Okay, you’ve had a couple of weeks now to adjust to the let-down of the holidays, all the hustle and bustle and the worry about where you were last year at this time! Now it is time to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and go after that new job that you are in need of in order to survive.
I am sure that you like everyone else, made out your New Year’s Resolutions and have already promptly filed them away in a drawer, never to be seen again.
Now it is time for some serious evaluation here and you need to make out a GOALS list that you see every single day. No cheating now! This has to be a BIG GOALS BOARD where you are going to post all your wants and needs for your new job.
It needs to be out where you can see it on a daily basis. Statistics show that people who make visual goal boards are more likely to obtain their goals than those who do not!
Be realistic but dare to dream as well.
Start with the types of jobs you are looking for
The salary you are expecting to earn
The benefit packages that you want included
The regions of the country where you are willing to go to obtain these goals.
What are your strengths and what are your weaknesses? Not only skills wise but also personality wise?
Now what are you going to do to reach those goals?
Are you willing to work Temporary jobs while you look for what you want and need?
Do you need to think about going back to college? Can you get a grant…? Not a loan to do so?
Are you willing to relocate to another city or state? Have you done your research?
Have you reevaluated your salary needs? Can you get by on less now than you thought you could 6 mos or 12 mos ago?
Are you willing to sell some of your “stuff” in order to be in a better position financially than you are now?
Have you considered the idea of starting your own business?
Have you thought about working from home for a while?
When you see what you have to work with and what you need to get where you want to go your chances of getting there are so much better!
Let me know what you are doing to reach your goals, I would love to hear what you are doing.
Showing posts with label work at home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label work at home. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
Happy New Year Everyone
Ready………….Set………. GO!
Just a few more hours and this year will be history! If you are like me you are glad it is coming to a close and praying that the coming year is going to be better.
If you are still out there looking for work, I hope that you went ahead and did some job hunting before Christmas and that you are doing so right now as well! Chances are there are going to be some openings in January and companies will be collecting resumes right now.
Many companies laid off people in December, especially if they had no intentions of keeping them this coming year. By doing so, before the first of the year, they will not have to continue to carry their records on their books this coming year. Companies are famous for layoffs about two weeks before Christmas!
If you are still not employed, take this time to reevaluate your needs vs. your desires as far as your salary requirements and the types of positions you are looking for. Take stock of your actual needs. Can you cut some more corners in the way of expenses in order to be able to accept a lower salary? Are you now willing to relocate? Take a job that doesn’t have the fancy job title that you think you need to have?
Predictions are that the job market is going to be a tough one for several more years and there will be an abundance of available workers to fill even the most menial positions.
It appears that there are going to be some sectors that will have increasing needs for qualified employees. Expect there to be increased hiring in the health care industry. This will include everything from nurse’s aids, LPN’s, RN’s and PA’s in various types of employment settings from nursing homes, traveling nurses, and hospitals to doctor’s offices and the new types of housing developments where there are assisted living facilities as well as full care facilities in one location. Elder care is going to be on the increase as our aging population continues to grow.
In the past I would have suggested that there is always a need for teacher’s assistants, teachers, firemen, policemen and other types of law enforcement personnel to work in the jails and the court systems, or any position in a government setting, But with cuts in funds to operate these needed facilities at all levels of government, I would not recommend these occupations at this time. The coffers are hurting at city and state government levels as well as at the federal level. Many City and State governments are reducing services because of lack of funds to cover salaries.
Once again, brawn power over brain power may well be in demand. There will continue to be needs for good auto mechanics, plumbers and electricians. Not necessarily plumbers and electricians for new home construction but for taking care of needed repairs in existing homes. There may also be a demand for construction people who are good in handling remodeling repairs and changes to existing homes. Many people are deciding it is much more practical to put money into remodeling their existing homes rather than to try and purchase a new home in the present housing market. Again, look to an increase in work for the elderly who have decided to “age in place,” either out of choice or necessity. There will be work to do in making homes more wheelchair accessible, which will include widening doorways, adding safety bars in bathrooms and ramps outside to eliminate the need for navigating steps.
There is still work that will be available working on the Internet. Whether it is signing up to do surveys, which will bring in some money depending on how many you do per day, or writing articles for companies who will pay you to do so. You might also want to start a blog, such as this, where you share information with others and have affiliate marketing ads on your site that might be of interest to your readers. You won’t get rich quick but over time you might find this to be a nice source of some extra income and have an enjoyable time doing it.
Just a few more hours and this year will be history! If you are like me you are glad it is coming to a close and praying that the coming year is going to be better.
If you are still out there looking for work, I hope that you went ahead and did some job hunting before Christmas and that you are doing so right now as well! Chances are there are going to be some openings in January and companies will be collecting resumes right now.
Many companies laid off people in December, especially if they had no intentions of keeping them this coming year. By doing so, before the first of the year, they will not have to continue to carry their records on their books this coming year. Companies are famous for layoffs about two weeks before Christmas!
If you are still not employed, take this time to reevaluate your needs vs. your desires as far as your salary requirements and the types of positions you are looking for. Take stock of your actual needs. Can you cut some more corners in the way of expenses in order to be able to accept a lower salary? Are you now willing to relocate? Take a job that doesn’t have the fancy job title that you think you need to have?
Predictions are that the job market is going to be a tough one for several more years and there will be an abundance of available workers to fill even the most menial positions.
It appears that there are going to be some sectors that will have increasing needs for qualified employees. Expect there to be increased hiring in the health care industry. This will include everything from nurse’s aids, LPN’s, RN’s and PA’s in various types of employment settings from nursing homes, traveling nurses, and hospitals to doctor’s offices and the new types of housing developments where there are assisted living facilities as well as full care facilities in one location. Elder care is going to be on the increase as our aging population continues to grow.
In the past I would have suggested that there is always a need for teacher’s assistants, teachers, firemen, policemen and other types of law enforcement personnel to work in the jails and the court systems, or any position in a government setting, But with cuts in funds to operate these needed facilities at all levels of government, I would not recommend these occupations at this time. The coffers are hurting at city and state government levels as well as at the federal level. Many City and State governments are reducing services because of lack of funds to cover salaries.
Once again, brawn power over brain power may well be in demand. There will continue to be needs for good auto mechanics, plumbers and electricians. Not necessarily plumbers and electricians for new home construction but for taking care of needed repairs in existing homes. There may also be a demand for construction people who are good in handling remodeling repairs and changes to existing homes. Many people are deciding it is much more practical to put money into remodeling their existing homes rather than to try and purchase a new home in the present housing market. Again, look to an increase in work for the elderly who have decided to “age in place,” either out of choice or necessity. There will be work to do in making homes more wheelchair accessible, which will include widening doorways, adding safety bars in bathrooms and ramps outside to eliminate the need for navigating steps.
There is still work that will be available working on the Internet. Whether it is signing up to do surveys, which will bring in some money depending on how many you do per day, or writing articles for companies who will pay you to do so. You might also want to start a blog, such as this, where you share information with others and have affiliate marketing ads on your site that might be of interest to your readers. You won’t get rich quick but over time you might find this to be a nice source of some extra income and have an enjoyable time doing it.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
High Expectations and Tight Job Markets
As our unemployment figures continue to soar and not many people able to find work, getting discouraged in this job market is hard to overcome. I can tell you all kinds of things about keeping a positive attitude but it has to come from down deep within yourself.
A lot of people who are unemployed seem to think that they are going to be able to find a position at the same salary as the job that they left or even more than what they left at. With such a large pool of people to choose from, unless you are in a very specific highly skilled and highly needed area of expertise, don't count on it! I hate to throw a wet blanket on your expectations but it is true.
I can't begin to tell you how many people I've heard from who have been told "you are over qualified" for this position. That is true, you may be overqualified, now you have to convince them that you are willing to accept less pay and that you will be staying around even after the economy does turn around. I have heard of people negotiating a hiring contract, where they agree to stay a certain number of years and accept a specified increase of salary per year during that time.
Even stay at home positions are becoming few and far between as people are looking into this venue to bring in income as they continue to search for a "brick and mortar" position. Since many work at home positions are Independent Contractor status, they find that they can have great flexibility with their hours, working around interview times and continue to earn money.
In all my working years (I have worked since I was 13) I have never seen as many people searching for work at one time. In October 2009 average unemployment surged to 10.2%, the highest it had been in 26 years! You have to go back to the Great Depression in the year 1933 when the unemployment rate was 24.5% and that depression was also world wide just as our current situation is.
Who knows what the answer is going to be to reverse our current worldwide situation as well as what we are facing locally in the United States. I certainly don't have the answers, I'm riding this one out just like everyone else!
I am presently reading this book, Rich Dad Poor Dad Prophecy and finding it very enlightening. You might want to pick up a copy, it is fascinating reading.
A lot of people who are unemployed seem to think that they are going to be able to find a position at the same salary as the job that they left or even more than what they left at. With such a large pool of people to choose from, unless you are in a very specific highly skilled and highly needed area of expertise, don't count on it! I hate to throw a wet blanket on your expectations but it is true.
I can't begin to tell you how many people I've heard from who have been told "you are over qualified" for this position. That is true, you may be overqualified, now you have to convince them that you are willing to accept less pay and that you will be staying around even after the economy does turn around. I have heard of people negotiating a hiring contract, where they agree to stay a certain number of years and accept a specified increase of salary per year during that time.
Even stay at home positions are becoming few and far between as people are looking into this venue to bring in income as they continue to search for a "brick and mortar" position. Since many work at home positions are Independent Contractor status, they find that they can have great flexibility with their hours, working around interview times and continue to earn money.
In all my working years (I have worked since I was 13) I have never seen as many people searching for work at one time. In October 2009 average unemployment surged to 10.2%, the highest it had been in 26 years! You have to go back to the Great Depression in the year 1933 when the unemployment rate was 24.5% and that depression was also world wide just as our current situation is.
Who knows what the answer is going to be to reverse our current worldwide situation as well as what we are facing locally in the United States. I certainly don't have the answers, I'm riding this one out just like everyone else!
I am presently reading this book, Rich Dad Poor Dad Prophecy and finding it very enlightening. You might want to pick up a copy, it is fascinating reading.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Finding Your Inner Talents
In past articles, I have discussed working at home for other companies either as an Independent Contractor or as an employee. Of course as an Independent Contractor you are self employed and you are able to set your own work schedule, controlling the number of hours you wish to work and what time of the day or night you wish to work.
Now let’s take inventory of your skills and see how they can be turned into positions where you can work at home but starting your very own in home business. I am going to tell you about some people who have successfully started their very own businesses and I want you to mentally go through your own skills and see how they could relate to some of these people.
Sally worked for a local doctor’s office where she did all of the insurance claim work. She not only did the transcriptions of the medical files but she also handled the medical coding of all the paperwork that was submitted to various insurance companies in order to get paid for the company’s service to their patients. Sally loved her job; she worked Monday through Thursday from 9am to 4pm with an hour for lunch. On Fridays they only worked from 9am until Noon. Then Sally learned that she was pregnant and was concerned about working after the baby was born. The doctor that she worked for gave her a wonderful suggestion. Why not set up her own business at home doing medical transcriptions and medical coding for a group of doctors there in the building where she now works. She thought many of the other doctors would be receptive to the idea because they would not have to put her on their payroll as an employee, she would be an independent contractor. Sally followed up on this suggestion by making phone calls to some of the doctors to get their opinions on this idea. She didn’t actually ask them if they would hire her to do their work, all she did was ask for their opinions. They were extremely interested and gave her some great suggestions. By the end of the conversations she had many of them telling her to contact them when she was ready to start her business.
Sally ended up working for her doctor from home the last couple months of her pregnancy reducing her schedule to part time but enough so that she still had her insurance coverage for the delivery of her baby. On weekends Sally designed her brochures and price list to give to her potential clients. She made her contact list of doctors and drafted the cover letter she would use to introduce her new business. When her baby was 6 weeks old, Sally launched her business. She started out with just a few offices to work for which was fine, it allowed her to have time to spend with her new son as well as brought in income for the family. As her son grew, so did her business and she is no longer able to accept any new clients at this time.
Ed was a Navy man, having worked aboard a submarine tender for over 10 years repairing submarines. He was also a family man and loved to tinker around the house building and repairing things. But now he was retired and what was he going to do with his time? After several years of working as a consultant to many large companies, he decided he wanted something a little less stressful where he could utilize his skills in doing home repairs and maintenance so he started his own business where his company would go into homes or apartments after the tenants moved out and would do all the repairs and repainting work. Then the recession hit and business tapered off and he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. You have heard the expression of taking a sow’s ear and making a silk purse out of it? That is what he did. He contacted the different banks and mortgage companies that had repossessed homes and offered his company’s services to restore them so they could be put on the market and resold.
Fred was a free-spirit, a loner with an entrepreneurial spirit. He didn’t like working for someone else and was very inventive about finding ways to be self employed. At one time he drove a delivery truck for a company that delivered supplies to the Indian reservation in Flagstaff, Arizona. He loved that job it gave him lots of freedom, he worked alone basically, doing his route in the truck. Then his son was injured in a terrible automobile accident. He wanted and needed more flexibility and that is when he decided to become a taxi driver with his own cab, subcontracting with a company there in Flagstaff. He could set his own work schedule so that he could be off when his son needed him.
David and Jennifer were terrific cooks. David had worked for some VIP’s in Texas as their personal Chef as well as working for several Country Clubs. Jennifer didn’t have professional experience as a cook; she was just darn good at it, specializing in French cooking and elegant deserts. They purchased an established restaurant that was for sale in a small tourist town in Arkansas. They redid the interior themselves since both of them have that wonderful interior decorating talent. They established a new menu and business flourished. They had the business for several years when an offer was made to purchase it that they couldn’t refuse! They sold the restaurant and returned to Texas to be near family.
Mary runs a licensed in-home day care business. She originally worked for a bank until she married and had her first child. They had decided that once they started their family that she would work from home so that she could spend time with their children. Mary did her day care up until after her 2nd child reached school age. At that time she became an independent contractor working at home for several companies doing customer service work. After several years, she became pregnant again so she temporarily shelved her independent contractor positions and has returned to operating her day care business. She has enrolled in online college classes that began this January and is now working towards her degree in Elementary Education. She figures that she can work in the classroom or as an online tutor over the Internet.
Anne has two children in school and two at home who are still in diapers! She wants to bring in extra money to help the family budget but her time to work is limited. To relax she loves to sew, making baby accessory items and personalized baby gifts which are monogrammed bibs and blankets. So why not take that talent and turn it into an on-line internet business? There is a website called Etsy.com which specializes in letting you set up a “store” on their website very reasonable and the nice thing is that your products must be handmade. Right now many people want to purchase items that are handmade or handcrafted. She is now in the planning stages of starting her own on line shop.
As a youngster Scott learned to be a magician. He had mastered the art of sawing people in half, pulling rabbits out of hats, doing levitation tricks and the ability to perform these tricks at parties and get paid to do so. He had a gift of gab and was a wonderful entertainer. I knew him when he was only 15 and he was able to put on a wonderful magic show at that age. I’ve often wondered what he ended up doing when he grew up.
If you are out there and reading this Scott McKeon from Grand Rapids, Michigan, give me a shout!
What I have tried to show you here are ordinary people who have taken their personal God given talents and used them to make a living for themselves. Now not all of them are millionaires for sure, but they are doing what makes them happy and gives them the feeling of fulfillment. You can do this too!
I go to the craft shows where I am in awe of all the wonderful products for sale. Everything from handcrafted soaps, homemade honey, candles, household goods, interior decorations for your home, to homemade quilts and hand knit or crocheted items.
I am constantly answering my door to people who have started their own businesses from tree trimming to lawn mowing or as an independent carrier for the local newspapers. Now tell me why one of those lawn mowing people didn't buy a shovel or two and do snow removal this past couple of weeks?
We have one local grocery store here who has a terrific service. You can contact them by phone or the internet and give them your grocery order. One of their employees will do your shopping for you. Once completed, they call you and give you the total to which a delivery fee or pickup fee is added. You pay for it by charge card or debit card. You can come into the store and your order will be waiting for you, or if you paid for delivery, your groceries will be delivered right to your front door. I personally see how this could be turned into your own home business.
Are the wheels spinning yet? I hope so!
Now let’s take inventory of your skills and see how they can be turned into positions where you can work at home but starting your very own in home business. I am going to tell you about some people who have successfully started their very own businesses and I want you to mentally go through your own skills and see how they could relate to some of these people.
Sally worked for a local doctor’s office where she did all of the insurance claim work. She not only did the transcriptions of the medical files but she also handled the medical coding of all the paperwork that was submitted to various insurance companies in order to get paid for the company’s service to their patients. Sally loved her job; she worked Monday through Thursday from 9am to 4pm with an hour for lunch. On Fridays they only worked from 9am until Noon. Then Sally learned that she was pregnant and was concerned about working after the baby was born. The doctor that she worked for gave her a wonderful suggestion. Why not set up her own business at home doing medical transcriptions and medical coding for a group of doctors there in the building where she now works. She thought many of the other doctors would be receptive to the idea because they would not have to put her on their payroll as an employee, she would be an independent contractor. Sally followed up on this suggestion by making phone calls to some of the doctors to get their opinions on this idea. She didn’t actually ask them if they would hire her to do their work, all she did was ask for their opinions. They were extremely interested and gave her some great suggestions. By the end of the conversations she had many of them telling her to contact them when she was ready to start her business.
Sally ended up working for her doctor from home the last couple months of her pregnancy reducing her schedule to part time but enough so that she still had her insurance coverage for the delivery of her baby. On weekends Sally designed her brochures and price list to give to her potential clients. She made her contact list of doctors and drafted the cover letter she would use to introduce her new business. When her baby was 6 weeks old, Sally launched her business. She started out with just a few offices to work for which was fine, it allowed her to have time to spend with her new son as well as brought in income for the family. As her son grew, so did her business and she is no longer able to accept any new clients at this time.
Ed was a Navy man, having worked aboard a submarine tender for over 10 years repairing submarines. He was also a family man and loved to tinker around the house building and repairing things. But now he was retired and what was he going to do with his time? After several years of working as a consultant to many large companies, he decided he wanted something a little less stressful where he could utilize his skills in doing home repairs and maintenance so he started his own business where his company would go into homes or apartments after the tenants moved out and would do all the repairs and repainting work. Then the recession hit and business tapered off and he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. You have heard the expression of taking a sow’s ear and making a silk purse out of it? That is what he did. He contacted the different banks and mortgage companies that had repossessed homes and offered his company’s services to restore them so they could be put on the market and resold.
Fred was a free-spirit, a loner with an entrepreneurial spirit. He didn’t like working for someone else and was very inventive about finding ways to be self employed. At one time he drove a delivery truck for a company that delivered supplies to the Indian reservation in Flagstaff, Arizona. He loved that job it gave him lots of freedom, he worked alone basically, doing his route in the truck. Then his son was injured in a terrible automobile accident. He wanted and needed more flexibility and that is when he decided to become a taxi driver with his own cab, subcontracting with a company there in Flagstaff. He could set his own work schedule so that he could be off when his son needed him.
David and Jennifer were terrific cooks. David had worked for some VIP’s in Texas as their personal Chef as well as working for several Country Clubs. Jennifer didn’t have professional experience as a cook; she was just darn good at it, specializing in French cooking and elegant deserts. They purchased an established restaurant that was for sale in a small tourist town in Arkansas. They redid the interior themselves since both of them have that wonderful interior decorating talent. They established a new menu and business flourished. They had the business for several years when an offer was made to purchase it that they couldn’t refuse! They sold the restaurant and returned to Texas to be near family.
Mary runs a licensed in-home day care business. She originally worked for a bank until she married and had her first child. They had decided that once they started their family that she would work from home so that she could spend time with their children. Mary did her day care up until after her 2nd child reached school age. At that time she became an independent contractor working at home for several companies doing customer service work. After several years, she became pregnant again so she temporarily shelved her independent contractor positions and has returned to operating her day care business. She has enrolled in online college classes that began this January and is now working towards her degree in Elementary Education. She figures that she can work in the classroom or as an online tutor over the Internet.
Anne has two children in school and two at home who are still in diapers! She wants to bring in extra money to help the family budget but her time to work is limited. To relax she loves to sew, making baby accessory items and personalized baby gifts which are monogrammed bibs and blankets. So why not take that talent and turn it into an on-line internet business? There is a website called Etsy.com which specializes in letting you set up a “store” on their website very reasonable and the nice thing is that your products must be handmade. Right now many people want to purchase items that are handmade or handcrafted. She is now in the planning stages of starting her own on line shop.
As a youngster Scott learned to be a magician. He had mastered the art of sawing people in half, pulling rabbits out of hats, doing levitation tricks and the ability to perform these tricks at parties and get paid to do so. He had a gift of gab and was a wonderful entertainer. I knew him when he was only 15 and he was able to put on a wonderful magic show at that age. I’ve often wondered what he ended up doing when he grew up.
If you are out there and reading this Scott McKeon from Grand Rapids, Michigan, give me a shout!
What I have tried to show you here are ordinary people who have taken their personal God given talents and used them to make a living for themselves. Now not all of them are millionaires for sure, but they are doing what makes them happy and gives them the feeling of fulfillment. You can do this too!
I go to the craft shows where I am in awe of all the wonderful products for sale. Everything from handcrafted soaps, homemade honey, candles, household goods, interior decorations for your home, to homemade quilts and hand knit or crocheted items.
I am constantly answering my door to people who have started their own businesses from tree trimming to lawn mowing or as an independent carrier for the local newspapers. Now tell me why one of those lawn mowing people didn't buy a shovel or two and do snow removal this past couple of weeks?
We have one local grocery store here who has a terrific service. You can contact them by phone or the internet and give them your grocery order. One of their employees will do your shopping for you. Once completed, they call you and give you the total to which a delivery fee or pickup fee is added. You pay for it by charge card or debit card. You can come into the store and your order will be waiting for you, or if you paid for delivery, your groceries will be delivered right to your front door. I personally see how this could be turned into your own home business.
Are the wheels spinning yet? I hope so!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Think Outside The Box
Amid the economy's many ailments,with numerous companies continuing to cut their workforces,or close their doors completely,there is still some good news that has remained mostly off the radar. The at-home work force is growing at a surprising rate and it is encompassing many new occupations.
The down side of this is that there is fierce competition and this means your odds of landing one of these jobs can vary depending on the skills required by the hiring companies. If you succeed and do get hired, you will probably take a pay cut.
But even with a pay cut, look at the bright side, you are saving gas not having to commute back and forth as well as time traveling on busy roads and away from your family activities. By working at home you will be saving on costs of wardrobe upkeep, meals out, having to get up at the crack of dawn for a long drive! You now can walk down the hall to your office, or across the bedroom! You can work in your jammies and no one will ever know the difference.
For companies, home-based employees, independent contractors,and freelancers are helping cut costs and improve their bottom line while at the same time are improving their customer service. Full-time, home-based freelancers, and independent contractors in the U.S. are expected to increase by 200,000 workers to 11 million by the end of 2009, says Ray Boggs, a vice president of IDC, Framingham, Mass., a market-research firm; he sees another 200,000-worker increase in 2010.
Workers are finding that if they are not able to find a job with a company, they are able to create their own by taking innovative action and thinking outside the box about how their skills could translate into working for themselves at home.
There are sites which link clients with skilled freelancers. These sites are also seeing a surge in demand for virtual workers with a widening range of professional and technical skills.
There is a company called odesk.com. Their monthly postings which include graphic design, software, administrative and other projects, rose to 28,000 in the past 30 days! You might be amazed at what skills you have that a company can use.
Another company who has seen a healthy increase is elance.com Monthly hiring on Elance.com is up more than 40% from a year ago. I am sure that other companies of this type have also seen an increase in workers registering to provide services to prospective clients.
Did you know that there are companies where your skills as a translator can land you a position if you are fluent in a foreign language? Lionbridge Technologies, Waltham, Mass., a provider of multilingual services including translation and product testing, is taking on new freelancers. Go browse their website and look at the different types of services that they offer their clients. Some positions are extremely technical and require high skill levels. But I happen to know that there are some very talented people who are now unemployed that are finding it very difficult to find a position in today's job market who are qualified to fill those positions!
I am going to start making you put your thinking caps on but I need your help. We are going to do some interactive brainstorming! If you have already gotten a copy of "What Color Is Your Parachute" you would know what I am referring to!..... Go Buy The Book!!!!!
I would like some of you who are looking for work, or who wish to make the transition to working at home, share with me some of your different skills. I am not just speaking of the ones you have used in a corporate level but also what I call your passion skills. If you could do any job that your heart desired what would it be? Perhaps you enjoy knitting, sewing, basket weaving or candle making. Maybe it is woodworking, tinkering with cars, sculpting, painting,tooling leather,or weaving on a loom. Think of all the hobbies that you have that you enjoy as well as your "work skills."
Do you want to work full time or part time? Do you like to get up early or prefer to sleep in? Do you like to work into the wee hours of the morning? Okay, so it is now 4:22AM and I am going strong.. I took a power nap earlier today but I am normally up till between 2AM and 3AM.
Let's have some fun while we seriously look at new opportunities to earn you some money!
The down side of this is that there is fierce competition and this means your odds of landing one of these jobs can vary depending on the skills required by the hiring companies. If you succeed and do get hired, you will probably take a pay cut.
But even with a pay cut, look at the bright side, you are saving gas not having to commute back and forth as well as time traveling on busy roads and away from your family activities. By working at home you will be saving on costs of wardrobe upkeep, meals out, having to get up at the crack of dawn for a long drive! You now can walk down the hall to your office, or across the bedroom! You can work in your jammies and no one will ever know the difference.
For companies, home-based employees, independent contractors,and freelancers are helping cut costs and improve their bottom line while at the same time are improving their customer service. Full-time, home-based freelancers, and independent contractors in the U.S. are expected to increase by 200,000 workers to 11 million by the end of 2009, says Ray Boggs, a vice president of IDC, Framingham, Mass., a market-research firm; he sees another 200,000-worker increase in 2010.
Workers are finding that if they are not able to find a job with a company, they are able to create their own by taking innovative action and thinking outside the box about how their skills could translate into working for themselves at home.
There are sites which link clients with skilled freelancers. These sites are also seeing a surge in demand for virtual workers with a widening range of professional and technical skills.
There is a company called odesk.com. Their monthly postings which include graphic design, software, administrative and other projects, rose to 28,000 in the past 30 days! You might be amazed at what skills you have that a company can use.
Another company who has seen a healthy increase is elance.com Monthly hiring on Elance.com is up more than 40% from a year ago. I am sure that other companies of this type have also seen an increase in workers registering to provide services to prospective clients.
Did you know that there are companies where your skills as a translator can land you a position if you are fluent in a foreign language? Lionbridge Technologies, Waltham, Mass., a provider of multilingual services including translation and product testing, is taking on new freelancers. Go browse their website and look at the different types of services that they offer their clients. Some positions are extremely technical and require high skill levels. But I happen to know that there are some very talented people who are now unemployed that are finding it very difficult to find a position in today's job market who are qualified to fill those positions!
I am going to start making you put your thinking caps on but I need your help. We are going to do some interactive brainstorming! If you have already gotten a copy of "What Color Is Your Parachute" you would know what I am referring to!..... Go Buy The Book!!!!!
I would like some of you who are looking for work, or who wish to make the transition to working at home, share with me some of your different skills. I am not just speaking of the ones you have used in a corporate level but also what I call your passion skills. If you could do any job that your heart desired what would it be? Perhaps you enjoy knitting, sewing, basket weaving or candle making. Maybe it is woodworking, tinkering with cars, sculpting, painting,tooling leather,or weaving on a loom. Think of all the hobbies that you have that you enjoy as well as your "work skills."
Do you want to work full time or part time? Do you like to get up early or prefer to sleep in? Do you like to work into the wee hours of the morning? Okay, so it is now 4:22AM and I am going strong.. I took a power nap earlier today but I am normally up till between 2AM and 3AM.
Let's have some fun while we seriously look at new opportunities to earn you some money!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Are You Suited To Work AT Home?
It seems that it is everyone's dream to be self employed, not to have a boss but to "be the boss." In reality, not all people are cut out to be the boss!
Being self employed, owning your own business, takes a lot of self discipline. When working from home, it is important that you set yourself a schedule for working, just as if you were working outside of your home. There is that temptation to go start a load of laundry,run the dishwasher, or make that bed.
You need to remember to treat your home business just like you would a regular position where you have to leave home and clock in and out on a time clock! Granted, you can set your own hours, but when you do, stick to them!
I have worked from home a little over three years now and here are some of the things that I have found to be difficult over the years.
Staying motivated : You have to create your own motivation, there is no one there to pat you on the back and give you an "atta boy" or a compliment now and then. To help with this, set goals for yourself,whether it is wanting to make one more sale today than yesterday, to increasing your paycheck by a certain number of dollars this pay period over last.
Some people enjoy making a goal board, where they take pictures of the goals that they want to obtain. It could be something as simple as wanting to earn enough to buy a new winter coat, something special for someone for Christmas, to a new car or perhaps a trip to Hawaii. Spice up your goal board with both big and small rewards that you want to obtain and as you obtain that goal, remove that picture and put it on a "obtained board" so you can mark your progress.
Working alone day after day is often difficult for someone when they are trying to transition from a position where they interacted with others on a regular basis. If this is something that you struggle with, set aside time during your day to visit with someone either in person or by phone. I find that running across the street to check on an elderly neighbor and chat for a few minutes or calling my daughters to check in on them and the grandchildren brightens my day.
I have a separate room in my home that is my office and I try to put myself into the mindset that once I cross through that door, I am in my work place and to shut out the rest of the world. I close the door, often turn off the ringer on the house phone, knowing that the answering machine will pick up the call. I go in armed with a cup of coffee and a glass of water, knowing that I will need both since I will be on the phone speaking with people and my throat will get dry.
I do have the advantage of being able to set my own hours and personally, I prefer to work in shorter periods of time than maybe some other people do. I find that sitting for long periods of time bothers my back, so if I work for an hour and then take a break for 30 minutes and get up and stretch, I can maintain that pattern of work for a longer period of time than if I tried to sit for two to four hours straight taking calls.
I am also a person who prefers to work in the mid afternoon to late in the evening or the wee hours of the morning. If I get tired of taking calls, I can work transcriptions, which needs no interactions with the customers, just typing of information, which is great if I don't want to talk with people but still want to work.
Some companies, where you are an independent contractor, have either a message board or a forums section on their website where you can interact with other agents and have a sense of community. I will forewarn you though, just as in all work environments, there will always be those who disagree and are unable to discuss their viewpoints in a mature, adult fashion! When I see this happening in a particular discussion, I find it best for me personally to just not even read that "thread." To me there is nothing worse than negativity to try to overcome when you are working alone and when you read it, or get into the mix yourself, it may cost you dearly. It becomes difficult to shrug off and can affect your attitude when dealing with customers later on.
Setting your daily goals: If you are working as an independent contractor, most companies you work for will be paying you by the "talk time minutes" that you are on a phone call with a customer and perhaps extra for any additional merchandise or services that you might sell on that call. Rather than setting a goal of working so many hours per day (because you might not have many calls during a given time period) I find it best to decide how many dollars I want to earn that day. I will stay on the phones or combine it with doing transcriptions until I have reached the dollar amount that I desire for that day.
There are times when I truly will work in my jammies! During the day hours I do dress for work, usually a comfortable pair of sweat pants and a sweat shirt during the days in the winter or a pair of shorts and a shirt in the summer but at night I will work in my jammies! Shoes? To me those are a foreign object! Either socks or slippers or barefoot, depending on the time of year!
As you can see by the time I am posting this blog entry, it is 3AM Central Time and the bewitching hour has struck! I am off to bed folks....and will be at it tomorrow at 1PM!
Being self employed, owning your own business, takes a lot of self discipline. When working from home, it is important that you set yourself a schedule for working, just as if you were working outside of your home. There is that temptation to go start a load of laundry,run the dishwasher, or make that bed.
You need to remember to treat your home business just like you would a regular position where you have to leave home and clock in and out on a time clock! Granted, you can set your own hours, but when you do, stick to them!
I have worked from home a little over three years now and here are some of the things that I have found to be difficult over the years.
Staying motivated : You have to create your own motivation, there is no one there to pat you on the back and give you an "atta boy" or a compliment now and then. To help with this, set goals for yourself,whether it is wanting to make one more sale today than yesterday, to increasing your paycheck by a certain number of dollars this pay period over last.
Some people enjoy making a goal board, where they take pictures of the goals that they want to obtain. It could be something as simple as wanting to earn enough to buy a new winter coat, something special for someone for Christmas, to a new car or perhaps a trip to Hawaii. Spice up your goal board with both big and small rewards that you want to obtain and as you obtain that goal, remove that picture and put it on a "obtained board" so you can mark your progress.
Working alone day after day is often difficult for someone when they are trying to transition from a position where they interacted with others on a regular basis. If this is something that you struggle with, set aside time during your day to visit with someone either in person or by phone. I find that running across the street to check on an elderly neighbor and chat for a few minutes or calling my daughters to check in on them and the grandchildren brightens my day.
I have a separate room in my home that is my office and I try to put myself into the mindset that once I cross through that door, I am in my work place and to shut out the rest of the world. I close the door, often turn off the ringer on the house phone, knowing that the answering machine will pick up the call. I go in armed with a cup of coffee and a glass of water, knowing that I will need both since I will be on the phone speaking with people and my throat will get dry.
I do have the advantage of being able to set my own hours and personally, I prefer to work in shorter periods of time than maybe some other people do. I find that sitting for long periods of time bothers my back, so if I work for an hour and then take a break for 30 minutes and get up and stretch, I can maintain that pattern of work for a longer period of time than if I tried to sit for two to four hours straight taking calls.
I am also a person who prefers to work in the mid afternoon to late in the evening or the wee hours of the morning. If I get tired of taking calls, I can work transcriptions, which needs no interactions with the customers, just typing of information, which is great if I don't want to talk with people but still want to work.
Some companies, where you are an independent contractor, have either a message board or a forums section on their website where you can interact with other agents and have a sense of community. I will forewarn you though, just as in all work environments, there will always be those who disagree and are unable to discuss their viewpoints in a mature, adult fashion! When I see this happening in a particular discussion, I find it best for me personally to just not even read that "thread." To me there is nothing worse than negativity to try to overcome when you are working alone and when you read it, or get into the mix yourself, it may cost you dearly. It becomes difficult to shrug off and can affect your attitude when dealing with customers later on.
Setting your daily goals: If you are working as an independent contractor, most companies you work for will be paying you by the "talk time minutes" that you are on a phone call with a customer and perhaps extra for any additional merchandise or services that you might sell on that call. Rather than setting a goal of working so many hours per day (because you might not have many calls during a given time period) I find it best to decide how many dollars I want to earn that day. I will stay on the phones or combine it with doing transcriptions until I have reached the dollar amount that I desire for that day.
There are times when I truly will work in my jammies! During the day hours I do dress for work, usually a comfortable pair of sweat pants and a sweat shirt during the days in the winter or a pair of shorts and a shirt in the summer but at night I will work in my jammies! Shoes? To me those are a foreign object! Either socks or slippers or barefoot, depending on the time of year!
As you can see by the time I am posting this blog entry, it is 3AM Central Time and the bewitching hour has struck! I am off to bed folks....and will be at it tomorrow at 1PM!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
So you want to work from home?
Oh how so many of us dream of working at home, in our "jammies" and slippers. It really can be more than just a dream and become a reality! With today's economy and more and more people being laid off from work, searching for new employment is becoming more difficult since many "brick and mortar" companies are not hiring right now.
There are all different types of positions available to work at home and luckily a wide variety of people with the skills to fill these different positions.
Perhaps you like Customer Service or Sales, while others like to do transcriptions and data entry.
Lets speak of some of the requirements needed before you start working at home.
First of all, you must be self motivated, first and foremost!
You need to enjoy working independently. Many companies allow you to set your own schedule working as an independent contractor, while others you are considered an employee and will need to work a set schedule that you have agreed upon.
A quiet place to work is a must. If you have children, working while they are at school, down for naps or in the evenings when someone else can watch them or they are sleeping is important.
You need to have a fast computer with at least 1 GB of memory to work for most companies.
You will need to have DSL because dial-up or satellite connections will not work for most companies.There are a few exceptions on the satellite, but none that I know of will allow you to use a dial-up connection.
A good headset. Many prefer Plantronics but search for one that is comfortable. You can find both single ear and dual ear headsets. Be sure to get one that is noise canceling!
You will need a separate land line (one connected to the wall) with which to work. It can not have any additional features such as call waiting, caller id, call forwarding or voice mail.
Many people are now using cell phones as their primary phone line which is fine but you will need this secondary line to work from home. I personally use AT&T and my basic phone service runs about $18 per month. I also use the base package DSL which runs $25 per month.
Be prepared to submit a resume along with your application.
Most companies will charge a small fee, from $30-50 to do a background check on you once you have passed the initial screening process.
Most companies will be giving you on the job training in order to work for their company. Some will be self paced, with tests or quizzes at the end.
Many companies will continue to have ongoing training, in the form of meetings on the internet through what is known as web-ex or where you dial in for conferences for additional training and assistance.
Most companies have mid-management personnel who will be your contacts for assistance in performing your job.
Working as an Independent Contractor
There are many advantages as well as some disadvantages to working as an independent contractor. The one thing that I like about it is that I can set my own hours. Being one who does function well at 8AM, I prefer to start my work day later and am willing to work into the wee hours overnight. I like the ability to take breaks and go do something else and not be tied into a work environment for a steady 8 hours each day. There are also times when I can work 10 hours or more in a given day while on other days I might only be able to work 1 or 2 hours.
As an independent contractor, I am not tied into a 40 hour work week. I can work more or less as to my choosing.
You will be responsible for all of your own taxes, filing a 1099 form. You do have the advantages of writing off your home office and any products and equipment that you purchase in performing your job. You can also write off a portion of your actual home's expenses, such as heating, cooling, the office phone, etc.
Work At Home Employee
With this type of position, the company you work for will be supplying you with a W-4 withholding form and they will be picking up part of the tab for your withholding allowances and they will also be withholding your share from your paycheck.
You are usually limited to a 40 hour work week and you work according to a schedule that the two of you have agreed upon.
Starting your own business from home
Many types of skills are adaptable to you starting your own work at home business.
For instance, someone with construction background could start their own home renovations business, work with banks or mortgage companies to repair repossessed homes for resale.
Someone with medical background could be contacting doctors or hospitals about outsourcing medical transcription or medical coding, processing insurance claims for them.
Good organizing skills could be used to assist someone get their homes organized or their businesses organized.
Of course you will need to check with your state regarding proper business licenses and bonding that might be required.
Where to start looking for work
Here are a few of my favorite websites to go to to look for work. They have listings of many companies and they screen them well to be sure they are not scams.
www.wahm.com Which is Work At Home Mom and one of the first sites I visited when I started working at home
www.mommysplace.net
www.ratracerebellion.com
These will get you started in your job search
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There are all different types of positions available to work at home and luckily a wide variety of people with the skills to fill these different positions.
Perhaps you like Customer Service or Sales, while others like to do transcriptions and data entry.
Lets speak of some of the requirements needed before you start working at home.
First of all, you must be self motivated, first and foremost!
You need to enjoy working independently. Many companies allow you to set your own schedule working as an independent contractor, while others you are considered an employee and will need to work a set schedule that you have agreed upon.
A quiet place to work is a must. If you have children, working while they are at school, down for naps or in the evenings when someone else can watch them or they are sleeping is important.
You need to have a fast computer with at least 1 GB of memory to work for most companies.
You will need to have DSL because dial-up or satellite connections will not work for most companies.There are a few exceptions on the satellite, but none that I know of will allow you to use a dial-up connection.
A good headset. Many prefer Plantronics but search for one that is comfortable. You can find both single ear and dual ear headsets. Be sure to get one that is noise canceling!
You will need a separate land line (one connected to the wall) with which to work. It can not have any additional features such as call waiting, caller id, call forwarding or voice mail.
Many people are now using cell phones as their primary phone line which is fine but you will need this secondary line to work from home. I personally use AT&T and my basic phone service runs about $18 per month. I also use the base package DSL which runs $25 per month.
Be prepared to submit a resume along with your application.
Most companies will charge a small fee, from $30-50 to do a background check on you once you have passed the initial screening process.
Most companies will be giving you on the job training in order to work for their company. Some will be self paced, with tests or quizzes at the end.
Many companies will continue to have ongoing training, in the form of meetings on the internet through what is known as web-ex or where you dial in for conferences for additional training and assistance.
Most companies have mid-management personnel who will be your contacts for assistance in performing your job.
Working as an Independent Contractor
There are many advantages as well as some disadvantages to working as an independent contractor. The one thing that I like about it is that I can set my own hours. Being one who does function well at 8AM, I prefer to start my work day later and am willing to work into the wee hours overnight. I like the ability to take breaks and go do something else and not be tied into a work environment for a steady 8 hours each day. There are also times when I can work 10 hours or more in a given day while on other days I might only be able to work 1 or 2 hours.
As an independent contractor, I am not tied into a 40 hour work week. I can work more or less as to my choosing.
You will be responsible for all of your own taxes, filing a 1099 form. You do have the advantages of writing off your home office and any products and equipment that you purchase in performing your job. You can also write off a portion of your actual home's expenses, such as heating, cooling, the office phone, etc.
Work At Home Employee
With this type of position, the company you work for will be supplying you with a W-4 withholding form and they will be picking up part of the tab for your withholding allowances and they will also be withholding your share from your paycheck.
You are usually limited to a 40 hour work week and you work according to a schedule that the two of you have agreed upon.
Starting your own business from home
Many types of skills are adaptable to you starting your own work at home business.
For instance, someone with construction background could start their own home renovations business, work with banks or mortgage companies to repair repossessed homes for resale.
Someone with medical background could be contacting doctors or hospitals about outsourcing medical transcription or medical coding, processing insurance claims for them.
Good organizing skills could be used to assist someone get their homes organized or their businesses organized.
Of course you will need to check with your state regarding proper business licenses and bonding that might be required.
Where to start looking for work
Here are a few of my favorite websites to go to to look for work. They have listings of many companies and they screen them well to be sure they are not scams.
www.wahm.com Which is Work At Home Mom and one of the first sites I visited when I started working at home
www.mommysplace.net
www.ratracerebellion.com
These will get you started in your job search
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