GhostWriteHer My Pen, Your Voice

Happy Day After Mother’s Day! I hope your Mom’s Day was good. Mine was. We didn’t do a lot yesterday so I got to read articles. As expected, most of them were about. . . Mother’s Day. I read about 80% of what I call “standard” Mother’s Day articles, all about good Moms and tributes from their kids. Those are always nice. I also read some about being careful around Moms who have lost children, their own mothers and/or celebrating women who have been like mothers to us. Again, all good.

The one thing I didn’t see, however, was another group who might not want to celebrate Mother’s Day. WHAT? I can hear you now. . . NOT celebrate Mother’s Day? Yeah, that’s what I said. If you have a wonderful relationship with your mother, God Bless You. But not everyone does. Some Moms just don’t get it. Some Moms are abusive. Some Moms are just. . . well, they’re not everyone’s idea of a loving Mom. For folks who had Moms like that, Mother’s Day can be pure hell. Oh, you want to celebrate it, but you just can’t bring yourself to do it. Sometimes, it’s just not the warm, fuzzy celebration all your friends are having.

The “Not Good Enough” Mom. Mom is supposed to be the one who loves you when nobody else does, right? You can always get a hug, kiss and comforting words from Mom. Sadly, that doesn’t apply to everyone. Some Moms say hurtful things; some mean them and some don’t, but the wound is there regardless of intent. When you know you’re a disappointment and not good enough for your Mom, it scars you for life. You begin to feel like you’re not good enough for anyone or anything.

The “Screaming Meanie” Mom. When you get screamed at all the time, called names, regularly insulted and (not funny) laughed at, it hurts. It is said that, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Wanna bet? Words can be worse. Physical wounds heal, the scars fade and go away, although the fear remains. Emotional scars rarely go away, although we learn to hide them well. We hide them from everyone else, but in the gray shadows just before morning comes, the haunting begins.

The “You Never Do Anything Right” Mom. Moms are supposed to teach and praise, right? That’s the theory. But when you have to learn things on your own and you try to do your best (see the “Not Good Enough” Mom), but are constantly told you aren’t doing it right and you are rudely shoved away and screamed at (see the “Screaming Meanie” Mom) as the “expert” does it correctly, it doesn’t do much for your self-esteem. It doesn’t do much for you learning that skill either. It’s one thing when you’re 10. It’s totally something else when you’re 50.

So how do you fix this? I don’t honestly know. But if you’re raising kids right now and you identify yourself even a teensy bit with any of these “Moms,” please stop. Kids do hear what you say, loud and clear. I think most Moms love their kids, but I don’t think most Moms realize the power they wield to damage them. And then those Moms wonder why their kids are so screwed up later on.

Sorry to cast a pall upon the hallowed institution of Mother’s Day, but it had to be said.  Yes, I believe in honoring Mom, but please keep in mind that some folks grew up with Mommy Dearest instead of Loving Mommy.  Be especially kind to those women.   They have a lot to overcome.  It’s possible.  Film at 11. . .

I have a question for you today.  “Is There A Book In You?”  The reason I’m asking is that I feel there’s a book in me.  Most of you know I write short, pithy, business promo thingies (that’s a technical term) through GhostWriteHer.  Books are a horse of another color.  They’re long. . . very long.  It may sound like fun to you, but when you’re as ADHD as I am, it’s not so much fun.  I have the concentration God gave the wrong end of a flea!  So to focus on writing a book. . . weeeeeeel. . . it hasn’t gotten out of the planning stages. . . until a few weeks ago.

Oh, I did a lot of research and decided what I wanted to write about.  I teach history so it was going to be historical fiction/fantasy, but. . . how to approach it in a unique way?  I had actually written a few pages some time ago, but then – WHAM! – a new idea popped into this old head one day and I totally changed up my old idea, sat down and attacked.  Writer’s trance!  All of a sudden, the phone was ringing, it was four o’clock and my husband was calling to ask me if I needed him to pick up anything on his way home.  Wait a minute!  I just sat down.  No, actually I didn’t.  I glanced down at the word counter and it was really close to 4,000!  To say I was surprised is an understatement.  Maybe there is a book in me after all. . . and maybe I can actually sit still long enough to write it!

I can hear some of you giggling into your coffee, tea or beverage of choice, thinking, “Carla’s nuts.  I don’t write.  There’s no book in this gal!”  Before you decide that, just hold on a minute and let me change up that question a bit.  Try it this way:  “What’s inside you that you think you can’t do?” So it’s not writing a book.  What is it?  Do you want to be on TV?  Do you want to scale Mt. Everest?  Do you want to draw portraits of famous people?  Do you just want to learn something new?  Go back to college maybe?  They say if you can think it, you can do it.  And “they” are probably right.

The big problem, in my not so humble opinion, in that we tend to talk ourselves out of things based on the opinions of others, telling ourselves that we can’t do things instead of assuring ourselves that we CAN.  I was raised in a way that convinced me I was good for pretty much nuttin’ honey.  It’s stuck with me all these years, although I know that it’s definitely not true.  However, the first thoughts that jump into my mind when I conceive a new project is, “Oh, you’ll never be able to do that.  You don’t have ________________________ (insert what you think you don’t have here).”  Well, maybe you don’t have it yet.  Maybe you can learn it.  Maybe you can acquire it.  And just maybe you really do have what it takes.  The only way you’re ever gonna know is if you try.  “You can’t even fail if you don’t try.”  And that quote is 100% my own.

So while you’re working away at your home business, what great project lurks in the recesses of your mind?  Leave a comment and tell me what is hiding in your heart, something on your bucket list.  Make it BIG!  My book is gonna be a best seller.  My lips to God’s ears, right? 

If you’re a work-at-home entrepreneur, there will be many times when you need quick access to relevant information throughout the work day.  As the saying goes, “Google is your friend.”  But as great a Google is, you still have to spend time perusing the results and evaluating them.  Why not do that in advance?  When your time isn’t so tight, do some research into information sites and bookmark your favorites once you learn to trust them.  Then they will be literally at your fingertips when you need them.  Here are a few of my favorites.  I’m sure you have your own, so please feel free to leave a comment and share.  I’m always looking for new sites to add to my bookmarks!

As my main business is writing, the first thing I need is an excellent dictionary.  I have looked at several, but my word book of choice is m-w.com.  As you may have guessed, that’s the Merriam Webster online dictionary.  I actually have a paid subscription to their premium service, but for general use, what you can find at m-w.com is quite sufficient for most people’s needs.  You get all kinds of word information, too, in addition to a really good dictionary and thesaurus.  Some friends of mine prefer Dictionary.com.  Take a peek at both and bookmark your favorite.

Do you know about About.com?  You should.  About.com is a site where you can find almost anything you need to know.  They have newsletters on just about every subject under the stars and the sky.   These newsletters employ guides, who are folks just like you and me but with special expertise in a particular subject.  They’re always hiring and you can check on the site if they’re looking for a guide in your field.  About.com used to be called The Mining Company.  I loved it then and I love it now.  Want to learn how to cook Chinese, groom your Lhasa Apso or scale Mt. Everest?  You can probably find it on About.com.  I even get a newsletter from them on 19th Century History!

The best part of an About.com newsletter, though, is the links!  Gazillions of them.  You can get lost for hours upon hours on this site as one link leads you to another and yet another and then to an even better link.   If you need to find something. . . anything. . . try About.com.  You won’t regret it.   You can sign up for as many newsletters as you want.  I’ve spent a lot of time on this one because it’s so vast.  Get a nice cup of coffee or tea when you have a decent-sized break and sally forth to About.com. It will be enjoyable, if nothing else.  I’m betting you will come away with a massive newsletter subscription form! 

Another huge source of information is the much-maligned Wikipedia.  Why so maligned?  Because it’s user-supported, i.e. folks like you and me write the entries.  And while I don’t allow my upper high school students to use it as a reference because it’s banned in most colleges, I DO tell them to go over there as a jumping-off point.  You will find many, many links that will point you to other peer-reviewed sources which may be used as references in college and above.  If you are researching, Wikipedia also gives you enough basic information on most subjects to see if the subject truly interests you.  And if not, you will probably find a link to another site that will float your boat!

As with all things internet or cyberspace, you must do your due diligence.  Remember my battle cry with reference to online job hunting?  Check ‘em out, Check ‘em out, Check ‘em out!  It applies just as much to information gathering as it does to job hunting.  BTW, you can write for Wikipedia, too!  If you have a lot of knowledge on a given subject, contact them.  They are always looking for more information, more contributors and especially for corrections to erroneous entries.  On many pages you will see a red block pop up that says that the content has not been verified and tells you how you can help.

These are only three of the sites I use every day.  Once you have identified your specific niche, you will find a lot of information out there.  Review each site.  In other words, does it pass the smell test?  If it does, bookmark it and it will be there for you each and every time you need reliable, ready-to-go-to information.

Several things jumped on my head this morning and I was about to start running in circles and babbling mindless dialogue from 1960s TV shows.  I managed to slap myself, though, and put my plan in place to get straight again.  Then I thought. . . hmmm. . . maybe someone else could benefit from the way I handle my freakouts.  I admit it doesn’t work 100% of the time, but it’s pretty close.  Here’s what I do.

When Things Go Wrong, As They Sometimes Will. . .

The title here is the opening salvo in a very famous poem that I will give you in a few moments.  If you’re in business for yourself and you haven’t yet figured out that things will oftentimes go totally WRONG, bless you, child!  However, I’m sure all my readers can probably remember a day or days when everything came crashing down around their heads.  Balancing home and work is NOT an easy task, especially in the beginning.  What do you do?  I know it’s tempting to jump back under the covers and pull them over your head on those days, but that’s not really a practical solution.  If you have no kidlets at home, you can always get in your car and take a ride or just go out for a walk.  But if you really can’t or shouldn’t leave, you have a mountain of housework laughing at you, two deadline projects calling you nasty names and a crying baby, this might help.

Now before I give you DA PLAN, you have to put some preparations in place.  ALWAYS make sure you have supplies on hand.  This is no time to go out to the store or hunt madly through the piles of “stuff” you haven’t taken the time to sort.  Here’s what you need:

• A piece of pretty paper or a small journal with a pen you love that feels wonderful in your hand.
• A few activities you LOVE in a state that you can simply pick them up and dive in.
• Microwavable food you love or food items you can simply grab and prepare on a moment’s notice.

Remember, keep these items available ALWAYS.  Now here’s what you do.

As in most things, early intervention is best.  The minute you feel yourself sliding into the world of the overwhelmed and frustrated. . . STOP.  Take a big deep breath and grab your journal.

STEP 1:  Quick!  Write down five things you are thankful for that have absolutely NOTHING to do with the current crisis.

Big, deep breath once again.

STEP 2:  If you’ve just eaten or you’re simply not hungry, go to your activity stash and grab something to work on.  Work on it for 15 minutes to a half-hour.  By now you should be feeling better and able to tackle the beast that got you down in the first place.

Big, deep breath and get back to work.

OR . . .

STEP 3:  If you’re hungry, take care of that first.  Throw your favorite easy-to-prepare snack in the mike or grab it from the fridge or freezer (yes, ice cream IS an acceptable comfort food here!).  Do some deep breathing while it cooks, if necessary.  Clear your mind (throw all your work off the desk onto the floor if you have to!) and slowly eat your snack or meal.  Sit down and eat it.  Don’t stand in the middle of the room and just mindlessly shovel it in.  Get a soothing beverage, if necessary.  If you still need more time, revert to your activity stash in Step 2, above.

Burp , breathe and get back to work.

Here’s how it works for me.  I’m the consummate knitter.  I always have several projects going, but I make sure there are a couple I can just pick up and dive into for solace.  This means I don’t have to read complicated instructions, start something new or use a difficult technique.  These things are creatively wonderful, but they are NOT for times such as this.  I knit for 20 minutes or so and it usually calms me down.  Repetitive activity works wonders.  I also keep several microwavable WW or LC dinners/snacks in the freezer to pop into the mike, along with some low-cal treats like Skinny Cow ice cream bars.  Either one of these will do, depending on the time of day.  For some of you, a simple cup of great coffee will do it or your favorite exotic tea.  Me?  I need something to chew on.  I have to be careful with chips, but they usually do the trick as I crunch some of my feelings out.  A SMALL serving of those fried Cheetos is great for this purpose.  Note I said a SMALL serving as in the one ounce bag, not the 12 ounce bag.

So I. . . (1) Write my journal (2) Grab my knitting OR (3) Slam some food in the mike or grab an ice cream bar and (4) sit/knit and contemplate the universe for the allotted time period.

This procedure may not completely refresh you, but I guarantee it will get you in a much better frame of mind and back on track.

And for added emphasis to keep you going, here’s the rest of that poem.  

Don’t Quit

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all uphill,
When funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won if he’d stuck it out.
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow -
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man;
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late, when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out -
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are -
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit -
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit!

Author Unknown

If you have another great plan for times when you want to pull your hair out or simply run away, please leave me a comment.  I’d love to learn some new techniques!

Spring is finally upon us.  That means warm weather, budding trees, green grass … and ticks. South Jersey is home to three species of tick:  The blacklegged or deer tick, the brown dog tick and the lone star tick.  All of them can carry and transmit disease, but the deer tick and lone star tick are carriers of Lyme disease.

So what can you do to protect yourself, your family and your pets?  Prevent, block/repel and eliminate.

• Preventing consists of keeping ticks from infesting your property in the first place.
• Blocking and repelling means keeping them off you and your pets by creating a barrier or making yourself and your pets appear unappetizing to the ticks.
• Eliminating is killing the ticks that do show up.

The first step in preventing ticks is making an unappealing habitat for them. Ticks like dense underbrush and tall grass, so clean up the shrubbery and cut the lawn. Spraying lawns and planting areas with a product such as Spectracide Triazicide or Ortho Bug B Gon MAX keeps ticks from moving in and eliminates any ticks already there.  These products will also take care of other pests, such as fleas, grubs, ants, weevils and earwigs, to name a few.  The two products mentioned are available as dry granules, liquid concentrate or ready-to-spray hose-end bottle. When used according to the label directions they are safe to use around kids and pets.

When walking through a tick-prone area, long sleeves, boots and long pants tucked into the boots help to keep ticks off your body. An insect repellent containing DEET, such as Off or Repel, will not only keep ticks away, but fleas, biting flies and other insects as well.

To eliminate ticks in the yard, use the lawn and landscape products already mentioned. An effective way to eliminate ticks on your pets is to use a spot- type product, such as Frontline Plus, Revolution or Advantix. These work by killing ticks and other pests at various stages. Be aware that Advantix is for dogs only and could be fatal to cats. When choosing a product, be sure it specifies tick control since many products only target fleas.

Controlling ticks in the South Jersey region requires some diligence, but it can be done effectively.  Following the three steps of preventing, blocking/repelling and eliminating will get your tick control program off to a good start this season.

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Ray Ives lives in South Jersey with his wife, Carla, and three kids plus an assortment of critters.  He’s been fixing things since before he can remember and he continues to this day.  When not fixing something or concentrating on things like bug control, you can find him reading or knitting.  Yes, you read that right.  Currently, he’s at work on a very nice pair of boot socks for next winter.

We’ve talked about jobs vs. opportunities.  Last week, I gave you some specific places to look for jobs.  These are mostly hourly positions where you are an actual employee even though you’re working from home.  Today we’re going to talk about more of an opportunity. . . Direct Sales.  These two little words are scary to a lot of people and they needn’t be.  If you’ve ever even considered a Direct Sales business, please read on.

Direct Sales simply means that you represent a company and attempt to sell their products for them.  You earn an agreed-upon commission and bonuses, which are pre-determined in the agreement you sign.  With some companies, you make commissions strictly on sales and some allow you to build an organization and make commissions and bonuses on your team, in addition to your own sales.  “Back in the day,” it was mostly through having home parties.  Today, the internet has opened up lots of other venues for being part of the Direct Sales industry.  I’m betting that most of you have tried to sell something at one time or another.  Hey, don’t we “market ourselves” every day?  Here are some points to consider if you’re thinking about a Direct Sales opportunity.

• Is asking someone to buy something distasteful to you and/or are you embarrassed to ask someone to look at your wares?  If it is, skip the rest of this post.
• Can you accept the word “No” and move on with a cry of “Next?”  If not, skip the rest of this post.  You will get many Nos in your direct sales career.  If you can smile and say a bright, cheery “Thank you,” when you hear it, then maybe you are in the right place.  In fact, one of the best direct sales training exercises is to make a list numbered one to one hundred.  Every time you make a call or personally approach someone about your business and they say no, tick it off.  It can take 100 nos to get to a yes, but you WILL get to a yes.
• Can you afford the buy-in?  Most direct sales companies have a kit that you must purchase to get started.  These vary in cost from only a few dollars (usually just for downloadable paperwork) to a whole lot more.  If you don’t have the buy-in and still want to do it, some companies let you have a “party” (either in your home or by passing out catalogs) and you can use your commission to purchase the kit.

Okay.  You’ve thought these points over and you decide that, YES, you can sell. . .YES, you can approach people and. . .YES, you can afford the buy-in for the company you are interested in.  Now ponder these points:

• What floats your boat?  I’m serious.  In Direct Sales, you can put in hours and hours of hard work and not make a dollar.  Sometimes, you will hardly open your mouth and get a sale.  Therefore, you MUST have a passion for whatever it is you are marketing.  If you don’t, you are shooting yourself in the foot before you even start.  If you have used a company’s products for years and talk to others about them all the time and don’t plan on switching brands anytime soon, then maybe this is the company you should consider.  Passion makes the sale.  Folks feel your enthusiasm coming through and it sounds less like an outright sales pitch.  Besides, the best way to get someone to purchase something from you is to give them your own personal experiences with the products.
• Are you a patient person?  It takes time to develop your Direct Sales clientele.  It won’t happen overnight unless you have a gazillion friends who all owe you favors and you can browbeat them into paying you back with a party or a purchase.
• Are you willing to think outside the box?  In today’s economy, you have to come up with new and creative ways of selling anything.  People are holding onto their money like never before.  You MUST show them the benefit to them.  Most people today are in the “What’s In It For Me?” mindset.  If you can’t convince them of the benefits to them, they won’t buy.

Okay, now that I haven’t discouraged you. . . and I’m really not trying to discourage you, but Direct Sales is NOT for everyone. . . let’s look at some types of companies.

Most. . .and I emphasize most. . . cosmetics companies carry high commissions.  Not talking Avon here, but companies like Mary Kay, Jafra, Beauty Control, Votre Vu and others that compare with department store lines carry a 30 to 50% commission.

Again emphasizing most. . . jewelry companies carry high commissions, too, at least the bigger ones.  I’m talking Cookie Lee, Sarah Coventry and Premier Designs.  Premier has one of the highest buy-ins in the industry, somewhere around $1,000.  You get TONS of jewelry for that, though, and everything you need.  If it’s not for you, you can simply sell off your inventory at wholesale to recoup your cost.  However, there are many new jewelry companies entering the market that sell bargain-priced jewelry and you can buy in for much less.  And as to that big initial investment, studies have shown that it usually guarantees a higher rate of success.  People tend to work harder when they had to pay a big price to buy in.

Clothing is a rather new entry into the Direct Sales World.  Women love trying on clothes, especially with their friends and families in a home environment!  One of the newest and most successful companies in this line is CABi or Carole Anderson by Invitation.  Again, this company has a rather large buy-in, but you get almost the full line and you are instantly ready to succeed.  And don’t forget about handbags and totes!  Check out Thirty-One Designs and Initials, Inc.  These are very popular right now.

Another “biggie” in the Direct Sales world is kitchen stuff.  I believe Tupperware is the oldest party plan out there, but don’t quote me on this.  The discount is 25% and they have many perks once you start moving up.  Pampered Chef is another company that is on the move.  Along with the gadgetry comes food.  Folks love to eat and you’d be surprised what they will pay for gourmet, easy-to-fix food items.  If you love to eat and love e-a-s-y, try Tastefully Simple or Do You Bake?

Candles are another staple of the Direct Sales world.  The old standby is Partylite, but many new smaller companies are coming on the scene offering environmentally friendly candles and accessories.  Again, Google is your friend.  Google “direct sales candle companies” (without the quote marks, of course!) and watch what happens!  There are also wickless candles now.  Check out the Scentsy company.  Their warmers and melts are very popular items.

Health and wellness is always in style.  Shaklee has been around for more than 50 years.  There is also Melaleuca, Neways and Trivita, just off the top of my head.

I apologize for not giving you links today, but you can Google all of the companies.  I simply wanted to get you started thinking about Direct Sales.  It can be very lucrative but, again, it is not for everyone.  Keep in mind that you can search any company you are interested in or search out the industry to see what’s available.  If you belong to a WAHM Group or WAHM Facebook page, you can ask for anyone who has experience with various companies and pick their brains.  A lot of them will be looking to recruit and will be happy to talk to you.  If you know someone already in the business you would like to start, sign up through them if they are team building.  Most companies provide a percent of sales or free merchandise to the recruiter.  Ask questions first!  Lots of questions.  Just as the best way to sell a product is through personal experience with it, the best way to find out about a Direct Sales company is from someone who is already working that business.

Whew!  Got a minor case of diarrhea of the fingers there.  LOL  Personally, I love Direct Sales but, again, it is NOT for everyone.  And always remember my motto. . . Check ‘em out!!!

Over the last two weeks, we’ve talked about how to avoid getting scammed and how to figure out exactly what you’re looking for.  Okay.  It’s time to start searching for that perfect job opportunity.  Today, I’m  gonna get you started with a few of my favorite sites.  This is by no means even close to a complete listing, but it will give you a jumping-off point.  These are all sites that I am familiar with and I will comment on them as I list them.

The first two are for actual “jobs.”  You are an employee of the company and get regular paychecks or deposits into a PayPal account.  CAVEAT:  They are VERY strict in their requirements and I believe both of them require a test before they will even talk to you.  You have to have a certain level of computer set-up, a separate dedicated phone line and a quiet place to work.  If you pass the test, the training is paid for.   I was accepted at West at Home some years back, but got a more lucrative offer before I began working for them.   Both companies mainly provide call center jobs, usually in order fulfillment.  These companies handle major clients like Home Shopping Network and QVC.  They also do collections work.  They do not hire all the time and some of their postings are state specific, but you can check them every few days to see if there is a new hiring offer up.

Alpine Access

West at Home

I know it seems like a lot of jobs are being outsourced overseas, but did you know that many major corporations now hire at-home workers right here in the good ‘ole U S  of A?  This is another way they can cut down on their administrative costs.  I know for a fact that J.C. Penney does, as well as AmeriMark, Carol Wright Gifts and Dr. Leonard’s catalog.  How do I know?  Because I’ve ordered from all of them and heard background noise, so I got chatty with the operator and found out they were all in their homes.    Other large retailers and insurance companies do, too.  All you have to do is go to the home page of a company you are interested in, get a phone number (usually toll free) and call.  It can’t hurt to ask!  A lot of them don’t advertise or will work through someone like Alpine Access; however, I personally know of several folks who have gotten good jobs by simply calling and asking!

This next site has tons of job listings, but they are all freelance/independent contractor opportunities in many different fields.  These are huge listings and it will take you time to go through them.  Some of them are local to certain areas, but I’d say 90% of them can be done from anywhere in the country.   You MUST MUST MUST do your due diligence with these.  Some are obtained from places like Craigslist and you have to be very, very careful.  Some are legit companies.  Some are private folks looking for help, usually Virtual Assistants or people to help with a specific job they are doing.  I have gotten some freelance work from these particular listings.  Dare I say it again?  Check ‘em out!!!

Genuine Jobs

The next site is VERY informative.  The gentleman who owns this site, Eddy Solomon (you can find him on FB under Work at Home No Scams), has done a tremendous amount of research and is a successful entrepreneur himself.  While I have never personally gotten work from this site, I know of others who have.  That’s how I found out about it.

Work at Home No Scams

The next two links are more traditional work-at-home mom sites; however, they provide lots of good information and they both have job listings posted several times a week.

Christian Work at Home Moms (This is the Word Press blog.  They have a few different sites and you can access them from this one.)

WAHM Jobs

And, of course, I have saved the best for last (in my NOT so humble opinion).  This is my absolute favorite online job hunting site.  It is chock full of information and has many, many, many types of jobs on it.  They say the jobs are “pre-screened” and I’ve found most of them actually do check out, but please don’t forget to do it yourself.  (NONE of these sites are liable for anything you may lose in your job hunt and that is always succinctly stated somewhere on the site in very fine print, along with many other disclaimers.)

Rat Race Rebellion

Most of these sites have newsletters you can sign up for.  I get the ones from Genuine Jobs, Work at Home No Scams, Rat Race Rebellion and a few others.  I don’t believe Alpine Access and West at Home have newsletters, but you can always bookmark them and check back.  When you sign up for the Rat Race Rebellion mailing list, they will also send you an email blast whenever there’s a new hot job out there that is hiring lots of folks and it will give details.  Still, read it carefully.  One job came through recently that looked like anyone could do it, but when you went to the actual posting, it only listed a limited number of states.  Most of the jobs that come through in these email blasts are actual hourly jobs for major companies.

This should get you started.  I love comments from my readers and if you have a hot job site that you get lots of good work from, by all means SHARE!!!  Note that I didn’t include any Direct Sales opportunities.  That’s a specialized category and that’s coming up next week.

Last week, we talked about being cautious about all those wonderful opportunities you find on the internet.  This week, we’re going to talk about what you hope to achieve from working at home.  What do you really want to do while working from home?  Do you want a job or do you want an opportunity?  Not sure?  Here’s my take on what both entail.

Do you want or need a job like your last outside-the-home job, but home-based?  A job usually entails “X” hours work for “X” dollars paid.  You have an assignment or task, you do it to the best of your ability, you collect the agreed-upon compensation.  You could have set hours, but you may not.  Either way, you work for expected compensation at a preset interval.  Some folks need the security of a job, knowing that as long as they show up and perform adequately, they will be paid every Friday or every 2 weeks or whatever was agreed upon.  There’s no shame in this.  If you are in that mindset from 20+ years in the business world, fine.  There are online jobs out there.  And if you need regular, recurring income for your family, then a job is what you need.

Are you looking for an opportunity to run your own home based business?  An opportunity can be lucrative and attractive. . . you are DA BOSS!  Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it?  Yes and no.  Being your own boss is great, I admit, but being your own boss carries risks.  It also carries responsibility.  It is no longer “X” hours worked for “X” dollars paid.  Effort expended may not equal the result you want or need.  There are different types of opportunities out there on the web.  Direct Sales is what most people think of when they think of home opportunity, but it’s far from the only one.   Do you have a skill or expertise in an area that is helpful to others?  Can you market yourself?  Are you maybe an out-of-work teacher?  You’d be surprised at the number of tutoring opportunities there are in the virtual world.  (This one can fit either a job or an opportunity depending on the hours scheduled.)  Are you a writer or a wannabe writer?  You can start with article marketing to get your name out there.  Get a blog. . .like this one!  There are gazillions of opportunities for writers on the web.  A lot of them want experience and/or references.  That’s why I said begin writing articles and blogging to get your name out there.

Earlier I mentioned Direct Sales.  Most people shrink back in horror at the idea of pitching a sale to someone without a counter in front of them.  But if you have an outgoing personality and like setting your own schedule, direct sales may be perfect for you.  There are tons of companies you can represent.  Go to the home page of any company that interests you and check out their opportunity.  They all have different quota requirements, commission rates and rules.  Pick a few and contact the company.  Ask them to refer you to someone local or at least someone you can chat with via internet or phone.  Take notes.  Some direct sales companies have been in business for over 50 years and some are fairly new.  If you can handle it, this is a great way to make some real money.

I have to say that opportunities abound on the web much more than actual jobs.  If you have enough money to hold you over until you get established, becoming an entrepreneur might just be for you.  The problem with this is that starting your own business of any kind takes time and you need to be able to live during that time.  Even if you are successful, you can put in a solid week’s work and make $10. . . or nothing at all.  Other weeks, you will make a lot more.  It’s a tight economy out there.  Now I am NOT trying to discourage you from striking out on your own.  I’m just asking you to take a good hard look at your finances before you do.  If you need your income replaced NOW, you may want to start out with both a job and an opportunity.  You can make a regular income at the job and start building your own business through an opportunity on the side.  Lots of people work two and three jobs outside the home, right?  And although it takes time to develop, it’s a lot more comfortable doing it from your desk.

These are  just a few of the basics surrounding online jobs and opportunities.  Next week, I will give you links you can check out for finding jobs and/or opportunities.  All I ask is that you re-read last week’s post.  Do your due diligence. . . i.e. check ‘em out, check ‘em out and check ‘em out again!

Do you remember the old Hill Street Blues Television show?  At the daily briefing, before he sent the cops out on the street, Sgt. Phil Esterhaus (played by actor Michael Conrad 1925-1983) always said, “Let’s be careful out there!”  The same statement is equally applicable to YOU when you’re seeking an honest, valid and reliable work-at-home opportunity.  Scams abound on the internet and people fall prey to them every day.  Sometimes, you only lose time.  Sometimes, though, you lose money. . . lots of it.  And sometimes you lose a lot more by identity theft scams.  Here’s some food for thought when you see what looks like a great job opportunity.

(1)  Google is your friend.   Seriously, use your favorite search engine.  If it’s a company you’ve never heard of before, simply type their name or their offering and the word “scam” (minus the quotation marks) into your favorite search engine.  Even if you have heard of the company, check ‘em out.   They may or may not be offering this job.  It’s very easy to use a company’s name or even their logo on an internet ad.  That does NOT make it legit!  However, when you search you will find.  I guarantee you that people are not quiet when they are wronged or have lost money.  If this company is not on the level or has taken money and vamoosed, you will immediately get tons of angry hits.  You may want to hang out and read a few for curiosity’s sake, but my advice is to run, don’t walk, away from this offering.  Hit that red X up in the corner faster than the speed of light!  Make it a practice to look up any and every job ad you are even thinking about.  It only takes a few seconds to check and a few minutes to read some comments to know if you should even consider it.  You won’t be sorry.

(2)  Is the ad requesting money?  A hard and fast rule of online job seeking is, “Never pay anyone for a job.”  If they are asking for money in any form, i.e. good faith money, deposit against materials, small fee to be listed, yada yada yada, once again, run, don’t walk.  You should never have to pay for a legitimate job.  If you DO pay $$$ in response to one of these ads, be prepared to kiss it good-bye.  I’ll say it again another way:   A legitimate job offering should not be asking you for money, pure and simple.  However, if you think they just might be on the level or this job is just so “you,” that you really want to see more, revert to Step No. 1 above and check ‘em out on your favorite search engine.

(3)  Is the ad making outlandish promises?  If you are sitting there broke and not knowing where your baby’s next bottle is coming from, an ad that says, “Local Mom makes $390 on her first day!” may seem like just the ticket.  Don’t buy it.  That honored and time-tested old adage, “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is,” comes into play here.  I don’t think I have to tell you to avoid those ads that say, “Make a gazillion dollars in your first month!”  There are plenty of those out there, too, and most of us know it’s a bunch of hooey.  But the ads that “”"guarantee”"” income (of any amount) on your first day are hooey, too.  You may, in fact, be able to build up to making $390 a day at this opportunity, but that’s gonna take time.  You have to learn the business, all the ins and outs, and then build slowly to make this kind of money, if it’s possible at all.  At some point, they will most likely request money from you.  (Back up to Step No. 2 here!)  If you answer this type of an ad and at any point you feel that something’s just not right, back up to Step No.  1.  Check ‘em out!  (You should have done that in the first place!  Speaking in my best school principal voice. . . ) I cannot emphasize this enough.  And whatever you do, do not pay them anything!  Acting out of desperation is a sure path to a big mess.   That’s me talking.  It’s not a very eloquent statement, but it’s true.  Can you hear the voice of personal experience here?

Now that you know how to be careful and look at every opportunity with a keen eye, are you sure you really know what you’re looking for?  Are you looking for a job or an opportunity?  There is a difference.  And that’s the subject for next week.

Although I’m predominantly a writer these days, I still do a little editing work for some folks.  I have lots of friends who are writers, too.  If I have the time, I’ll offer to help them by giving them a basic edit.  Lots of times, I hear, “Oh, thanks, Carla, but I don’t need an editor.  I used my spell check and I still remember a lot of my grammar from high school.  My punctuation’s pretty good, too.”  All righty, then!  So when their article comes out full of yuckos, they’re like. . . “BUT I USED THE SPELL CHECKER AND I PUT THE COMMAS AND PERIODS IN THE RIGHT PLACES. . . WHAT HAPPENED?” What happened, actually, is that your brain knew what you meant and what you said.  You read right over things that were awkward, messed up and flat out wrong.

My writing friends and about a gazillion people on the web are not the only ones doing it either.  Check out this news item from the UK a few years ago.   Scary stuff!

HUDDERSFIELD, England (UPI) — A British local council has recalled tourism pamphlets that contained 50 spelling errors, including 20 misspellings of the district’s name.

Kirklees Council in Yorkshire County said 7,000 of the pamphlets were recalled from libraries, town halls and tourism information centers after officials discovered they were rife with typos and spelling errors, The Sun reported.

The errors included the name of the district being misspelled as “Kirtles” 20 times.

Other locations misspelled in the pamphlet included the town of Holmfirth as “Holsworth,” Cleckheaton as “Czechisation” and Kirkburton as “Kirkpatrick.”

The council said the mistakes came from an automated spell check used by the private printer employed to create the pamphlets, which were designed to inform tourists of bike routes, bike shops and riding clubs.

“We apologize for any offense caused by the errors in the leaflet, and we have now put in place additional robust steps to our processes to prevent a similar mistake happening again,” a council spokesman said.

Copyright 2010 by United Press International

And these guys are even BLAMING the poor spell checker for the errors.  Heaven  forbid they should blame the person who did the writing or the final read!  Did anyone even read it?  Who knows?  Do you know what a mistake like this can cost you?  To make sure you never get into this type of embarrassing situation, here’s a few easy ways to avoid this type of catastrophe.

(1)  Never proofread your own work if you can help it.  I know, we all get in a bind and have to do it every now and then, but it’s downright dangerous!  If you have to do it, set it down and think about something else, watch TV, read. . . anything but go back over that writing you just did.  It may be enough time to clear your brain.  See, your brain knows exactly what you wanted to say and it thinks you’re wonderful and will read right over every mistake and misuse of grammar in there.   If you can’t avoid reading it, hunt down your husband, child, neighbor, anybody.  But they can’t write, you say?  Maybe not, but fresh eyes are better than your eyes right after you’ve written something.

(2)  If there’s no fresh eyes to be had and you must submit it somewhere, read it OUT LOUD.  No kidding.  You’ll hear things you would never see.  If it sounds funny, it probably needs some attention.  Things will jump from your mouth to your ears to your eyes.  Many times, this is enough to make you stop and take notice.

(3)  If you really, really, REALLY have no other options and it has to go in now. . . PRAY!  Only joking, but it couldn’t hurt.    I know this is gonna sound like shameless self-promotion, but hire somebody.  Put it out on Facebook.  There are always people on Facebook and some who may even know what they’re doing.  LOL  Many will help you for free.  You may be able to barter for the services of a proofreader, another author or an actual editor.  Keep an eye on your news feed.  See who does this type of work when you don’t need it and ask for (or purchase) help when you do.

The very best case scenario is to write your article and bury it somewhere for 72 hours.  Don’t even think about it!  Make a note on your calendar or planner to pull it out after 72 hours and read it again.  Most people’s first reaction is. . . “WHO WROTE THIS?”  By then, of course, you’ll be totally impartial, your brain won’t get in the way and you’ll be ready with your own fresh eyes to do a clean edit.

HAPPY PROOFING!