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	<title>Work At Home Adventures &#187; work at home</title>
	<atom:link href="http://workathomeadventures.com/tag/work-at-home/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://workathomeadventures.com</link>
	<description>Helping you build a successful work at home business.</description>
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		<title>Work At Home Moms Business Idea That Really Works</title>
		<link>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/05/work-at-home-moms-business-idea-that-really-works/</link>
		<comments>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/05/work-at-home-moms-business-idea-that-really-works/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 29 May 2010 20:46:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Starting A New Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[business idea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[moms business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work at home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work at home moms]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://workathomeadventures.com/?p=1269</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[If you are a mom, you may be wondering what the best work at home moms business idea will be that will allow you to be a mom first and make an income in your spare time.  You do not have to have a college degree to be successful online and if you have [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you are a mom, you may be wondering what the best work at home moms business idea will be that will allow you to be a mom first and make an income in your spare time.  You do not have to have a college degree to be successful online and if you have a desire to learn and the motivation, you can find many business opportunities that can help you find absolute success.</p>
<p>One work at home moms business idea suggestions that many moms check into is eBay. If you have children you may have many items that you are ready to part with and eBay can be a great way to sell these items and this can generate money you can use to supplement your income.  You may be surprised at the demand that is associated with eBay and this is a very simple business you can start right away with little or no start up fees.  </p>
<p><span id="more-1269"></span></p>
<p>You can also explore work at home moms business idea suggestions that are on many of the business forums that are out there.  You may find that there are some great opportunities out there that are geared for moms and this can make it easier then ever to find a great opportunity that may benefit your needs.  </p>
<p>Work at home moms business idea suggestions will help you find a great opportunity that will benefit your entire family.  Many moms are torn between supporting their family financially and supporting their family mentally and working from home can allow you to achieve both of these goals. </p>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Work At Home No Scams</title>
		<link>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/04/work-at-home-no-scams/</link>
		<comments>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/04/work-at-home-no-scams/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Apr 2010 08:09:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home office]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work at home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[working at home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[working from home]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://workathomeadventures.com/?p=1244</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Work At Home No Scams is a work at home site run by someone who actually works at home like me!  Eddy has a frequently updated blog and work at home job listings.  I highly recommend you visit Work At Home No Scams for information about working at home without getting involved in scams.
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.workathomenoscams.com/" target="_blank">Work At Home No Scams</a> is a work at home site run by someone who actually works at home like me!  Eddy has a frequently updated blog and work at home job listings.  I highly recommend you visit <a href="http://www.workathomenoscams.com/" target="_blank">Work At Home No Scams</a> for information about working at home without getting involved in scams.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Work At Home Jobs</title>
		<link>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/04/work-at-home-jobs/</link>
		<comments>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/04/work-at-home-jobs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 Apr 2010 01:17:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Clients]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[telecommuting jobs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work at home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work at home jobs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work from home]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://workathomeadventures.com/?p=1230</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m always looking for new clients or freelance work and I thought I&#8217;d share here on some of the opportunities I find.  Check these out:
Real Estate Blogger and an Investment Blogger
Admin assistant for PR firm
Book Editor
Blogger For Cooking Site
Online Marketing Specialist
Social Media Blogger
]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;m always looking for new clients or freelance work and I thought I&#8217;d share here on some of the opportunities I find.  Check these out:</p>
<p><a href="http://jobs.problogger.net/view/3296" target="_blank">Real Estate Blogger and an Investment Blogger</a><br />
<a href="http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/ofc/1671124483.html" target="_self">Admin assistant for PR firm</a><br />
<a href="http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/wri/1670484866.html" target="_blank">Book Editor</a><br />
<a href="http://jobs.problogger.net/view/3297" target="_blank">Blogger For Cooking Site</a><br />
<a href="http://denver.craigslist.org/wri/1679547349.html" target="_blank">Online Marketing Specialist</a><br />
<a href="http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/wrg/1678574284.html" target="_blank">Social Media Blogger</a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>The Ultimate Guide To Working From Home</title>
		<link>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/03/the-ultimate-guide-to-working-from-home/</link>
		<comments>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/03/the-ultimate-guide-to-working-from-home/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:14:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home office]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[small business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work at home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[working from home]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://workathomeadventures.com/?p=1119</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Doesn&#8217;t getting ready for work to go to that dead-end job feel like the  agony of starting a new diet?  You have to trick yourself into following  through with it.  You&#8217;re starving for something different.  You just  can&#8217;t let go because you&#8217;re not quite sure of yourself.  You&#8217;re [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Doesn&#8217;t getting ready for work to go to that dead-end job feel like the  agony of starting a new diet?  You have to trick yourself into following  through with it.  You&#8217;re starving for something different.  You just  can&#8217;t let go because you&#8217;re not quite sure of yourself.  You&#8217;re hoping,  with crossed-fingers that something will change and you will wake up one  day and you won&#8217;t be so displeased.</p>
<p>Have you ever noticed that you don&#8217;t have any problems getting out of  bed on days that you have off?  You are cheerful, happy and ready to get  your day started.  But when a working day comes around, you&#8217;re pulling  your hair out just to spark some kind of motivation to get out of bed.  Is that you?</p>
<ul type="square">
<li>Do you find yourself yelling at the kids for no reason?</li>
<li>Are you always frustrated?</li>
<li>Are you unhappy with your life?</li>
<li>Are you envious of other people&#8217;s lives?</li>
<li>Have you fantasized about being your own boss?</li>
</ul>
<p>Worst of all.  This is the one that&#8217;s going to make you really mad when  you stop and think about it. On your days off, are you so busy catching  up on chores, finishing the laundry, running errands, housework,  repairs, or sitting at an auto shop getting that much need oil change  because of the wear and tear on your car. Is catching up turning into a  part-time job because all your energy during the week is spent on  pleasing your boss?</p>
<p>I need a handkerchief to wipe the beads of sweat from my forehead.  I  just thought about what would have happened if I would have allowed  myself to be lulled into false security and threatened by fear.</p>
<p>I wouldn&#8217;t be making six-figures a year and I wouldn&#8217;t have been  self-employed for the last eight years with the freedom to take  vacations whenever I wanted.</p>
<p>When I first stepped out on the faith of my own abilities, there was no  straight to the point guide that told me, without running around in  circles, how to work from home and escape and impending mid-life crisis  that would have left me crying &#8220;where did I go wrong in my life?&#8221; into  the palm of my hands.</p>
<p>I knew I wasn&#8217;t the only one who went through this phase in my life.  I  defeated the fear and developed confidence in my abilities.  I also  conquered the other obstacle facing people who want to work at home…</p>
<p>Finding the information to make it happen and avoiding the scams.  There  was no comprehensive guide for me, so I fell prey to some of the scams.   That&#8217;s why I created this guide.</p>
<p>The Ultimate Guide to Working from Home is perfect for:</p>
<ul type="square">
<li>Homemakers</li>
<li>Students</li>
<li>Retirees</li>
<li>Disabled</li>
<li>Self-starters</li>
<li>Writers</li>
<li>And anyone else who has the desire to get out of the corporate  workforce.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="http://65594kwnl-eeepbdw9tztdtbf7.hop.clickbank.net/" target="_top">Click Here!</a> to learn more about this valuable guide.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Will the Economic Downturn Affect Small Businesses? a New Perspective</title>
		<link>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/02/will-the-economic-downturn-affect-small-businesses-a-new-perspective/</link>
		<comments>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/02/will-the-economic-downturn-affect-small-businesses-a-new-perspective/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:48:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Credit Crunch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Economic Outlook On Small Businesses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home office]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Small Businesses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work at home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[working at home]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://workathomeadventures.com/?p=907</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The recent sub-prime mortgage crisis and the interlinked subsequent turmoil in the financial markets has generated many concerns in businesses and the general outlook on the economy. The question we want to answer is: will it affect small businesses?
There is no easy answer to this question. But let’s examine the different drivers at play.
On one [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The recent sub-prime mortgage crisis and the interlinked subsequent turmoil in the financial markets has generated many concerns in businesses and the general outlook on the economy. The question we want to answer is: will it affect small businesses?</p>
<p>There is no easy answer to this question. But let’s examine the different drivers at play.</p>
<p>On one hand, we have a mortgage market that’s become a lot tighter. This will make it increasingly harder for people to get mortgages.  Traditionally, borrowing against your home has been one of the most common ways of funding a new businesses (according to a survey conducted by the Federation of Small Business 25% of start ups use bank loans as their main source of funding, while 49% use bank overdrafts). So these facts would indicate that the credit crunch will have a knock-on effect on small businesses by affecting entrepreneurs’ ability to raise funding.</p>
<p>Equally, a lot of people who are already on the property ladder will find that their equity is being squeezed by the drop in house prices, so again making it harder to gear up.</p>
<p>On top of this, banks have gone into saving mode, switching from looking aggressively for borrowers to looking for lenders. So even with property to secure against, chances are that people will generally face it more difficulty to get a bank loan.<br />
<span id="more-907"></span><br />
On the other end of the food chain, larger businesses, who are already geared up may find it harder to service their debt especially if consumer spending is affected (of which there are no clear signs as yet). Consumer spending accounts for about 70% of the GDP so if that goes down… it pretty much all goes down.</p>
<p>With the above in mind, the number of business startup is the next year is estimated, by some, to drop. Barclays bank estimates that new business formations will drop from 420,000 a year for the past three years to about 360,000 next year.</p>
<p>I don’t share that view. Seemingly paradoxically I believe that the above will actually lead to a growth of the small business sector. The small business sector has always been the most resilient in the economy, benefiting from the lack of a cumbersome fixed cost base that burdens large businesses and with little or no debt to service.</p>
<p>There is the question of course of ‘how do we finance a small business without a buoyant property market to piggy-back on’? Well considering that over the past three years, despite abundance of cheap credit, 40% of start-ups (according to the FSB survey 2006) used own savings and retained profits to part-finance their growth, one can argue that that figure will increase in times when credit is tighter and when people are also nervous about their employment prospects.</p>
<p>Added to this is that fact that entrepreneurs today have more tools at their disposal to help them ‘boot-strap’ their venture than any other time in modern business history. Technology of course is the underpinning force behind this, enabling people to work remotely even deploying virtual teams without having to incur the traditional set-up and costs. Sites like ours – www.peopleperhour.com, we’d like to think, are making a distinct positive contribution to that.</p>
<p>Personally, I think the problems of the current financial crisis can be attributed to one key fundamental factor that, unfortunately, is an innate human trait: greed. The past number of years has seen an excess liquidity fuelled by cheap credit, which has led to a frenzy of over-spending and over-exposure. What has this led to? Large organizations eating up more than the can chew. Like Northern Rock.</p>
<p>This downturn will be a smack on the face to those who have got too greedy. And those will be naturally the ones at the top end of the food chain. As people become more nervous of the situation and their job security in those organizations, I think more people will resort to embarking on their postponed hidden desires to branch out on their own.</p>
<p>After all there something uniquely beautiful and paradoxically uplifting about a bleak economic climate: there’s less to lose!</p>
<div style="margin: 5px; padding: 5px; border: 1px solid #c1c1c1; font-size: 10px;"><a href="http://www.burn-the-fat-reviewed.com/"> burn the fat reviewed</a></div>
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		<item>
		<title>Jump Starting a Small Business Presence Online</title>
		<link>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/01/jump-starting-a-small-business-presence-online/</link>
		<comments>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/01/jump-starting-a-small-business-presence-online/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 21 Jan 2010 20:49:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Starting A Small Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work at home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[working from home]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://workathomeadventures.com/?p=684</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The traffic statistics page for Robert&#8217;s new small business web site starts to load. He scrolls down the page, dismayed. Just one or two visitors daily. Robert sits back and sighs. Most were probably curious friends and family.
When his internet-savvy nephew suggested promoting his small business on the Internet, Robert designed a simple but attractive [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The traffic statistics page for Robert&#8217;s new small business web site starts to load. He scrolls down the page, dismayed. Just one or two visitors daily. Robert sits back and sighs. Most were probably curious friends and family.</p>
<p>When his internet-savvy nephew suggested promoting his small business on the Internet, Robert designed a simple but attractive five-page small business web site. He added meta-tags and keywords, and waited for the search engines.</p>
<p>Robert wonders, &#8220;What now?&#8221;</p>
<p>Robert&#8217;s experience is common among small businesses getting started on the Internet. He has just faced the first big lesson for a small business web site: the web site is not enough. Unlike the weekly advertisement Robert places in the local paper, he needs to promote the web site itself. In a sense, he needs to advertise the advertisement.</p>
<p>What Robert doesn&#8217;t realize is that he already has the most valuable asset a small business can leverage online &#8212; knowledge and experience. Anyone who runs a small business off-line is an expert on something that other people would like to know about. Writing articles can turn that knowledge into targeted traffic. Article writing is the ideal free method for a small business to promote itself on the Internet.</p>
<p>Every small business has expertise it can share in 500-1,000 word bites. A landscaper could write about the uses for different kinds of turf grass. A window installer can describe new types of energy-efficient windows. A home cleaning service can provide cleaning tips.</p>
<p>Customers ask Robert five questions repeatedly. He can easily write five simple articles to answer them. Then, he just needs to add a &#8220;resource box&#8221; which advertises and links to his web site.</p>
<p>Robert can also include a few of his web site&#8217;s keywords in each article, and, if possible, in his resource box. Robert&#8217;s business depends on local customers. Including his city&#8217;s name in anecdotes within the articles, or in the resource box, can help his articles to appear in local searches for that city.</p>
<p>Robert would start by uploading his article to a new web page. This gives visitors more to read &#8212; and starts to establish Robert as an expert. More importantly, the article becomes &#8220;spider bait&#8221; for the content-loving search engines to find and index.</p>
<p>He could stop there, but his new article gives him a more valuable opportunity to promote his site.</p>
<p>Next, Robert can offer his article to other web sites. Most article directories accept submissions of articles. They offer those articles for others to use in newsletters or on web sites. A quick search for &#8220;article directory&#8221; will yield a sizable list of sites that accept article submissions.</p>
<p>Prepared, with a simple text file ready to copy and paste, it takes just minutes to submit an article to an article directory site. Once posted, the article provides a link to Robert&#8217;s site. Other webmasters may reprint his article, also linking to his site.</p>
<p>Article marketing is viral, multiplying the links &#8212; and visitors &#8212; to the author&#8217;s site each time an article is republished. Just one popular article can attract a growing number of information-hungry visitors as the article spreads across the Internet.</p>
<p>Many article directories also include new articles in RSS feeds and e-mail announcements to their lists. Robert doesn&#8217;t even need his own e-mail list or feed to advertise his web site to readers of his article.</p>
<p>Finally, if Robert has more time, he can search for &#8220;ezine directories&#8221; to find newsletters that accept articles and offer his article directly to them. If he is willing to spend some money, he could use article submission services.</p>
<p>Over time, the growing number of links to a web site can improve its &#8220;link popularity&#8221; and Page Rank. As the site rises in the search engine rankings, it attracts even more visitors.</p>
<p>Articles spread those all-important links across the Internet without the tedious process of sending out link exchange requests (often declined or ignored). Better still, webmasters who reprint articles rarely ask for reciprocal links back to their own sites.</p>
<p>The benefit of writing an article builds over time, yet articles require no ongoing maintenance once they are written and submitted. Other options like newsletters, blogs, and forums can demand more upkeep than a small business can afford.</p>
<p>Best of all, articles can remain up on web sites indefinitely, driving free traffic immediately &#8212; and long-term. Most other kinds of advertising stay posted only as long as they are paid for. An article&#8217;s &#8220;views,&#8221; &#8220;reprints,&#8221; and &#8220;click-throughs&#8221; can increase &#8212; without increasing advertising costs.</p>
<p>Writing articles is a powerful way to leverage a small business&#8217; expertise, transforming it into traffic. The currency of the Internet, information, makes advertising a small business web site affordable. Promoting with articles can jump-start the online presence of a small business and continue to market it for a long time to come.</p>
<p>(c) 2006 Wendy MakiMay be reprinted in email newsletters and on web sites. Must be unedited and include the resource box. All other rights reserved.</p>
<div style="margin: 5px; padding: 5px; border: 1px solid #c1c1c1; font-size: 10px;">Find article submission site listings at <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.yclepen.com/">YClepen.com &#8212; THE directory of article directories.</a><br />
<a href="http://smartphony.net/">Smartphone Software</a></div>
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		<title>The Affiliate Bible:  Super Affiliate: How I Made $436,797 In One Year</title>
		<link>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/01/the-affiliate-bible-super-affiliate-how-i-made-436797-in-one-year/</link>
		<comments>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/01/the-affiliate-bible-super-affiliate-how-i-made-436797-in-one-year/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jan 2010 04:59:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Passive Income]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[affiliate marketing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[affiliate program]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rosalind Gardner]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work at home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[working from home]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://workathomeadventures.com/?p=536</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Rosalind Gardner is hands down the master of using affiliate programs online to build your home based business.  Her guide is up-to-date and includes information about choosing and using an affiliate program, how to do market research, how to avoid affiliate mistakes, how to create and run a profitable website using affiliate programs, learn which [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Rosalind Gardner is hands down the master of using affiliate programs online to build your home based business.  Her guide is up-to-date and includes information about choosing and using an affiliate program, how to do market research, how to avoid affiliate mistakes, how to create and run a profitable website using affiliate programs, learn which programs to avoid, how to stop thieves from stealing commissions belonging to you and much, much more.</p>
<p>If you want to create a profitable home business using affiliate programs then you must purchase the bible of affiliate program success <a href="http://26350pwfnvnd5ufqt42c1gez2s.hop.clickbank.net/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Super Affiliate: How I Made $436,797 In One Year</span></a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Home Business with a Professional Image</title>
		<link>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/01/home-business-with-a-professional-image/</link>
		<comments>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/01/home-business-with-a-professional-image/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 09 Jan 2010 03:51:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[professional image]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work at home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[working from home]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://workathomeadventures.com/?p=527</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Most of us can easily list off 5 professional, and consequently unprofessional, business experiences we&#8217;ve had recently.  Our interaction with these businesses may have been in the form of an email, a retail shopping experience, or a telephone conversation.  In several cases, the deciding factor between a professional and an unprofessional experience may have been [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Most of us can easily list off 5 professional, and consequently unprofessional, business experiences we&#8217;ve had recently.  Our interaction with these businesses may have been in the form of an email, a retail shopping experience, or a telephone conversation.  In several cases, the deciding factor between a professional and an unprofessional experience may have been something so small, so simple, yet so significant.</p>
<p>Running a home-based business often means wearing the hat of everyone from order taker to customer service specialist.  A stickler for a &#8216;professional&#8217; image, I believe it is essential I constantly make myself aware of how clients, contractors and the public are viewing my business practices.  As the sole owner of my Virtual Assistant business, I have to &#8211; nobody else is going to do it for me!</p>
<p>I&#8217;m a firm believer in the K.I.S.S. method of business relations &#8211; Keep It Simple, Stupid.  The following five points may seem cliché, and ever so simple, but it&#8217;s surprising how often home-based business owners forget to take notice of them.</p>
<p>1. Spell check.  Whether you are writing an email, creating a brochure of your services, adding text to your website, or writing a thank-you card, double check your work!  Just about every program you work in will have a &#8217;spell check&#8217; function &#8211; use it!  For projects such as text for my website or brochures featuring my services, I hire a professional editor to review what I&#8217;ve written.  You may ask, &#8220;Isn&#8217;t a professional editor going to cost me a lot of money?&#8221; No!  There are hundreds of Virtual Assistants who, for a surprisingly low fee, will edit your correspondence.  It will save you the embarrassment of spelling mistakes, an error which may very well cost you a future customer.</p>
<p>2. The telephone.  Have you ever called your favourite retail shop or your local notary public to hear them answer, &#8220;Hello?&#8221;  No?  Neither have I.  Businesses answer their phone stating their business name, as should you!  Unfair or not, some potential customers have a negative preconceived notion about home-based businesses, so let them know from the moment they call that you are a professional organization.  Ensure your answering machine or voicemail clearly notes your business name, and directions for leaving a message or alternate contact information.  If your business line is also your home line, instruct others in your home how you want calls answered during business hours.  Also explore the option of getting a smart ring number or a voicemail system with multiple mailboxes.</p>
<p>3. Professional documentation.  Business cards, brochures, emails, website content, faxes, written quotes and RFPs.  Always give out typed, clean-looking, professional documentation with your company contact information.  If budget allows, hire a graphic designer to create your company&#8217;s brand image so you keep a consistent branding with all of your correspondence.  Lots of Virtual Assistants have a background in graphic design, and offer these services.  Not in the budget just yet?  There are easy-to-use software programs with template designs, which you can customize with your own information and flair.</p>
<p>4. Mind your manners.  Smile when you are on the phone.  Say please and thank you.  Treat each and every phone call and email with this kind of care, and you will surely see repeat customers and referrals.  Let customers know you appreciate their patronage.  A sincere &#8220;thank you for your business&#8221; will go a surprisingly long way.  Dealing with a home-based business is often a new experience for customers.  Show them your level of professionalism by keeping your manners in check.</p>
<p>5. Know your policies, your product, your business.  It is most unprofessional when the owner of a company does not know the answer to a question about their business.  When someone asks for a quote, they are expecting an answer of how much your business will charge to provide them with a service.  Potential customers don&#8217;t want to hear how you&#8217;re just redoing your pricing and you&#8217;ve never done this before but think $40/hr sounds fair.  They don&#8217;t want to hear that now you have people sign a contract because once upon a time you didn&#8217;t sign one and you were never paid for that assignment.  You are the professional.  Give clear answers to the inquiries you receive about your service offerings, pricing, policies, etc.</p>
<p>Just be mindful.  Operating a new or home-based business of any kind is certainly a lot of work, and a continuous battle to gain confidence from customers who may well be used to dealing with larger, potentially more established businesses/industries.  Step up to the plate, be mindful of your professionalism, and others will be confident in hiring your services, or purchasing your products.</p>
<p>Learn about <a href="http://www.knowledgebin.info/flowers/peonies/peony_tree.html">peony tree</a>, <a href="http://www.knowledgebin.info/flowers/peonies/planting_peonies.html">planting peonies</a> and other information at the <a href="http://www.knowledgebin.info">Knowledge Bin</a> site.</p>
<p>Article Source: <a href="http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Home-Business-with-a-Professional-Image/1283812">Home Business with a Professional Image</a></p>
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		<title>Working at home? Set a schedule!</title>
		<link>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/01/working-at-home-set-a-schedule/</link>
		<comments>http://workathomeadventures.com/2010/01/working-at-home-set-a-schedule/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:47:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home office]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[schedule]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[scheduling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work at home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work from home]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://workathomeadventures.com/?p=525</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Why do you want to work from home? I&#8217;ve heard people say that the main reason that they want to work at home is because they can work only when they want to work. It&#8217;s true that you can set your own work hours when you work at home -  but that doesn&#8217;t mean that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Why do you want to work from home? I&#8217;ve heard people say that the main reason that they want to work at home is because they can work only when they want to work. It&#8217;s true that you can set your own work hours when you work at home -  but that doesn&#8217;t mean that you can get by flying by the seat of your pants!</p>
<p>A &#8216;hit or miss&#8217; work schedule…or rather, the lack of any work schedule at all, simply will not work. Time is of the Essence! YOUR time!</p>
<p>If you&#8217;re not about getting your work done, you&#8217;ll either spend too much time working or your business will fail. You&#8217;ve got to set up a work schedule for yourself and you&#8217;ve got to stick to it. You can choose your own hours…but you can&#8217;t skip work and expect your business to grow.</p>
<p>When you work for someone else, you have set working hours. You&#8217;re expected to do work during those hours and get done what you need to get done. You can&#8217;t leave work in the middle of your time and you definitely can&#8217;t have friends and family stopping by to chat.</p>
<p>When you have a work at home job or business you need that same kind of structure. You need to set regular working hours. Working at home gives you the freedom to choose your own hours….but you have to set those hours and work them!</p>
<p>If you start keeping regular hours, your friends and family will have to go through some adjustment. Your mother wouldn&#8217;t dream of calling you at your real job and asking you to run some errands. Your best friend wouldn&#8217;t come into your workplace and sit down, expecting to chat for two hours.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s a strange but true fact that these people who respect your &#8220;real&#8221; job out of the home can misunderstand your new working at home status. That very same mother and that very same best friend will walk all over your work time at home. Why? Because you&#8217;re at home and they think you&#8217;re available.</p>
<p>People have a hard time seeing working at home as a &#8220;real job.&#8221; Your family, friends and spouse will assume that you have all the time in the world now that you&#8217;re &#8220;not working.&#8221;</p>
<p>How can you let them know that this business is a real business? By setting a schedule and sticking to it. Unless you see your work at home job as a REAL job with REAL hours, your time will be eaten away by your friends, your family and even yourself.</p>
<p>Make a schedule for your work and start sticking to it. Let your friends and family know when your hours will be. You don&#8217;t need to be rude about it, just to the point. Tell them &#8220;I will be working from 9 am to 3 pm Mondays through Fridays. On those days during those hours, I&#8217;m not available for errands, personal phone calls or company visiting.&#8221;</p>
<p>The most important part is following through. Make sure you stick to your own schedule &#8211; you&#8217;ll be able to get to your work done and you&#8217;ll garner the respect of your friends and family.</p>
<p>Want more tips on how to start your own business? Visit <a href="http://www.thebluejeanceo.com" target="_blank">http://www.thebluejeanceo.com</a> and pick up a copy of your free report &#8220;7 Biggest Mistakes New Entrepreneurs Make When They Get Started.&#8221; TheBlueJeanCeo.com is the definitive resource for all new entrepreneurs for small business tips and small business advice.</p>
<p>Article Source: <a href="http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Working-at-home?-Set-a-schedule!/1289873" target="_blank">http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Working-at-home?-Set-a-schedule!/1289873</a></p>
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		<title>A Work at Home Business Versus a Work at Home Job</title>
		<link>http://workathomeadventures.com/2009/12/a-work-at-home-business-versus-a-work-at-home-job/</link>
		<comments>http://workathomeadventures.com/2009/12/a-work-at-home-business-versus-a-work-at-home-job/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:05:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>editor</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[General]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[home office]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work at home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work At Home Business]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Work At Home Job]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[working from home]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://workathomeadventures.com/?p=480</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Is a work at home business better than a work at home job? You bet. Hands down. But each option has pros and cons, and it may be that for right now you&#8217;re just not ready to start a work at home business. Its a big commitment. That&#8217;s OK. But if you&#8217;re dedicated, smart and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Is a work at home business better than a work at home job? You bet. Hands down. But each option has pros and cons, and it may be that for right now you&#8217;re just not ready to start a work at home business. Its a big commitment. That&#8217;s OK. But if you&#8217;re dedicated, smart and willing to work harder than most, settling for a work at home job could be selling yourself short.</p>
<p>2 Best Reasons To Start a Work At Home Business</p>
<p>1) Business owners build equity in their business. Work at home job holders just get a weekly paycheck.</p>
<p>If you take a work at home job, you&#8217;ll need to continue working, hour by hour, as long as you want the money to come in. When you finally quit your work at home job, the paychecks will stop. If you can start a work at home business, you&#8217;ll not only have a steady income once it is up and running, but you&#8217;ll have the option to sell your business when the day comes that you no longer want to run it.</p>
<p>Some people launch and grow their businesses with the goal of selling them later; others just get their business started and then decide, say, five years later that they want to get out. Either way works. But getting $150,000 for your business after five years of building it beats the pants off just calling your boss and giving two weeks notice. No employer gives a retirement bonus like that!</p>
<p>2) Business owners can hire people. Work at home employees have to do it all themselves.</p>
<p>As a business owner you can do whatever you like &#8211; so long as its profitable. In many cases your business will actually do better the less you work in it, and the more you work on it. So your real job as the boss is to create systems for getting things done, complete with bullter-proof instructions so people can practically train themselves. As soon as each business system is created and running smoothly, the boss (you!) finds someone to follow the directions. Then that new hire does the job you used to do, and you get to either take a break or continue building the company and its profits.</p>
<p>Two Reasons To Just Get A Work At Home Job</p>
<p>1) Starting a Business is Risky.</p>
<p>This is the big factor. Most businesses fail. There are things you can do to radically improve your business&#8217;s chances of success (like writing a detailed, real-world business plan and interviewing 3-5 business owners in the same industry you want to go into), but no business plan is perfect. By sticking with a simple work at home job, you can rely on that paycheck and leave how your employer is going to fund that weekly paycheck to someone else.</p>
<p>2) Owning A Business is More Work.</p>
<p>Despite the view that the boss taking it easy in his office while his employees slave away, the business owner may work harder than anyone. The employees, after all, get to go home. The boss may need to keep working until after 10. There&#8217;s no passing the buck if you&#8217;re the owner &#8211; you must either hire somebody to deal with it, or deal with it yourself.</p>
<p>This is the flip side of the benefit of not having to do all the work &#8211; yes, you can delegate it all out, but there&#8217;s an unbelievable amount of work to do, and most of it all needs to be done all at once. If you aren&#8217;t someone who&#8217;s comfortable &#8220;changing gears&#8221; or &#8220;wearing many hats&#8221;, you either need a flawless business plan (and the will and money to execute it), or realize that working at home as an employee might best for you. As I&#8217;ve mentioned, having a business has more benefits, but if getting to those benefits risks you getting a heart attack, stick with a work at home job.</p>
<div style="margin:5px;padding:5px;border:1px solid #c1c1c1;font-size: 10px">Pamella Neely writes about <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.workathomeabcs.com">work at home businesses</a> and jobs for <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.WorkAtHomeABCs.com">www.WorkAtHomeABCs.com</a> and other sites. She&#8217;s successfully worked at home for three years, and now makes significantly more working at home than she ever did in an office.<br />
<a href="http://www.logonerds.com/">Business Logo Design</a></div>
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