Archive for April, 2009

By Denise Willms

In almost every mom forum I visit, there’s at least one member asking, “I want to be a Virtual Assistant. Can anyone tell me how to get started?”

Starting a Virtual Assistant (VA) business is an appealing option for moms who want to develop their careers while being home with their kids. It’s one of the most flexible home businesses you can own, and it can change and develop as your skills grow.

First of all, there’s flexibility in the kind of work you can do as a Virtual Assistant. Traditionally, VAs did only administrative work. Although many Virtual Assistants still offer administrative services, today’s VA can be a writer, web designer, marketer, programmer, public relations specialist, coach – you’re limited only by your imagination!

Unlike a corporate job where the work you do is defined by the title of your position, a VA can continually develop their skills, and can tackle any project that appeals to their talents or interests. As your skills grow, you can ditch the work you don’t like, and pursue new types of projects – no more being stuck in a rut and hoping for that promotion or a new job to rescue you.

There’s also a lot of flexibility in how much money a VA can earn. While most charge around $35 an hour, rates for specialized services can run over $100 per hour. When you’re a VA, how much you make is not dictated to you by a faceless Human Resources department, but decided on by you. You choose what you want to earn, so long as it’s in line with what your target market will pay.

To earn the dollars you want, or need, start by choosing a target market that is willing to pay what you charge, and then offer the services they need most. You can add to your income by selling affiliate products, creating and selling your own product, or by creating a membership site. A good combination of these can give you limitless earning potential.

Moms who want to become Virtual Assistants are usually looking for flexibility in their working hours, too. It’s wise to set regular office hours to help you keep control over your day and so your clients know not to call you during the supper hour, but these hours don’t need to be set in stone. You can shut the office down whenever you need to, and take the kids to the dentist or the zoo.

When you’re a VA, you can also choose the kinds of clients you work for. You don’t need to work with someone whose style doesn’t mesh with your own. Instead, you can interview potential clients and choose only those you will enjoy working with.

After all, the joy of being a Virtual Assistant comes from being able to make your own decisions and choosing your own path.

About The Author

Click Here for a tool that can help you get your virtual assistant business started faster than you thought possible.

By Shelly Hill

When it comes to having a successful Direct Sales home business, you should focus on the number 5. Why the number 5?

Let’s break it down for you.

5 Party Bookings: You should have at least 5 parties booked every month. Keeping your dating calendar full means continued business growth and consistent income for you! The more home parties you have, the more money you will make.

5 Phone Calls Every Day: Grow your business every day by getting on the phone and working your business. These phone calls can be to customers, party hosts, recruit leads or fundraising contacts. The important part is to get on the phone and talk business.

5 Hours Per Week: You need to be working on advertising, marketing and networking your home business. Customers, Party Hosts and New Team Members, just don’t magically find you. It is your job to go out there and find them. If you are consistent with these 3 things, your business will continue to grow.

5 Catalogs A Week: New prospects, equals new income for you! Make it a goal to hand out 5 catalogs every week to new prospects.

5 New Customers A Week: Remember, not all of your customers have to come from home party bookings. Look for other ways to gain new customers that are not affiliated with a home party host. (Direct to Consultant Product Orders)

5 New Recruits A Month: By adding new team members you are increasing your income. Make it a business goal to add 5 new team members to your personal team every month.

Believe It…Acheive It!

It all can be done if you remember the Power of 5.

About The Author

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. You can contact Shelly at: Web: www.classybusinesswomen.com Web: my.tupperware.com/Ravish30 and Recipe Blog: wahmshelly.blogspot.com.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

By Corrie Petersen

Most moms that decide to work at home do it for a couple of reasons. The main reason is because they want to be at home with their children or they want to be there for them if needed. That’s a pretty good reason I think.

Now, if your children are older they may have homework after school that will keep them occupied for an hour or so and this will give you time to continue to work your business. If your children are not of school age or they are younger, you may need to come up with ways to keep them busy while you work.

You have a couple of options to choose from when deciding what to do. Let’s start with the babies first and then move on to the older children.

• Babies

When your child is young, he may sleep a lot during the day, so you will have plenty of opportunities to get your work accomplished. Making the most of your day during nap times can be tricky, but you will learn how to use this time wisely after a few days.

Once the baby is older, he may not sleep as much and this is where you have to plan very well. Naps may be sporadic throughout the day, so appointments may be a little more difficult to make. You might consider taking your child to a family member for a few hours so you can make appointments or work your business. If your baby is on a schedule, the best thing is to take your baby during the hours they will be awake so you can work while they are asleep and while they are gone.

Another option is to change your schedule and work in the evenings when your spouse is home and can help. This will limit the hours you can work, but if you use your time wisely, you should be able to get a lot accomplished in a few hours.

• Toddlers

Toddlers are a little harder to work with, but it’s still possible. Bring your child into your office and surround him with his favorite toys. Another option is to put a TV in your office or move your office to the family room so you are in the same room as your child. You can purchase educational DVD’s for your child to watch while you work. Another option is to purchase color books and crayons and put your child to work drawing you pictures for your office walls.

• Tweens and Teens

Once your child is over the age of 10, they should be able to entertain themselves for hours. During the school year, they can complete their homework and read books. During the summer they can ride bikes, play basketball, and play with their friends. This will give you more time to focus and get your work accomplished.

Setting business hours and sticking to them is a top priority. At first it may be difficult to stick to them, but you need to try or you are defeating the purpose of working at home. Using creative childcare options will help you stick to your hours and you will be able to get a lot accomplished during these times.

About The Author

Corrie Petersen runs a successful Virtual Assistant business. She enjoys helping others reach their goals and dreams. Check out her website at www.virtualfreedom4you.com.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com.

By Lisa Alexander

Researching for legitimate work from home or what is most commonly known as “telecommuting positions”, can be a difficult task and may open up some risk factors you are unaware of. To be successful at this you should know a few things up-front, as well as bona-fide resources online that have more of a potential to start you off on the right foot, and in the right direction.

Telecommuting positions are projects such as freelance writing, “genuine” data entry assignments (not survey taking), full time or part time independent contractual work in many different fields, web design and/or content management, customer service with inbound or outbound calling (most popular), sales and even employment with health insurance, dental coverage (NOT discount benefits), and even 401K, that the work can be performed from your home office.

This can also be described as a non-traditional type of work (NOT multi-level marketing, network marketing or direct sales = you pay to join a company to work), meaning you won’t be required to work at the companies location or office. You’ll be given the opportunity to work from your home instead.

Now that we’ve covered the basics of what this article is about we can now get into “how-to” search for authentic jobs online, all while avoiding scams, bait and switch offers, misleading MLM advertisements … etc.

Searching the Internet for legitimate work at home jobs (telecommuting position):

One of my most favorite authors and Information providers on the subject is Rat Race Rebellion. From this resource many people have learned how to do some pretty basic searches on Google for work at home jobs. They call it “Google Your Way to Telework Job Leads” on their website.

They offer very basic keyword phrases including the quotations that offer decent results on Google. What others have learned from this section of their site and also implementing their own creativity is you can find a variety of opportunities online once you know what to look for.

Using quotations in your search on Google will provide specific feedback on that keyword phrase alone. So for instance if you were searching for medical transcription work at home jobs you might consider searching with quotations.

For example:

“medical transcriptionist needed”

“seeking experienced medical transcribers”

These search results and providing the quotes before and after your keyword phrase will bring up all of those words in that order on each result, thus providing you with a much more narrowed result that may be more specific to what you are searching for.

Go give it a try on Google and see what I mean. Then come back and continue reading.

Now you aren’t only limited to Google.com. Try the following websites for even better results that are pulled from all over the Internet and job related only.

* Indeed.com
* SimplyHired.com

How to Identify Those Red Flags:

The most popular misrepresentation of a classified ad I’ve seen showering down on the Internet is an ad from a health benefits (non-insurance) MLM company affiliates.

The ad reads that they are looking for a Regional Sales Director, a Health Benefits Specialist, and I’ve even seen “Professional Recruiters Needed” title to the advertisement.

The title “implies” legitimacy and professionalism when rightfully it’s a ploy to get you to read on.

The creator of the advertisement means to draw you in with stating they offer you health benefits, daily pay and bonuses, which sounds good, but what they don’t tell you when you sign up for the “telephone interview” is that you will have to pay to join this multi-level marketing business.

To some that is viewed as a bait and switch and often not appreciated once the applicant finds out they must pay to join this business.

Now I’m not saying whatsoever that the MLM industry isn’t worth getting into, but I am saying that you need to be aware of what you are applying for and what it is you truly are willing to do to earn money from home.

Most don’t appreciate ads that subtly imply they are an employer.

For the MLM or direct sales industry it is always strongly suggested to gain some sales experience or outside training before committing to any monthly expenses in this field.

More advice:

If the advertisement doesn’t offer direct contact information, such as an email address (@companyname.com, not @gmail.com or yahoo.com) or preferably a website or contact number it may not be worth handing out your personal resume with your contact information.

If you choose to apply to such an ad that offers no or little contact information, just reply asking for additional information “before” you hand over your private details.

In addition you can often find reasonably level headed discussion on work at home leads by visiting the popular wahm.com forum.

The bottom line is your research into a company should be the first on your mind. Although more and more companies and individuals are hiring people to work from home and the industry itself is becoming more recognized as a legitimate way of earning money, it’s always a good idea to keep your wits about you before you apply and accept a job offer from a stranger or unknown company.

About The Author

Lisa Alexander, a professional entrepreneur based out of Michigan and currently studying Internet Marketing and work from home researcher www.iCanWAH.com for more information.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

By Tammy Embrich

Many work at home job seekers are on a mission today, especially due to the critical, economic conditions of today’s society. It’s unfortunate that a significant number of individuals have lost their brick and mortar jobs and are in desperate need of some income. Some of these job seekers are steadily searching for their ideal job online.

Sadly, I see people everyday go about searching for a home job the wrong way. Basically, they simply don’t know WHERE to search and end up looking in the wrong places. Well of course, this puts them more at risk of getting scammed. Also…they go about searching with the wrong attitude or they are searching for only one type of job and are set on finding that specific job and nothing else. One needs to realize…there are various work at home options available.

I have put together some helpful do’s and don’ts when searching for an online job. Take your time in reading through them.

Do take the time to create a professional, well-written resume, including a cover letter. A legitimate company will require this from you. You will need to proportion your resume for the specific job you are searching for.

Below are some helpful sites for creating a resume…

quintcareers.com/resume-dos-donts.html
resume-resource.com/ – offers free resume templates, guides, and more
jobsearchtech.about.com/library/weekly/aa082597-3.htm – lots of free and inexpensive resume sites
tbrnet.com/resumes/resume-examples-and-formats.php3 – offers a free trial account

Do keep submitting your resume and applying consistently. It may take several times before you land a job. You need to be patient and submit to a LOT more than just a handful of companies.

Do make a chart of the job companies that you have submitted your resume to, including the date. This will come in handy and won’t result with you double submitting.

Do take breaks from your time on searching. If you devote ALL your energy on job searches, you’ll get stressed out, frustrated, and most likely give up.

Do visit job boards regularly.

Below are a few job boards for your searches…

careerbuilder.com/
indeed.com/
genuinejobs.com/
ratracerebellion.com/
careerbank.com/

Do visit work at home forums regularly. Set up an account on these forums and ask questions about specific companies and find out some of the well-known scams out there.

Below are a few forums for your searches…

real-wah-jobs.com/forum/
worldwideworkathome.com/forum/
wahm.com/forum/
wahcheck.com/forum/default.aspx
freelancemom.com/forum/index.php

Do visit work at home related websites

Do visit work at home blogs. Blogs have become progressively popular and a lot of them list job leads regularly.

Do tell all your friends to spread the word that you are searching for a job online. These friends will tell their friends and so on.

Do your own research on the companies that you would like to apply. It’s so easy these days to fall for all the scams that clutter the Internet.

Now for the Don’ts

Don’t approach your work at home search with a bad attitude and think that all job opportunities are scams. There are legitimate positions to be found.

Don’t set your mind on just one type of job. Be open-minded and explore all your options, according to your skill sets.

Don’t apply for a job online before researching the company first to check for scams.

Below are a few sites for searching for scam companies

bbb.org/
ftc.gov/
ripoffreport.com/
scambusters.org/

You can also type the company name into Google.com and the word scam to find any bad reports.

Don’t pay for a work at home job. Of course there are a few exceptions to this. For a customer service position, you will most likely be required to purchase a head set. For transcription work, you will need a foot pedal. A company may also require a background check from you.

Don’t be afraid to ask for assistance with your search. Forums are excellent for asking questions. Create a career-networking relationship with the members of the forum.

Don’t let the poor economic conditions of society stop you from consistently applying for jobs.

Don’t quit your brick and mortar job before securing a work at home position that matches your income.

Hopefully, the above tips will assist in securing a legitimate home-based opportunity. Happy job hunting!

Article Written By Tammy Embrich

Tammy owns and operates two work at home websites, a work at home forum, a recipe site and three blogs.

She offers free work at home job leads for the job seeker, business work at home articles, tips, and more. You can visit Tammy at Work At Home Jobs and Work At Home Forums.