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Join the forum discussion on this post Work At Home: PT Home Improvement Blogger
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Jul 142011
Join the forum discussion on this post Best Work At Home Advice
Work At Home
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Nov 222010
By Connie Violette
I have been giving a lot of thought to what the best advice is for anyone who wants to work from home either running their own business offline or online.
1. Stick with it. The majority of people who attempt to work at home give up after a few months. It takes a lot more time than that to see results you will like. Even if you were to open up your own store downtown it would probably take longer than a few months to see a good return.
2. Have a backup plan. When I started my website I also started an in home daycare. The daycare afforded me a solid consistent income while I got the website to a point where it started making money. If your ultimate goal is to work from home you might consider keeping your regular job and building your wah business during your off hours.
3. Have a plan of action. I believe it is very important to set goals and have a plan to meet them. Decide what your goals are. How much money do you want to make each month? In what time frame do you hope to achieve that goal. What will you do to make that goal happen?
4. Be prepared for obstacles. Now while you can’t even begin to conceive of all the obstacles you might encounter it is important that you stay focused. When obstacles do arise and you feel like giving up you will need to remind yourself that this is just one bad day out of a whole lot of good days.
5. Remind yourself often why you are working at home and of all the good things that will eventually come from it.
Oct 062010
How Mystery Shopping Works And What To Expect
By Connie Violette
Many people are intrigued by the idea of being a Mystery Shopper or Secret Shopper. In a way it's like being a “Secret Agent”. Mystery shopping can be a lot of fun and a great way to help businesses deliver superior customer service and allow you to make some extra money.
One of the first things you will need to learn is how to tell the difference between a real Mystery Shopping company versus a website that claims you they are looking for Secret Shoppers but what they are really looking for are people to try out various offers.
Real Mystery Shopping companies will never send you a check in the mail out of the blue and ask you to go cash it, keep a portion and send the rest back to them. So if you are here because you recieved such a check. Tear it up or turn it over to your local Post Master.
Secret Shoppers will also never be asked to “complete an offer” in order to get paid. If you are unsure of a particular Mystery Shopping website, look at their FAQ's. If you see anything that mentions “offers”, you are not at a real Mystery Shopping site.
Now that you know what to look for let's move on to what Mystery Shopping is all about.
There are a lot of great Secret Shopping companies out there, one great place to start is at the Mystery Shoppers Providers Association. They have links to a lot of great companies.
At all of the real Mystery Shopping companies your first step will be to apply to be a Secret Shopper. You can usually find a link to the application through the companies website. Look for a link that says “apply to be a shopper”. During the application process you will probably be asked to give an example of a time you were shopping. This is a pretty imporant part of the application. You will want to make sure you give details such as the names of each person in the store who helped you and why you needed assistance and how they resolved the situation or didn't. If you are going to be applying to different companies, it's helpful to save this example for the next application.
After you submit the application it can take a few days or even a couple of weeks to be accepted. Make sure you use a valid email address and phone number so they can contact you. On that point, many people are afraid to share their social security number. It's important to realize that since you will be working for this company they will need your social security number. If you are uncomfortable submitting it over the internet you can always call the company and give it to them directly.
Once you are approved each company has their own way of assigning shops. Some companies will send you an email when there is an available shop in your area, others will require you to log into the shoppers section of their site and check for shops. When you find a shop you want to accept you will either bid on the shop or you can just grab it, again depending on the company.
Before accepting the shop you will have seen all the details, such as how much it pays, when it needs to be done, etc.
One more thing to talk about is training. Typically from what I've experienced and this could vary from company to company is that you will need to complete the online training courses before you can accept shops. Some companies have training based on each place you will be shopping and you will need to complete each one before you can bid on a shop with that retailer. Other companies have generalized training that you will need to complete to accept jobs with them. The training is usually pretty easy and can be done at your convienence. Don't worry, if you don't pass, you can try again.
After you complete a shop you will be required to submit your report. This will all be explained in the training.
Now that you have completed your training and accepted your first shop, you are ready to go! Go out, have fun, follow the rules and you will do great!.
Join the forum discussion on this post 5 Ways To Sabotage Your Business On Forums
Work At Home
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Sep 222010
Message boards are one of the best, easiest and funnest ways to get free advertising. Unfortunately, they are also one of the most abused. There are ways to get your name out there but here are the top ways to get yourself banned and or ignored.
As both an owner and moderator of forums. I have seen many mistakes that people make when working at home so I thought I would share.
1. Don’t spam the message boards. This is SO obvious and it really doesn’t create any credibility for you or your product.
2. Don’t blatantly advertise. Again, you gain no credibility and people just aren’t impressed.
3. Don’t knock the competition. If you believe your product is better that’s okay. Just state facts and explain but don’t attack.
4. Don’t dig up old threads to make a comment that relates to your product. Again, this is pretty much blatant advertising and is just annoying. Join in some other discussions and wait until something relevant to your business is brought up again.
5. Don’t post one-liners just to get your signature noticed. If you have something relevant to say.. say it… if you don’t… leave that thread alone!
Choosing Your Work At Home Job Or Business
Work At Home
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Aug 112010
The first thing to consider is that there really is a difference between a work at home job and a work at home business. The two terms get used interchangeably and that can be confusing for some people.
If you have a work at home business you are basically in business for yourself. It is up to you to dictate how your business will be run, what hours you will work etc.
Some examples of work at home businesses would be starting a business selling on Ebay, becoming an independent contractor for Mary Kay or Avon. Starting a business from your home such as a Day Care or designing websites.
If you have a work at home job you are working for a company and they will dictate what you do and how you do it. Most companies will still let you set your own hours sometimes and just ask to be notified when you are available.
Working a job from home means finding a company that allows you to work from home for them. If you have a job that you feel can be done just as well from your home, you can ask your current employer if working at home is feasible for the company. There are also many companies who currently hire work at home employees and allow you to apply online.
Since this is a such a hot market these jobs are hard to find and so we end up with tons of scam offers. Typically the make money quick jobs are not real jobs but some kind of scam. The sites promising that there are thousands of companies who want to hire you for that Data Entry At Home job are selling information on starting your own business.
I have never met a single envelope stuffer. These scam jobs are popping up all over the place and with the age of the internet becoming harder to spot.
I read one the other day for a Transfer Agent. Not even remotely a good work at home job to land! A transfer agent takes money from an auction “buyer” into their paypal acct, keeps a percentage and then Western Unions the money to the “seller”. For whatever reason the seller can’t have his own paypal acct or the business has just decided its easier to use a middleman. The money you receive is actually money that someone has stolen from someones acct via “phishing”. Once you transfer the money western union there is no longer a way to trace the money.
Very sad, but there are so many people desperate to work from home that it makes it easy for these criminals to operate.
If you choose to find a job working at home rather than starting a business keep a couple of things in mind. 1. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is. 2. Never pay to work for someone. If they want you to pay a one time membership fee or if they need you to pay for training materials you should probably pass on the “job”. 3. If anything about it seems fishy, be sure to do your research. Always go with your gut instinct.
So you have built a website? Terrific! Now what? Now you want people to see it! There are a number of ways to do just that! Best of all there are a lot of FREE ways to do that!
1. You can always advertise! This does not have to be expensive. Buy advertising at places that generate a lot of traffic and make sure you are advertising where people need what you are selling. If you are selling fruit flavored bubble gum it won’t do you much good to advertise at AARP.
2. My personal advertising choice is FREE. Classified ads serve a dual purpose and there are still people who read them. Using a classified ad gets your website address “out there” and brings in visitors. Go to almost any website and you will find a classified ad’s section. One of the most popular free classifieds websites is craigslist.com. Another one is at yahoo.com. They have quite an extensive classifieds section. Remember, follow the rules at all classified websites, don’t spam.
3. Write articles. You can write articles on most anything. Make sure it is informative and free of errors. Once it is done you can submit it to other websites, or post it to places that specialize in content. You never know who might grab it for their own website! Make sure to include an authors box at the end and include your web address. Free advertising.
4. Join communities! Also known as forums or message boards. Before putting your website in your signature make sure the webiste allows signature advertising. Read the terms and conditions and rules.
DO NOT go out and randomly place advertisements on websites. You will quickly find yourself banned. A LOT of message boards have a specific thread just for placing advertisments. Go ahead and put up your website in those places. You never know who will read it!
5. Use your signature in emails. Go into your email program and find out where to add a signature. Set it up with your name and website address and use it on all your emails. Especially the fun ones that always get forwarded!
6. Get an ink stamp with your website address or stickers. Use them on all the mail you send out through snail mail. Just think of all the people who handle that piece of mail before it gets to its destination!
7. Get some window clings made up or make them yourself and put them on your car. You can get the stuff to do this yourself at Wal Mart.
8. Make up some flyers and post them everywhere. There are bulletin boards everywhere, the grocery store, the laundry mat (Everyone who ever goes reads the bulletin board!), etc.
9. Make up some business cards and hand them out whenever someone asks what you do. Always hand out three. This gives the other person an opportunity to hand out two and keep one.
10. Start a blog. If you sell handmade jewelry or have a talent, start a blog on how to MAKE handmade jewelry or to showcase your talent. Include your website address in the links section and in your signature. Make sure to update it regularly at least 2-3 times a week. Everyday is better if you can do it!
Aug 042010
Did you know that work at home scams and schemes are so prevalent that they are listed on The National Consumers League list of Top 10 frauds?
That just goes to prove that you need to be very wary, do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions if you want to make sure you don’t become a statistic.
Here are some of the most common work at home scams:
1. Assembly work: Typically you will pay for kits and assemble whatever they send you. The catch seems to be that whatever you have made is never good enough or not up to specifications. So you are stuck with it.
2. Envelope stuffing. This just isn’t going to happen. If you could really make $3-$4 for every envelope you stuffed wouldn’t we all be doing it?
3. Posting ads, this one has become huge with the internet. Supposedly companies will pay you to post ads on message boards and bulletin boards. You post the same ad you answer and then you make money when those people answer your ad and pay you for the same information.
4. Transfer agent, order processor, etc: There are a number of versions of this. You accept money into your bank account or they send you a check to deposit. You keep a portion and western union the remainder to the company. Don’t do it. The check will be proven to be a fake and you will be liable for the whole amount.
5. Data Entry: There are a number of legitimate companies looking for people to do Data Entry. If you are being asked to pay anything for training materials you are probably dealing with is someone who will take your money and then tell you to post ads or something similar.
Now I am not saying that every work at home job is a scam. There are some craft jobs that are legitimate and there are data entry and lots of other legitimate work at home jobs. The above 5 are just the most typically fraudulent.
Jul 282010
Message boards can and should be used the same way you would use a newspaper. If you were to pick up a newspaper and look for a job. Your first step would be to look for a job that you are qualified for. You probably wouldn’t apply for a job as a construction worker if you don’t know anything about construction work. Treat message boards the same way. Don’t apply for a job as a website designer if you don’t have experience designing websites.
There is one big difference between using a message board and a newspaper. Jobs posted on message boards are typically referred to as “job leads”. These leads are usually found by other members of the board who are trying to be helpful. In other words the job leads you see are probably not being posted by the potential employer. These leads are usually not researched. Most members do their best to post only legitimate work at home leads but they don’t usually have the time to thoroughly research the job.
Now on to the tips:
1. Read the post completely and follow the directions given.
2. Don’t ask for more information such as wages, hours etc. You wouldn’t call a company from a newspaper ad and ask these questions. You would apply for the job and save those questions for your interview.
3. Check the date the lead was posted. Chances are that a job posted 6 months earlier has been filled.
4. If the post has a link included. Use it. This will give you more information on the job and allow you to apply for the job.
5. Make sure you qualify for the job being advertised.
6. Recognize that the poster probably has nothing to do with the job and can’t tell you anything more than what is in the post.
7. Don’t post your email address to request more information. This will open you up to spam and will probably never be seen by the employer anyway.
8. When you email the employer or apply for the job. Check your spelling and grammar before submitting.
9. Include your resume and and a relevant cover letter when you apply for the job.
10. Be as professional online as you would be if you were sitting in front of the employer asking to be hired.
Please be aware that an employers time is valuable. Just because they don’t respond back within a few hours or even a day or two, doesn’t mean much. Treat employers who hire for work at home jobs with respect and kindness. When you apply for an offline job, the typical protocol is to wait a week before checking back. The same applies online. Understand that they have probably received hundreds of applications and will be sorting through them to find the best qualified applicant.
Finding a job that can be done from home can be a frustrating and time consuming endeavor. Getting that work at home dream job is also very rewarding. Keep looking and applying and eventually you will make your dream come true!
Starting any business can be an overwhelming and daunting experience. This is especially true when starting a business from your home. Will I fail? Will I succeed? Will I know what to do? All very valid questions!
The biggest difference in starting a business in your home versus in a “shop” is the challenges working from home brings.
Working from your home can actually be much more challenging! We all start out believing that working from home is going to be a dream! “I’m going to be able to jump out of bed, grab a cup of coffee and work in my jammies!”
Have you really thought through the challenges jobs at home bring with them? The neighborhood kids want to come play (this can actually be a blessing if they all get along). Then someone has an owie that needs kissed. A friend needs a babysitter and you are home right? You get to see all the housework that needs done every second of every day. It calls out to you begging you to just take a few minutes to clean up. The tv is right there with all the shows you never got to watch when you worked outside the home.
You get the idea!
When you work in an outside office, you show up at a certain time each day. Your work schedule is laid out for you. You take lunch at a set time each day and then get back to work.
At the end of the day you go home and take care of home, leaving work at the office.
When you work from home you don’t have that seperation of work and home. When you wake up, you are at work. When you quit work you are still at work. It’s very easy to let the two merge into one and cause destruction.
It’s easy to say that all you need is a schedule, but the realities of working at home really do not make it all that simple.
You can say you are going to work at home from 8am until 3pm and then spend two hours taking care of housework and then get dinner ready but
it will rarely work out that way.
It is easier to complete your work when you have a set schedule and if you can get your entire family onboard and understanding that you are “at work” during certain hours, your life will go smoother.
However I think it is also important to allow for some flexibility. When we first start out working at home it is because we want to have more time with our families. We want to have the ability to be here when a child is sick or take an afternoon to go to the park.
The best way to do this is to create an at home business that allows you these freedoms. If you can work your business while the kids are out playing or napping, or in the evenings when everyone is quiet, it works out well for everyone. If you can create a business that just takes a few hours a day, you can get work done before everyone else is even awake!
It’s important to first determine why you are working at home. Then look at many different opportunities and find the one that will fit your needs and your families needs. Then make sure it is the work at home business that you will enjoy!
