Sunday, September 30, 2007

Volume 1: Issue 4

Work @ Home Newsletter
September 23 - September 30, 2007

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Volume 1: Issue 3

Work @ Home Newsletter
September 16 - September 22, 2007



The Work @ Home Newsletter is dedicated to bringing its readers the best information I can find on working from home no matter what your profession or even if you are just starting to look into the possibility of an at home profession.

This week, thanks to the flu impeding my plans for last week, I will continue look at things that come up when getting a business started and what you might want to consider as you are preparing to set up your home office.

Static Page Builder

Creating a website for your business is only part the battle, next you need to create content that will draw in the visitors. There is a lot of advice out there on just how to achieve this, but one of the best ways is through the creation of static pages.

Static pages are those who's content changes little throughout the course of their existence and do not contain fancy things like Javascript or CSS. Major search engines recommend including static pages on your website to help with search engine optimization and marketing.

Static Page Builder is search engine marketing software that can help you create static pages to boost your website's rankings with popular search engines. Visit the website at a link above and even get a free trial of Static Page Builder to find out how it can help your website succeed.

Thursday, September 20, 2007

No simple errands pt 2

Want more proof that no errand is simple? How about taking out the trash?

The yesterday I was carrying a bag of trash out to the dumpster, normal walk other than the light rain. My foot went down just wrong on a slick rock in the drive. Rock went sideways. Foot went sideways. Ankle went sideways with it. I went down.

Hard nosedive and breaking my fall with my left hand. I then went slamming down to my left knee and rolled onto my left shoulder, finally ending up sitting in the drive facing back the way I had come clutching my left hand. My right leg was folded under me.

My mom had been starting the car at the time and looked up, unbelievably asking me what happened. All I could manage to say was "You missed one glorious crash!" She asked if I was okay and I said "yup. just hurts." It did. I picked myself up, slowly, and continued, very slowly, to the trash dumpster.

There are no simple errands.

Orlando Vacation Home Rental

Getting ready to take a vacation and looking for something in the range of warm, fun, and affordable?

Orlando.com would like to help make your next Orlando vacation not only affordable, but spectacular as well by offering not only great rates on accommodations and car rentals, but also offering a guide filled with tips on local entertainment, options for dining out, Orlando nightlife and more.

Check out their website for information on affordable accommodations and orlando vacation home rental. Also be sure to check out their vacation car rentals to make it easy and affordable to get to all the great activities that Orlando has to offer.


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This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com

I have plants for the office!

Wal Mart had the most wonderful sale on plants today. $3.00 each on 8" pots on dracaenas and Snake Plants (mother-in-law tongues), and philodendrons... oh my! I grabbed 4 philodendrons since they are the ones I know I can keep alive the best (gave one to my brother though so got 3), and they are such lovely plants. I want to decorate my whole office with lovely philodendrons. They have the big tree sized house plant on sale for $12 each too, I want to go back and get me one of them if the have any when I finish my office.

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No simple errands

It was a simple enough mission. Fill tank on car (or at least put $20 in it, haven't filled a tank for that in years) and get receipt. HA. The buttons on the gas pump refused to recognize that they had been pushed. I got my gas okay, went over by three cents, but I got it, then could not get the receipt. So I went in and asked inside. Took at least four to five minutes after I said what trouble was before someone printed my receipt for me. ::sigh:: Such a complex thing stopping for gas has become.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Investing

You are your own boss. You set your own hours and you decide when you are going to work. It feels good... until you start thinking about retirement.

Working for yourself means that you need to think of your own future. No boss is there above you to make payments into your retirement plan, there are no cuts from your pay going toward your social security, you need to make these plans for yourself.

One of the best ways to save for your future is though investing. By investing in precious metals, such as gold and silver, you can feel confident that you have an investment that will maintain its value through the years.

In the history of man's search for gold it has never been worthless, indeed gold is a highly sought after investment and anyone that is interested in making a precious metals investment should consider the benefits of buying gold. When you buy gold from the Monex Deposit Company, you can purchase it in coin or bullion format and choose to have immediate personal delivery or, if you prefer the staff at Monex can help you arrange for storage at an independent bank or depository.

The hard asset professionals at the Monex Deposit Company have been a trusted leader in America's precious metals investing for over 30 years and are ready to help you with your investment needs.


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This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com

Finding the time to work

Being sick and still having work to do makes me pause to think about the similarities between owning your own business and being a full-time family caregiver.

In both instances you can not just shrug off your responsibilities just because you don't feel like doing something. There is often no one else that can step up and fill in for you when you catch a cold or the flu and are in no condition to be working yourself.

So what is the small work at home business owner to do?

The most common advice that I have heard given is to work ahead when time permits so that when you are feeling down you have enough work backlogged from having worked ahead that you can maintain a steady workflow, but that is not always possible. Perhaps your work does not lend itself to working ahead, or maybe you have no time to work ahead?

I'm not sure what the answer is. For me it seems to be the wonderful addition to my writing tools of the Alphasmart that allows me to keep working even when I have to step away from the computer. A handy little device that allows me to type away on my novels and articles while making coffee or waiting in lines at places like the doctor's office or the DMV.

Find a handy tool that would work for your own business, maybe a traveling sewing kit if you work making quilts? A purse sized plastic container that can hold some clay and a project you are working on if you make one of a kind polymer figures? Find the time to work when you can and don't worry about the curious looks you get when you pull a small tin with jewelry making supplies in it out and set it on the magazine table at the doctor's office. Those four hours waiting to be seen can be productive too.

Slow working because of the flu

My plan for the week, primarily getting the newsletter written and working on my home office, sort of went out the window when I came down with the flu. I'm on a slow road to getting better (which is to say I am still sick today) so will be slow getting things moving here again, but I do have a little done on the office move. I have got the desk in the office started being assembled and although I messed up and cut a scratch in the cover stuff for the desk, I think the desktop looks good so far. I will try to get a picture later and show you how it is looking, right now I am sort of zoned out on flu medication and not moving very fast.

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Volume 1: Issue 2

Work @ Home Newsletter
September 9 - September 15, 2007


Welcome to the second official issue of the Work @ Home Newsletter, this week marks a shift in how the newsletter system works, since I have decided that it is easiest to begin the newsletter with a header post, this post, and end it at the end of the week with an index post that will bring you links to all of the columns and articles for the issue.

The Work @ Home Newsletter is dedicated to bringing its readers the best information I can find on working from home no matter what your profession or even if you are just starting to look into the possibility of an at home profession.

This week I will look at things that come up when getting a business started and what you might want to consider as you are preparing to set up your home office.

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Wednesday, September 12, 2007

RegOnline - Event Planning Made Easy

Have you ever thought about planning an event, but then got scared away by all the complexities of such a thing?

Do you shy from the thought of having to contend with things like registrations, the complexities of creating various lists for caterers and event planners? Of being responsible for keeping the personal credit card information for all the registrants private?

It is enough to make your head spin just thinking of what goes into an event. But... what if I told you there is a site where you can get the highest possible encryption for credit card information, encryption that is as secure as major banks and credit companies? Not only that, but the site has an event registration system that takes all of the headache out of planning and hosting an event with no software to buy and only a small per registrant fee (up to 150 registrants, then it's even smaller or you can select a flat event fee to pay).

RegOnline has no sign-up costs, no annual costs and no software to buy, just a great service to event planners for a low per attendee fee. RegOnline can collect credit card payments for you, and you can even select which credit cards you will allow, along with other payment options including 'pay at the door'. Even set early and/or late registration price ranges.

As great as planning an event could be for your business or to help you with your networking, it can be an even bigger disaster if the personal credit card information of your attendees is compromised. This concern alone can turn off many would be registrants that are worried about online identity theft. By offering the most secure online protection to your registrants, you can help to build confidence and attendance to your event. This is what RegOnline can offer you, RegOnline has been ranked Level 1 PCI compliance by Visa - they are the only registration company to hold that level of ranking.

Take a virtual tour at the link above and find out more about how RegOnline can help you with your event, rather this is your first event or you want a better way to assure your attendee's personal information.


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Are you ready to be your own boss?

When I began working at home I was sure that I was going to be able to make my chosen business work and that I could maintain that business while providing myself with a reasonable level of needed income.

I had spent years preparing for work as a freelance writer, and although I had not expected to be an advertising copywriter I have discovered that it is a challenging and interesting career to be in.

Setting my own hours, I can work when I want to. And, I can choose which advertisements I want to write, which companies I want to work for, and build my business in whatever manner I desire.

It is a good business to be my own boss in.

The one problem with being my own boss is that I must be the toughest boss I have ever had. There can be no slacking off work early, there can be no putting off an assignment just because I don't feel like working. There is no one else to pick up the slack or take the blame if I do not have an article or short story done on time. There is only me and my business. And my business is me.

So, bottom line? Should you be your own boss? Only if you can be the toughest boss you have ever had and still like yourself enough to hang out with you over the weekend.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Volume 1: Issue 1

Work @ Home Newsletter
August 29 - September 8, 2007

As I create articles and columns that are a part of this issue I will hotlink them into this header post for the issue. I may also add new entries here if I come up with another column or article that I feel fits the newsletter.

Columns:
  • Tips for Working from Home
  • Home Office Stuff - sponsored by Freelancer's Office this is a column on things for home offices
  • Just for fun
  • Work at Home Websites
  • Q&A - Send me questions and I'll see if I can find the answers
Articles:

(to be announced)

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Friday, September 07, 2007

CRM Lead Management system AIMPromote

Looking for a way to make some money off all of those good sales leads you have built up over the years? Have you ever thought about setting up your own lead selling business? You could even run it as a side business to your primary one, or make lead selling your primary business if you prefer to do what you are now in a more relaxed second job setting.

It is no secret that a good sales lead is worth a lot. Marketers want to know that the people they are sending marketing material to will have a good chance of taking interest in and buying the item marketed to them. This is where the business of lead sellers comes in. You build up a list of potential buyers and sell leads to people looking for impulse buyers that have a track record of buying the kind of product you are offering.

And running a lead selling business is simple with the full-fledged CRM system AIMPromote. The AIMPromote system allows for fast and effective lead management with a large array of tools to let you sell any type of lead as many times as you choose, automatically and either before or after you have made a sale of your own to the lead. Want to be sure you don't oversell a lead? Set the number of times that a lead can be sold, even set the cost it sells at. Even control what the buyer can see about the lead before they buy, with all details available after they have purchased the lead.

This is truly a good looking lead management tool for anyone interested in starting lead management as a business or making a little extra money by selling the leads they have as part of their primary business.


The preceding post is a paid advertisement for AIMPromote

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Business Accounts

I went down to the bank this afternoon to look into getting a business account to use to separate the money I make from the money that I have for spending. Letting me keep business stuff out of the way of my other things. I wanted a business account, but was informed to get one I would need to have a business license. Well, next up I guess is seeing if I need a license to be a part time freelance writer in Alaska, huh?

In the mean time I got a second checking account that I can rat-hole my money off into until I have things lined up and if I don't have to have a business license for part time writer then I'll just keep using the second checking account I have now as a business account. Will work good.

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Campaign signs

You ever wonder where those campaign folks get their nifty signs from? It would be nice to be able to contend with the other folks when you are trying to run for (insert any goal here... town council to President -- hey, it's possible, elections not far away, get started!) -- anyway... I see a lot of small business owners running for assorted offices, from town council to mayor to senator, etc... I suppose small business owners probably have an ace in the hole in that they are used to the trials of getting something organized and pulled off. Huh?

If you have cause to be campaigning don't settle for 2nd best, check out the campaign signs and information you can find over at CandidateSigns.com. They have some great articles that are must reads when getting ready for campaigning, and can help you calculate not only how much your signs will cost you, but how to determine how many you will need to order.

Check out their design layout area for layout ideas to help you plan the best way to create your sign for maximum impact. A color sample chart shows you what to expect from each of their standard ink colors and a guide to artwork specifications can help assure that you get the sign you want to have.



The preceding post is a paid advertisement for CandidateSigns.com

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Hate it when life says "no you are not working today"

I'm getting off to a very rocky start on the newsletter, but things have been insane around here. No I'm not going into it, just suffice to say that I have reasons for not having got things caught up as much as I know I should be and will be working to get it straightened out and on track. The newsletter format us actually helping, I just need the time to work. And no, I don't have too many sites/blogs/etc... I just have no time because of other unexpected stuff that comes up.

So, hopefully things are getting better - we'll see. I may just go to bi-weekly on the newsletters, think it might work better.

Saturday, September 01, 2007

Best credit cards

Being in business means needing to have money that is ready to go whether you need to buy an espresso on the way to meet a client or make a fast purchase of a new monitor when the kids knock yours off the desk. When you need a credit card to keep up with the day to day needs of your work you want to be sure that your credit card is right not just for your business, but for you.

CardFusion can help. They would like to invite you to visit their website to let them show you how they can help you find the best credit cards to fit your needs. Whether you are looking for low interest, balance transfer, credit building or any other features that you might need CardFusion can help you find the information on the best credit cards that fit your personal or business needs.

You can search their site by issuer, network or category to find just the plan you want. And be sure to check out their learning center to learn more about credit cards, your credit score and more.




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This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com

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Work at Home Websites

Work at Home Websites will not just be for any website, it is for those sites I find to be of use or that might be of interest to my readers. When someone works from home they need specific things that are not generally a part of other jobs, one of those is access to a wide variety of resources that will help them understand and keep balanced all aspects of running their own business. This is where the Work at Home Websites column comes in. I will try to provide you with sites that will be if use in everything from how to calculate mailing rates for various things to alternative online auction sites for your home made items. If there is a particular thing you need to know about, let me know and I will try to find the websites that best cover that.

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Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks will be the shortcuts and how-to's of the working at home world. If I find out about or hear about or discover something that just seems to make things easier, this is where you will hear about it. From putting your glue gun on a bungee cord to draw it up and out of your way between uses to how to get hot glue out of your shirt, this is the tricks and tips of every trade.

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Kango?

No, I am not mistyping tango, I said Kango. Kango is a great looking site that I was just made aware of that lets you plan out family vacations. Preparing for a Fall 2007 launch of their private bets, Kango is currently looking for anyone that would be interested in helping to create a great site for people to plan their vacations. Imagine having a chance to tell site designers what you want to have included when searching for information for next years Family Camping Trips and vacation destinations.

Kango is looking for anyone interested to join their waiting list for beta testers, which will get you on the inside of this great looking website from the beginning so you can help design what the general membership will see when the site launches to the general public. So, if you have ever wanted to tell the travel sites how they should be creating more family friendly sites, now is your chance. Sign up now for inclusion in the beta testers at Kango. Maybe even help with the creation of a search option to help work at homes traveling with children? That is a option we could all use, huh? Where can we take the kids and still get our needed work done?


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This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com

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Will you still follow me?

I realized that there might be some question on if I will still follow after my change to newsletter format, and yes, I will. My readership that comments on my newsletter will still receive a follow from me on their comments. I may later on switch to make older comments nofollow, but for now those making comments will still get followed.

And I shall also still remove inappropriate or spammy comments that I feel are there only to catch a free link. You jam my newsletter with spam and I will toss it out.

Possible Time Shift

Almost through the layout phase on this, which means that the official newsletter is getting ready to start publication. I am going to shift the timeline slightly, where I had been going to run on a Sunday through Saturday format I think I may just shift this to a Monday through Sunday format. I'll decide over the weekend which I think would work best and get the decision made by this Monday at the latest.
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