Work At Home Tips And Tricks

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Ranked #686 in Work At Home, #99,938 overall

Why Work At Home?

I know there are tons of places out there offering work from home advice and information. I have been in the work at home market for a couple years.
I've explored several different opportunities and aspects of working from home. Some seemed interesting, some seemed fun, some were scary, some just did not pay much of anything.

I'm creating this lens to put some of the different work at home avenues to the test. I will be adding new modules on a regular basis, detailing options for work at home. Check back often to catch the latest work from home option.

I am also going to include a guest book , so guests can provide their feedback and experiences with the different work from home opportunities. Let the world know what worked for you and your home business.

I will also include some products to help you gain knowledge about working from home, organize your work space, or make your work from home day more productive.

Oh, and some of the products and ideas I am going to post later are just plain fun, because at the end of the day everyone has to have a little fun. Right?

By the way my favorite work from home job is writing! I love to write about anything and everything. I've been blogging for a couple years now, check out my blog about Squidoo, Thoughts of a Squidoo Lens Author. I also blog for b5media at Mother Earth's Garden and She Knows Parties. I have also done a little ghost writing.

About a year and a half ago I discovered Squidoo. I have a blast creating lenses here at Squidoo! The best part? I make money directly from my lenses (several hundred $$$ per month) and I make money indirectly from Squidoo through affiliate links, and traffic my Squidoo lenses send to my blogs, and other websites.

Working from home, if done correctly can be a very rewarding experience. I would like to share the information I have gained with others. I am hoping to help others who are thinking about trying the work at home market find a business that is right for them, and their lifestyle.

Work at Home Tips And Tricks # 1 

I am going to include some tips and tricks for working at home. They will be scattered in with the other modules. I hope you find them useful in your work at home venture.

Here is the first one...

Set Goals
These goals can take several forms, some great goals to set are:

1. How many hours a day will do you plan to work your business? How will you work this into your daily schedule?

2. What are your networking goals? How many outside contacts do you need to make? This includes prospective clients or customer contacts, networking with peers.

3. What is your income goal? How much do you want to make per day, per week, per year?

4. Where do you want your business to be in a year? In two years?

Write these goals down, and post them where you will see them every day.

Set Up Your Own Affiliate Marketing Income Stream Here at Squidoo 

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If you've never made a lens before start here and
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It's free to sign up, and you could make a little cash for yourself or charity, or promote your business along the way.

Here are a couple great articles to help you get started:
How To Create A Squidoo Lens
Affiliate Marketing on Squidoo

Warning!! If you've never made a lens before, it is addictive. Once you make one you will need to make more!

Want to learn more about Squidoo? Get the Squidoo book.

Social Networking on Squidoo

A web 2.0 guide on social networking here at Squidoo.
This is my favorite book for learning about the ins and outs of Squidoo. Find out how to use Squidoo in your marketing plan, and learn how to create your own great lenses.

How do you build affiliate sales without forking over the cash for your own website, and domain name? Set up a lens here at Squidoo of course. This book will tell you the secrets the Squidoo masters use to set up, and promote their lenses.

Regularly Updated Work at Home Job Sites 

These links are checked weekly for accuracy.

Here are some great resources to check if you're looking for a work at home job. Most of these sites are updated daily, or at least several times a week.

It's heavy on writing jobs, since those are the ones I know the most about.

Please check into jobs with caution, if anyone is asking you to pay money to get the job, or jobs, be extremely cautious! Most employers will not ask you for money (huge red flag), they are supposed to pay you! Check extensively into a companies history and background before sending anyone money.
Freelance Writing Jobs
Deb's blog is updated regularly with freelance writing jobs, there is also a bloggers tab.
Writing World Job Link
A writing and editing job board.
Mountain West Transcription
Here is a listing for a couple transcription jobs. I know nothing about this company, and I am not endorsing this company. Check it out if you're interested.
About Freelance Writing
Freelance writing and editing job listings.
Virtual Office Temps
Become a home based virtual assistant.
Problogger Job Board
Professional blogging jobs
Freelance Switch
A massive list of freelance job sites.

Work at Home Tips and Tricks # 2 

Create A Space
You should have a space set up to work in. You may not always work there. Sometimes I work at my desk, sometimes I work at the kitchen table, and sometimes I take my laptop outside, or to the library to work. I do however, have an office at home, where I can escape when I need some quiet time to work.

Everyone has a different situation. You may have young children you need to keep an eye on. Bring them in the office with you with some toys, or work in a room where they can play. Working from home often means you work with distractions. You still need a space to keep yourself organized. A place to keep your records and receipts.

If your work from home business is something you can take with you to work on (such as writing), you should also have a to go bag. A to go bag is simply a large tote bag, or backpack. Throw the items in you will need, such as pens, a calculator, notepads, folders, a calendar, and anything else you think will make you more efficient. When you're ready to go, just grab the bag, and you're out the door.

Having A Quiet Workspace 

What not to do.

This guy needs some help in the quiet workspace department. Watch out for that cat! I love this video, it's great for a chuckle.

Home Office

Those of us who work from home need a quiet place to work. This is how NOT to do it!

Runtime: 88
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3 Comments:

curated content from YouTube

 

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Work at Home Tips and Tricks # 3 

Get Organized!
Set aside time every day to organize your schedule. This can be especially hard if you have small children at home.

I have a set of index cards with all of the different things I need to complete each day. For example I post to my blog at least every other day. Blog is at the top of one of my index cards, I date it, and write what I did each time I post, or update my blog in some way. I also have cards for client jobs. These cards list what I need to complete, as I complete it I mark off the day it was completed. Index cards are very inexpensive, and I have a card box to organize them.

My card box has date indexes and monthly tabs. When I have completed a task, I flip the card back to the next day I need to complete that task. (It may be the next day, but the card is in there to jog my memory)

This system works for me, it may not work for your situation. Some people do great with a daily list. You do need to come up with some method of organization and stick with it if you want to work from home successfully.

Mystery Shopping & Merchandising 

Secret Shopping is not exactly a work from home job, but I am including it because you can complete the shops on your own schedule. If your children are in school for part of a day or all day, you can complete your shops while they are out. If you are organized you can find several shops in one area to complete in a day. The paperwork can be completed while the children are outside playing, or in bed for the night. Secret shopping is not a full time job for most people. It can be a great part time income if you find the right companies to shop for.

One key to success in secret shopping is to be very organized. Sign up with a couple companies, and find several jobs to do in one area on the same day. Watch out for shops that do not pay much commission, they may not be worth your time, unless you are completing other shops in the area. You should never have to pay to be a mystery shopper, there are several great companies out there that do not require you to have a membership.

You can shop for your favorite things and get paid for it. There are mystery shops available for movie theatres, hair salons, apartment buildings, restaurants, and retail stores. Pick the ones that interest you most, and have the highest return in your area.

Many secret shopping companies also have merchandising jobs available. A merchandiser goes in to a store and sets up displays, or restocks shelves. Some of these jobs can lead to consistent work.

Other Things You Can Do From Home 

And Earn A Little Cash On The Way

None of the opportunities in this section are meant to be a full time income from home, but some people do make some major change at some of these spots, and some of them are just plain of fun.

The best thing? None of them cost a penny to try. So check them out and give them a try if you are interested.

Netwinner - Pick your numbers then spin the wheel to see if you win. Doesn't cost anything, and you can play to earn gift certificates or cash. I do it while I watch TV.

Gather -Keep informed on Gather.com! Content ranges from politics to cooking, and we earn Gather Points or cash for using the site! It's an excellent place for networking, and you can share some of your Squidoo lenses in your profile, or write an article, post a photo, and link it back to your lens. View my content here: I'm barkely
barkely.gather.com

Associated Content - Do you have something to say? Would you like to share your knowledge with the world? Sign up with Associated Content to write articles, or produce videos and get paid for it. They'll pay you in most cases for the content, and pay you a residual bonus amount based on page views.

Work at Home Tips and Tricks # 4 

Keep It All In Perspective

Not every day is a cakewalk. Some days you will be more motivated than others.

Remember why you are working from home in the first place. Was your goal to spend more time with family? If so, set a schedule that allows you to do that.

Were you tired of the 9-5 office scene, with the snippy co-worker who did nothing next to you? If that was your motivation, keep that in mind on the days when your work at home life is less than perfect. Remind yourself it could be worse!

Don't forget, the perks, when you work from home you are probably saving babysitting fees, gas money, and lunch is as easy as walking to the kitchen.

Work at Home Tips and Tricks # 5 

Network

Do not cut yourself off from the outside world, just because you are working from home. Find others in your area who work from home, and set up a networking group. Get together once a month, and bounce ideas and problems off of each other.

Network in some online forums, don't go overboard, but take a break once in a while and check out your favorite forum. Some of my favorites are listed below. Put a link in your signature to your website if you have one. Then while you are networking you are also advertising.

Work at Home Forums 

Here are some of my favorite work at home forums, where you can connect with other people who work from home. You may also find some great resources on these forums.

Networking is important even when you work from home. Meet some new friends, and find help for those sticky situations.
The WAHM Forum
A ton of info here about anything and everything to do with working from home.
Work Place Like Home Forum
Connect with others who are working from home.

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by Barkely

Barkely (Linette) enjoys sharing the things she loves with the world through Squidoo! Check out Lensography here at Squidoo for more information.


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