Work At Home Business Options

Archive for February, 2012

It’s tax time again and, just like last year, Uncle Sam is offering a bit of relief in the form of two extra days for filing. While this news may encourage you to put off tax prep, it’s essential to get your information submitted as soon as possible. After all, the sooner you submit, the quicker you get a refund, or the more time you have to save up if you owe.

Preparation is key to any task and absolutely essential when completing your taxes. Before you commit your weekend to pouring over government vernacular, consider these seven tips to stay on track.

1. Identify Deductions
Before you start number crunching, be sure you know what expenses to write off; you don’t want to miss out on a single tax-deductable expense. The list is quite long, so take the time to read it thoroughly and highlight anything that applies to you. You can find the Top 500 Itemized Deductions on the IRS website.

2. Organize, Organize, Organize
Now that you know what to deduct, it’s time to organize the information. You’ve filed tax-related documents in a single file all year – that’s as organized as you need to be, right? Wrong. If your receipts are a hodgepodge of charitable donations, business lunches and vehicle records, take the time to separate them out. This will save you a lot of headache come input time.

3. Keep Track of W2s
By law, employers must submit W2s to employees by Jan. 31 of each year. If you failed to receive yours or can’t seem to locate it, contact your HR department or supervisor. File it immediately when you receive it.

4. Find Discounts for Software
Preparing taxes at home is much cheaper than working with a professional, but that doesn’t mean you should pay full price. Look for tax coupons from websites like CouponSherpa.com and save on software packages to make your tax prep even more affordable.

5. Save on Professional Help
Taxes are never straightforward, but business owners and people with multiple real estate properties are much less likely to be audited when they work with a tax professional. If you work with a chain agency like H&R Block, be on the lookout for deals and discounts; they run rampant this time of year.

6. Analyze Your Refund
It’s tough to compete with the glee of receiving a hefty tax return, but not owing anything to the IRS is the sweetest gift of all. If your withholdings are too high, you’re missing out on monthly income. If they’re too low, you’re living the high life until an abrupt wake-up call on April 15. Ultimately, you want to break even with Uncle Sam, so use the IRS Withholding Calculator to determine the optimal deduction from your paycheck.

7. Spend Refunds Wisely
It’s tempting to treat yourself when you get a refund, but the biggest treat of all is financial security. Thankfully, 43.8 percent of Americans intend to stash away expected refunds this year, up from 42.1 percent in 2011, according to the National Retail Federation’s Tax Returns Consumer Survey. Paying down debt, donating to a charity, and adding to emergency savings are all wise ways to spend your refund.

Andrea Woroch is a consumer and money-saving expert for Kinoli Inc. As a nationally recognized media source, Andrea has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC’s Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more. She is available for in-studio, satellite or skype interviews and to write guest posts or articles.

Those who are in a Direct Sales business tend to really work their butts off when it comes to advertising their home business. For those of us in this line of work…we have to work “much” harder than those in big corporation to get the word out about our business.

With that said, we don’t have the advertising budgets that the big guys have so we need to get creative with our advertising campaigns. Today I thought I would share a few “creative” ways I have successfully marketed my business over the years and all of these ideas are super affordable.

T-Shirts: I went to VistaPrint.com and had a dozen T-shirts printed up with my business information on them. I got a variety of sizes and did it when Vista Print was having a deal on them. I then handed these shirts out to friends & family members and had them wear them while running errands in our community. Cost was less than $8.00 a shirt and it’s an advertising campaign that keeps on giving since the shirts can be worn many, many, many times!

Cook Books: Since I was selling products for a kitchen company I would actively seek out print ads in charity cook books in our community. The PTA, local Animal Rescue Groups, Health Groups, Scouting Groups, School Groups, etc. have cook books printed on a yearly basis and then sell them to raise funds. For around $25.00 you can get a 1/2 page print ad with your business info printed in the back of their fundraising cook books.

High School Year Books: Every year I would spend $50 to $75 to have my business ad printed in the back of our local high school year books! These ads are a ‘worthy’ and ‘affordable’ investment and your ad will be seen for many years by hundreds of people.

School Art & Athletic Programs: You can get affordable print ads in your local school’s arts and athletic programs that they hand out at their functions. (plays, sport’s games, etc.) and you can usually get these ads for $25 and up.

Magnetic Car Signs: Many Direct Sellers do invest in magnetic car signs for their vehicles to advertise their home businesses. However, you should purchase several of them and let your family and friends slap them onto their cars when they are out and about doing their errands. You could give them a free gift or a continual discount on their purchases to help you out by keeping it on their cars.

These 5 creative advertising and marketing ideas are all relatively affordable and make for a worthy investment in your business. When it comes to advertising your home business it is time to think “outside” the box and get creative with your marketing campaign.

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10 Steps to a Successful Article by Terri Seymour

If you are an online business owner and are not yet active in article marketing, you need to get started as soon as possible. Why write articles?

Article writing and marketing is one of the most powerful ways to boost your traffic and sales. Articles will build your reputation and credibility. Articles will allow you to make more contacts and establish more connections. Articles will improve your ranking and bring you more traffic. Articles will improve your online presence. Article marketing is free!

Writing and article is not as hard as most people think. You are not writing a dissertation but a simple and informative article.

Below are ten steps to help you write a more successful article.

Step 1: The Title

Be sure you choose a title that will grab people’s attention and catch their interest. Most people will decide to read and article or not just by the title. Be specific in what your article is about.

For example:

How to Grow Vegetables vs. 5 Ways to Healthier More Delicious Vegetables

Which article would you read? I know I would read the second one.

Step 2: Topic of Interest

Be sure to choose topics that people will want to know about. Do some research to see what questions people are asking. Visit forums, groups, social sites and see what needs to be addressed. See what the buzz is about and write your article accordingly.

Step 3: Easy to Understand

There is no need to write a college dissertation. Use short, easy to understand sentences. Use 5th grade level words to be sure everyone who reads your article will understand what you are talking about.

Step 4: Easy to Read

Going along with the short easy to understand sentences, keep your paragraphs short but informative. Leave plenty of white space so reading your article is not hard on the eyes.

Step 5: Relevant Keywords

Research keywords when writing your article. Try to use some of the most popular search phrases that deal with your article subject. A good program to use is Google’s keyword search tool. But once you find the relevant keywords be sure not to overstuff your article with them. If you use them too many times your article will be too repetitive and will not do well in the search engines.

Step 6: Writing

When writing your article, write it as if you were explaining it to a friend. Don’t make it sound like a seminar or lecture. Add personal experiences when possible so your readers can identify with you and feel a bond and/or connection. Let your personality shine through and write from your heart!

Step 7: Lists

If you are including any kind of list in your article be sure to write it in a bulleted or numbered list style. This will attract the readers’ eye and increase the chances of them reading it through.

Step 8: Article Body

The first paragraph should be an introduction to what type of information your article will contain. Use it as a lead-in to the main body of the article. When writing the main body, be sure your writing flows from point to point and doesn’t jump around aimlessly. The last paragraph should sum up what the article meant and what points were made.

Step 9: Proofread

This step cannot be stressed enough. Read over your article several times to be sure all spelling, punctuation and grammar is correct. Things can be missed in just one or two goings over so do it several times to be sure.

Step 10: Resource Box

Your resource box is very important so you want it to be effective in getting people to click on your link and take you up on whatever you offer. Don’t try to sell anything in your resource box. Offer something free if possible.

For example:

John Doe is an expert in the SEO field. He can help you get your site to the top of the search engines. Click here to get his free step by step report.

Article writing is not as intimidating as it sounds. You do not need to know big fancy words. You do not have to be a scholar and you do not have to be a professional author to write a quality article with helpful information.
About the Author:
Don’t be one of the 95% of people who fail at their online business. Terri Seymour can help you make money online. Find out how to increase your traffic and sales with her popular “How to Build Your Online Business” ebook for FREE at: ==> http://www.SeymourProducts.com

Article Source: WAHM Articles

Even though I work from home I often times don’t have 2-3 hours to spend in my kitchen making a big dinner for my family. On those types of days I like to throw together a good soup or stew for my family to enjoy.

I love this old-fashioned chicken corn soup recipe because I can cook up my chicken and hardboil my eggs on a Sunday and then when Monday or Tuesday rolls around I can just throw all of the ingredients together and have dinner on the table in less than 40 minutes.

This soup also freezes well so I often double and triple my ingredients and then once it has been cooked and cooled, I will freeze it in containers for later use.

Grandma’s Chicken Corn Soup Recipe

2-3 large boneless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
2-3 cups chicken stock
1 to 1 1/2 cups of water
1/4 cup onions, finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
6 cups of frozen corn, thawed
1-2 tablespoons parsley
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 large hardboiled eggs, sliced

In a large stockpot combine together all of the above ingredients. Bring the soup up to a full boil and then reduce heat. Cover and simmer soup over medium heat for 30-40 minutes or until done.

Everything is more expensive these days but some items experience higher price hikes than others. To the dismay of fashionistas everywhere, apparel is taking the hardest hit with a whopping 4.7-percent increase in January alone, according to ApparelStrategiest.com.

The best way to save on clothes is not to buy any, but that’s easier said than done for most. Carefully selected pieces that are cared for and stored properly can last a long time, however, reducing the necessity for replacement. If you struggle with making your clothes last, consider these tips to promote wardrobe longevity.

1. Follow care instructions.
“Hand-wash only” is just a suggestion, right? Wrong. I’ve ruined many a blouse due to laziness. By following care instructions closely, clothes will last longer and you can enjoy them for years. If you have dry-clean only items, avoid professional cleanings with at-home kits and use mesh bags for delicates to prevent damage from the washer drum or other garments.

2. Invest in classic pieces.
Avoid spending too much on trendy clothes and invest in classic pieces instead. After all, buying $100 worth of cheap, trendy items is no deal compared to a $100 blazer that lasts a lifetime. To reduce the initial hit on your bank account, purchase discount gift cards at sites like GiftCardGranny.com to places like Nordstrom, Bloomingdales and Neiman Marcus.

3. Wash inside out.
Avoid fading and reduce pilling by turning your clothes inside out when washing. This is especially important for denim and dark articles of clothing. Additionally, search your whites pile for the mutinous red sock before loading it into the washer.

4. Don’t replace, repair.
We all have that favorite pair of shoes we can’t stop wearing and can’t imagine giving up. I wore down one such pair of boots and frantically looked for a worthy replacement. Upon finding nothing that could compare, it occurred to me I could just get them re-heeled. For $15 my faves were as good as new.

5. Hold onto all sizes.
Unless you’re a Victoria’s Secret model, you likely change a size up or down every few years. It’s when that adjustment decreases that we want to find new, smaller clothes and get rid of the bigger stuff, but it’s best to hold onto these pieces for the inevitable. That way, you don’t have to spend money on a bigger size that you’re not too thrilled about purchasing.

6. Hang vs. fold.
Crumpling your clothes on the floor every night requires more turns in the washing machine and leads to faster wear-out. Hang up your clothes the minute you remove them to increase longevity. If space is an issue, double up by placing two blouses or two pairs of pants on one hanger. For knitwear like sweaters, it’s best to keep those folded in a drawer or shelf since a hanger can damage the stitching.

7. Hang with Care
Always remove plastic from dry-cleaned items so the clothes can breathe and toss those wire hangers immediately. Clamp hangers are great for trousers and skirts — just make sure to clamp the closure at the waistband to avoid creasing. Padded hangers with nonslip material ensure suit jackets and pants don’t endure hours and days of creasing. For recommendations on the best hangers, check out Oprah’s picks.

8. Longer lasting shoe care.
Water and dirt can damage shoes over time, especially those made of suede and leather. Apply a protector spray after each wear, and use a wire suede brush to remove dirt and scuff marks. Keep leather shoes looking new with a touch of polish. Place tissue paper in the toes of heels and flats to maintain their shape, and make boot shapers out of cardboard boxes to keep boots from creasing.

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Andrea Woroch is a nationally-recognized consumer and money-saving expert for Kinoli Inc. She is available for in-studio, satellite or skype interviews and to write guest posts or articles. To view recent interviews or for more savings tips visit AndreaWoroch.com.

A few days ago I had a friend email me because she is considering joining one of the direct sales companies and wanted my thoughts and opinions about the company she was considering joining. When I asked her to email me the information that the consultant gave her when she requested the business opportunity information I was really floored at what this consultant DIDN’T give her.

What do I mean? Well…no wonder my friend was “lost” and had to ask me for my opinion because this consultant was so dang vague in the information she gave her that I couldn’t even make “heads” or “tails” with it either. The consultant didn’t give her any type of commission structure numbers, nothing about downline recruiting or the recruiting structure and she didn’t even explain the sign up process. Seriously…what she sent her was 3 very vague paragraphs about what it cost to join and where to sign up. WTH? ugh!

So today I thought I would discuss this topic on my blog. If you are emailing prospects information about your company’s business opportunity program you need to make sure that you are giving factual and detailed information about the cost to join, how to join, quota’s that the company has, recruiting policies, commission structure, recruiting specials, training programs for new consultants, etc. etc. etc.

You can not email people 2-3 vague paragraphs and think they want to join your team and your company when you are not taking the time to thoroughly answer their questions and to provide them detailed information!!! No one wants to join a company blindly and if you are not going to provide that prospect with the information they need up front and quickly that prospect will go elsewhere to get the info and you will lose the prospect to someone else in your company.

That is my 2 cents on this topic so please make sure you are providing enough information to your prospects when they request it via your web site (consultant rep site) or  if they request it via email. If you take the time out to thoroughly deliver the information needed so that they can make a good informed decision you will see your recruiting numbers CLIMB instead of DECLINE.

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