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Finding a legitimate telecommuting job can be very difficult. With so many unscrupulous individuals and "businesses" looking to make a profit off your naivety and desperation, it is very easy to be scammed and subsequently doubtful of any real chances of securing a telecommuting job. This article will provide you with the tools you need to find a real, paying telecommuting job. They are listed below.

a. Join A Freelance Bidding Site. Popular freelance bidding websites such as Elance, Get-a-Freelancer and Rent-a-Coder are a great way to find a telecommuting job. You can bid on jobs and choose to only work with individuals who have a documented history of paying for jobs. Some of these websites even require buyers to place money in an escrow account so that you are ensured of receiving payment. These sites are a great place to begin your search for a telecommute job.

b. Try Internet Marketing Forums. Internet marketing forums are a great place to find telecommuting jobs. The very best ones allow you to view a potential buyers reputation. If they have a poor reputation, then avoid them like the plague. Some of these forums will require you to pay a nominal fee to advertise your sevices, $20 seems to be the going rate. Check out Digital Point, Sitepoint and the Warrior Forum.

c. Advertise on Free Classified Sites. Free classified sites such as Craigslist and Backpage are great places to find telecommuting jobs. Check out the job sections. If you apply and agree to work with a business and their policy is to pay upon completition or on a schedule, perhaps try them for a week and see if they pay, if they refuse, then do not do business with them again. Also, never pay for any materials, supplies or administration fees. Another great tip is to Google any prospective employer to see if they have a good reputation.

d. Get Paid to Blog. You also may want to consider becoming a paid blogger. You can find potential blogging jobs at the following websites: jobs.problogger.net, indeed.com and bloggerjobs.biz.

Find a telecommuting job can be extremely frustrating and discouraging if you do not know where to look. However, if you do, you will find a wealth of available jobs to either help you supplement your income or completely replace it. So take some time and find a telecommuting job that you love or one that at least can pay the bills!

Courtesy of Samantha Jane.

For more workers, no place like home

Teleworking's popularity on rise with employers

By J. SCOTT ORR

Teleworking saves time and money, boosts productivity, eases traffic congestion, conserves energy - and now, years after technology made a reality of the home office, corporate America is finally awakening to the benefits of employees staying home.

Statistics show a significant increase the past two years in companies that have embraced teleworking. Even the federal government is on board, responding to recent congressional demands that it not just allow but encourage workers to perform some of their duties from home.

"It's all about communication, communication, communication," said Michael Guld, president of the Guld Resource Group, a business development consulting company based in Richmond.

"Technology is growing at such an exponential pace, there is definitely a lag time in its practical application," he said. "The spike in the number of people teleworking is just beginning, but it will continue to grow at a very rapid pace."

Last year, 12.4 million Americans worked from home at least one day per month, a 25 percent increase over the year before and a 63 percent increase over 2004, according to a recent report from WorldatWork, an employment think tank. By 2010, WorldatWork estimates that 100 million Americans will do at least some work at home.

Larry Ciraulo, director of IT client computing services at Sun Microsystems, which pioneered its "open work" program 10 years ago, manages workers around the world but rarely visits a Sun office site.

"I've got about 20 people working for me worldwide, and I do 80 to 90 percent of my work from my house," Ciraulo said. "I manage my people by the results."

Today, fully half of Sun's work force has no permanent office, working either from home, the road, at the offices of clients or at satellite offices set up for temporary use.

"This is one of the biggest drivers of employee satisfaction," Ciraulo said. "You get higher levels of employees who are loyal to Sun and stay at Sun because they're given this flexibility."

Still, American businesses have been slow to awaken to the benefits of teleworking.

According to a study by Dimension Data, 55 percent of businesses had some form of remote work program, lower than all European nations, including France, at 75 percent, and Switzerland, at 73 percent.

Why? Experts see an ingrained corporate culture in the United States that places high value on face-to-face interaction.

Many companies, they say, have managers who are reluctant to allow employees to work from home for fear they will spend more time with bedsheets than spreadsheets.

The answer to that concern is simple, said Robert Trumble, professor of management at Virginia Commonwealth University and a former Fulbright scholar who has studied remote working for years.

"There is one primary issue that in this case is clear, and that is the need to have very clear output results measure. ... No one cares the number of hours you work or when you work, as long as the results are there," Trumble said.

"If you want to keep tabs on teleworkers, there are so many ways. Every stroke on a computer can be monitored, every phone call, GPS tracking systems in cars," Trumble said. "Cameras might be a bit much, but it could easily be done."

Source:
http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2007/
11/29/Teleworkers_1130.html

If you're tired of shlepping to work, now may be one of the best times to negotiate flextime with your employer. The high cost of gas and the devastation we've witnessed from natural disasters may have convinced more of us than ever that working from home has many advantages.

1. Seize the moment

We're on the verge of becoming a telecommunication nation says John Challenger of consultant company Challenger, Gray & Christmas. "It will become the norm, rather than a benefit," he says. In fact, 44 percent of US companies offered at least some telecommuting options in 2005 according to Mercer Human Resources. And that's a 32 percent increase since 2001.

The average commute is about 8,000 miles a year according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Employers also recognize that long commutes are unproductive plus, from the company's point of view, there is a real savings on real estate, says Pat Katepoo of WorkOptions.com.

2. Assess your job

So how do you know if your job is suited to telecommuting? If you spend most of your day using a computer and talking on the phone, there's a good chance you can telecommute.

Accountants, travel agents, public relations specialists, and customer service jobs are good bets for telecommuting. Keep in mind it's rare to find a job that starts out as a telecommuting gig. It's more likely that you'll have to show your employer how productive and trustworthy you are before you can telecommute.

3. Weigh the costs

Telecommuting twice a week can save you 40% of your gas costs according to the Telework Coalition. But what about the costs you'll incur when you do work from home? We're talking about an extra phone line, a fax machine, a laptop, a broadband internet connection and of course, you'll need some space (other than the kitchen table).

If you work with sensitive files, your IT department will likely set you up with a Virtual Private Network that lets you transmit data securely, says Dennis O'Reilly of PC World Magazine. While some employers may chip in for at least half of the bill, others may offer between $5,000-$12,000 per employee according to Susan Seitel of Work and Family Connection.

But be prepared to foot the bills for a while if the accounting department is slow with the reimbursement checks. For office supplies, your best bet is to stock up while you're still at the office.

4. Get it in writing

Deducting your home office is harder than you think. To claim a home office deduction, you have to telecommute for the convenience of your employer, not for your own sake. So be sure to get a letter from your employer that confirms the arrangement benefits your boss, not just you.

5. It's all about your boss

When it comes down to proposing a telecommuting arrangement, remember it's all about what telecommuting can do for your employer, not what telecommuting can do for you.

Focus on the bennies your company will get. For help on some of the stats, check out the Telework Coalition at Telcoa.org. But it's also important to bring it down to the personal level.

Explain how working at home one day a week you'll be closer to clients on your side of town. And it's also a good idea to start small. Ask about telecommuting a day or two a week. You don't want to be out of sight, out of mind for too long.

Source: Gerri Willis, CNNMoney.com contributing columnist
http://money.cnn.com/2006/04/28/pf/saving/willis_tips/index.htm

work at home job

After you've entered your search term "vacant telecommuting jobs" at google.com, you'll noticed that the first site that gets listed is Genuinejobs.com.

Click on this result and you immediately be taken o the vacant job portal.

You have 2 options here;

If this is your first time visiting, you'll need to enter your name an email address to get the email updates when new vacant jobs are added.

If you're a returning visitor, go all the way to the bottom of the page and click on the link to enter genuinejobs.com.

Here's a basic break down of what you can expect at Genuinejobs.com.

- Access to various work from home related jobs

- Help with your resume

- Help with your cover letter

- Help with the actual job interview.

After you've entered your name and email address to get the job updates, you'll now have full access of all the career related resources.

The website is pretty simple to navigate and each links on the left side navigation is easy to follow, since it's named after what particular resource it helps you with.

Resume Help

Job Interview Help

Cover Letter help

Today we'll focus on the main reason why we're here, finding a work at home job.

On the left side navigation, please click on the option that says "Job Search"

This will load the page with all the vacant jobs that you can apply for.

Lets go over a few important things before we continue.

1. These jobs are all Freelance, contract, work from home and/or telecommuting related so you can be based anywhere in the world and apply. HOWEVER, there are times when the employer will request that you be from a specific area, since they may want to schedule monthly meets with you. That will be stated in the job description.

2. NEVER pay for a job. If you ever come across a job and the supposed employer asks you to pay them any sort of fee, do 2 things. A. DON'T pay. 2. Let Genuinejobs.com know immediately so they can remove that job from there job list and warn others. NO legit employer will ask you to pay them to fill one of their positions..

3. There are ads on the website so as you would if you were reading the classifieds in your daily newspaper, be aware.

NOW ON TO THE VACANT JOBS!

As you move your way down the page you'll see hundreds of jobs listed. Please bear in mind that this page is updated with new vacant jobs as they become available and will be listed first (top) of the list. You're reminded to visit this page on a daily basis to be the first to apply for the newly vacant jobs.

As you work your way down the list of vacant jobs, please click on one so we can take a closer look at a job posting.

When the post loads you'll notice 3 important parts of the job post.

Job Title, Description and Contact Method.

The 'Job Title" is basically the position this employer is hiring.

The "Description" gives you every detail about the job. Here's where you want to pay attention to see if you have the necessary skills the employer is looking for. This where they will usually say if they need someone close to their location.

And finally, the "Contact method". This is where it will tell you how to contact the employer if you're interested in applying for the vacant position. The contact method can be, and email address, a phone number, a fax number or an actual mailing address.

FYI! The contact information you get here for the vacant job is the ONLY contact method available.

Please bear in mind that Genuinejobs.com does NOT do the actual hiring, so please don't contact them with your resume.

Overall this is a great career resource to help you not only located a work at home job, it helps you with your resume, cover letter and job interview skills so you can be prepared for the job application process.

If you're looking for a great place to start your search for a work from home related career, please visit Genuinejobs.com

During my years as a telecommuter I've had several discussions with others who work out of their home, about what they found to be the true benefit of their work at home career.

Everyone seems to have a different opinion, which is understandable since we are all different and everyone's experience is not the same.

If I were to choose 2 reasons from the many that I could think about, I would have to say...

1. PERSONAL FREEDOM.

As a home business entrepreneur, you can shape your work life depending on your goals and environment. There are no bosses to follow, no corporate culture to abide by, and no rigid work schedules nor time clocks. Instead, you have the freedom to work and earn as you choose, in the comfort and convenience of your own homes. Of course, having all the time and freedom to work as you please also has its drawback. Thus, a home business entrepreneur needs to have good time management skills and discipline to push yourself to work.

2. FAMILY.

How many parents can say that they've had the opportunity to spend just about every waking moment with their children? We've never had to pay for daycare (this may not be the case for everyone - since some people do need to have the kids away from the house to work), I usually go to all school and sporting events, I'm here in the event there is ever an emergency (like when the forget their lunch in the kitchen), Dr and dentist appointments are taken care off.. I'm sure I can go on and on about the benefits of being able to be home for our daughters.

Working from home does require a lot of discipline, but I won't trade it for another career.

What do you consider the benefits of you working out of your home?

In a home office, space is often an issue. By using a multi-function printer for your home office, you will have all of the necessary tools right at your fingertips, without taking up too much space. To choose a multi-function printer for home office, there are a few guidelines to follow.

Set a budget. Decide how much you can afford to spend and do not go over that amount.

Choose the functions that you really need for your home office. Look for models that are strong in those functions. For example, you may not really need fax capabilities, so the quality of the fax machine on the device will not impact your decision very much.

Read reviews, ratings and articles. Go online and look at the manufacturers' Web sites to check out the specs of the models you are considering. Some sites will help you choose the right printer for you or give you recommendations.

A great website to use is www.epinions.com for reviews on just about anything you can think about, including printers and other home office equipment.

Decide how you will be using the device. If you plan on using it for color documents often, then an inkjet will work. If you are just concerned about text, then laser monochrome models will be cheap and functional.

Choose a high resolution. Usually, higher resolution equals higher quality. You will need at least 600x600, unless you plan on using it primarily for text.

Get a written warranty. Make sure that the warranty you are getting covers parts and labor for all components of your device. It is always a good idea to opt for on-site service in case something happens to the device.

Learn how to operate and maintain the device. Make sure you are knowledgeable about the device and read the manual carefully. Know what your equipment can do so you can use it to your full advantage.

Have a clear purpose when you go online

Whenever you go to your computer, have a definite purpose in mind. It helps to keep a notebook by your computer always with your goals and to-do lists in it, all in once place. This helps prevent you from aimlessly checking email or surfing the net and getting lost. Know what you need to accomplish, write it down, do it, and move on to the next activity.

Outsource as many tasks as you can afford Consider hiring a virtual assistant if you have a lot of administrative tasks. Or pay your kids to do things for you that are age appropriate. This can even be a tax deductible expense. Check with your accountant.

Analyze your activities

Think about the steps you engage yourself in with your business and see if those tasks are really paying off for you. A lot of work at home Moms do things like join safelists, traffic exchanges and other activities that most internet marketing experts agree are not the best use of your time. Ask people who are where you want to be in your business how they manage their time. Just because something is free doesn't mean you should be spending time doing it.

The best $20 you can spend on your business

That may be the money you spend hiring a Mommy's helper to come over and play with your children for several hours. It's amazing what you can get done during that time. Plus, your kids usually get worn out from all the fun and take longer naps. Everybody wins!

Think Assembly Line

In other words, group similar activities together. Don't check your email all day, check it two or 3 times a day (at most) and answer all the emails at the same time. When you want to make changes to your website, list them all and wait until you need to make several changes at once. When one child asks for a story gather them all around. Same thing for snacks. Run all your errands at once.

Utilize Technology

Get wireless internet and a laptop if at all possible. This can make a drastic improvement in your ability to work online around your children. You can sit on the front porch and work on your website while your kids play in the yard. Or you can drop them off at a friend's house and head to Starbucks and get online!

Use autoresponders, mailing lists and other resources to automate your business. If you find yourself typing out answers to the same questions over and over again, add pages to your website or create an ecourse or downloadable report that addresses those topics and refer your customers or downline or whomever to those.

There are times in our life, career and business that we have to stop for a minute to evaluate if we're on the path we originally set out for ourselves. You did have a goal and plan on achieving that goal right?

Over the past 6 months I've noticed a decline in all that I do, and the way I approached things. I've gained more weight, let things around the house go undone and hardly did anything new to help grow my business and income.

I could continue on the path I was traveling or I could take charge and get back on my "plan" to achieve what I've set out to do.

Here are some simple steps I've taken in the past week. remember that I work from home so some of these life changes will not necessarily apply to everyone.

- go back to the gym, or at least go for a power walk everyday.

- instead of just waking up and going to work.. approach everyday as if I was going to an office job. Shower, shave and get dressed.

- plan my work day

- plan the things I have to get done around the house, yard and with family

- take time to read

- listen

- make time to enjoy life

- learn something "new" on a regular basis

- record things I do so I can easily teach others when I decide to hire people to free-up my time

added Oct 9:
- have fun doing more exciting things. Last week I dived the German freighter "Antilla" while we were in Aruba. So my mission now is to get PADI certified this winter. BTW the Antilla is one of the top 10 most dived spots in the world.

This is a growing list, so stay tuned for more.

Added Nov 18 2007.
Take local vacations or day-offs to enjoy the city that you live in or the ones close to you that many people travel to, to vacation. In my case (I live in Ontario) we have many great places of interest that we could visit. Near the end of the summer we spent the weekend in Niagara Falls.. doing what tourists do. In the next couple weeks, we're off to Toronto for a couple nights at some swank hotel... to do some Christmas shopping and enjoy some time as a family. There's no need to travel by plane, bus or train to enjoy some great times with family.

Added Jan 16 2008.

- Don't waste too much time on business that's not generating income to cover the time you spend on it. My time is valuable a.

- if one section of your business or life is failing try different things. I've noticed a decrease in my online income, so I'm about to try purchasing products at wholesale and selling on Ebay. It's all about getting the most out of what you do.

Added Feb 22 2008.

Take pictures and videos. Nothing beats spending times with family and friends. Capture the moments on video or digital pictures. Then when times gets a bit stressful, refer back to these wonderful times and I'm sure it will brighten your day. Right now I'm taking a break from my workload to view some pics of our recent trip to the Caribbean.

Added Mar 17, 2008.

Read / Spy / Swipe.

Keep a close eye on what your peers / competition are doing. For me this means reading many blog posts on a daily basis. By keeping updated, I know what the trends are and how I can generate income from them :)

Did you know that according to the Centers for Disease Control, 64% of the U.S. population 20 years and older is overweight and obese. Last weekend my mom who's very "to the point" remarked to me with her Trini accent... "don't you go swimming anymore.. you looking kinda big" her way of saying that I've put on some more weight.

Since I've been working from home my weight have always been an issue with me. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one to dwell on the way I look, but I do care about my health. With Caron (my wife) being a nurse I get to hear all the stories about patients that are pretty young and in really bad shape at the hospital.

My problem is the lack of exercise (I normally go for walks when it's warm outside, but since it's winter..you won't get me out there unless it's to clear the sidewalk when it snows) and the fact that I miss meals and usually find myself eating HUGE dinners when most people are into their second dream of the night... around 11.30 and 12 am. I don't eat candy, drink pop, chips, eat desserts or any sweets. However I do enjoy the occasional scoop of rum n raisin ice cream.

We've bought the exercise machines.. you know that ones that gets used the first week then sits like a piece of furniture in your office or living room. Our gazelle is now being used as a hanger for clothes when we do our ironing. Well those are getting sold this spring during our yard sale.

It took me a while, but I finally found something that I enjoy doing and it makes for great exercise, swimming. I started a couple years ago and was doing great, until my membership for the pool I use expired and I never went back. I finally went back a few days ago and got a new membership, I guess my moms comments was the spark I needed to get my swimming flame going again.

I have a years membership and since I love swimming (the island boy in me) this will not seem like a chore. I goal is to get in shape and stay that way.

TIP: Find something you enjoy doing that will help with being committed to it.

Are you fighting a weight gain problem?

Have a great day!

Today I completed an ad copy that we'll be using in the coming days to promote discounts and different payment options at one of the websites I manage. As I would normally do whenever I write a new copy, I sent it to David for final review and any possible edits. This way we have a good working copy before it's converted to an actual html sales page.

I was quite satisfied with the job I'd done and didn't expect what would happen next. I received an email from David with a tip.. he suggested that I print the copy out and get Caron (my wife) to read it out to me. He mentioned that in doing so I could hear what it sounded like and I'll be able to polish-up any areas that needed some work. No edits or other suggestions from David as he normally does, just his tip.

I did what he suggested..printed the copy and got Caron to read it to me as loud as she could without disturbing Bridget our pet dog :)

WOW! Over 11 silly mistakes that I didn't notice, even after I read the copy before sending it out to David. Here I was, satisfied that I had done a good job only to realize that the silly mistakes that were made would have made us not only seem unprofessional, but it would have cost us X$ in sales.

My tip to you.. if you don't already ask someone to read your work, start doing so now. Additionally, get them to read it loud, this makes a big difference.

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I have a huge white board in my home office, about 4ft x 3ft..my friends laugh when they come over due to the size of it. Here is where I plan my days. I'll be honest, my memory is not as great as it used to be as I tend to forget things that would never slip me before. Along with my huge white board I also have about 4 dry erase markers..blue - red - green and black. here's how I used my board ..

Every day I make a do to list (a section is also reserved for a monthly to-do list - big projects)

I try to break up the board into 4 sections...

1. My personal websites - stuff that needs to get done. (www.genuinejobs.com / www.basichomebusiness.com / www.easyebayprofits.com ..and others in development)

2. The sites that I offer support and consulting for. (Ilovemlm.com / Bigmoneyfreetime.com)

3. Things that I give myself the month to accomplish.

4. Stuff I need to do around the house..like change filters, small repairs etc..

Everyday I make a list of the things that needs to get done for each of the 3 main categories using the 4 markers I mentioned earlier..

Here's how that works..

Read the rest of the work from home article " Do you have a to-do list" here