanted, and said he would be able to send me a few sample company logo designs within a couple of days. I would then have the option to choose one of those or get a fresh batch made up.

I ended up loving one of the logos from the first batch, so I purchased full rights to the artwork on the spot. Now I have my very own company logo design that I can apply to business cards, stationery, signs, and anything else I can think of. Best of all, my business will look like a truly professional outfit when I launch it next month, thanks in large part to this fantastic company logo design!

Blogging Business

The more time people spend online, the more ways they find to make it profitable. Almost any business that is even moderately successful, or wants to be successful, has its own website. Websites allow business owners and professionals to have a space to direct potential clients to for information about their business. Increasing popular is the blogging business. The blogging business allows business owners and professionals to write about their particular field and develop a regular readership of people who want to learn more from them.

The blogging business encompasses a large variety of fields. Technology is an especially popular field in the blogging business, but politics, the arts, and sports are becoming increasingly popular as well. Many corporations are also entering the blogging world. It enables them to keep their customers informed as to what is going on in their industry. Not only does it keep clients informed but it allows corporations and businesses to develop real customer relationships. As clients read the blogs of their favorite business or corporation, they develop a level of trust because the corporation in question is sharing pertinent information with them. In past times, corporations shared as little as possible with their clients, not believing that it was something they needed or wanted to know. They are finding out now that people do want to know what is going on – they want details and information and are showing it by the comments left in the blogs.
The blogging business is becoming increasingly popular as a means of making money. Bloggers all over are creating content that is of interest to various groups. They allow advertisers to post ads on their blog space and make a profit when the ads are viewed or when the ads are clicked on. Google is one of the biggest advertising providers but new advertising companies are coming up everyday allowing advertisers a means of getting publicity and bloggers a means of making money by writing about topics that they are interested in anyway.
Blogs may be a way for a business to increase attention to their site or it may be a way for people who enjoy writing about a specific topic to make a little money on the side.The blogging business is growing and wider and wider varieties of individuals and businesses are find ways to incorporate it into their fields. The blogging business it helping other businesses to grow as it become as business it its own right.

Telemarketing from Home

Numerous reports have in fact revealed that about 20 percent of all customer service call center agents in the United States now take their customers' phone orders from their home, not from the company's office. Well, in the United States, telemarketing from home is a growing and cost saving trend for large companies with call centers. One proof of this rapidly growing telemarketing from home trend is the closing of 10 to 12 call centers this year and replaced with nearly 1,000 full time agents with home-based agents.

Read more about the growth of Telemarketing from Home

Answering Machine

I recently started a home based business. As a result of this business I am telephoning people across the United States. I cannot believe the messages that people leave on their answering machine. I know that everyone has their own personality and ways of expressing themselves, but using an answering machine to do this does not leave a great first impression.

As I have been making my telephone calls I have encountered all sorts of messages. Some people have the standard computer voice saying that no one is available please leave a message, and others have the standard message that is suggested in the hand book that you get with an answering machine system. These messages may seem boring but they leave the caller with a neutral opinion of the person that is called. Of these two I prefer to hear the person’s voice stating that they are not available and to leave a message.
The other answering machine messages that I have encountered range from funny to rude. The mid range are the people that leave very detailed instructions on how you are to leave a message and what to place on it. I have found that often times the people that want the most details have the shortest amounts of time available to leave a message. I end up getting cut off and have to recall and listen to all the instructions over again to leave the rest of my message. Some people have clips from cartoons or movies that are used for their message. Others have blaring music for the first few seconds and then have a recorded message. This is fine if you are using your phone only for friends and family, but if you are seeking employment and have given your number on a resume this is not the best idea.
The rude messages are the worse. One answering machine had the message if you think you are important enough for me to get back to leave a message. Another stated I most likely am not getting back to you loser but go ahead and leave a message. Still others have offensive language telling you to get lost because a message will not be returned.
As I am making my calls to set up interviews, and these are all people that have requested phone interviews, I find that I am rating people from the start. If I encounter a rude message on an answering machine in my first contact I will leave a message asking the person to get back to me, and I will not make another call to that person. I also make a note on their resume regarding the type of message they have on their answering system. I do not think that people realize that the messages they are leaving others make a strong first impression.

Beginner Investing Online

Have you started investing yet? I will be the first to admit that I never even considered investing in anything in the past. What is the point? I'm not a stock broker or anything. This is a rather callow and oblivious mentality to have. Fortunately I later came to my sense. I guess you could say that life smacked me in the face. Suddenly I looked in the mirror and thought, what the heck am I doing. I was basically living life one day at a time, paycheck to paycheck. This is naive. What about the future? What about college for the kids and retirement for my wife and me? It was high time to get on track. Fortunately I was 29 years old when I came to my senses.

Sadly, many people wait until much later. These days there is no excuse for this. In this day and age there is no reason to dwell in the dark. It's time to check out beginner investing online. It all starts from your home computer. You can't get much more convenient than that!

Have you checked into beginner investing online yet? This is the perfect place for all laymen to begin their quest. I'm referring to the quest for future funds. Are you ready to dabble in the stock market? Well, the first thing you'll need to do is take full advantage of beginner investing online. It's time to get the skinny on how the process works. After all, you certainly don't want to be one of those individuals who bet the farm and lose everything. Instead, you should always start out small. With beginner investing online you can put your hard-earned money into small investments and see how they do. If all goes well, you may want to try investing a little more.

This is the perfect way to start your retirement plan. With access to the World-Wide-Web it's a synch to read up on a variety of helpful tips concerning investing. Hey, it always pays to know the game before you play it. Learn the secrets of the pro traders in cyberspace.

Are you stoked and ready for beginner investing online? I hope so because there is a whole lot of money out there waiting to be snagged. It might as well be by you, right? Get on the web today and check out beginner investing online. Soon you will be investing in some rewarding stock shares and you might just make investing online a full time work from home job.

Desktop Organizers

Nothing will improve your productivity more than organizing your desktop. I know that it may sound kind of strange, but it is really true. I have been using desktop organizers for years, and they have made a bigger difference in my life than you could possibly imagine. Getting a good desktop organizer will give you a place to put everything. Your pencils, your pens, your urgent notes and invoices, your office tools such as staplers, and even other things that do not fit neatly into any of these categories, will all find their proper place within your desktop organizer, and that is a fact.

And, even if you are quite particular about the way your desktop looks, that need be no obstacle to selecting a desktop organizer. Desktop organizers come in all sorts of different styles, from classic to modern. Some of them are quirky, clunky, and made of solid, craftsman-like wood, while others are made of metal mesh shaped into slick, low-profile drawers. No matter what look you are searching for, there will probably be dozens of desktop organizers, if not hundreds, to chose from which fit that look to a t. And many furniture and office shops will help you chose which of their desktop organizers is right for you. They will put them out on display on their different desks, with real sample office gear organized in them, so you can compare the different desktop organizers and imagine which looks best in each type of office. There is really no way to lose when you go to pick out your desktop organizer in person. Even if you are someone like me who has trouble making up your mind about what looks better and what, not as good, the helpful staff will no doubt help you chose from among all of their desktop organizers to find the perfect one for you.
The best thing about desktop organizers is that they give you a place to put everything. As a notoriously disorganized person, I can not tell you what a help this fact has been to me. Before I got into desktop organizers, my possessions were always scattered all over my office workspace, with nothing in its right location, but now everything is different. My productivity has improved many times over, because I always know where everything is. That is because, with my desktop organizer, everything is right where it is supposed to be.

Small Business Accounting Software

Whether it is a multi billion dollar corporation or a newly established small business accounting software is more than a mere convenience. It is mandatory for any business, irrespective of the size. For without the right business accounting software, companies can find themselves unable to meet the mandatory compliance issues. And some others could also experience multi billion dollar financial fraud of the kind Enron and their ilk have made very popular. Bust more than the big corporations, it is smaller businesses who need professional accounting software. Since most of them are smallish operations and often too small to be able to afford the services of a full time accounting professional, they are more dependant on small business accounting software than the big guys. And over the years, as more and more people have taken the entrepreneur way, small business accounting software has become a large industry in its own right.

But what is small business accounting software in the first place? Simply put, small business accounting software, as the name suggests, is accounting software specifically structured to cater to the needs of the small business. Small businesses have their own specific needs, specific requirements, specific tax calculation structures and even specific sops. Small business accounting software therefore takes all these specifics into consideration to build or devise a special small business accounting package that such businesses could use. Small business accounting software also ensures that firms with limited manpower resources don’t have to invest in the hiring costs of expensive accountants to manage their records.

Most small business accounting software available nowadays are easy to use, simple and cover a complex range of options. In the earlier days, small business accounting software were not so popular because the small businesses were not as organized as they are today. There simply weren’t enough small businesses to make the production of a specific small business accounting software profitable. But the times have changed. And small business today comprise well over 25% of all businesses in the United States of America. With this new critical mass, the manufacture and distribution of small business accounting software has become not just feasible, but also very lucrative to the manufacturers of small business accounting software.

Even big players like Microsoft have identified this business need and have special small business accounting software packages. And each time you buy a premium laptop or computer, you will in all probability get a bundled software package that includes some sort of small business accounting software. Even sites like download.com offer a number of small business accounting software, some of them for free. So, if you haven’t already started using it, it is about time you did!

Computer Data Hard Drive Recovery

So you set up your work at home business, you're trying to make a living when all of a sudden your computer crashes. It won't start up. It looks like you have lost all your hard work. You need computer data hard drive recovery and fast!

Luckily, there is some computer data hard drive recovery software today that is made available to ensure that you never suffer a permanent data loss. It is this computer data hard drive recovery software that makes it possible for every computer user to recover the lost data, but still extreme caution must be considered. It’s not recommendable to recover your lost files with a computer date hard drive recovery technique without a strong understanding of file systems.

If this sounds like your worst nightmare then you should ensure you have a basic understanding of Computer Data Hard Drive Recovery

Cheap Business Web Hosting

If you decide to run an internet based work at home business, you may well need cheap business web hosting. For some people, that might seem a little daunting at first. Who handles the technical side of things? What is the going rate for web hosting. What are the actual needs of my small work from home business?

Prices of cheap business web hosting services could range from $10 to $50 per month. This of course will depend on the features you are looking for. For the high end, this could be around thousands of dollars a month for a dedicated server. Whatever the cost maybe, check the money back no questions asked guarantee and the refund policies of the cheap business web hosting service.

Ask the sales people as many questions at you like. It's YOUR money they want, no matter how small your business. I get very professional service from my cheap business web hosting for just over $6 a month and their support handles all the technical side for me.

If you need more information read Cheap Business Web Hosting

Part-Time Data Entry Work at Home

Part-time work at home employees who work for information-driven companies are usually involved in data entry. Their job consists of setting up and preparing reports, letters, mailing labels, and other textual material. Often, this part-time work at home job is classified as entry level so data entry workers start with typing headings on form letters, addressing envelopes, or preparing standard forms on typewriters or computers.

As a part-time data entry work at home employee, you will want to provide your own office supplies and equipment. The first thing you’re going to need is a word processing equipment, which includes a computer, a printer, and perhaps a scanner. You will need this equipment in order to do your job as a part-time data entry work at home employee.

Get more information on full time or Part-Time Data Entry Work at Home

Work At Home Tips

The co-workers are passive-aggressive back stabbers. The job politics are undermining and hypocritical. The commute is two hours each way. The taxes are absurdly devastating to the net paycheck. And the space for professional, personal, and/or interpersonal development is severely limited. So you decide there must be a better alternative to working for (and with) someone else. You decide to work as a freelancer.

The first thing you do is access some useful work at home tips, researching even before brainstorming a plan. In those work at home tips, you will likely find some helpful, empowering information. Here are some of the many work at home times I found over the first two years of researching and preparing to work as a freelance writer:

USE A MODEL

Study and read about those who blazed the trail before you. You will find numerous styles and approaches, with equally varied techniques and strategies, as told to you (in newsletters, on websites, in books, on tapes with work at home tips, specifically, etc.). Consider that which you feel and think will work best for you, your needs, your desires, and your skill sets (abilities and capabilities). Then, imitate that model, using similar steps and strategies. Do what works, according to those who have worked it!

PLAN AHEAD—FAR AHEAD

Make goals lists—short- and long-term goals lists. Make the lists complete with ideal outcomes, and as well, include things, people, and events or incidents that should be anticipated…and have a back up plan. For example, it is ideal to calculate your working seven days a week for the first five years, but it is unrealistic and therefore imperative you plan for life’s interruptions:

When the power goes out;
When the cat needs to be rushed to the vet, or worse, dies;
When the computer crashes;
When a client cancels an order an hour before deadline;
When the bank, pharmacy, grocery, or other venue doesn’t have what you need, sends you twenty miles out of your way, or is closed….

What tools will you have on hand, what back-up do you have?

HAVE SOME CAPITAL, FIRST

Do not launch without reserve fuel. I did. I had to get out of a ten-year job that was giving me migraines, making me fat, and that caused me to develop asthma—to say nothing of the political and social aberrations that were the source of these illnesses. I just stopped. Yes, I have wanted to write for a living since I was old enough to know what an adjective clause was, and yes, I knew if I did not do a kamikaze move, forcing me to work hard enough at freelancing to survive that I would stay at the destructive government job forever…. But if you are smart, and if you tae any work at home tips to heart, take this one: have some money in the bank, have a sugar daddy or mama, or work a part-time job that you can tolerate while your business kicks off. (It takes, on average, 3-5 years to determine whether your business will be a winner or a flop.)

ESTABLISH A REGIME

While one of my absolute favorite assets to working at home and for myself is that I do not have to submit to an alarm clock, I still wake up, eat breakfast, brush teeth, and dress (on good days). Normalize your workdays by acting as if…as if you still have to be at your job on time, as if you get regular and regulated breaks, as if you are a professional with clean hair, shiny teeth, and shoes that are on your feet instead of slippers.

HAVE THE SKIN OF A LIZARD

Realize and embrace the fact that you are working a real job, even if it is in front of a TV set or overlooking a pond with deer and elk milling about. And convince others in the hose of the same: no one is allowed to interrupt during work hours, just as if you were at a building downtown where they would not be allowed to ask you where the ketchup is, if you would iron a shirt, or whether you minded if they blew a few joints while listening to jungle drums at 200 decibels. Discourage aberrant and invasive behavior from family members, roommates, and clients…who will also try to test you as a child does, and not pay, or email you ten times in one hour to ask you how it’s going, or who will try to get you to do unnecessary, extra, revisionary work for free.

And good luck enjoying the freedoms that really do eclipse the liabilities.

Do You Have The Right Insurance

Property insurance for small business is different from home property insurance. Therefore, if you decide to work from home, you need to take into account all the situations.

Home property insurance coverage provides liability coverage in case of an injury to someone arising from negligence within the boundaries of your property. In this way, home property insurance can pay for the cost of a lawsuit and other legal fees should that someone decides to sue you to court.

But will your home property insurance stand up if you are running a small business from home and a client visits you in your home and injures themself?

Because your small business is unique, you will have to design your own property insurance package. To meet the protection needs of your small business, your property insurance policy must be customized to cover all aspects of your small business.

You can find various property insurance companies online who will be able to provide you with a customized quote for your particular circumstances. Take time to explain everything you want cover for. Public liability, your home office equipment, loss of income protection and more.

You can get more information over at Property Insurance Basics

Work At Home

So you want to work at home? Are you absolutely sure? Do you have the resources, the endurance, the drive? In one respect, those of us who work at home are the persecuted victims of a harsh reality. But in another respect, the work at home life is the only one we will tolerate.

First, those of us who work at home are not freaks who are incapable of holding down a “real” job in the outside world (as one snotty executive once wrote on a writers’ bulletin board). The work we do in our homes is real; in fact, it is more real in that it requires trusting we can make an income that is not guaranteed in a paycheck on the first and fifteenth of every month.

Next, we who work at home must contend with elements that are outside of the boundaries of the public workplace: the roommate who lives in the bedroom above our workspace jousts furniture, plays tribal music at great, shaking volumes, and slams doors as if angry ALL the time, at EVERYTHING. The 20-something kid next door rarely works, so at home too much he shaves in the bathroom sink, clogging it weekly; he plays God awful disco-throwback music during your work hours, and turns it down only after you cry (turning it back up again so the bass beats a cacophonous to the diastolic and systolic of your industrious and focused heart, or deciding to take a shower in the bath next door, playing the music softly but singing passive-aggressively loudly—and excruciatingly off key--as he bathes); and he slams doors, too, as he is related to the roommate upstairs.

In addition, though you are in a terribly remote area—which you first thought ideal for quiet, creative work at home ambience—the housing development requires dump trucks, cement mixers, and pneumatic drills that only stop during the horrific winter rains…which cause, because you are in a remote area with above-ground wiring that busts, explodes, catches fire, and takes out your power three to five times a week.

Finally, you are on your own to do the actual work, which means you are the service provider, the advertising team, and the accounts payable and receivable desks. And as many nightmares past will account, getting money for work well done is not as dreamy, not as easy as you imagine it will be when you design your business plan.

But in defense of the freelancing lifestyle, despite the fact that there are no built-in laws allowing you to shut up people, blow up machinery, or show up deadbeat clients with a quick lawsuit or bounty hunter enforcement of the laws of the work at home, there are irreplaceable benefits: you have the ability to follow your own rhythms. You can be nocturnal or diurnal or both. You can turn off the phone, mute the answering machine, set your own hours, work as hard or as little as you decide. You can watch (or listen to) TV or listen to music of your own choosing. You can pick and choose what projects you take on and can—if you don’t mind wiping your butt with newspaper, brushing your teeth with baking soda, or filling your gut with leftover gifts of fruitcake and candy canes—pick and choose the people with whom you do business.

You can work at home that is, if you have the innate calling to write or sell or whatever, if you have the steely skin it takes to forge on against the incessantly occurring odds, and if you have a very large, very effective “Do not ^$%$%)##@@=+ Disturb” sign that you use and enforce.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Insurance For Self Employed

The first place to look when considering purchasing this type of insurance is actually the Internet. Not only will you find many companies all wanting to sell you insurance for self employed people but you’ll also have an incredible amount of research information at your disposal.

One of the most important considerations when you are thinking about this is whether or not you will eventually hire employees. If you are currently a one man or one woman show, so to speak, your primary concern will be insurance for self employed individuals that covers things like medical and accidents.

If you expand and decide that you need extra hands, you’ll be faced with another decision. Most employees demand some sort of insurance coverage and for the person who is running their own small business, the costs might not always be feasible.

herefore it’s often a good idea to hire others under a work for hire arrangement where you specify in writing that you wont’ be providing insurance coverage to them. They may balk at this but it’s your business and if you don’t want to carry that extra cost, you shouldn’t. You will already be responsible for the premiums on your insurance for self employed individuals to cover yourself.

Unfortunately whether it’s car, home or medical, insurance is a necessity and important. When you are considering insurance for self employed people have all the information you can available to you so you know exactly what is and isn’t covered.

Setting Up Your Home Office

I really believe that you won't get far unless you set aside a space and use it for work only. Why? Well, if you use your work space for things other than work, then you'll get distracted by anything you leave there. Other people in the family might become frustrated by not being able to use the space, or you might find that you simply don't have anywhere to put all the important pieces of paper you acquire, meaning that they get lost.

Your essentials for a home office are a desk, chair, computer, filing cabinet and phone/fax. If you don't have spare ones of these lying around then you should buy them used, or from some kind of discount store - don't spend a cent more than you need to on your office furniture and equipment, at least to begin with. Still, though, do try to find things that don't look too bad, and that match.

Read more about Setting Up Your Home Office

Make Money At Home

The advent of the Internet and the accompanying technological advancements have done so much to assist those who are committed to make money at home. With wireless networks, laptop computers and cell phones, business can be conducted from the comfort of one's own home, or even their backyard.

Graphic designers can take on freelance projects, those with administrative skills can take in typing and data entry work and recruiters can set up a home office in their living rooms. Really, the opportunities to make money at home are endless

Even mothers who have decided to stay at home with their small children can get in on the action and make money on home. Whether they decide to open a small home-based daycare center, or if they prefer to get online and try their hand at selling on E-bay, there are ways for nearly everyone to make money at home if they are really committed to success.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Computer Work at Home Jobs

No doubt that having your own computer work at home job of running a business is like taking complete control of how you live your life. You are responsible for yourself and you no longer need to answer to anybody. You can be successful at your computer work at home job without abandoning your other responsibilities with your spouse and kids. As it is, your everyday life will now become more interesting since it is you yourself and not anyone else who will be responsible for making your computer work at home job successful.

If this is your first time at a computer work at home job, do not fret. A lot of people who are trying to get a computer work at home job are first-timers so you are not alone. Everybody knows that if you are aiming for success, you will need to educate yourself along the way.

Read the full article on Computer Work at Home Jobs

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

I Make Money

One of the great mysteries of life concerns making money. How can you produce that sufficient capital in order to live well, pay all the bills, and have funds left over for retirement? Well, there is no simple answer to this question. The fact is, there are a number of them. For example, I make money dealing with stocks. Many Americans dabble in the stock market these days in order to invest for the future. I make money via the Internet with a variety of jobs that involve working from the privacy of my own home. This is not a miracle of any sorts; it is simply the money making industry of today.

How do you make a living? Did you graduate from college and tackle the job market with a BA or BS in some popular field? This is always a good route simply because it prepares us for the real world, but also makes it much easier for us to attain quality careers. However, many people don't make enough money to handle everything on their plate. This is where you should turn to the Internet for help. The World-Wide-Web is loaded with ideas and positions for all sorts of people to increase their income. I make money by selling on Ebay. Have you ever tried this? Start your own catering business. A co-worker at my wife's company sells chocolate treats online. She makes them all by hand in her own kitchen. This is a great idea for a home business, and the best part is she answers to no one. I was shocked at the money she makes this way. With the Internet on our side, there is no reason why anyone who owns a computer can't work from home. I make money by doing resumes. Since I achieved a writing degree, I might as well put it to use in any way I can. There are always more people in need of good resumes; so why not take advantage of this great opportunity.

When I told my brother that I make money from buying and selling on Ebay, he was immediately jealous. He said, "Why didn't I think of that?" If you are trying to find other sources of income, I highly recommend that you check out cyberspace. It is literally an infinite market where lots of money can be made. People around the world are constantly in need of products and services. There is no reason why you shouldn't put your talents and dreams to use. Start making money online today. If I make money via the Internet, so can you.

Earn From Home

For many moms, writers, and artists, to earn from home is the only option. We have children who are not yet of school age whom we do not want to dump at a day care. We have art that requires more hours than there are in a day, preventing our leaving the house for a consuming 9 to 5 gig. Or we are writers who prefer to and need to isolate, to work an uninterrupted process.

But as those who come before us in the work from home category will advise, there are some requirements, some must-dos. Here are a few of them, as defined and discussed by the work from home veterans:

Keep a professional schedule. Just because you are at home, it is raining, the bed is cozy, doesn’t suggest you can take the day off. Establish a reasonable working schedule and keep it. Otherwise, you will lose momentum. As one wise person once said, it is easier to stay going than to get going (ala Albert Einstein—or was it Isaac Newton?-- and the theory that holds that “a body in motion stays in motion; a body at rest stays at rest”).

Get dressed. Remember the movie, “Oh, God!”? George Burns, playing God, suggests to John Denver, who has just been devastated and wants to do nothing but mope, that he shave, shower, and brush his teeth—to normalize, to stay feeling someone normal by doing the normal, everyday things he usually does. This, and that working in pajamas just feels so wrong, feels so antithetical to the goal. You want to be productive but you are in sleep clothes that foster a sleep mode mentality.

Discourage interruptions. This is the absolute toughest for any earn from home worker. The kids need something, spilled something, are fighting over something. The dog barks to be let out then barks to be let in. The spouse, roommate, or other “drops in” to remind you of something, ask you something, visit. Make it clear that you are at work—an hour’s drive away—and do not exist in the building, the same way you would not be present if you were at a job you had to drive to. They would not stop in at your job to “visit”. And, hopefully, they would not call every time the channel got changed while they were “hey…watching that!” or every time they couldn’t find that pink shirt with the green stripes. If explaining doesn’t work, come up with a signal system. I use a “Do Not Disturb” hanging sign that I got from a hotel. And I do NOT acknowledge knocks, throat-clearing, or crocodile tears.

Finally, I would be remiss in advising those new to earn from home if I left out a warning: if it says “earn from home” or “work at home” or any variation of generalities such as these, watch that it is not a scam. As one smart person on a homeworking.com forum board says, employers are not soliciting for people who work at home in general. They have a specific job they need done and are seeking a specific person with compatible skillsets. If an ad is too general, it may be one which will lead you to a “job” that never materializes but instead requires you send money, invest money, or share. No job sould reuire money up front. You are looking to earn it from them not spend it on them.

Monday, October 02, 2006

At Home Medical Billing

Make no mistake that at home medical billing is not as simple as it sounds. But as long as you have the necessary skills, an understanding of the medical coding and billing industry, and some experience in the medical field, then you should be able to survive the first challenging years of your at home medical billing business.

You also need to have some prior experience in running a small business and if you don’t have that, at least working knowledge on how it’s done. Personal ambition, high self-motivation, and high organizational ability are driving forces which you can’t do without when running at home medical billing business.

Find out more about a career in At Home Medical Billing

Working Mom

Many will argue that any mom is a working mom, and I totally agree with this. Raising kids and keeping a household together and running smoothly is like two full times jobs. For the mother that leaves the home to work, or the mom that works at home, they never get any rest. This may sound like a lot of hard work, but many women do it, many because they have to, and some because they want to.

If you are one of those moms who wants to be a good mother and also work outside the home, you must have a great support system in place. The biggest worry a working mom has is childcare. It can be hard to find someone you trust with your children, and finding a good price is essential. It won’t do you any good to run yourself ragged working outside the home if the cost of childcare is eating up all of your earnings.

There are programs for the working mom to find help. This is especially helpful to the single mother, who has no spouse to help her with bills, the children, and keeping the house neat and clean. These programs may help you find inexpensive, yet reliable childcare, as well as extra help when you need it the most. Sometimes, a single working mom just needs a few moments to herself, and these are few and far between.

If you want to be a working mom at home, you can find a few things you can do from the comfort of your own home. There are many small businesses like Avon or Mary Kay. You can also be a writer, if you have the skills, or do home data entry. Just remember when pursuing leads and job offers to make sure the business or people you are dealing with are legitimate. While there may be some upfront costs for selling Mary Kay, you should never have to pay for a writing or data entry job.

If you are having a tough time, there are many websites and support groups online just for the working mom. It doesn’t matter what you do, there are people out there who will understand your struggles, and the guilt that sometimes comes with working outside the home. Many working moms have been where you are, and they are ready to offer support and guidance when you need it the most. Being a working mom is hard, but it should also be fulfilling and rewarding, no matter what your circumstances may be.

Friday, September 29, 2006

Welcome To Work From Home Advice

Welcome to the new Work From Home Advice site. If you already work at home or are considering whether you should work from home, then this is the site for you. We are going to regularly add articles and information about the pros and cons of home working and we will also discuss various work at home jobs that you may be considering.

I've been lucky to work from home for a number of years now. I sincerely hope you will enjoy your work as much as me. Thanks for visiting the site and check back often.