Work At Home Business Options

Posts Tagged ‘work from home’

Every year the holidays seem to arrive faster than we expect and this year is no exception. With the economy being sluggish, thousands of stay at home moms are wondering what they can do this holiday season to earn some extra money for their family.

Here are 10 ideas that you can do this season to earn some extra cash that don’t require a college education.

1. Gift Wrapping Service – If you have a lot of free time and enjoy wrapping gifts, you could offer a gift wrapping service. You don’t need to be a professional, you just need to be creative and neat with your packaging.

2. Baking Holiday Goodies – People lead very busy lives these days and don’t have a lot of time to spend in their kitchens baking breads, cakes, pies and cookies. If you enjoy baking, you could offer to do the baking for your family and friends.

3. Babysitting Service – Parents are always looking for a few good babysitters so that they can run their errands and do their gift shopping. You will need to be flexible with your time and offer evening and/or weekend babysitting hours.

4. Greeting Cards Service – If you have nice penmanship, you could offer a greeting card service. You would have your customers purchase their own greeting cards and hand you their mailing list. You fill out the cards, address and stamp them…and then mail them off for your customer.

5. Dear Santa Christmas Letters – You can find free templates online on how to type up and send Dear Santa Claus response letters. Children love to get a reply back from Santa Claus along with a little trinket in their envelope.

6. Pet Sitting – A lot of people travel every year for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays and they are looking for pet lovers who are responsible to care for their pets while they are away. You are usually required to walk, feed, water and play with the pet while the owner is away on vacation.

7. Gift Shopping – If you like to shop and don’t mind fighting the crowds in the stores, then perhaps this is an option for you. You can have your customer give you a list of the items they want and you go out and purchase them for those on the customer’s holiday gift-giving list.

8. Housecleaning – I know several home owners who hire seasonal housecleaning help. If you enjoy cleaning and if you are only looking to do it for a handful of weeks, this would be a nice option to earn some extra money.

9. Crafts – If you are creative and talented in the crafting medium…there is no better time to host your own craft show. If hosting one is not your cup of tea, you can find numerous Holiday bazaars and craft shows in your own community to participate in.

10. Party Host Services – A few years ago, a friend of mine was hosting a large party for her co-workers in her home. She hired me to come over for the day and evening to help her set up, cook, serve and clean-up after the party. If you enjoy entertaining guests and assisting a party host, this is a great opportunity to earn some extra money.

I hope these 10 ideas have sparked some creative ideas of your own. If you are looking to make some extra money this holiday season…now is the time to prepare a plan, print up some flyers and spread the word about whatever type of service you plan on providing this holiday season.

This article was written by Shelly Hill, copyright 2009, All Rights Reserved.

Work Life Balance: Help for Busy Moms by Aurelia M. Williams

As a mom you probably go through times in your life when you think you can’t possibly manage work and taking proper care of your family. In fact, there are probably times when you feel you’re not doing a good job at one or the other or maybe even both. Don’t despair! There is help for you whether you work from home or outside of the home, your family is large or small or you have other commitments like volunteer work.

Time Management – Knowing where and how you spend your time is key to balancing your life. Start by keeping a calendar of all your activities. You can do this online, on a paper calendar or in a journal. Track everything from showering, exercise, meal preparation, driving time, and so on. You will probably see areas where you can cut some time out by doing certain activities while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store or riding in the car. There are lots of useful ways to spend idle time and you can figure those out as you fill out your calendar or journal.

Set Priorities – As women we often have a hard time saying “no” because it is in our nature to help others and want to be useful. However, you must know when to say “no” to those activities that don’t help you reach your family, personal or business goals. And even if the activity does in some way help you reach your goals, you will need to prioritize the activity according to its value or importance.

Don’t be Afraid to ask for Help – Another trap women tend to fall into is the “I can do it all” syndrome. For some reason society has taught women that they have to be “Super Mom” otherwise you’ll be seen as lazy or a bad mother. That is a lie! When you are feeling overwhelmed by work, family and kids, have a friend, relative or neighbor give you a hand by helping you clean your house, or taking the kids away for a couple of hours while you get some work done. Whatever the situation may be, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

These are just a few of the suggestions you’ll find in my report, Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family. The “Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family” report shows you how you can find a balance between work and family, without letting any of those balls you are juggling fall on the floor. This report gives you real life solutions, and the best part is that you can get started right now.

Not only are there tips for everyday life, but inside The “Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family” contains valuable insight for work at home moms and moms who work outside of the home.

In addition, I also show you how to get started and then keep the momentum! So don’t wait another second. Stop doing the juggling act and get your life in balance now with the Real Life Guidance to Balancing Work and Family report.

Looking for tips to get your life in balance now. Get ‘em right now… 24/7! Real Life Guidancetoolkits are available for easy and instant download to your computer.

Article Source: WAHM Articles

The idea of escaping the rat race is liberating.  No more meaningless meetings where you pretend to care about things that you actually don?t care about at all.  No more hectic commutes and rushed mornings.  No more boss!  No more cubicle.  It all sounds so great, doesn?t it???  Of course it does!  The idea of working from home and being your own boss is delightful.  The reality, however, is a bit different.

The Problem is You Are Not Normal
The majority of American workforce go to their jobs each day, they clock in and clock out, and their plan is to work until the age of 60ish, and then retire.  If you are reading this article, that is not you!  In fact, if you are reading an article like this, then you, by nature, are most likely entrepreneurial, driven, and a risk taker.  Let?s face it?you would not be considering working from home unless you believed that you could succeed.  This is dangerous.  Let me explain.

At first the grandiose vision of controlling your own fate by starting up your own business and working from home is great.  But once you actually take the leap and begin working from home, you will quickly realize that you are, in fact, in control of your own fate!!  For better or worse!  Here is the deal?if you work from home, you are the only worker.  That means when you work things get done, and when you do not, things do not get done.  Now, it is very possible to build an automated business that produces income for you when you are not working, but that will not happen overnight.  That will take time.  Therefore, especially in the early days, the amount of time you work will often correlate highly with how much revenue your business can produce.  This leads to the primary conflict I want to introduce in this article?the work/life balance.

As I said, when you first venture out into the great land of entrepreneurship and self-employment, the grandeur of future success is energizing.  However, the reality is that working from home will require dedication, hard-work and self-discipline.  You will quickly realize that the more you work, the more work you get done, and if you are considering this path, then you are most likely driven and ambitious, and this is a deadly combination.  If there is always work to be done, and you are extremely driven and ambitious, then there is the very real possibility that you will never stop working.

Set Clear Boundaries
Therefore, the purpose of this article is to make you aware of this very real scenario and encourage you to plan ahead.  Now, you can sit down and plan a rigid schedule for when and how often you will work each day and each week.  And strive to not break this schedule.  One of the biggest killers of many new entrepreneurs is sheer exhaustion.  Never underestimate the importance of rest and relaxation.  If you work from home, it is easy to never stop working.  But the reality is that you are not impervious.  It will catch up with you. 

Therefore, plan scheduled breaks throughout the day, and try to work very limited hours or not at all on nights and weekends.  By recognizing this ahead of time, and planning accordingly, you will be equipped and ready to manage this challenge when the time comes.

Jason Hoerr is an entrepreneur, writer for SmallBusinessLoansDirect.com, and trader based in Charlotte, NC.

When it comes to applying for a home telecommute job there are a few important tips you need to remember when you are filling out those online applications or emailing / postal mailing in those resumes.  Today, I thought I would share a few tips with all of you who are looking for a telecommuting job.

1. When filling out online telecommute job applications you always want to answer each question to the best of your ability. Your answers to their questions should be brief and to the point without any added fluff.

2. Never EVER lie or stretch the truth on job applications or on resumes. Anytime you lie or embellish your answers on applications or resumes it will come back to bite you in the butt. Being truthful with your answers is always the BEST thing to do.

3. If you have a resume that you personally drafted up it is very important to proofread it for any grammar or spelling mistakes. You want the potential employer to get a good “first” impression about you and you want that impression to be a professional one. If your resume is drafted up improperly and/or filled with grammar and spelling mistakes it will send up a RED FLAG to that employer right away.

4. When providing your contact information on your application/resume make sure it is complete and accurate. Most companies will contact you during the weekdays during normal working hours so if you are providing a phone number for them to contact you at…make sure it is a number where you are most likely to be during the daytime hours.

5. One you have submitted your application and/or resume online to the potential employer don’t start emailing them and calling them to find out your status right away. These days potential employers really spend a good bit of time looking over applicants applications and resumes and it could be “weeks” until you hear from them (if you hear from them at all).

When it comes to applying for a home telecommute job it does take quite a bit of time to land one…most people tell me that it takes 6 months or longer so you will need to be patient! Keep filling out those applications and keep sending in those resumes and hopefully you will eventually land yourself a “dream” home telecommute job! Good Luck!

Work At Home Jobs Search – Top 10 Time Savers by Tammy Embrich

Work at home jobs, (the legitimate ones that is) are certainly not going to come to you easily. Searching for the reputable ones are both challenging and time consuming. However, there are certain things you can do to help save you a ton of time. Knowing how and where to search is essentially half the battle, along with being computer search savvy of course.

Below are 10 time savers that will benefit you while searching for home based positions

1. Realize that you DO have to actually work in order to make a lucrative income. Don’t spend time on searching for easy street riches. They do not exist period.

2. Do apply for online work for which you have appropriate skills for. Yes, for most “real” at home jobs, you do have to have some skills and experience! It’s no different than any outside- the-home employment. There are a few online companies that will train. Please check into this before applying.

3. Don’t mess around with a poorly structured resume. Your resume is the key to landing an online position in the first place. Make for sure it is well written and also make sure you make several copies so you have them ready to go.

Below are a few resume how to sites for your convenience

howtowritearesume.net/

goldenresume.us/resume-tools.htm

kellyservices.us/web/us/services/en/pages/resume_tips.html

spherion.com/careers/Job_Seeker_Tools.jsp

how-to-write-a-resume.org/resume_writing.htm

4. Properly utilize and take advantage of your search options for searching for job sites such as:

careerbuilder.com

indeed.com

monster.com

genuinejobs.com

jobhits.com

snagajob.com

5. Sign up for job listing alerts with google.com/alerts You can make these alerts for anything you wish, work at home ideas, listings, “jobs,” etc… I suggest to set alerts up to be delivered daily.

6. Do a search on google.com for newsletters, and sign up. You’ll come up with tons of results by typing in the word phrase “work from home newsletters.”

7. Think ahead for interview discussions. Be prepared to discuss any and all skills you have. This of course includes all past occupations you’ve had. Also be prepared to answer why you are the best candidate for the position. This question is often asked at interviews.

8. Always provide a professional and functional email address to include on your resume. When using an out-dated email address, of course it’s highly unlikely that you’ll be contacted. So double check when filling out that resume and make sure your email addy is a reputable one.

9. Sign up on the top social networks sites, such as; Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can then do searches for job listings, leads, and telecommuting, etc… Network with the people you know, and ask questions. Also follow and add friends for only others you will benefit from.

10. Make sure the company you are applying at is not a scam. The top red flags for scam companies are as follows:

1- Promising huge earnings in a very short time

2- No contact information

3- Large fees involved. Don’t apply on job sites that require fees unless they are small ones and are for one of the three following items:

* headset

* foot pedal

* background check

The time saving tips above will sure to benefit your search experience and get you the work at home job in the shortest time possible.

Article written by: Tammy Embrich

Tammy has been successful in the work at home industry for many years. She is an Internet marketer, article marketer, and ghostwriter. She offers free job leads for the job seeker, as well as other work at home resources, work at home articles, tips, and more at http://www.onestopwebemployment.com.

You can also find Tammy at Work At Home Jobs, offering legitimate work at home companies, more free job leads, work at home articles, and much more.

Article Source: WAHM Articles

Ever send your resume in through a high traffic job board posting and not know what the person on the other end is looking for, or if they are even the person that is going to decide whether or not they hire you?

Getting your resume to the decision maker requires a little bit of skill in investigation, networking, and playing dumb….Yep that’s right playing dumb will get you past the gate keepers.

In this scenario what how Sales Rep Cindy navigates her resume into the hands of the decision maker and quickly gets an interview.

Step Number One.

Target a specific company that fits your industry that has a good reputation and begin doing research online. Try to find job postings that will carry keywords that you can relate to on your resume, try to find as many contact names, email addresses and phone numbers on the website as possible, and bookmark the contact us form if applicable. Most websites have a contact form if you need to fill out a complaint or have questions about products and services; this area is also great for jobs seekers.

Step Number Two:

Once your resume/cover letter is fine written to the tune of what the company does and how your skills and qualifications match what that company’s website obtained, you now ready to email, fax, and make phone calls.

Step Number Three-Email:

You may have collected some emails from the website that are not HR related, they may go to the VP of the company or a customer service rep, maybe a receptionist. It doesn’t matter; blind copy all of them so that everyone gets a copy of your resume. You may get a response back that says that you sent your resume to the wrong department; the responder may give you the name and contact information of the right person to send it too.

In a perfect world Bob the responder might say “you sent this to me by mistake I work in the Sales Dept not HR, you need Donna Smith in HR her email address is Donna.Smith@xyzcompany.org and extension is 4533. Good Luck. But in most cases Bob in Sales won’t respond he will think it is just spam, delete it, and move on or perhaps use your email address as a marketing lead.

Step Number Four-Phone:

***Notice the emails you collected online contain names domains like Bonnie.Lewis@xyzcompany.org

You have sent in your emails now it is time to call to follow up to the only number listed on the website. Whether Bob responds to your email or not following up with a phone call is the key. You call in and Bonnie the receptionist answers, you say to Bonnie that you applied for a position in her company and wondered if she received your resume. Bonnie will say “yes I received your resume and forwarded it the HR department, I’m just a receptionist I don’t do the hiring”. You respond by saying “Bonnie I apologize for sending you my resume, I was unsure of who was the decision maker on the hiring (play dumb), I do appreciate your efforts in sending my resume to the HR department, can you tell me who is in charge of the hiring in HR?” Bonnie replies, “That would be Michelle Stafford” Would you happen to know her extension or can you direct me to her voicemail?

In most cases Bonnie would just send you to voicemail, but the good news is you are now getting somewhere. Cindy leaves Michelle a message “Hi Michelle, my name is Cindy, I recently spoke with Bonnie (name drop) about applying for a position within your company and I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time so I can ask a few questions about your hiring process? Please give me a call or email me with the best time to reach you, my number and email address is……..

At this point, you have sent in your resume to everyone except Michelle; however you left her a voicemail and gave her a call to action, partnered-networked with Bonnie, and now know the name of the person who will make the hiring decision. By using Bonnie’s email address it is not too difficult to figure out Michelle’s email address, so now you can send your resume and get it in front of the decision maker.

Please stay tuned, in my next post I will explain the features and benefits of following up with HR and how to sell yourself over the phone and get an immediate face to face interview.

I hope this information helps and good luck with your job search.

Bryan Moore
10 Years-Executive Recruiter
Blog: http://careerprobryan.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/CareerproBryan
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/careerprobryan
Email: careerprobryan(at)gmail(dot)com