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Vital Skills Every Virtual Assistant Needs
by WorkFromHomeJobs
4 Feb 2012 at 10:17am
Virtual assistants are quickly rising to the top of the home based business industry. With an anticipated growth rate of 20% or more over the next five years, virtual assisting is growing at a pace that outranks any other profession on or offline.
To be a successful virtual assistant you must possess the following 10 skills:
Verbal Communication. As a virtual assistant a majority of your work will be done through verbal communication. Any virtual assistant will tell you that their mobile is their most used tool at work. You will need to communicate through the phone, email, and on occasion through video conferencing. You must be able to communicate clearly and concisely.
Written Communication. You will be required to send letters, emails and other forms of written communication to your clients and to their customers. You must master your writing skills to ensure that all of your written communications are free from errors. Letters received by clients and customers that contain typo?s, grammatical errors, and use of slang will look unprofessional.
Customer Service Skills. When you are a virtual assistant you will be a representation of the company or client that you work for, often being the only point of contact between their customers and your employer. You will need to have great customer service skills to ensure that every interaction between you and the customer is a good experience.
Some IT Skills. You will not necessarily need to be able to write computer code to be a virtual assistant, but you will need to know your way around a computer. If a client requires you to install software that is necessary for their business, you need to be able to do this without having to call for help. You also need to familiarise yourself with different devices and tools so that you are always ?ready? for what your client needs.
Time Management. One of the hardest things about working from home as a virtual assistant is the ability to get side-tracked with projects that need to be completed at home. You must have the time management skills necessary to complete your job during work hours. There is no room for procrastination in this type of employment.
Ability To Work Independently. As a virtual assistant you need to be able to work productively on your own, without a boss hovering over your shoulder. You must be able to stay motivated during the work day, even if the deadline is not looming.
Problem Solving. When you work as a virtual assistant, you must have the ability to solve problems without relying on someone else?s opinions or help. You are the one responsible for the issue at hand, and you must be able to correct the situation to the best of your ability. Of course, there are times when you will need to check in with your employer about a situation, but in most cases you will be expected to handle any crisis.
Entrepreneurial Mind-Set. There is a difference between someone that owns a company and someone that works at a company. A business owner must be on top of things at all times, an employee can simply punch out at the end of work and forget about the day. As a virtual assistant you are in fact a business owner. You must always be concerned with the business aspect of your profession as well as the professional service you provide. This includes making sure your billing is done, your taxes are filed, and all of your expenses are recorded.
Organisational Skills. You must be incredibly organised to be a virtual assistant. You are managing a business for someone through verbal and written communications. You cannot afford to misplace documents or miss appointments. Everything that you do depends on your organisational skills.
Pleasant Outlook. It is a crazy world and it is not always easy to be happy. Many people will even think you are mad if you are ?too happy.? However, this aside, you must always be pleasant when you are working, even when you feel your worst. As a virtual assistant you represent the company and person that you work for, and that representation must always be good.
Many of these skills come naturally to some people; many of them can be learned with a little patience and practice. These skills are necessary, however, if you wish to be successful at a virtual assistant career.
5 Tips To Successfully Market Your Home Based Online Business
by WorkFromHomeJobs
4 Feb 2012 at 4:05am
Starting a home based Internet business is very easy. In fact, people with little Internet knowledge, website building experience, and weak computer skills can still create a fabulous online marketplace in very little time. There are hundreds of free tools out there that will enable you to create a site with a few clicks of the mouse. Affiliate programs will monetize your site for free, and website hosting costs very little. However, regardless of how great your site is, if you cannot drive traffic to that site you cannot generate an income.
The hardest part of having a home based Internet business is learning how to market that business so that it is found. The following five tips will help you understand how to successfully market your website in a manner that is sure to drive traffic and generate income.
Understand that marketing is more than buying advertising space.
The most important aspect to successful Internet marketing is doing research. You want to know what types of people are interested in your product. You need to know your target group and what types of things they enjoy so you can advertise accordingly. You do not want to waste hard-earned advertising money on an advertisement that will not reach your target audience. A website selling baby clothes should not advertise on a gambling site, yet many new marketers feel that they must place an advertisement on a site like this because it has high traffic counts. Target your market and watch your advertising costs stay in control and your income increase.
Take advantage of free advertising opportunities.
There are many ways that you can market your website for free. Some new site owners shy away from this type of advertising because they feel that because it is free, it is no good. This is the wrong approach. One of the most common forms of free advertising is article marketing. Article marketing not only provides your business with an appearance of knowledge and credibility, these articles also stay posted indefinitely providing you with a lifelong connection to your site. Article marketing is the site owner?s best friend, and it is absolutely free.
Do not overlook paid marketing methods.
Once a person discovers the many different ways to market their website for free, they often believe that they are no longer required to pay for advertising. While this may work in some very rare occasions, your best bet is to search for paid advertising methods that fit within your budget and your websites goals. When you pay for targeted advertising you are creating a lasting link between your website and the many people that could benefit from your product or service.
Track your progress.
It is a very common mistake for new site owners to believe that once they have used an advertising method it is the only one they need to use. You should carefully track your advertising methods to see what type of advertisements and from what source are sending the most visitors to your site. This will help you create a marketing plan that has the highest rate of return on investment. Paid advertising is not cheap, and you do not want to waste your money on advertising methods that are not driving visitors to your site. As long as you are in business you will have to track and adjust your marketing methods.
Don?t forget about offline marketing opportunities.
New site owners often forget that there is a ?real? world outside of their website. There are many opportunities to advertise your business offline that you should take advantage of on a regular basis. Print business cards and hand them out to everyone. Leave flyers on bulletin boards and at community centres. Post small business card size advertisements in trade publications that are relevant to your industry. Smile and introduce yourself to everyone, you never know when you will meet your next big client.
Perhaps the biggest thing that new site owners should realise is that the Internet is ever-changing, ever-evolving. Every day there is a new way to contact potential clients. Every day a new form of advertising arises. Every day an old method becomes in effective.
If you want to be successful, you must be open to change and you must stay informed. You cannot simply create a site and hope that someone will find that site and make a purchase. You have to create reasons for people to come to your site; you have to grab their attention.
If you are willing to make this type of commitment to your website, it will become a great success.
How To Make Working At Home A Happier Experience In 5 Easy Steps
by WorkFromHomeJobs
30 Jan 2012 at 3:23am
When you work from home, either as a business owner, a freelancer, or a telecommuter, it is important to create a pleasant work environment for yourself. While this may seem a little pretentious, after all you already have the luxury of working from home; it is an important part of being successful.
If you are unhappy in your work environment you will be less productive. In fact, if you are unhappy you will begin to set yourself up for failure so that you can change the situation. In is human instinct to change a situation that you are uncomfortable with, and that includes allowing a business to fail if it means you will be happier elsewhere.
The great news is that there are 5 simple things that you can do to make working from home a happier experience. These are simple changes that will give you a better outlook on your career and help you enjoy your dream position.
Don?t Over Caffeinate: While a strong cup of coffee or tea is great for a pick-me-up in the morning, you should avoid drinking highly caffeinated beverages all day. This will actually make your day a little harder to bear. Being to hyper during the day will lead you to being disorganized and scattered. Caffeine also drains your body of water and causes dehydration. When you are dehydrated you will feel bad and you will have poor performance. When you are drinking during the day make sure that you switch between caffeinated drinks and plain water to keep your mind and body feeling fresh.
Take A Walk: One of the best habits that you can get into when you work from home is the mid-day walk. You need to get up and move about, but that does not mean cleaning your flat during your break from work. You need to take 15 minutes and go take a stroll outside. Use this time to stretch your legs and back after sitting for a long period. Allow the blood to circulate through your body freely, without the constraints of sitting in one spot. Breathe in the fresh air and nourish your brain with the fresh oxygen. This simple task will allow you to face the second part of your day with a clear mind and a refreshed body. A simple 15 minutes of walking is more energizing than a caffeinated drink, it is also good at helping you keep the pounds off.
Decorate Your Work Area: Your work area should have some eye appeal to it, even if it is something small. Most work from home professionals will set up a corner space for themselves and nothing more. They may keep it simple because they are trying to conserve money, or because they have not given it much thought. Either way, this is not good for your personal morale. You need to have a nice area to work in so that you are pleased with your surroundings. Again, this is catering to your subconscious self and nothing more. You will find it much easier to work if you can glance up at a favourite photo or nice painting while you are thinking than if you are only staring at a blank wall. Treat yourself to some decorations, make it friendly, this is what you would do in an office setting, and it should be what you do in your home office.
Socialize With Real People: When you work from home it is not unusual to feel isolated. While getting on a social website may be a nice break, you will gain moire satisfaction from having a luncheon with a real person. Make sure that you schedule time during the week to eat lunch with a friend, meet with a client in person, or pop out for a class at the community centre. Interaction with real people is necessary to happiness when you work from home.
Reward Yourself For A Job Well Done: When you work in an office setting, it is not unusual to receive a bonus for a project that was completed with success or for the holidays. Make sure that you reward yourself occasionally with a gift, a pay bonus or a quick weekend holiday for completing a job, landing a new client or completing all of your work on time. Providing yourself with incentives may sound a little silly, but it works. You will work harder for a bonus at an office job, and you will also work harder to gain a bonus with your home career.
The 10 Most Common Reasons That A Freelance Writing Career Falters
by WorkFromHomeJobs
27 Jan 2012 at 6:01am
Working as a freelance writer has many benefits and advantages. You have the ability to work at a profession that you love from the comfort of your home. You can use your talent to make a good living for yourself and your family. However, there are some choices that you can make that will actually be non-beneficial to your career. Avoiding these 10 common mistakes will help ensure that you remain a successful freelance writer.
Learn To Market Your Service. You may be a natural born writer, but that does not automatically mean that you are a natural born marketer. You need to take the time to learn how to market your services to ensure that the work keeps coming in to your office. Many writers only rely on a little word-of-mouth advertising and some website traffic to keep business coming. This is absolutely the wrong approach to success. Take the time to learn marketing skills and set aside time each day to use these skills. Yes, marketing your services will detract from your writing time, but it will keep you working for years to come.
Specialised Writing Pays Off. Many freelance writers will accept any type of writing assignment so that they can always cover the bills. While this may be the correct thing to do when you are just getting started, it is not the way to continue throughout your entire career. When you start specialising in a specific format of writing, not only do you increase your writing skills, you also can charge more for your services. Select a type of writing style that you enjoy most and develop your skills every day.
Procrastination Kills. Procrastination is the destroyer of freelance writers. It can become a way of avoiding a difficult client, avoiding a writing subject that you are not comfortable with, or a way to take extended free time when you do not have a looming deadline. Procrastination will not only ruin your business, but it can also bleed over into your personal life and cause problems. Make yourself work each day, even if you hate the client or project and tell yourself it is better to finish and be done with them than to drag out the process by procrastinating.
Commit To Working Regular Hours. One of the worst things that can happen to a freelance writer is learning the joys of sleeping in. When you work from home you must keep specific work hours or you will soon find yourself working less and less. The first time you sleep in during the work week will not be your last. In fact, it will lead to longer lunch breaks and earlier quitting times. While this sounds very fatalistic, it is in fact true. It is human nature to enjoy life rather than work. You must always make the effort to put in your time and nurture your career.
Freelance Writing Is Your Career. When you socialise with people and tell them that you work from home as a writer they often make a comment about what an easy life you have. They talk about working in your nightshirt and never being under pressure. Many freelance writers start to believe this nonsense and their work suffers. Your writing is not a hobby, it is a career. You must always treat your writing as a business if you want to succeed.
Don?t Forget To Pay Yourself. When you first start out as a freelance writer it is easy to bid low on jobs to build a portfolio and establish a client base. You must, however, avoid doing this for an extended period of time. Make sure that you always pay for your time when you are bidding on a project. A freelance writer does not have to starve to have a successful career.
Indecisiveness Is Destructive. You must make decisions, even if you are unsure of the results. You must make decisions, even if they are risky. If you do not, you will see your career spiralling downwards.
Do Not Overlook Challenges. Make sure that you bid and accept jobs that are a challenge. Not only will this type of work be stimulating to you mentally, it will increase your writing skills. The more skills that you have, the more opportunities you will have in this field.
Always Ask For A Referral. When you have completed a job that the client was satisfied with, do not hesitate to ask for a letter of recommendation. Many people shy away from this practice, but they should not. If the job was done right, reward yourself with a recommendation that can land you a larger job in the future.
Perfection Often Blocks Success. Sometimes you have to just stop re-writing a text and submit it to your client for approval.
7 Common Issues To Address When Starting A Home Based Business
by WorkFromHomeJobs
24 Jan 2012 at 4:01am
When you decide to start your own home based business, there are 7 common issues that are often overlooked during the planning process. These issues are often so obvious that they are ignored. Confronting these problems during the planning stages of your home business venture is key to success.
Lack Of Space. While many home based businesses can be comfortably ran from the corner of your flat, you need to make sure that you have enough room to place all of the necessary office equipment in that area, including things like a filing cabinet and a trash bin. You do not want to have your home office over flowing into your living space. This will lead to clutter and the loss of important paper work. If you are creating or manufacturing a product to sell from home, you need to make sure that you have an area set up and dedicated to producing and packaging the items for shipping.
Forms Of Communication. When you start a home business you need to have enough lines of communication open to make your business a success. This includes having a dedicated phone number for your business, a fax line if necessary, teleconferencing capabilities such as Skype, high speed Internet access, and a dedicated email address for the business. This can be an additional expense at first, but it is a very necessary expense. You do not want your phone line tied up by personal calls at home, and you always want to be able to answer your phone in a professional manner.
Separate Bank Accounts. Many new business owners fail to establish a separate bank account for their business, opting to ?keep track? of what their personal money is and what is business money in their own personal account. This is an absolute mistake. Not only will you easily confuse the money that is set aside for your business, when it is time to pay your taxes, the chances for mistakes will run high. You will not be able to establish a budget or track your spending accurately if you do not establish a separate account for your business.
Anticipating Unexpected Expenses. While you may never encounter an unexpected expense, a majority of people starting a new business will. There will always be something that you did not account for when you were in the planning stages; this is just a fact of business. Making sure that there is always something put aside for an unexpected event will help your business survive.
Time Management. Time management is especially important when you are starting a business that is based out of your home. You will need to establish specific work hours, and you will need to be able to honour those times. You need to account for different times that your family will need your attention, and you will need to account for quality personal time. Time management skills take discipline and practice, but they can be mastered. You will need the cooperation of your family to master this skill. When it is ?work? time, they will need to give you the space to work. When it is ?family? time, you need to leave work alone.
Spreading Yourself Thin. It is not uncommon for a person to try to accomplish everything when they are starting a home based business. They try to do all of the set-up, all of the bookkeeping, all of the marketing, all of the shipping, and all of the customer communications. They often find themselves overworked and underpaid. They also burn out quickly. When you are establishing your home based business, look at your strong and weak points. Schedule your tasks around the strong points and delegate the rest to another family member or outside service. This is the largest mistake that anyone makes when they are establishing a business. You cannot perform every duty within a business and expect to stay profitable and sane. Learn what needs to be delegated, and make sure you find the best person to perform that duty.
Lack of Training. Having training in different aspects of your business will improve your chances for success. Yes, you may be familiar with some forms of Internet advertising, but do you know how to make them work for you? Taking a course in sales techniques, Internet marketing, or even customer service will improve your chances for success. You have already made a decision to succeed, which is why you started a business. Now you must do what it takes to make it happen. Many courses can be taken online for free, or at local community centres or libraries. Even if you have to invest a little money into taking a course to improve your skills, it will be money well invested into your future.
The Pros And Cons Of Different Work At Home Opportunities
by WorkFromHomeJobs
23 Dec 2011 at 6:10am
When you decide that you would like to work from home, you have 3 basic options. You can work as a telecommuter, you create a home based business or you can work in the freelance industry.
When you understand what each of these different work at home opportunities entail, both good and bad, you will be able to decide which option fits your desires and plans for the future.
Telecommuting Positions
Telecommuting or remote employment is a type of position where you are an actual employee of a business, but you work from home. Telecommuting positions are gradually becoming more popular as businesses both large and small see the many benefits of using remote employees.
Pros:
Telecommuting allows you to work from home and avoid many of the expenses associated with travelling to work.
Telecommuters often receive the same benefits as office-based employees
Guaranteed income
Sick days are allowable
Work hours that are the same each week
Cons:
You will not have the flexibility with your personal time like you would with a home based business
You must be ?on-time? for work each day
You cannot allow family members to interrupt your schedule
You do not have the ability to increase your income potential on your own terms, you must wait for company evaluations
Home Based Businesses
Home based businesses can include anything from a dog walking service to drop shipping mass merchandise as an online auction seller. Having your own business provides you a freedom that no other opportunity can.
Pros:
You are in charge, and everything you want to accomplish is possible
You control your company growth
You control your income
You can express your ideas and opinions
You can expand to include employees
Time can be flexible
Cons:
Home based businesses need start-up capital
No guarantee of income when the business first starts
Income levels can fluctuate
If you enter into an established business model you risk market saturation in your area making it harder to sell the product(s)
You may have to work long hours periodically to meet deadlines
Freelance Services
Freelancing is very similar to owning a home based business. You are in business, and you do offer a service and sell a product. However, most freelance work is considered intellectual work, meaning that you do not have to invest into a product because your product and service stems from your creativity.
Freelance services are expanding at exponential rates as large and small corporations are realising the importance this type of service provides. Freelance work includes everything from virtual assistant positions to graphic design. Consultants, writers, and programmers are also predominate fields in this type of work.
Pros:
You can take your talent and use it to earn money
Freelancing is a broad industry and anyone can become a freelance service provider
There is little cost to start a freelance business
You determine the type of work you wish to do, and the amount
You set your prices for your work
Your time is flexible
Cons:
Some areas of freelancing can be very competitive
You must aggressively market your skills on and off line to generate clients
You must be very familiar with social networking for business purposes
No income guarantees
Working from home in any position requires some risk and a lot of faith. You must be willing to succeed at this type of profession, either as a business owner or home based employee, to see the results you desire.
Understanding the differences in each of these work-at-home positions should only be used as a guideline and not as a form of discouragement. If you have already made up your mind that you want to work from home, look at the bad points and use them to your advantage.
Types of Services That You Can Offer As A Virtual Assistant
by WorkFromHomeJobs
22 Dec 2011 at 12:49pm
Virtual assistants are in high demand, and the need for specialised virtual assistants is growing. Businesses around the globe are discovering that virtual assistants are cost beneficial for their companies and the need for their services increases daily. A recent survey conducted by an American university shows that within the next decade virtual assistants will account for 10% or more of the working population.
Entering into this profession right now is probably one of the best decisions a work at home professional could make. However, a virtual assistant entering into the industry now offering specialised services will, in fact, be more successful. Any time you can enter an industry offering a niche product or service you will fare better than your competition.
Different Niche Categories For Virtual Assistants
Reception Services – Virtual assisting can be as simple as offering reception services for a virtual office. You can offer to receive and return calls, forward messages via phone or email. The benefit to this type of niche is that you can accept clients from around the world, allowing you to work during any hours that you desire. You also have the ability to take on several clients at once, instead of just working for a specific company or client.
Editing and Proofreading – Many companies need an editing service, but not full time. Offering this specific service will bring about many opportunities from clients around the world. Foreign companies that translate their manuals, advertising materials, and employee forms into English from their native language are often the largest users of these services. You must have strong grammar and spelling skills.
Order Fulfilment – Many individuals that are promoting a product do so from their home based office. While these business owners are busy promoting they need someone to complete and ship the orders they receive.
Newsletter Designer – Communicating with clients through newsletters is one of the most effective ways to interact with the client without making them believe that you are selling them a product or service. Business p[professionals know that this marketing method is critical, yet very few incorporate it into their marketing plans. They avoid newsletters because it takes time to create and send them out. Virtual assistants that can create industry specific newsletters will have a very successful business. The benefit to this business is that you can take on several customers a month which will increase your income.
Research Services – Virtual assistants that offer this service will find that they will have more work than they can handle. Individuals and businesses of all sizes always need research work performed. Research can be on anything from materials used to make a product to local ordinances for a building permit. Research services are also very popular with foreign companies.
Virtual assistants that do not offer a specialty will not, however, be without clients. As businesses continue to see the benefits of remote employees, the profession will continue to grow.
Marketing Tips For Virtual Assistants Offering A Specialty
When you are offering a specialised service as a virtual assistant, make sure that you adjust your marketing accordingly. While it is important to advertise your services in all the common places, you must make sure that you advertise in places that are specific to your specialty. You may wish to consider the following methods:
Creating a blog about that specialty and its many benefits
Advertising in trade publications for that industry or in industries that would use that service
Creating banner advertisements for that specialty only
Article marketing about virtual assisting and the services that you offer.
Freelance Data Entry ? It Is All About The Keystrokes
by WorkFromHomeJobs
21 Dec 2011 at 7:32am
When you work from home as a freelance data entry specialist your income will depend on the amount of work that you produce. If you complete projects faster, you can accept more work. That is the simplistic formula to data entry success. Unlike data entry positions as a telecommuter where you work specific hours and meet specific goals, a freelance data entry specialist must complete projects quickly so they can move on to other orders.
Updating and improving your skills can help you improve your pay. Regardless of how much experience you may have in the field, a little off-the-clock practice or training can gretly increase your earning potential. Data entry specialists can use one or more of these six suggestions to increase their keystrokes and earnings:
Invest into a typing program for your computer.
While many people took a typing class in school, how many can honestly say they tried to acquire the skill? Most will have to admit that they did enough to pass the course and that is all. Investing into a home typing course and following through with the lessons will improve your keystrokes.
Try Online Typing Courses.
If you are not able to purchase a home typing course at this time, there are plenty of sites that have typing courses available for free. You may be required to register with the site to gain access to the free typing courses, but there will never be a charge for the course. Never provide credit card or bank information to access one of these programs.
Adjust Your Chair and Desk.
One of the worst things you can do as a home based data entry professional is sit incorrectly. Not only will your keystrokes suffer, so will your lower back and shoulders. To be ergonomically correct, you should sit in a chair that is adjusted to your height so that your feet are comfortably on the ground. Your seat back should be adjusted to tilt into your lower back for support. If you have arms on your chair, they should not be set any higher than your waist level. If you do not have arms on your chair, you should set your keyboard in a position that you can type at waist height. Many computer desks have slide out keyboard trays specifically for this purpose. You should have your keyboard close enough so that you are not over extended. By sitting in the correct position, you will not cause strain to your body and decrease your typing speed.
Take Time To Practice.
If you take time to practice typing, you will improve. Use a few minutes time to pop off some emails to friends, post to your blog, or share on your social page. These all count as practice. There are always opportunities for you to find a reason to type that is not directly related to work.
Play Typing Games Online.
These games, often designed for children, are free and fun to use. They are specifically designed to help you learn to type quickly to respond to the game. Many data entry specialists also find that these games are a good way to ?cool down? after a long day at work, or gear up for the full day ahead.
Invest In A New Keyboard.
There are many different keyboard designs, and you may not be using one that is best suited for you. Many typists have discovered that the new standard keyboards have keys that are really compressed, causing them to make a lot of typos and waste time correcting them. These work at home specialists could benefit greatly from purchasing a new larger keyboard. Some data entry personnel find that they have sore wrists from typing which decreases their speed as time progresses. Investing into an ergonomically designed keyboard with a split set of keys may increase your keystroke tremendously. It is always recommended to shop for a keyboard that best suits your physical needs and typing style. Having a keyboard that you are comfortable with will increase your speed.
10 Mistakes That Freelance Web Designers and Consultants Must Avoid
by WorkFromHomeJobs
20 Dec 2011 at 2:03am
Freelance web design is in high demand. As more and more companies enter into the online community, the need to design sites and create logos increases. Freelance designers have seen their business opportunities increase tenfold in the last five years alone.
Freelance web design is a very lucrative business, and one that can be easily established. Designers of all experience levels and design types can quickly find work on the Internet. However, many of these designers fail at their business because of these 10 common mistakes.
Failure To Communicate With Clients. When you are working as a freelance graphic designer, you need to be available to your client at all times. If they email you, reply, if they call, answer. Yes, many of these people are very annoying and can drive you mad. However, you are creating something for them that is the representation of their life?s work or their dream. It is very important to them, and it must be very important to you.
K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid ? is a theme you must take with you throughout your career. Using too many fonts is not only tasteless, many web browsers will not be able to load the fonts if not embedded correctly and the page will look horrible. In addition, designs that are too complicated look and ?feel? cluttered. This distracts the potential viewer and reduces the effectiveness of the site.
Copying Design Styles. You cannot ?borrow? design styles without encountering very expensive legal problems. You must create a unique design that is yours and yours alone. While many designers believe that the Internet is simply too large to get caught ?borrowing? a design style, you will be amazed how quickly you will be receiving legal documents if you decide to incorporate someone else?s style into your own.
Forgetting To Request Half Down. Many graphic designers believe that all of their clients are honest. The truth is, they are not. Since it is virtually impossible to distinguish which clients are going to fulfil their obligations and pay, it is crucial to require half down on the job before you begin. While your customer may protest, this is standard in the industry and you should not waiver. Receiving half will allow you to survive until the remaining half arrives.
Not Requiring A Contract. You must always enter into a contract with the client. If you fail to do so, many things that can occur that are not to your advantage. Clients may refuse to pay, require additional free work, or back out of the deal after your work has been completed. A contract will help you avoid many of these mishaps and legally keep your non-refundable deposit.
v Clashing Colours. Do not go overboard or use colours that contrast too much. Even though pink, orange, and green may be a delightful combination, it is probably not appealing to the masses. You want to make sure that your colour schemes are what your client desires. This will also help you save time by not having to re-do your project to meet their desired scheme.
Ignoring Trends. Just because a certain style or widget was popular last month does not mean that it is popular today. You must stay current on design trends if you wish to be competitive. The Internet is continually changing and so must your designs.
Setting Deadlines and Revision Requests. You must set a deadline for the project to be completed for two reasons: First, if you take too long to complete a project you are missing out on other opportunities and hurting your income. Second, you cannot allow your client to drag on the project with continued changes or missed deadlines. This too will affect your income. Set a deadline and the number of allowable revisions in your contract.
Over Investing In Graphics. Many designers believe that more is better. They spend all of their available resources on new or add-on programs, filling their computers with programs they only half use. Master your design program so that you can use it to its fullest capabilities. You should only purchase new software if the latest trends demand.
Lax Billing Practices. Many graphic designers wake up and find their cheque books empty and a stack of invoices that should have been sent a month ago. When you complete a project and the client accepts, send the invoice. Never consider a project complete until the invoice has been sent. It is also important to keep up on reminders for past-due accounts. Failure to invoice leaves the bank account empty.
Understanding The Five Largest Work At Home Internet Scams
by WorkFromHomeJobs
19 Dec 2011 at 8:04am
When you begin the transition into a work from home position, it can be quite easy to get caught in an Internet scam. Scammers know that the desire to work from home is great in many people, and they use that knowledge to their advantage.
While there are always new scams coming to the market, there are five that seem to repeat themselves over and over again. These ?jobs? or ?business opportunities? are not what they seem, and you will lose money if you invest into them. Understanding what these jobs really are will help you avoid wasting your time and money.
Envelope Stuffing
This scam industry has been around for the last hundred years. In the beginning they advertised in the classified ads of magazines and newspapers. Keeping with the times, they are now everywhere on the Internet. You will see banner advertisements shouting: ?Get Paid 100 Euros For Each Envelope You Stuff,? or something similarly outrageous. They hope to invoke an emotional response to easy wealth and work.
How It Works: Envelope stuffing has been around this long because it is actually legitimate. You will receive that amount of money each time you stuff the required materials into an envelope and post it to the recipient. However, they do not tell you up front that you will need to aggressively market the program and when and if someone responds, you will get paid. There is absolutely no guarantee of income, and you will spend a great deal of money before any money is ever made.
Electronic or Craft Assembly
This program promises large amounts of money for assembling simple electronics or crafts in your home. They advertise that anyone can do this job, and that no experience is necessary.
How It Works: You will be required to make a purchase of supplies when you are enrolled in the program. The company will tell you that this is a ?good faith? gesture and that you will be reimbursed for your purchase each time you submit a completed project in addition to your pay for that project. However, your projects will never pass quality control and be accepted for payment. This is how the industry works ? period. These companies are in business to sell you these useless kits and that is all. You will never receive payment, you will never be approved. It is designed that way for a reason, which is to scam you out of your money.
Processing Rebates
Processing rebates is the latest trend on the Internet to lure people in for easy money. These companies will tell you that you can make money processing rebates for merchandise or services.
How It Works: You are required to aggressively market a product line or service at your own expense. During this marketing you are to offer the consumer a rebate for making a purchase from you. This rebate is half the amount of the rebate that the company is offering to you. In reality you are promoting over-priced goods and splitting the difference between the retail and wholesale price. There are no actual rebates to process. These companies are using your hard earned savings to promote their products.
Form Completions
There have been many Internet ads popping up stating that you can make large amounts of money each day by completing a simple form. Some even advertise this as ?data entry? positions.
How It Works: This is a ?digital? version of the envelope stuffing scam. Yes, you will make that money if you complete a ?form,? but just like the envelope stuffing scam this only takes place when your ?information packet? is ordered. The form that you complete is the shipping form of the information you are sending out. This is just envelope stuffing under a new title.
Work At Home Directories
This program is an indirect work at home scam, but one that must be addressed if you are entering into the work at home industry. There are many websites and banner advertisements offering work at home directories for sale. They promise that you will have everything you need to start a work at home career, all you have to do is make the purchase.
How It Works: These sites will send you a book or an e-book that contains lists of companies that are hiring telecommuters once you pay a very large sum of money. What you receive is a book filled with useless information. Companies that are hiring telecommuters place help wanted ads on job boards, not in publications. Many of these companies do not even know that they are being listed in these fraudulent publications.
business: Frequently tagged products at Amazon.com
Products on amazon.com which are tagged "business" most frequently. Please note that product prices and availability are subject to change. Prices and availability were accurate at the time this feed was generated; however, they may differ from those you see when you visit Amazon.com
Personal Finance For People Who Hate Personal Finance (Kindle Edition) tagged...
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Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't (Hardcove...
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Understanding Strategy (Paperback) tagged "business" 164 times
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The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (Paperback) ta...
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The War On Success: How the Obama Agenda Is Shattering the American Dream (Ha...
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The Communist Manifesto (the original definitive English edition) (Paperback)...
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Entrepreneurs Guide to Direct Mail Order (Cash at Home Series) (Kindle Editio...
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Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion (Hardcover) tagged ...
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Carry a Chicken in Your Lap: Or Whatever It Takes to Globalize Your Business ...
21 May 2011 at 2:24pm
The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich (Hardco...
1 Nov 2010 at 12:28am
Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die (Hardcover) tagged "busi...
30 Jan 2012 at 3:22pm
