Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Been visiting other blogs - Work At Home Musings - and Tackle it Tuesday

I was wandering around other blogs and came across Work At Home Musings. A blog about managing the home and family when you are working at home. She has a post for something called Tackle It Tuesdays. I had seen this in other places, but had not paid a lot of attention to it. Well, this time I am paying attention.

I need some better organization in my life and a little motivation to get off my can and start working on things I been putting off for too long, so today I am going to be tackling something I keep putting off.

I'll be getting before and after pictures of my "Tackle it Tuesday" project and posting them for proof that I actually did get things done, then I'll post it all up here and talk more about this. Right now I have to tackle the snowed in car and get it cleared off so my brother and nephew can fix the heater in it.

Get a telephone answering and PBX system for your business [advertisement]

Call Butler is a telephone answering system for small businesses that equips them with auto-attendant, IVR and voicemail capabilities on a price that anyone can afford. It is VoIP and Skype based

Imagine being able to have an auto-attendant that is always there to answer your customers most common questions, that can offer voicemail and music on hold, that integrates with Outlook and even greets your repeat customers by name and connects them to the right person in your network.

And, the Text to Speech function means that Call Butler can speak your greetings and menu options. It is Windows friendly and supports any Microsoft SAPI 5.1 compliant Text-To-Speech engine and is lifelike so customers won't realize your telephone system answering service is not a personal recording.

Call Butler, http://www.callbutler.com, can save you thousands of dollars on a telephone answering and PBX system for your small business, and you can get it set up on your own in about 10 minutes.



The preceding post is a paid advertisement for Call Butler

Test subject asks "Why???"

Okay, I've made an astonishing breakthrough on this working at home stuff.

I have just discovered that you can not stay awake until 5 a.m. if you plan to be awake at 8 a.m. (at least the test subject could not). This is a discovery that has come through extensive testing and caused the test subject to exhibit signs of blurred vision while the eyes are trying to open and focus, stumbling disorientation when trying to crawl out of bed half asleep with the blankets still wrapped about them, and to be plagued by the persistent question of "Why?!?!!?" More specifically "WHY did I stay up to 5 when I had to be up at 8?!?!??!"

There will, no doubt, be further tests.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Home Office Elegance [advertisement]

Okay, I had been talking about how you can add a lot to a home office with a simple bouquet of flowers. Well, you can add a lot of elegance to a home office, particularly one where you will be meeting with clients or have a webcam showing off the bookshelves behind your desk, by including a bouquet of flowers that is arranges in the European style. These are styles that showcase a complementary mix of flowers and greens in matching colors. It creates a sophisticated look that far surpasses the typical “garden” style bouquet filled with an eclectic collection of mismatched flowers. In a European style bouquet, one can truly appreciate each flower’s splendor.

Beyond Blossoms has some of the most elegant and beautiful examples of European bouquets that I have seen anywhere.

The preceding Post is a paid advertisement for Beyond Blossoms

Got my 2006 Pub. 600

I got the 2006 Pub. 600 for State and Local taxes in the mail last night when we went to the store and checked the mail. Need to tuck it away with my tax book I got earlier and wait for the rest of the things from the advertising sites I have earned money from so I can get my taxes made out and pay what I owe on them for this year. It's actually nice to be in a position where I owe taxes on earned income - since as a full time family caregiver this is the first time in over 6 years that I have even been in a position to consider having earned income.

PodCasting

I've been looking into the possibility of adding podcasting to one or two of my blogs. These are like a radio program that listeners can download to their computer and listen to at their leisure. I am considering one to compliment my family caregiver website first, or maybe my writing website, but would like to know if any one here thinks that they would like me to also consider expanding to podcasts for my work at home blog and the website I am working on for it? (yes, I'm working on a website for this blog, shhh - that's top secret ;-))

Anyway, let me know what you think, would a podcast be something you would be interested in? I'll take any silences as a 'no'.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Beach and sun vacation fun [paid advertisement]

Vacations.net has redesigned their website complete with a customized booking engine and intuitive functionality. Based on extensive research, as well as consumer and industry feedback, Vacations.net has striven to create a website that raises the bar and will strive to set a new standard for hospitality websites.

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The preceding post is a paid advertisement for Vacations.net

Five tips to make money online

You want to make money online? It is actually rather easy although it can be very slow going, particularly when you are just getting started. The following five tips will help you to understand some of the ways you can make money online.

1) Affiliate Links - join websites that sell stuff as an affiliate and earn a commission for every new member you send them

2) Advertising Programs - programs such as Adsense and Yahoo ads that give you a certain payout based on either CPM (clicks per million) or page views.

3) Start up an eBay store and empty your garage or attic - when you are finished with them places you can pick things up at yard sales and flea markets and expand your eBay store.

4) Blog Advertising - join sites like PayPerPost that pay you to post advertisements on your blog. (usually between $5 and $20)

5) Subscription Based Content - You can accept payments through sites like PayPal for subscription based websites that have content people want - such as weight loss, computer help, and stories. Just make sure your content is worth what you are asking for it.

Sometimes working at home means long nights

I've done it again, put in a full night working on things and now here it is 1 in the afternoon the next day and I am trying to stay awake to go to the store.

It is a shame that there are not really normal business hours when you have a home based business, I don't even have a business yet and I am already working the most insane hours you could imagine.

Gawd - what am I thinking? I'm not 22 anymore!

Flowers for your office [sponsored post]

A home office can easily get a feeling of being uninviting, and when that happens the level of work produced in the office declines. When you visit a workplace you will see things such as bouquets flowers and plants, even fruit baskets to help give a touch of warmth and a feel of comfort to the workplace.

You can achieve those same results in your home office with fresh bouquets of flowers and floral arrangements. Look at the selections that you can find at Dot Flowers, then send flowers to yourself. You can choose either same day delivery from your local floral shop with Florist Direst or you can purchase field fresh flowers from Dot Flowers' growers' farms and have them delivered anywhere in the United States.

This post is sponsored by Dot Flowers

Start your own business

This book is a wonderful resource for anyone that is looking to start their own business. There are checklists and plans of action that will ensure you have everything in line when you take the plunge into small business ownership.

Also has information on state and federal agencies that can give you the answers you need, Small Business Development Center state offices, and national and state-specific business magazines and journals.


Image from Amazon

Start Your Business: A Beginners Guide
(Psi Successful Business Library)
by Vickie Reierson, Oasis Press Editors

Friday, January 26, 2007

The marketing speaker that put Half.com on the map [paid post]

Okay, hold on a minute here. Have you heard of Half.com? No, not the website, I'm talking about the city in Oregon! Seems like the marketing ploy of the century and this fellow pulled it off - convincing the town of Halfway Oregon to change its name to Half.com Oregon!

Hell, according to his website even Time magazine called it "'one of the greatest publicity coups' in history."

I'd say if you need a marketing speaker, then this is the guy to talk to about it - he's on the professional speaker circuit. Or you could read what he has to say - he's written a book on buzz marketing and how he pulled off the Half.com trick.


The preceding post is a paid advertisement for Buzz Marketing

I've been busy reconfiguring the office

I'm working on getting my little basement office finished off and all set up. I finally got rid of the very non-ergonomic chair that made my best friend shriek when she saw a picture of it and now have a little office chair that is just the right length for my stubby little legs, even if it is not set up in a place where I can use it comfortably - that's next step. I at least can now reach the desk because I laid down a sheet of 3/4" particle board with carpeting on it (used to be the trap door access for the basement before we put in the stairs a few years ago.

Now I just have to reconfigure the desk area so I'm not either too close to the monitor or at a funky angle as I type and I'll be good. I think.

Benefits of working at home - the boss don't mind your soap opera addiction [Sponsored post]

You can keep up to date on your favorite daytime soaps in between work commitments - and the boss won't get mad. Got a slow connection? Load up Soaps.com and read what happened this week on your favorite daytime soaps while you wait for a website to reload.

Soaps.com has every thing you need to keep up to date on any daytime Soap Opera from The Young and the Restless to All My Children or Days of Our Lives.

Still a young site (only about 6 months old at the time of this writing), Soaps.com is growing fast with news and updates, message boards, soap star interviews, and spoilers. Forget Spider Solitaire the next time you are looking for a little time killer as you are waiting of a client to call you back, go by Soap.com and take a look around, explore your favorite soap pages, and let them know what would make their site better for you.

The preceding post is sponsored by Soaps.com

It's still doing it

Grrrr! Okay, so not funny. This blog is *STILL* messed up and not displaying right. I'm not sure what happened to it, I have the same template on other blogs here that are not showing up all funky so why is this one doing it?

It's trying to drive me insane, that's what it is doing. It won't work though, I went insane long ago. So nyeh!

I'm going to do some tests and see if changing the template will help any, but I hessitate to do that because I don't want to loose the customizations that I set up on this one. :::sniffle:::

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Okay, this is driving me insane

I looked at my template coding and it seems to be in good shape, so I have no idea why my blog looks so messed up. It's got this added half a column on it kinda that puts the name of a post in it then the post (without it's title) shows up lower down where it belongs. The sidebar is all the way at the bottom of the blog WAY over to the right.

Anyone else seeing this? Or is it just my eyes wigging out from too much time pushing that damn Mustang out of the snowbank earlier?

eSmart Tax - do your taxes online with no hidden fees [paid post]

It is never fun having to figure out your taxes, and if you are running a home business it can be a tax nightmare just trying to sort through what you owe, what you can claim as deductions, what laws pertain to your business, and so on into insanity.

That is why so many rely on tax filing software such as the eSmart Tax Online Tax Filing Software to help them sort out their taxes.

And, unlike some tax filing companies that charge you upwards of $200 to file your taxes for you and then hit you with assorted filing fees and faxing fees and whatever else sorts of fees they can tack onto your bill to run the thing up even more, eSmart Tax promises that there are no hidden costs, their pricing plan appearing on the front page of their site.
1040 EZ for $7.95
1040 / 1040A for $14.95
State Tax Returns for $12.95

For under $30 you can print and e-file both your Federal and State taxes. Imagine the convenience of being able to complete your tax return quickly (often in under 30 minutes) and through a service that is IRS approved and guarantees the tax calculations.

eSmart Tax software is available in all states and allows you to import your data from year to year. Plus you can print tax returns for free until October 15, 2007.

Want to test it out before you commit to paying for it? eSmart Tax lets you start your form and check it out on a real tax filing form. There is no prompting for payment until you are ready to submit the form so, if you feel that the program was not to your satisfaction, it is as easy as not submitting the completed tax return.

With it being so easy to try out, why not check it out and learn more for yourself? There is no need to fight through the headaches of trying to understand the new tax laws alone, visit eSmart Tax and see what the eSmart Tax Online Tax Filing Software can do to help you sleep easier in the days leading up to April 15th.


The preceding Post is a paid advertisement for eSmartTax

Woah, Blogger is wiggingout

::blink blink:: Just looked at this blog and... man... Blogger is wigging. This thing look a little odly laid out to anyone else??

Benefits of working at home...

Okay, I'm sure that you know by now that there are many benefits to working at home, but I wanted to share one more real fast since I am still gasping and wheezing and recovering from it.

I swear that it's what I get for skipping my hour's worth of Pilates, Yoga and aerobics with Denise Austin this morning, but anyway...

You're never late for work because you had to shovel your car out of the ditch in your own driveway.

I often fail to consider all the benefits I will be enjoying as I get more and more into a role of being able to be working at home - but I was just reminded of one as I had to help my brother push his cat up out of the ditch in the driveway when it got off the packed snow and into a rut. Took about an hour of work shoveling snow and running a good 300 feet repeatedly (at least 10 times) pushing the car the entire way to get the dang thing out of the driveway at last.

So that's todays point on what's good about a work at home job. If the driveway is snowed in you can wait for it to be plowed before having to go anywhere.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Teens and Trucks [paid post]

CarInsurance.com, whose online marketplace caters to both consumers and car insurance companies, and offers consumers online car insurance rate from many insurance companies, brings you the following information.

Most car-truck related crashes occur as a result of failure by the car driver to observe proper rules of traveling near large trucks. Such as staying out of the blind spots of the larger vehicle. That is why Geico and the American Moving and Storage Association wants to be sure that your teens know the proper etiquette when they are sharing the road with larger vehicles such as trucks and buses. The free online brochure Teens and Trucks discusses 5 ways that your teen be safer on the road with large trucks and buses.

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Preceding is a paid post sponsored by CarInsurance.com

A few books to help prepare for the tax season

I just figured I would present a few books to help prepare for the tax season, since as much as many of us don't want to admit it, that really is part of having your own business at home. So, these are some books I found that look like they could be useful to someone with a home based business.

Image from Amazon
Home Business Tax Deductions: Keep What You Earn

by Stephen Fishman

Image from Amazon
It's How Much You Keep That Counts! Not How Much You Make.: The Ultimate Tax-Reduction System for Small & Home-Based Businesses

by Ronald R. Mueller, Scott C. Turner, Robert G. Allen

Image from Amazon
J.K. Lasser's Taxes Made Easy for Your Home Based Business, 5th Edition

by Gary W. Carter

Image from Amazon
J.K. Lasser's From Ebay to Mary Kay: Taxes Made Easy for Your Home Business (J.K. Lasser)

by Gary W. Carter

Work at Home videos

I like this gal's videos on the advantages and disadvantages of working at home. They are just a few minutes long each, but are cute and I can so sympathyze with the annoying co-worker one, even if my annoying co-workers (2 of them) tend to want to get in my lap and on my shoulders instead of... well.. what her's seems does to annoy his co-workers. The videos are all about 30 to 40 seconds long and are for a work at home website.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Paid Advertisement - Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery

We all know the stars get their tummies tucked, but who could have imagined that there would be a plastic surgery office sitting alongside the luxurious shops, spas, and clothiers of Rodeo Drive. We are talking about a Los Angeles Cosmetic Surgery style plastic surgeon that is nestled in amidst businesses like Armani, Chanel, and Hugo Boss.

The Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery medical center provides a Hollywood boutique flair to the traditional plastic surgery office. A place where you can get your tush tucked and your belly brought in then go for a whole you makeover that includes new hairstyle, new clothes, makeup and whatever else you require to look great with the help of the health, beauty and fashion experts on the street that Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery has made arrangements with to provide services to his customers.

Me, I'd never consider letting someone go after me with a knife unless it was a lifesaving operation, but there are some that just can't go without having things lifted here and tucked in there.

The preceding Post is a paid advertisement for Rodeo Drive Plastic Surgery

Suggested reading for work at home crafters

Image from Amazon

Where Women Create: Inspiring Work Spaces of Extraordinary Women
by Jo Packham

Book description excerpted from Amazon.com:
Book Description
More than twenty superstars from the world of crafting--including Anna Corba, April Cornell, Sandi Genovese, and Andrea Grossman--offer their expert advice on how to design a work space where creativity can blossom. Like the bestselling Business of Bliss, it's practical, inspirational, and beautiful to behold.

Research by Craft Trends Magazine reveals that 89% of all crafters are women, and that they want to work in an environment conducive to creating their art. This invaluable and very special guide helps them achieve that goal, whatever their passion. It goes straight to the experts: successful women who have made their mark in more than 10 different creative fields. These top designers and artisans offer insights gleaned from years of experience, reveal how they constructed their own creative spaces, and explain how the reader can make practical use of these decorating, organizational, and inspirational techniques as they go about designing their own work areas. Among the pertinent questions they answer: Where did you like to work as a child? What's the most important thing about having your own place to work? Are women's creative spaces different from men's? How important is it for you to organize your work, and how do you do it? Do you listen to music when you work--and what kind? The featured designers include Wendy Addison, Dena Fishbein, Jill Schwartz, and Suze Weinberg and their fields range from paper crafts to gardening.
A Selection of the Crafters Choice Book Club & the Homestyle Book Club.

Eclipse - broadband from only £14.99 [paid post]

Eclipse Internet is offering a free wireless router when you switch to Eclipse. Choose from either Evolution Broadband or Home Broadband for a cheap broadband deal that costs as little as £14.99 a month and get a free wireless router and your 1st month FREE1 (saving you up to £112).

Eclipse started ten years ago and is still keeping customers happy with Internet services and customer support so good their customers would want to tell their friends, colleagues and family about them resulting in nine out of ten customers that would be happy to do just that.

And, Eclipse offers business grade broadband for prices currently starting at £19.00 per month with free set-up and router. Plus free phone calls.



The preceding Post is a paid advertisement for Eclipse Internet


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1. Offer applies to people switching their existing broadband to Eclipse using a valid MAC Migration Authorisation Code . 12 month contract applies.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Belisi - How to tie a tie - Half Windsor Knot

When I was a little girl I used to see my dad in nice three piece suits going off to work, I guess that is what left me with a lifelong love of the look of a man in a three piece suit. They just look... good.

One of the staples of the three piece suit is the neck tie. Specifically a long tie knotted with the Windsor knot. For some reason this can be the trickiest knot in the world to tie and if you work at home and only wear suits occasionally to meet clients or talk to the bank then chances are you are not an expert at this particular knot.

That is why I want to share this link - How to tie a tie - Half Windsor Knot. This is from the Being Belisi blog. Check it out, there's pictures of the process even. There is even information on how to buy the right ties for your height to get the proper look with this knot.

I found this while looking at the Belisi "What's Beautiful to You?" campaign. Check that out while you're there and share what you think is beautiful - they're giving away $100 gift cards to the best comments left on the Being Belisi blog.

Local Internet advertising [sponsored post]

Working at home, it's fairly natural to tend to turn to the Internet for information, shopping, journaling, whatever comes up that the World Wide Web can provide a solution to. If you run a small craft business or a store then chances are you also advertise on the Internet.

What if you run a flower shop that only delivers locally? Or maybe a catering service, dog walking service, lawn mowing, insert local business here. Would you run ads on the Internet then? If not, why not? The Internet can be a great place to find even local customers. Look for websites that cater to local groups and such and see if they have advertising, they would probably love to add in some from local businesses too.

There are a lot of ways to advertise online, including search engines. Servicewrap.net would like you to take a look at their website to see what search engine submission by servicewrap.net can do for your business.

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The preceding post is sponsored by Servicewrap.net

The kitchen is winning

There has got to be a way to take care of things around the house and still wake up in tome to get work done before every one else starts waking up, but I have not found it yet.

I'm starting to think that the only solution is to accept that I can't get it all done and let the dishes and stuff pile up to the point that it generates a heat sink and spontaneously sterilizes itself. Think that's possible?

I don't know how it happens, but I can clean the sinks out completely and the counters are spotless and I go back in to get a glass of water and it does not look like I did anything.

I know that I contribute to the piles too, but... where does it come from so dang fast?

I'm going to be revising my work chart to accommodate a full twenty minutes in the kitchen in the afternoon cleaning it rather than the hit and miss here and there cleaning I have been doing. Maybe then I can keep it in shape.

Any WaHM's have suggestions on how to keep up with the kitchen and still find time to work?

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Rimini Street Siebel Support [paid post]

Looking to remain on your current software release of Siebel, PeopleSoft, and JD Edwards maintenance and support program without any required upgrades or migrations through 2015?

Rimini Street offers Siebel Support services for Siebel licensees. Their maintenance management team is exclusively focused on the needs of Siebel, PeopleSoft, and JD Edwards software licensees. Their support program provides named support engineers, fixes for serious application issues, and guarantees case response in less than 30 minutes, all at 50% cost savings.

The preceeding Post is a paid advertisement for Rimini Street

Tricks of the work at home trade

Making working at home feel more like a business and less like a part time hobby is not always easy. I have heard of tricks ranging from someone that got dressed in a three piece suit and tie and rode the elevator to the basement of their apartment building where they worked all day before going back home, to people that had their telephones disconnected so they could work in peace. (Both were writers btw)

Whatever tricks you use, the important part is in getting your work done. My trick, that does not always work, is to move into the basement and wake p at 3 a.m. to work.

International Law [sponsored post]

You've seen those global shipping commercials that make it look like such a scary but wonderful thing to be getting international customers. I can imagine how thrilling it must be to realize that your small business just went global, but... what if something happens? What if you encounter a need for legal advice with your international connections?

If you are going to be doing business internationally, then you need someone that knows about international law. Whether you are working with customers or resellers in China, Russia, or Vietnam you can rely on International Law Firm Harris & Moure, the writers of the highly regarded China Law Blog, to know the needs of small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) doing international business.

When SMEs go international it can be a legal nightmare. From the Chinese law firms asking for sanctioning and closing of some foreign law offices, to cases like faces Seattle coffee giant Starbucks when they were fighting trademark infringements by coffee-shop chain Shanghai Xingbake. - "Xing" — pronounced shin — means "star" in Chinese, while bake — pronounced bah-kuh — is the phonetic rendering of "bucks." (pronunciation translation and information on Starbucks is from an article by Monica Soto Ouchi msoto@seattletimes.com 2005-10-9)

Company formation is usually highlighted by day dreams of going international, but rarely do those dreams include concerns of International Law, that is where Harris & Moure comes in.

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The preceding Post was sponsored by Harris & Moure

PlatonicSolid.info rocks!!!

Okay, after several days of being unable to get the money into the domain registrar thanks to a PayPal error, I went to my domain host, PlatonicSolid.info and he got me both of the domains that I was after in just a matter of minutes. Good names too, least I think so. I'm now the proud mommy of TheWritingOffice.com and FreelancersOffice.com. I already know what I am doing with The Writing Office, I'm going to create a writer's co-op (something I had been doing on Phantascene.com for a while, but this is a much better place for it and I can keep Phantascene for my personal writing website.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Guerrilla Marketing

Do you know what guerrilla marketing is? Have you considered it for your business? When you can properly identify your target market and reach them in ways that touch their day to day activities, you can build a stronger bond and have a better chance at successful marketing.

Mark Bove is a certified guerilla marketing coach that can show you how to do this for your small business. To give you an idea on just what Guerrilla Marketing can do for your business, Bove offers four tips that you can implement right now to help better market your business, no matter what business you are in.

First: Networking
You are already networking and may not even realize it, the first tip is to understand better what networking is and actively implement it. Open yourself up to others when you meet them at parties and social events, let them know what you do and get to know you a little better. You can quickly build a network of contacts that will serve as a source of potential customers or word of mouth advertisers for your business.

Second: Image
Imagine for a moment that you are a customer shopping for the particular product or service that you are in the business of offering. What would you think if you were handed one of your business cards? What would you think of your website if you had never been there before? Is it easy to understand and navigate? Is it friendly and does it present the kind of image that you want someone to have of you and the way that you do business? Even if your business is a part time one run out of the closet in your bedroom, your customers should feel like they are dealing with a professional that will work to meet their needs. Does your business image convey that?

Third: Existing Customer Relations
You may already have customers and if so then that is wonderful! Keep them happy and they may just come back. When I was in Job Corps years ago I was in an on the job training position as a data processor for a couple that ran a seaside motel on the Oregon Coast. The couple would collect the name and home address of visitors that were interested in signing up for a mailing list and each year they sent Christmas cards and such to those customers. It was a way of networking and reminding the customer of the motel and building a lasting feeling of goodwill with past customers that had them feeling welcome at the motel and coming back to it the next time they were in the area. It is this kind of customer relations, through newsletters or holiday cards or whatever other methods you can dream up, that can make your current customers feel appreciated and bring them back - not to mention have them spreading a little word of mouth about you to their friends.

Fourth: Draw up a Marketing Calendar
Plan your strategy. What will you be doing to market your business in three months? Six months? A year? Get a planner and take some time to think about where you want your business to be in the future and what kind of marketing you should do to get it to that point, then mark off a timeline for that marketing campaign.




This post is sponsored by One Stop Printing & Signs

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Internet business website screwup #183

So I'm sitting here messing with moving FamilyCaregiver.info onto its own little site and off of sharing space with Family C.A.R.E. and what do I moronically do? I'm still not sure just how I pulled it off, but some how in redirecting FamilyCaregiver.info I screwed up the Family C.A.R.E. website and -- poof. It's gone. Sionara. Bye bye. I have noooo clue where it went, but it's not there any more. ::sigh:: This is very frustrating. I will need to figure out getting at the very least a redirection to FamilyCaregiver.info put up there since I don't wanna have to rewrite the stuff I'd had on that site and don't have copies ::wails::

Let this be a warning to you all. Even if you don't mess with the website very much, always back it all up for emergency recovery from stupidity.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Is it time for your small business to get a blade server?

Is your small business growing faster than you expected it to? Started out with just an idea and now, suddenly you are in a office building with employees and all that jazz?

If you are facing the explosion that most small business owners dream of and finding it to be a technological nightmare for your computer department, then you are probably in a phase where you should be looking into blades. No, not Samurai swords, I'm talking about the stripped down computer motherboards that make the blade center the hub of business for web hosts or businesses that need cluster computing capability.

If you need a Blade Server, ClearCube has various PC Blade products for you to consider. These products allow the functionality of a PC, without taking up space in your cramped start up office filled with small cubicles.

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The preceding is a sponsored post

FindLaw for Small Business

I found a resource for small business law information - check out the information available at FindLaw for Small Business. They can help you find information based on where you live.

Be sure to check out their sidebar links to some good resources such as the first steps that you should consider when looking to start a business, information on business plans, and the legal structures of businesses.

Get a sign for your business [sponsored post]

Get a customized sign for your business. Whether you need to have a magnetic sign for the side of your car, Yard Signs to let people know that you are open for business, or a banner to announce the grand opening of your new bed & breakfast, you can quickly and easily get a customized sign to fit your needs at BuildASign.

BuildASign accepts Visa, MasterCard and Amex for sign purchases and can ship your sign out to you in as little as 3 days (or less).

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The preceding post is sponsored by BuildASign

Legal aspects of running your own small business

The SBA FAQ has the following information on the legal aspects that someone needs to consider when they are looking into a small business:

" Licenses required, zoning laws and other regulations vary from business to business and from state to state. Your local Small Business Administration (SBA) office and/or chamber of commerce will provide you with general information, but you will need to consult your attorney for advice specific to your enterprise and area. You also must decide about your form of organization (corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship) or tax status (e.g., should you opt for a Subchapter S status?)."

Some issues that I have encountered in the various small businesses that I have seen others work at include:

  • Business license, both state and city
  • Health inspection and permits for businesses dealing with food
  • Insurance
Do some looking into things based on the kind of business you are planning to be running, talk to a professional at your local SBA office, and maybe an attorney that can help you sort through the legal aspects of your planned business.

Friday, January 12, 2007

Civil Engineering [paid advertisement]

Civil engineers build the public works facilities and the structures that make life easier for us all. From the bridge that spans a river to the railroad that crosses the country, the civil engineer has been there.

Hiring the right man or woman for the planning, design, construction and maintenance takes a knowledge of who to call and what they are looking for. If you have the experience to do that then you can fill Civil Engineer Jobs quickly and easily. Civil Search International has that experience. They have a combined staff experience in civil engineer recruiting of over 60 years and can sort through tens of thousands of candidate prospects, making over 25,000 phone calls in an average month, and find the right prospect for their client's needs.

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The preceding post is a paid advertisement for Civil Search International

Article - Starting an eBusiness: What's involved?

eWorkingWomen.com has an article on what is involved in starting an ebusiness that walks step by step from choosing a niche through to maintaining your site. A good start on where to look for information if you have been looking to start a web based business or expand your current at home business onto the Internet.

Two great looking programs to help you coordinate meetings and track your assets

Running a small business is difficult enough, it can become a nightmare when you have to coordinate meetings. And if you are in a position to share rent on a office to be used for meetings with others running small businesses the nightmare can grow exponentially.

You need a way to coordinate scheduling of meetings, to prevent double bookings of the conference room - even send attendee invitations, manage catering orders, and coordinate equipment reservations.

Try the free 30 day trial of NetSimplicity's Scheduling Software and see if it might be what you're looking for to help you reduce the headache of scheduling meetings.

And while you're there take a look at what I think is another great idea for the small business professional - The Visual Asset Manager.

The Visual Asset Manager can help you to create a visual floor plan that allows you to map where your assets are located. Provides an automated Windows workstation inventory of your assets and gives you detail tracking, searching and reporting. The program is completely customizable for under $500.

Share your assets with other small business owners? Check out the Visual Asset Manager for the Web. Accessible from any web browser it allows you to keep track of assets for under $1,500 - which can be split between the various small businesses you share assets with.

Check into both products before you buy using the 30 free trial and decide for yourself if they are something that can benefit your business.

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Side note: Something I had been thinking as I was looking over the Scheduling Software was how useful that could probably be for someone in say the catering field that has a place they rent for parties. Never double book your banquet room again.

Oh, and don't forget to take a look at their list of customers - customers such as UPS, Boeing, Cirque du Soleil, Dell Computers --- well, I'm not listing even a fraction of the over 1,800 companies that use their products, check the list out for yourself on their website.

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The preceding post is a sponsored post

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Taxes for self-employed individuals and independent contractors

The tax man cometh and I'm looking to find information to help us all be prepared. Browsing around the IRS website unearthed the page for self-employed individuals and independent contractors.

"If you are in business for yourself, or carry on a trade or business as a sole proprietor or an independent contractor, you generally would consider yourself as a self-employed individual. You are an independent contractor if the person for whom you perform services for has only the right to control or direct the result of your work, not what will be done, or how it will be done."

Note that the IRS says that: "Self-employed individuals, sole-proprietors, independent contractors and persons who have net earnings of $400 or more are required to pay self-employment tax by filing Schedule SE (PDF), attached to their Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return."

and

"Estimated tax is the method used to pay (including SE tax) on income not subject to withholding. You generally have to make estimated tax payments if you expect to owe taxes, including self-employment tax, of $1,000 or more when you file your return. Use Form 1040-ES (PDF) to figure and pay the tax."

For more information on federal taxes, see the IRS website.

Business Loans [paid post]

Advanced Restaurant Finance is for more than just restaurants, they specialize in assisting restaurants & retailers with less than perfect credit get the working capital Business Loans they need to grow their business.

Advanced Restaurant Finance has a simple application process and can deliver the most competitive rates. Loans with terms of 26, 40 and 52 weeks depending on credit worthiness and business circumstances. And, you do not need to change your credit card processor when you get a working capitol loan from Advanced Restaurant Finance.

Need equipment? Whether you need something small or equipment in excess of $1,000,000, they can help - many lease solutions with 100% financing.

They are a California limited liability company and a licensed finance lender by the California Department of Corporations.

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The preceeding Post is a paid advertisement for Advanced Restaurant Finance, LLC

Website design and hosting

Need a website? I highly recomend PlatonicSolid.info, and not just because he's my brother ;-).

PlatonicSolid.info says: "Welcome to platonicsolid.info.
Dedicated to getting you online, keeping you online, getting you noticed and getting you to remain with us as a client. The only way we know to do that is to offer quality service, low prices and prompt attention to help requests."


And that's exactly what you get from him, quality service, low prices and prompt attention to cries for help. If you want a webhost that is still run by honest humans rather than uncaring machines that ignore your need for help, then you should give PlatonicSolid.info a try. I've had websites with him for years and have always been beyond happy with the performance of my websites and the assistance provided.

Just don't let my sites be examples of his site design skills, they are my doing - ask him if you can check out some of his other sites to see what he's done.

Key Mergers & Acquisitions - Buy or Sell a Business [paid post]

Getting tired of your business? If you have had a change of mind about what it is that you want to do for a living, and have built up a business that is something someone else might be able to take over, then you should take a look at this website.

When you are looking to Sell a Business you will find that it is fast, and cost effective, to reach potential buyers for your business through the Key Mergers & Acquisitionsonline database. According to Key Mergers & Acquisitions, up to 60% of sellers fail to get the best possible price for their efforts. Registration is currently free and you can quickly and easily set up an account to sell your business for the best possible price.


The preceeding Post is a paid advertisement for Key Mergers & Acquisitions

Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)

I got word over one of the Freelancer lists that I am on reminding everyone that the last estimated tax payment for 2006 is due on January 16. Another member of the list pointed out that you can use the IRS electronic payment system to pay online.

The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) is a free service provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury that allows all federal tax payments to be made electronically. Including corporate, excise and employment taxes, and 1040 quarterly estimated tax payments.

From the EFTPS FAQ:

"Who can use EFTPS?

Any individual taxpayer making payments for Forms 1040, 706 estate, 709 gift taxes or installment payments can use EFTPS-OnLine.

Any business taxpayer can use EFTPS. Some business taxpayers are required to use EFTPS because they have met certain criteria. Specifically, if your total deposits of designated federal taxes (including employment taxes, income taxes, Railroad Retirement taxes, Social Security taxes, and various other types of non-payroll withholding) during a calendar year exceed $200,000, you are required to use EFTPS beginning in the second succeeding calendar year. For example: if you had more than $200,000 in deposits of designated taxes in calendar year 2002, you will be required to use EFTPS beginning January 2004. Once you are required to use EFTPS, you will continue to be required in subsequent years, even if your annual tax deposits fall below $200,000."

Online credit card processing service - [paid post]

Advantage Processors has low-cost online credit card processing for both low risk and high risk merchants. Get your own merchant account and online credit card processing with tools such as shopping carts and virtual terminal.

Advantage Processors generally has a merchant solution for nearly every kind of business from low risk businesses such as restaurants, bars, home based businesses, and retail establishments to high risk businesses like established legal gambling, online dating/escort services, pre-paid telephone cards, and debt collection agencies.

Rather you are just getting started or have an established business, Advantage Processors offers competitive merchant account rates and guarantees satisfaction.

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The preceding post is a paid advertisement for Advantage Processors

Tracking daily, weekly and monthly income

In trying to get my work at home business figured out and off the ground I had long ago decided that it is necessary to monitor my income on not just a monthly basis, but a weekly basis as well. Now I am planning to monitor it on a daily basis.

Why? Because I have decided that if I want to start making a career for myself, then I need to keep an eye on just what it is that I am able to make doing what where and so forth. I can also better make up in the later part of a week for a poor start to a week if I know precisely what the cash flow for the first part of the week was.

So, I am setting up a wall calendar that lets me do a day by day tally of what I have done during the time I was working and what my estimated earnings are. At the end of the week I will calculate the earnings for the entire week. And at the end of the month the earnings for that month.

Hopefully this will keep me on track for my goal to get things ironed out and make an actual writing based business that I can run from home.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Look What G-Man Found - SEO blog

Look What G-Man Found is a blog for those looking for information on not only SEO (search engine optimization) information, but on other topics that G-Man finds fascinating as well. In just a few moments at the site I was able to find a helpful bit of information that I had not considered before. Testimonials as a way to generate website traffic. In roughly a minute's worth of reading time (I know because G-Man's blog gives word count and estimated reading time on posts), you can find out how to give testimonials that will, if used, hopefully provide you a link back to your site.

The category I think I like the best is the marketing one where the above information can be found in a entry titled Simple, Repeatable Method Generates Traffic To Your Website.

What looks like another great find by G-Man is titled Immediately Create Traffic By Borrowing This List!. That would be kewl, a way to increase your website traffic just by browsing a list. Unfortunately the link was not working for me when I was at the site, so I'll have to go back and check it out later on.

Look What G-Man Found also has information on marketing to MySpace users (a very large population of the Internet that should not be overlooked by anyone), improving your copywriting (something that everyone should be constantly looking to do since it is the heart and soul of the website), how to write a good sales letter (always a handy thing to know how to do when you are in sales), as well as other subjects that are sure to be of interest if you are looking for marketing ideas to help you increase your website traffic. (And who is not looking to increase traffic to their site?)


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The preceding post is sponsored by Look What G-Man Found

What should you be making an hour?

The current Federal minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, which in an eight hour work day equals out to $41.20 a day. Working 40 hours per week, at $5.15 per hour, a person makes $10,712 per year - that is about $5,000 below the poverty line for a family of three.

For the first time in a decade a bill to raise the Federal minimum wage has been passed in the U.S. house of representatives. On a vote of 315 to 116 the House approved legislation to increase minimum wage over the next two years from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour. (Bringing the yearly wage from roughly $10,712 to roughly $15,080.)

This would mean a daily earnings in an eight hour a day of $58.00 per day, in a five day workweek earnings would be $290.00 and $1,160.00 in an average month.

By taking those basic totals, and figuring how much you can make on working, you can average out how much you will have to work to meet the basic minimum wage for your work and home job.

Monday, January 08, 2007

Insurance - do you need it?

When I got my new desktop computer I signed up for the insurance package that goes with it. For a few dollars more each month my new computer is now guaranteed against theft, fire, lightning damage, and other unfortunate things that can result in my not having a computer but still having to pay for it.

Insurance is a nasty deal though, we tried to get home insurance years ago and were told that since we had already moved into the home we could not insure it. I forget just what insurance company it was that my mom talked to at the time, but it really annoyed her.

Something else that is insane is car insurance, trying to afford even the most basic of car insurance is something that I can't manage, so I have a driver's license, but I never use it.

If you are in the market for getting insurance you should look around for sites like Insure121 (the people that sponsored this post) and see what kinds of prices you can find and if they will provide the kind of coverage you need. Particularly for small business owners it is important, if applicable, to look into the needs for home and car insurance as they apply to the use of your home or personal vehicle for business use.


The preceeding Post is a paid advertisement for Insure121

Paperwork avalanch

Paperwork is drowning me. I've started printing things out, thank gawd for new printers like the HP Deskjet 3930 that have $12 ink cartridges ($15 for color ones).

I have to set up a filing cabinet for the older paperwork, which means mauling the old office upstairs that is now my dad's bedroom and getting the old file cabinet that was built into a desk unit along the wall back out if it. Might be easier to buy a new file cabinet - I'll see.

E-mail marketing is making a comeback

Remember e-mail marketing? It was fairly popular not very long ago and has sort of slipped to the sidelines of other forms of Internet marketing. Well, Email Express Direct is leading the e-mail marketing return and wants to let you try its service for free. You can find out more by visiting their website and find out the effectiveness of Email Marketing for yourself.

The preceeding Post is a paid advertisement for Email Express Direct

Speed is needed

I have come to the conclusion that the primary cause of lack of work time on my efforts to get a work at home business up and running is in the lack of speed.

I'm not talking about slow typing speed, I can type quickly enough to get my ideas into the computer and even have that voice recognition software now so that I can type or speak to get my writing into the computer. Shoot, not much longer and I hope to even be able to find an old stylus and tablet deal so I can write longhand and have it show up because this computer has a handwriting recognition program too.

No, the trouble with lack of speed for me is in being on dialup - soon to be cured thanks to my mom helping me get DSL installed. And in being called away from the computer.

It is not easy to meet writing deadlines when you spend 30 minutes out of every hour off doing things for someone else.

That is not something I am going to be able to change, so I am pondering ways I can effectively work around my duties as a full time caregiver and will keep all you other caregivers or work at home parents advised on any ideas I can come up with for working while making lunch or reloading the washer and dryer, etc.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Event Tickets from OrlandoFunTickets.com - Paid Advertisement

I went to California with my parents almost ten years ago and got a chance to take the Universal Studios tour. As we left I was excited and looking forward to one day getting a chance to see the Universal Studios that is now in Florida.

OrlandoFunTickets.com promises you the lowest prices on tickets to great attractions like Disneyquest, Sea World, and Universal Studios. And don’t forget to look into their ticket prices for dinner theaters too. Treat the kids and yourself to dinner shows such as; Arabian Nights, Medieval Times, and Pirates.

And, while you are there, don’t forget that the Kennedy Space Center is just one of the many attractions that you can buy tickets for, aside from getting Disney Tickets for you and your family.

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The preceding has been a paid post for OrlandoFunTickets.com

Send your name to Mars -- ends February 1, 2007

I went upstairs to check on my dad and as I was up there the radio station was talking about the ability to send a name to the planet Mars. If you log in to www.planetary.org/phoenixdvd before February 1, 2007, and submit your name, and/or the names of the anyone else that you wish to enter, the Planetary Society will place the name(s) on a special DVD made of silica glass that will be placed on NASA's Phoenix lander. the Phoenix is to explore the Martian arctic and will launch in August of 2007, landing on Mars in may of 2008.



The Phoenix DVD is designed to be a message to future visitors, or settlers, of the planet Mars. It includes commentary from Carl Sagan, Arthur C. Clarke, Louis Friedman (executive director of the Planetary Society), and Peter Smith (Phoenix mission PI). the visionary works of those who should our images of Mars such as Percival Lowell, H.J. Wells. The recording of Orson Welles' 1938 radio broadcast of Wells' classic "War of the Worlds" will be digitally encoded on the Phoenix DVD.



Other names of note whose visions will be on the DVD include: Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and Poul Anderson.





Adding your name to this message to the future is free and must be done before February 01, 2007.

Voice recognition software and multitasking

I have already talked on a few of my other blogs about the voice recognition software that I found on my new computer, I would like to talk a little bit about it here as well. The program takes a bit of training, not only for yourself, but for the program as well. It needs to learn how to recognize how you pronounce words, once it has learned that it is able to make corrections in your speech pattern and translate the proper word to print on the screen. I have not yet found a way to get the program to insert proper punctuation, and I do have to fix errors in which word, or series of words, it assumes I meant to say.



So far I am very impressed with how this program is performing. I tend to speak with a very slight, if sometimes not so slight, lisp and the program is accurately translating the words that I meant to say roughly 80 to 90% of the time; if not more in line with 90% to 95% of the time now.



The program learns do understand how I talk and is able to translate what I am saying and leave my hands free, for this reason I can see where once this program has learned how to translate what I am saying with enough accuracy that only minimal editing is required I will be able to say that my desk and dictate what I want written in my novels while working with my polymer clay creating one of the kind dolls that I can sell. and that is why I figured that others working at home, particularly those who, like me, have a problem with pain in their joints from typing, might benefit from looking into voice recognition software. The program that I am using appears to have been bundled with the version of Windows that is on my new computer, probably as a part of Windows Media.

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