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9/30/08

Using Telecommuting Job Listings Might Not Be An Option

Using Telecommuting Job Listings Might Not Be An Option
By Jordan Matthews




Telecommuting is a work at home job using a computer connected to the network of another employer. In order to find a good telecommuting job, you must consult a specialized telecommuting job listing on the internet or on a company's web site. There are typically not many positions available on these telecommuting job listings because these positions generally get filled very quickly as they are in high demand. A much better option would be to get involved in freelancing and working at home.



While telecommuting offers many advantages, sometimes these positions are difficult to do and extremely difficult to find. Freelancing contracts are available everywhere, very simple to find, and allow you to ensure that you're only working on projects you truly enjoy doing.



You have to be patient in choosing from telecommuting job listings as the internet is filled with scams. Look for a legitimate position where you will be convenient and safe. Freelancing websites like Get A Freelancer will allow you to have payment waiting in escrow before you accept a contract, which offers you a measure of safety not normally found with a regular service.



Most jobs from telecommuting job listings are outsourcing and this makes the company keep their costs down. This is a win-win situation for the employer, wherein the companies keep their costs low. While approaching a contract or project you find at these sources, be sure to treat that project like any other job. Your resume should be like any other professional resume, and you should always have a professional attitude and .



With the advent of computer and internet, more and more people are getting in to the telecommuting field. For them, telecommuting job listings prove to find a successful job, with the flexibility to run your life on your own schedule. More than fifteen million people in the USA work from home in one way or another.



Working from home requires skill, experience and discipline. With all these, one can surely find a job from telecommuting job listings. Skills include hobbies, interests, pastimes and volunteer experiences. You can translate these skills into working from home jobs like researching, writing, computer skills, sales and marketing and telephone communication.



These contracts have potential to start a new way of life for you, and turn your work at home dream into a reality. While finding a full- or part-time position with a company who lists on a telecommuting job listing may not always be your best bet, there are always contracts and projects available on a freelancing site like Get A Freelancer.




Jordan Matthews is a internet entrepreneur who got his start with freelancing work and telecommuting. Sign up for his newsletter at Telecommuting101.com and get a free guide to doing freelance work online, plus a list of other work at home jobs that are available.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jordan_Matthews
http://EzineArticles.com/?Using-Telecommuting-Job-Listings-Might-Not-Be-An-Option&id=853698

9/29/08

Many People Telecommute, Saving On Time and Money

Many People Telecommute, Saving On Time And Money
By Shakir A.




People are beginning to discover the benefits of being able to telecommute from home. This is a concept that is beginning to catch on in today’s fast and demanding world. Many people spend hours a day commuting to and from their places of work. This entails a lot of time lost in man hours and money. Telecommuting saves both. Being able to telecommute means having more time to work and earn a decent living, spend some more quality time with family and cut out the stress of having to travel such long hours daily.



People who telecommute are more relaxed and are able to concentrate on their work thus producing good quality work. They are more motivated than the people who find themselves having to be dragged out of bed with the thought of traveling by bus of commuter train to get to the place of work and having to face the boss who had probably been in the same frame of mind in the morning and is all the more ready to make life a misery for his staff. Now, telecommuting is not for everyone. It does demand a certain level of dedication and discipline. People who telecommute can be described as their own boss, however, they do have to keep to a fixed style of functioning and deliver results in order to keep their job. There are few jobs that cannot be done by telecommuting. But the list of jobs that can be done is endless. Telecommuting basically means that people need not travel to their place of work, they work from home through the telephone network or the Internet.



In order to be able to telecommute one needs to have basic computer skills and access to the internet. Broadband Internet facilities will be an advantage as the scope of telecommuting jobs increases. With the added peripherals such as a web cam and microphone people can setup a home office to serve a wide range of industries. Many people are known to have set up customer care centers for companies and offer online consultancy and customer support in their line of expertise. This line could be computer assistance, or just taking down customer enquiries or replying to customer mails. Many online marketing companies offer telecommuting jobs to people, which requires them to make international phone calls though the voice over Internet Protocol. This is a very inexpensive way of telecalling and many people have taken up such telecommuting contracts.



The fact is that people are beginning to see the light of telecommuting. IT saves them a lot of cash on commuting, there is a lot more time to spend with family and friends or just doing what you like to do. There is no need to stay in one place if you can work from a laptop, this meant that if your laptop has access to the internet you can travel and do your work at the same time. This is a very advantageous proposition for software freelance engineers and web designers. Telecommuting is made just to suit their industry. These professionals can telecommute and enjoy a good vacation at the same time. In fact, people who telecommute will be in a more healthy state of mind than those who travel miles to get to work every day.




Shakir A. is writer an independent writer on Internet marketing, Online Video Advertising, Video Conferancing and it's happenings in Internet industry. More Detaiils for Video Conferancing at http://www.tandberg.com



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shakir_A.
http://EzineArticles.com/?Many-People-Telecommute,-Saving-On-Time-And-Money&id=516877

9/26/08

Help! How Do I Find Legitimate Telecommuting Jobs?

Help! How Do I Find Legitimate Telecommuting Jobs?
By Christine Groth




Tips and Guidelines for today’s frustrated, I need to quit my job, worker.



I suppose a lot of you are wondering, how can I replace my $50,000 yearly income. I’m here to tell you “yes” you can do it. My income last year was comparable to any professional.



Funny thing is last night I was at the YMCA( waiting for my daughters swim team pictures) reading my latest book, “Think and Grow Rich” by N. Hill and I noticed a lady sitting next to me reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad. This of course immediately excited me and I broke into a conversation with her regarding all my legitimate telecommuting jobs in the past year. I don’t know what exactly got into me, but I must say I really enjoyed talking about my legitimate telecommuting jobs.



How lucky am I that I work from home and I’m there to participate in my daughters activities. When our weekends arrive they are spent doing family activities, not catching up on work. So I feel blessed. I also feel that creativity is so important and the ability to think out of the box. We all need to work on this because I believe the school system has done a good job of making us all conform to the same thought process.



My typical day starts out with getting my twin daughters ready for school. Afterwards I exercise at the YMCA for one hour than precede to the grocery store to pick-up the evening’s meal. I then check in with my employee (who’s a great lady) and proceed to turn on my computer. I work until 2:30P.M., then pick-up my daughters and do activities with them which of course would be piano, homework, swim team practice. Evenings are spent talking to my husband, reading, and working online. I watch very little T.V. For one thing I find it totally boring. I do watch movies, but that’s about it.



So I ask you, why do you keep working for a job that you don’t like. Or maybe the problem is you have no time for your family, and your house is consistently a war zone of clutter?



So how do you find Legitimate Telecommuting jobs?



There are various ways, but I must inform you patience is a virtue. No business evolves overnight. This is a struggle for a lot of people including myself. You want to see the fruits of your labor now. All things need time and nurturing.



Tips in finding Legitimate Telecommuting Jobs?



1. Job Boards: Go to online sources such as Mega Job Boards. It is possible to find some legitimate telecommuting jobs here but be careful and do some screening. Also take a look at Niche job boards. These are boards that advertise jobs within a particular or category. Retailjobs.com is an example of an industry niche board.



2. Staffing Firms Web Sites: Because telecommuting been growing in popularity, there
Are some people who have found a career in searching job boards, newspapers, and
Search engines.



3. Create you own Job. If you have a special talent, such as technical writing or medical transcription create a job for yourself. Market yourself to companies. You also can start-up a small business in your home, such as a children’s daycare center. Be creative and think out side of the box.



Please take time to look at my archives; they mention many of the legitimate telecommuting jobs that I am currently pursuing.



Good luck in your searches. I think it will be well worth it.



Please feel free to share this information with others provided all links and names remain intact.




Christine Groth, webmistress and entrepreneur writes articles for her website http://www.makingseriousmoney.com



To find out more regarding working at home subscribe to her free newsletter at http://www.makingseriousmoney.com



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christine_Groth
http://EzineArticles.com/?Help!--How-Do-I-Find-Legitimate-Telecommuting-Jobs?&id=150907

9/25/08

Telecommuting Cover Letters

Telecommuting Cover Letters
By Nell Taliercio




Question: How do I market myself online?



Answer: With a stellar cover letter and resume.



Okay, so let's get into the meat of this. You know that you need to market yourself, and you can do that with a stellar cover letter and resume. But, why is that so important? Let's think about this. When you apply offline for a job, you are competing with a handful of people (usually) and right there you have a better chance to get called in for an interview. Online jobs you are often competing with hundreds, if not thousands, of other applicants for the very same position.



In the "real world" you apply in person. Therefore, you can dress for success and put your best foot forward. You can impress them with your presence and personality. Online you can’t. What’s your "best foot forward" online?



That would be your cover letter and resume – how you present yourself on paper. Your cover letter and resume have to show your skills and your personality; it has to be your presence.



How do you put your best foot forward with your cover letter and resume? A telecommuting employer (one who hires work at home employees) is looking for different things on cover letters and resumes then those offline. Let’s talk about cover letters first. If you're not sending a cover letter with your resume then this might be one of the reasons you're not getting hired. The cover letter is your VERY first impression. Take the time to show you're very serious about the job they have open. See if you can find who the head of HR is, and address it to that person. Tailor your cover letter to that specific position.



This is optional, but I always put where I found the position (for example, "The position I'm applying for is Customer Service, which I found at XYZ.com"). I always did that even with offline jobs, but it’s not necessary. I think some employers just like to know where you heard about their job. This is especially helpful online because jobs get passed around and around online. It could have started out on a certain website and then ended up on hundreds of others.



Make sure you pay attention to the job ad. Does it say you need DSL? Does it say you will be working with certain software? Whatever the requirements, if you meet them, put that down on the cover letter. The employer will scan over your cover letter, and you want what’s on yours to stand out and grab their eye. If you have what they need, you're going to grab their attention – and that’s what you want!



Overall, you want to pay attention to detail, outline why you're the best person for the job (without going on too long about how great you are), and point out that you have what is required for the job.




Nell Taliercio is the owner and founder of
TelecommutingMoms.com – which is a leading resource website with
work at home jobs and everything
a telecommuting mom would need. Come visit us today!



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nell_Taliercio
http://EzineArticles.com/?Telecommuting-Cover-Letters&id=22196

9/24/08

Efficient Telecommuting-Tips for Being More Productive as You Work From Home

Efficient Telecommuting - Tips for Being More Productive as You Work From Home
By Kathy Swann




With the cost of commuting at an all time high, some companies are now allowing employees to work from home. Here are some tips to be just as productive in your home office as you are in your corporate one. (These can also apply to those of you with a home-based business.)



Have your morning ritual as you would if you were working in a corporate office. Make that cup of coffee, settle in, and mentally prepare yourself for the day. You can still sit there in your PJs, but having the same ritual each morning prepares your mind to begin your work day.



Start your day with an agenda. Spend a few moments either the night before or first thing in the morning and create a to-do list in order to stay on track with the tasks you intend to accomplish for the day.



Make sure you are available during regular work hours. It's okay to skip out to get some lunch, but take your cell phone with you so the office can reach you. Constantly being unavailable could make your boss think you are playing instead of working.



Keep the TV turned off, and stay out of the fridge. It's easy to spend just a few minutes watching Jerry Springer or Dr. Phil as you eat your third snack of the morning, but you're doing a disservice to your job as well as your waistline.



Answer your emails and return phone calls as promptly as you can. Obviously, if you are concentrating on a special project, it's expected that you won't answer every email as soon as it comes in. Make it a practice to take short breaks from your project to respond to your messages so your co-workers in the office know they can count on you if a problem arises.



Appreciate that you work for a company that allows you to work from home since not every job is capable of this flexibility. You're not wasting time sitting in a traffic jam and you're saving gasoline as well. However, working from home should be just as productive as working in the office-be sure your boss knows how much work you have accomplished so you can keep telecommuting as an on-going perk at your job.



©2008 Kathy Swann




Kathy Swann has over 25 years experience in office management, payroll and Human Resources and also works as a consultant for several small businesses. She is the author of the "How to Win" series of e-books available at http://www.SuncatcherPress.com



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kathy_Swann
http://EzineArticles.com/?Efficient-Telecommuting---Tips-for-Being-More-Productive-as-You-Work-From-Home&id=1142418

9/23/08

Telecommuting-Work from Home-Increases as Gas Prices Rise

Telecommuting - Work from Home - Increases as Gas Prices Rise
By Jeanette Joy Fisher




It's been growing steadily over the past few years, but the trend toward telecommuting has increased significantly during the dramatic rise in gas prices. With gas hovering at $3.00/gallon, more and more employees are beginning to call in sick or take more time off because of the pinch they're feeling due to the high cost of commuting to work every day.

Recent figures compiled by the International Telework Association and Council illustrate the growing telecommuting trend. Their figures show that some 26 million Americans work from home at least one day every month, and another 22 million do part of their jobs from home a minimum of once a week.

U.S. companies are beginning to sense the cost of employee absence, and they're also beginning to see a trend toward shorter commutes. That may eventually translate into one of a couple outcomes. First, companies may be forced to move their workplaces closer to their potential workforce in able to attract and keep employees in the face of increasing fuel costs. The other alternative would be to begin allowing employees to work from home, whether fulltime or on a part-time basis.

In states that have traditionally seen employees making long commutes, such as California, a 160-mile round trip would cost drivers about $15.00/day in $3.00/gallon gas, assuming they have a reasonably fuel efficient vehicle. An SUV or other gas-guzzling vehicle would send that total much higher. Either way, such a long commute would take a large bite out of an employee's bottom line.

If the trend continues, and there's no reason to believe it won't, America will soon be known as a telecommuter nation, with a majority of workers doing their jobs from home at least one or two days a week. Many employers have begun to see the handwriting on the wall and have begun offering their employees the opportunity to telecommute in order to maintain productivity levels and to retain employees who might leave if the cost of their commute began to adversely affect them substantially enough.

Part of the reason for the growth in telecommuting is the fact that it's becoming more socially acceptable. Where it used to be the rare exception to the rule, it's not unusual at all to hear someone say that they're working from home several days a week. As the concept becomes more widespread, it's likely to pick up even more steam.

Managers used to worry about lack of control over employee productivity, but the years have proven that telecommuters are often more productive than their counterparts in the office. There are few distractions and they often work harder.

Employees are also becoming less likely to devote hours of frustrating commute time to a job. The current trend is toward shorter commutes or no commute at all. People simply don't want to sit in traffic or drive long distances the way they used to, and eventually companies will need to accommodate employee demands if they want to attract and keep quality people.

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher




Jeanette Fisher ( http://www.jeanettefisher.com ) teaches Environmental Psychology. Free PDF report, "American's Fight Back - Ways to Save Gas" and "Just Stay Home" Campaign



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanette_Joy_Fisher
http://EzineArticles.com/?Telecommuting---Work-from-Home---Increases-as-Gas-Prices-Rise&id=215029

9/22/08

Work At Home Telecommuting As a Call Center Agent

Work At Home Telecommuting As A Call Center Agent
By Elaine Currie




If you are looking online for jobs you can do at home, you will undoubtedly have come across many home business opportunities where you get to do work such as affiliate marketing or joining an MLM program. Opportunities and advice on starting your own home business are advertised all over the Internet, however, real jobs you can do at home are nigh on impossible to locate.



Why is this? Well, for a start, not all jobs are suitable for home based employment so the opportunities for working at home are reduced. Another reason is that employers have been slow to catch on to the idea of employing staff to work at home. Instead of considering the massive savings they could make in terms of office space, lighting, heating and so on, employers focus on the fact that they will be unable to directly supervise their staff members. If staff are paid by results, they have a better chance of finding jobs where they can work from home than if they were paid a set hourly rate.



All these things combine to limit the number of work at home jobs available. Demand for work at home jobs currently far exceeds the supply. There are, however, a couple of areas where real work at home jobs are becoming more plentiful; one area where the number of jobs at home on offer are increasing is in call-center work.



Anyone who has needed to contact a company's Customer Service Department and has been routed to a call-center will know that many of them are based overseas but there is a less well-known trend for hiring more local call-center staff. Between 2000 and 2007 the number of home-based call-center employees in the USA tripled. According to research conducted by Yankee Group there are more than 670,000 work at home phone agents employed in the USA and Canada alone.



Working at home as a call-center agent has many of the advantages of running your own home business including the obvious ones such as flexible working hours and no commuting. You are, however, an employee just as much as if you were working in your employer's building and your earning potential is dictated by how much work the employer provides. Home-based call-center workers are normally contractors who are paid for the actual number of minutes they spend on the phone to customers. Working hours, although flexible, have to be sanctioned by the employer, so you can't just decide to change your hours without giving any notice.



Hourly rates of pay for work at home call-center staff are not particularly high and depend upon the type of work undertaken. For example if your job is to simply take down customer orders over the phone, you will not earn as much as you would providing technical support or in a position requiring sales skills.



When considering the rates of pay for a home-based call-center agent job, you need to take into account that by working at home, you will be saving money. For example, you won't have to pay for fares or fuel, you won't have to maintain a working-clothes wardrobe and, if you are a parent (as most people who want to work at home are), you won't have to pay expensive child-care fees. Despite the comparatively low rates of pay, telecommuting as a call-center agent is worth considering if you want a job where you can work at home.




To find sources of legitimate telecommuting work at home, visit Elaine Currie's Work At Home Directory. While you are there, pick up a free copy of Ezine Article Writing - 10 Steps To Success



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Elaine_Currie
http://EzineArticles.com/?Work-At-Home-Telecommuting-As-A-Call-Center-Agent&id=816009

9/19/08

Good News for Work from Home Moms

Good News for Work from Home Moms

Home Business,Business Opportunities,Business


A lot of people are becoming attracted to the work from home set-up. Public and private records reveal that the number of men and women who are deciding to work at home is on an upward trend. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 4.12 million people in the country may (1) are operating a home-based small business (2) may be telecommuting, (3) or are into the service industry. This trend is most apparent in the increasing number of work from home moms.
But why the sudden interest in work at home opportunities? Aside from the apparent reason that work from home moms are able to look after the needs of their family, there are also other advantages in working at home. Among these include:

Freedom - you can do what you want. As work from home moms, there is no office politics, to irritating boss to get along with and your hours are incredibly flexible. Work at home mom can work and earn as they choose in the comfort of their own homes.

Financial advantages - with the increasing cost of fuel, work from home moms can save a lot on fuel expenses. It is also not necessary for you to buy corporate suits for your daily office attire.

Tax advantages - as the proprietor of a home based business establishment, you have some tax benefits not available in other types of business structures. You can deduct operating and depreciation expenses so property taxes, mortgage, and even utilities can become tax deductible.

Get rid of stress - working at home can lower stress because you don't need to juggle your professional life with your family life. Stay at home moms are still capable of fulfilling their work duties while meeting the family's needs at the same time.

Job satisfaction and productivity - as a home based worker, no one can stop you from becoming a sales personnel, a marketing manager, or a secretary. You can be busy with different job functions. You can vary your business activities and stop boredom at its tracks.

Competitive advantage - work from home moms can decrease business overhead costs because of lower operating cost. The business becomes more competitive in their pricing and service strategy.

Given all the benefits stated above, it is obvious that more people will decide to work from home. Everyday, more people are realizing the opportunities in working in the home environment. However, there are many who miss the point completely. Some work from home moms search for jobs for mom just to "get by".

But why "get by" when you can be rich. There are numerous money generating businesses online. But these potential are usually goes unnoticed by work from home moms since they are preoccupied by looking for low-paying jobs such as data entry, online surveys, and other similar tasks. But set aside some time for research and you will find out that credit repair is the best industry to get into these days.

Starting a credit repair business enables you to have the potential to become wealthy, secure a financial "safety net", be in business with minimal overhead, enjoy an effortless business endeavor, achieve real financial freedom, have all the luxuries you want, and have the satisfaction of helping others repair their credit.

===================== About the Author:

Jim Eastman writes on a variety of topics. For more information about a work from home moms - home business", visit http://www.creditrepairbiz.com/work-from-home-moms.html and sign up for a free email course.

9/18/08

Learn About Temp Jobs-Home and Away

Career


Temp jobs exist everywhere ?at the fast food joint just down the street, in another part of the world or across town. Just about all companies have temp jobs. Home workers can also work at temporary jobs and never have to leave the house if they have a telecommuting job. Most students work in temporary jobs while they are still in high school and college to give them extra spending money. In fact many students actually pay their way through college in this way. If you are short of cash or if you can find a job in your field of expertise or even if you are retired and just want something to occupy your time, there are temporary jobs you can apply for. You just have to look for them.
At one time, temporary work was only available ion seasonal industries, such as fishing and farming and in the world of secretaries and receptionists. Today, however, this type of work exists in virtually every industry and every type of job you can name. Teachers, for example, often work as supply teachers, filling in for permanent teachers when they are on sick leave or attending conferences. Doctors work as temps to fill in for doctors in various locations for short periods of time. Working as a temp gives you the flexibility to choose when you want to work and the location. In most cases, you can choose your own hours and decline offers of work when you just want to take some time off.

Temporary jobs are very beneficial for those who need to spend more time with their families. They are also great ways for college graduates to gain the experience they need to place on their resumes when they have a temporary job in their field. They also have a suitable reference for potential employers to check. If you are considering working in a certain area and would like to have some idea of what this type of job entails, then working temporarily in the field or in a particular environment will give you the information you seek.

If you are trying to work your way up the corporate ladder, then a temporary job would not be a good choice for you. However, if you would like to get your foot in the door with a specific company with the hope of obtaining full time or permanent employment with a firm, then working as a temp is a great way to make yourself known to those who do the hiring. Many companies hire temporary workers to see how they work out before they offer them a permanent job. If you do well in the position, then you are well poised to move up in the company.

There are many temp agencies that recruit workers for a variety of jobs. In these cases, these agencies pay your salary and not the company that you work for. If you want a job in which you will be a direct employee of the company, then you should look for ads placed in newspapers and online.

For more information on temp jobs such as temp writing jobs,visit http://www.TempJobsBoard.com the best place to find temporary jobs


Turning What You Love to Do into a Home-based Business

Turning What You Love to Do into a Home-based Business

By: Sylvie Fortin

Do you want to learn the biggest secret that all great telecommuters know and the main reason they are employed full time from home?

The secret is simply that if you want to work from home, you have to change your mindset and realize that you are in control of whether or not you are going to have a job you love. Once you realize that you are the only one who can make the necessary changes in your life, you are giving yourself permission to imagine what it would feel like to have a work-at-home job that you absolutely love.

Let’s explore what makes you tick and what you love to do. See, if you are going to work from home, you might as well do something that you love to do. There's no point in spending time doing what you hate doing or you'll be miserable every day you're doing it. So, let's go about finding out what you love to do so you can find joy in your work!

List Your Hobbies
To discover what you love to do, begin by listing everything that you love to do in your spare time. If you have a passion for cat grooming, put it on your list. If you drool over building birdhouses, put that on the list. Don't dismiss it just because you think it has nothing to do with telecommuting. You may find yourself surprised how even the most peculiar hobby can be turned into a successful home business.

List Your Skills
Now, you need to list your skills. This list should include all the things that you do really well, whether or not you like doing it. Be very precise.

Now that you have your raw list of skills, let's start flexing our creative muscles. To discover your ideal job, you’re going to have to start thinking like a business consultant—you know, those well-paid executives who are paid to come up with creative ideas for other companies to implement. It’s time for you to start being your own business consultant and come up with your own creative niche in your telecommuting career.

Invent Your Own Career
What you need to do is take a few steps outside yourself. Pretend that you are a well-paid executive business consultant that needs to figure out what you do best. Review your two lists very carefully and let your creativity tell you what your perfect career choice may be.

If your favorite hobby is antique furniture refinishing it might not seem like there would be a telecommuting career hidden in there. But, if we look closer, we'll see that there is any number of possible home-based careers that can take advantage of your knowledge of antique furniture. For example,

If one of your skills was writing, you could write a How To Guide on refinishing antiques and sell it as an eBook. You could also write a How To Guide on finding great deals on old antiques and how to spot an authentic antique under years and layers of old paint. If you were an excellent researcher, you could freelance your research skills to antique stores. You could contact antique shops and offer your services as a researcher to locate rare pieces for them to purchase. If you were tech savvy, you could create a series of web templates specifically geared towards antique shops and give them away to antique stores. Of course, you would also offer to modify any template of their choice and maintain their site, for a fee. If you were good at organizing parties and events, you could organize an antique show and involve many of the stores and shops in your area. You could set up a trade show where antiques were showcased and all the stores who want to participate would pay a fee to have their booth at the show.

As you can see, even a seemingly obscure hobby like antiquing can be turned into a work-at-home job when you align your loves with your skills. Are you starting to get the idea now? If so, turn on that little light bulb blinking above your head and get started imagining how you can turn what you love into a thriving and satisfying home-based business.




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This article is excerpted from “You Can Work in Your PJs”, a real world guide to telecommuting. Sylvie Fortin works from home full time and wrote this book to share her unique techniques with others. You can download your copy of “You Can Work in Your PJs” by visiting http://www.inyourpjs.com

9/17/08

Telecommuting-New Work from Home Opportunities

Career


Save gas, telecommute! As the cost of commuting to your regular office daily has become prohibitively high, and the commuting itself has become time consuming and risky, it is best to do work from home.
More and more companies, especially in the technology field, are actively encouraging their employees to work from home. These companies are letting their work to be shared among their regular office staff and other freelancers, the scope and opportunities for the freelancer are growing. The companies are saving money on salaries and energy, and are getting better quality from the specialist freelancers. This trend is growing and everyone concerned are accepting it. Teleworkers, employees working from home or telecommuters, as they are popularly known are required to visit their office only about once or twice a week, and rest of the days are working from home.

Technology has provided the advanced means of doing any kind of job virtually. Even the meeting with clients and customers can be arranged through teleconferencing. Now, any person can meet his clients, colleagues, or suppliers instantly through using various dedicated softwares. The need to travel long distances to meet them has been eliminated because a better job can be done through he use of these softwares and dedicated hardwares. Important decisions can be taken instantly and effectively now.

Telecommuting or doing work from home has become an advantage to the young mom and dads, and the countless jobless people who had to hunt for a job in their own hometowns. Now, they can work from home for global companies without risking their health and enjoy family life while still working. Health insurance is still a section that needs to be carefully addressed and arranged, but time and planning will definitely solve that issue. Management of the various job related requirements, as well as home management can be effectively addressed too.

Any motivated and self-disciplined person can adapt himself to this changed scenario in job very easily. A work from home career demand stricter implementation of working rules. Telecommuting has a drawback that it can make the employee very lazy and brings casualness in his approach to the important work. However, training, especially the psychology involved in the work from home career can banish the casualness and can enforce a strict approach towards the job.

There are many aspects to make the work from home career more interesting. As becoming lonely or feeling the loneliness and isolation is a major threat that is confronted in this new career, there are ways to overcome that in the shortest possible time. Doing extra-curricular work, joining social groups, doing yoga, exercising, and mixing with friends and family regularly is the answer to this problem of feeling of isolation. As this t6ype of career is here to stay for a long time, a parallel industry of entertainment and social networking is emerging successfully.

The telecommuting job is slightly different from the actual work from home business. The income is generally stable and assured. The rules are well set and the workload is routine. In a telecommuting career, you have good professionally support staff that can assist you to fulfill your job difficulties. The market is well established unlike the work from home business, which needs more planning and implementation. Hence, telecommuting is a new approach to working and needs critical analysis to make it as professional as the regular jobs that require commuting. Patrick is a passionate believer in the power of technology to better the lives of everyone and his passion and drive are hallmarks of his attitude to doing business.

An educational site to find out ways to make money online and get a job at Job Career and Job Subscriber without paying anyone upfront fees.

9/16/08

Life As a Telecommuter

Life as a Telecommuter
Author: Leslie Truex
Published on: Nov 30, 2001

Telecommuting or working at home sounds like an ideal situation. You can get up when you want (unless you have to get kids to school), you can work in your most comfortable clothes, you can take care of household errands and chores, you can attend your children’s functions, and you can work your own hours. It’s too good to be true!

The reality is that while telecommuting does offer many wonderful perks and benefits, it’s not without its problems. While each situation is different, I thought I would chronicle one of my days so you can get a feel for what telecommuting is like.

MY OFFICE

I have a home office that takes up a significant part of the area that would be a formal living room. I’m not as organized as I should be so my desk is frequently covered with papers, pens, books, articles, and whatever of my children’s treasures that happen to end up there. Oh, and frequently there is a cat sprawled across it all.

I have a filing cabinet, which I put folders in about once a month when I get the energy to organize. The majority of my filing involves stacks of paper and some magazine boxes into which I put receipts or other important information. There are bookshelves over my desk and a ledge under my desk where I keep the books I’m most likely going to need to refer to during the course of my work.

I use a laptop but when I’m at home, I connect it to a monitor, keyboard, mouse and laser printer. Behind me is the family “workstation” which contains a desktop computer, color printer, scanner, and web cam. I do occasionally use it for work as well.

MY WORK

I have telecommuted in several different jobs. Currently I do freelance work for an online publishing company. I have in the past worked for several companies. I also run a work-at-home resource site and have written a book on telecommuting. I have recently started my own “Virtual Office Help” service as well as another side business both of which more accurately fit in the home business category. Nevertheless, the bulk of my time is spent working for the publishing company.

My job entails researching (using online databases, books, etc) and writing documents of all sort and sizes. I enjoy the variety and from it I learn many new things.

MY DAY

Each day is different depending on the day of the week but all days start by getting my son up and ready for school. Once I get my son on the bus, I go straight to my office, check email and organize my day. If it’s a Monday, Wednesday or Friday, I get my daughter up and take her to pre-school. Because it’s a thirty-minute drive, I usually stay in town. I take care of town errands such as banking or grocery shopping. If there is time, I go to Kinko’s (with my laptop) and make use of its free laptop stations.

At noon I pick my daughter up from school and head home. I get her settled with lunch and an activity and by 1 pm I’m back working in my home office. If I don’t need to be online, I may bring my laptop into the same room my daughter is in. At 3:25 I head out to get my son off the bus. Once home, I have him work on his homework while I check his book bag. I spend some time with both of them but I try to be back working by 4 or so. I work until 5 when I head to the kitchen to start dinner.

The evening I spend with the family unless I’m on a deadline in which I may go back to work after dinner. Otherwise, I wait until the kids are in bed and then go back to work if needed (there is always something I can do). All in all I work somewhere between 5 and 7 hours per day. I do work some over the weekend, usually only a few hours though.

MY CHALLENGES

While I have outlined my day above, it rarely flows as easily as suggested. Particularly during the holidays, I attend my children’s school parties or other events. Unplanned errands often pop up at inopportune times requiring a drive back into town. And my children rarely make it an entire afternoon without fighting, needing help finding something, getting hurt, or otherwise needing to interrupt me. In fact, I think having children at home is the greatest challenge. I am fortunate that the companies for which I work don’t require set hours. Some companies not only require a set period of uninterrupted work but also childcare arrangement for telecommuters.

WHY IT’S WORTH IT

Despite the challenges, working at home offers me so many advantages. The flexibility to be able to take my daughter to a good school in town instead of locally, as well as not having to send her to childcare (although I do have a friend she visits if I absolutely need the time and solitude to complete work) is really wonderful. I can go to my children’s special functions and sports events. I don’t have to call into a boss if my kids or I are sick and need to stay home. I can travel at anytime to almost anywhere because with my laptop and phone line, I can work anywhere. I have to say the best part, is not having to get dressed up in the morning as well as getting my kids ready to get us all out to jobs and school.

9/15/08

Creating Your Own Income Opportunities

Have you been looking for a way to earn money from home? Why not take the skills you currently have and build a business around them? You will be able to create your own work schedule and can choose to work with local businesses or with people you meet online.

As a sahm, I had tried so many different work at home businesses before I realized what worked. I already knew what I was good at, but what I didn't know was that it could be created into a viable home business. So look inside yourself to see what would work for you.

People that are proficient in web design can easily find work. Many people want to start an online business but don’t know the first thing about building a website – just visit any work at home message board and you will see many posts asking for help!

Are you creative? If so, you can find work as a graphic designer. Many people need help designing logos and advertising for their businesses. If you enjoy writing, you can find work as a copywriter – the person who writes the information you read on websites.

If you would rather work offline, there are still plenty of opportunities for you. Just market your services creatively – let businesses know how you can help them. For instance, if you were a teacher, now you can be an “Educational Consultant” and coordinate lesson plans for local daycares! If you were the manager at a restaurant, you can turn that into a “Catering Consultant” and help caterers and restaurants come up with new recipes or help brides plan their wedding menus.

Moms are expert organizers – offer up your skills as a “professional organizer” and get paid to clean out closets, attics and garages. Are you an expert at throwing birthday parties? Many busy parents would hire you to take care of planning their children’s parties.

Are you good at sewing, knitting or scrapbooking or some other craft? Hold classes to teach others. If you do not have room at your home, ask your local hobby shop if you can hold classes there.

As you can see, there are many ways to turn your skills into ways to work from home. Once you decide on something to do, get out there and let everyone know you are available for hire! If you do not ask for work, you won’t find any!

Mandu Usoro is an aspiring wahm who is a part time affiliate marketer for several companies and in her spare time, works on her newsletter and blogs. You can see what companies she is an affiliate for here

Make Money Online! Visit the Internet's Leading Work From Home Job Bank.

9/2/08

Touching on Telecommuting

Touching on Telecommuting
By Nell Taliercio

I have exciting news if you want to stay home with your precious babies, but still need a weekly paycheck. If you think you can’t do both, I’m here to tell you that you can! The official word for what I’m talking about it “Telecommuting”, but it’s also known as a work at home job.

If you’re brand new to the concept let me tell you a quick overview of the meaning. Basically, a telecommuting job is much like a job outside the home. You work for an employer, you have assigned duties, you often make an hourly rate, receive a paycheck and do this all from home.

The differences from outside the home to inside is that you often do not receive any type of benefit such as you would outside the home. For instance, you won’t receive health insurance, paid holidays, paid sick leave or vacation time. The benefit you do receive is the luxury of working inside your home and being with your kids.

First Steps To Breaking Into This Field

If telecommuting does interest you there are some basic things you need to know in order to get started. First, you need to know where to find the legitimate jobs. The internet is filled with scams and it’s important that you know where to find the legitimate jobs. The following are just a few of the great resources online that provide many legitimate job listings.

FREE SITES:

www.TelecommutingMoms.com

www.WAHM.com

www.Craiglist.org

www.ABYZNewslinks.com

www.Workaholics4hire.com

FREE NEWSLETTERS:

www.TelecommutingAnswerLady.com (which is my weekly newsletter)

www.Workoptions.com

Paid Membership Sites

You certainly don’t have to pay to access legitimate job leads, but there are two websites that are legitimate and offer many leads and those are:

HomeJobStop.com

TeleworkRecruiting.com

What Jobs and Pay You Can Expect

Often, I’m asked what types of jobs are available and what one can make at home. First, I’m excited to say that there are just as many types of positions available for telecommuters as those who work outside the home. Anything from customer service to sales to marketing to data entry to medical transcription and much more!

The pay is going to vary from position to position, but the average pay seems to range from $8.00-$14.00 an hour. There are exceptions to this and it will honestly depend on your experience in a particular field and what company you get into. And there are chances to move up in many telecommuting companies so keep that in mind as well.

Read This BEFORE Applying

It’s so important that you realize getting a job at home is not easy and will take time. Not only that, but your competition will be tough and you need to stand above the rest. Being professional with your cover letter and resume and any follow up is key.

Make sure you spell check like a maniac and tailor each and every cover letter and resume to that specific job you’re applying to.

I would highly recommend you have a professional résumé writer craft a winning cover letter and resume for you. You can find an affordable and creative resume writer at www.resumeasap.com .

And in a final note with this topic, please remember to always be professional in all correspondence. If you don’t happen to receive a job you applied for don’t email the employer angrily because you did not receive the position. I received this great tip from an employer on this topic. And believe it or not, this does happen all too often.

“Don't burn bridges. When you receive a letter saying you didn't get the job, send a polite reply asking that your information be kept on file and express your interest in being considered for future openings. There is nothing to be gained by voicing any anger or resentment at not being chosen.”

Linda Stacey

What Equipment Is Needed

Just like working outside the home you’ll need certain things to do the job. You often need either all or some of the following:

Home Office

Computer

Printer

High Speed Internet (in most cases)

2nd Phone Line (sometimes)

Fax Machine (sometimes)

Quiet Environment

Depending on the job you might need something that I didn’t list. For example, if you’re a transcriptionist you might need a foot pedal or something of that nature. And there are also instances in which you won’t need all of the equipment I mentioned. The one obvious thing you will need in all cases of legitimate employment is a computer and internet access.

Final Thoughts

Please keep in mind that it often takes much longer to find and get a telecommuting job then a job outside the home. The market is very competitive and although there are many more jobs now then a few years ago there is also much more competition. So please don’t think that you will get a job tomorrow as that is not likely to happen.

Persistence is the key. Don’t give up on this happening. I firmly believe that where there’s a will there’s a way. It could take months, but when you do receive the welcome letter to a great telecommuting position it will all be worth it!

Nell Taliercio is the owner and founder of
TelecommutingMoms.com – which is a leading resource website with work at home jobs and everything a telecommuting mom would need. Come visit us today!



9/1/08

Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day!