I recently was prompted to think about something that has inspired me. Throughout my life there have been many things and people who have inspired me in different aspects of my life. I have been inspired by a loving grandmother to share love with those who are less fortunate than myself and the list goes on. The most life changing inspiration that I have experienced lately has not come from one source but many.
The day I decided to seek financial security changed my life and the single most important piece of inspiration I drew from people like Donald Trump, Robert Kiyosaki and Victor Hansen. My inspiration was that I am responsible for my economic status. That was a tough pill to swallow at first because our society has a blame mentality. A kid shoots up a school and the parents or the peers are to blame, if you are broke the government is to blame and the list goes on.
Now you might think that this train of thought would lead you down a depressing path, but for me it has been liberating. Now instead of filling my mind with despair and anger towards the infamous "they" (you know they said or they dont want you to be happy, who are they anyway?) I am filled with hope and desire to make a better life for me and my family. Thanks to every millionaire who proudly has said it is up to you to change your life!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Merchandising Careers
Merchandising careers are just that, a career and not a job. If you are going to be successful at it this is the mindset you must have. When you look at merchandising careers as just a job you will quit long before you see any real profit.
Managing a Merchandising Career
The single most important part of managing a merchandising career is time management. You have to be an expert in this field to be successful merchandising. If you are a procrastinator like many of us are it will be much more difficult.
First off as discussed in other posts you must have more than one merchandising company in order to have enough jobs to make it profitable. For example a good plan is to first get in with Archway Merchandising. Learn all the projects you can working for them. This is a good baseline because in many areas you will be able to get the maximum amount of hours, 20 per week. You best plan is to spend at least a month getting used to Archways scheduling before you take on another company. This way you will have a good idea what town you will be in on what day, or if you live in a large city which side of town you will work.
After you become used to the hours, jobs and reporting procedures you can take the next step in your merchandising career, find another company to supplement your assignments and cash.
Certified Field Associates is one of my personal favorites. They offer flexible scheduling and you are free to take as few or as many assignments as you like, of course as I have mentioned in other posts they are slow to pay. Another good reason to be firmly established with Archway Merchandising first.
Pulling it all together will take time, patience and attention to detail. Your goals will determine how far you go with your merchandising career. If you only need a part time income to supplement other work, then stick with one company or the other. However if you need full time income or more work the programs and seek promotion.
More on promotion seeking in merchandising careers tomorrow!
Managing a Merchandising Career
The single most important part of managing a merchandising career is time management. You have to be an expert in this field to be successful merchandising. If you are a procrastinator like many of us are it will be much more difficult.
First off as discussed in other posts you must have more than one merchandising company in order to have enough jobs to make it profitable. For example a good plan is to first get in with Archway Merchandising. Learn all the projects you can working for them. This is a good baseline because in many areas you will be able to get the maximum amount of hours, 20 per week. You best plan is to spend at least a month getting used to Archways scheduling before you take on another company. This way you will have a good idea what town you will be in on what day, or if you live in a large city which side of town you will work.
After you become used to the hours, jobs and reporting procedures you can take the next step in your merchandising career, find another company to supplement your assignments and cash.
Certified Field Associates is one of my personal favorites. They offer flexible scheduling and you are free to take as few or as many assignments as you like, of course as I have mentioned in other posts they are slow to pay. Another good reason to be firmly established with Archway Merchandising first.
Pulling it all together will take time, patience and attention to detail. Your goals will determine how far you go with your merchandising career. If you only need a part time income to supplement other work, then stick with one company or the other. However if you need full time income or more work the programs and seek promotion.
More on promotion seeking in merchandising careers tomorrow!
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Freelance Writing Jobs
Freelance Writing Jobs that Pay
Aspiring writers all want to know where to find freelance writing jobs that pay. What could be better than being your own boss and setting your wages? There is only one tiny problem with freelance writing jobs, where in the world do you start looking for them and better yet how do you beat out the competition?
Well neither of these tasks will be easy but if writing is in your blood and you want the freedom to take freelance writing jobs that pay what you are worth then it is all worth it.
Write, Write and then Write Some More...
The first thing you will have to do is start writing, that sounds like a no brainer but you would be surprised at the number of people frozen, waiting for high paying freelance writing jobs to come knocking on their door. They are not coming to you so you might as well stop waiting.
Start blogging about a subject you know well or are passionate about. It is not necessary to have both, though if you have to choose between passion and knowledge go with passion. Passion will make it easier for you to keep at it when there is no money coming in. Anywhere you can find to write, WRITE!
Freelance Writing Jobs Sites
If you look for a little while, you will find freelance writing jobs sites. These will offer everything from simple web content to highly technical pieces and the competition is fierce. Not only will you have to contend with people from other countries who can write cheap, you will also have those who have already established a reputation.
Here are some of the more popular freelance writing jobs sites:
- Digital Points
- Freelancer
- Associated Content
- Quality Gal
- Text Broker (one of the easier sites to sign up with)
The last two on this list are places that will "hire" you to write but it is closer to freelance writing jobs than an actual position. You will be free to accept articles based on what you like to write about.
Print Jobs
Finally look into getting your name in ink. Real life print freelance writing jobs can be some of the hardest to break into, but again if writing is your passion…. Think about the magazines you like to read and then turn to the front cover or maybe the back and look for submission guidelines. You can also find out about many magazines freelance writing jobs submission guidelines by going to their website. There is a forum online that is great for researching print and online freelance writing jobs, it is Accentuate Writers Forum. Here long time writer Michelle Devon posts relevant writing jobs and gives opinions on them. It is also a good place to talk to other writers about many topics. All in all a good all around website for anyone looking for freelance writing jobs.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Get Out of Debt
Working to Get Out of Debt
If we have learned nothing else over the last couple of years we should have learned that being in debt is killing us. Now more than ever people are buckling down to get out of debt. Unfortunately, it is also now harder than ever to do just that. That does not mean it is impossible however, just that it will take more determination and grit than it would have a few short years ago.
Bill Pay
You will never be able to get out of debt if your bills are out of control. There it is, blunt and to the point. Your everyday bills have to be paid on time and with money left over if you want any hope at all to reduce your overall debt.
First figure out what your monthly debt is compared to your income. Take a pen and paper and figure the cost of the things you cannot live without, like lights, water and food. These are your essentials, anything above that must be considered secondary. To get out of debt you almost take on a war mentality, where bills are the enemy to be dispatched as quickly as possible!
If your income has come up short when compared to your monthly essentials, you are in serious trouble. But at least you know the trouble you are in and that is the first step to doing something about it. You cannot fix a problem if you do not know it exists. This may sound simple, but I assure you it is quite possible to live month to month and not know how much of your paycheck you should set aside.
Increase Income or Reduce Debt
These are your only two options. There is no other way around it you either need more money or fewer bills and optimally you want a little of both. This section of the plan will depend on what you will or will not do. For instance if you feel a part time job at a fast food restaurant is beneath you will not use that avenue to increase your income. Here are a few options for increasing income and decreasing bills to get out of debt:
• Take second job
• Babysit on your off hours
• Sell the boat in the back yard and pay off a bill with the proceeds
• Cut back your cable or satellite service
• Do away with a phone line (most people have already converted to cell anyway)
• Turn down the thermostat on heat and water heater
• Take on more hours at work
Some of these measures are extreme, however as we have discussed to get out of debt you must push the envelope.
Debt Reduction
When you have your basic essentials under control, you now must look at reducing your debt load. This is where you concentrate on credit cards, personal loans and anything you have financed.
Where you can sell things, you have financed to get out of debt. For example if you have a four-wheeler, three cars and a boat all financed it is time to cut down. To get out of debt you have to look at every purchase differently and remove the non-essentials until you are on better footing.
Okay, now that you have trimmed the fat as much as possible it is time to roll up your sleeves and get serious about getting out of debt. Calculate how much extra money you have been able to squeeze out of your income and make extra payments on your smallest debt.
Add payments until the debt is cleared, then take your payment plus the extra, and apply it to the next debt. This will snowball after a time and before you know it, you will enjoy the freedom that comes from being debt free.
The path to get out of debt can be a long arduous one filled with peril and temptations. Nevertheless, stick with it and if you fall along the way simply get back up and try again, the dividends are worth it.
If we have learned nothing else over the last couple of years we should have learned that being in debt is killing us. Now more than ever people are buckling down to get out of debt. Unfortunately, it is also now harder than ever to do just that. That does not mean it is impossible however, just that it will take more determination and grit than it would have a few short years ago.
Bill Pay
You will never be able to get out of debt if your bills are out of control. There it is, blunt and to the point. Your everyday bills have to be paid on time and with money left over if you want any hope at all to reduce your overall debt.
First figure out what your monthly debt is compared to your income. Take a pen and paper and figure the cost of the things you cannot live without, like lights, water and food. These are your essentials, anything above that must be considered secondary. To get out of debt you almost take on a war mentality, where bills are the enemy to be dispatched as quickly as possible!
If your income has come up short when compared to your monthly essentials, you are in serious trouble. But at least you know the trouble you are in and that is the first step to doing something about it. You cannot fix a problem if you do not know it exists. This may sound simple, but I assure you it is quite possible to live month to month and not know how much of your paycheck you should set aside.
Increase Income or Reduce Debt
These are your only two options. There is no other way around it you either need more money or fewer bills and optimally you want a little of both. This section of the plan will depend on what you will or will not do. For instance if you feel a part time job at a fast food restaurant is beneath you will not use that avenue to increase your income. Here are a few options for increasing income and decreasing bills to get out of debt:
• Take second job
• Babysit on your off hours
• Sell the boat in the back yard and pay off a bill with the proceeds
• Cut back your cable or satellite service
• Do away with a phone line (most people have already converted to cell anyway)
• Turn down the thermostat on heat and water heater
• Take on more hours at work
Some of these measures are extreme, however as we have discussed to get out of debt you must push the envelope.
Debt Reduction
When you have your basic essentials under control, you now must look at reducing your debt load. This is where you concentrate on credit cards, personal loans and anything you have financed.
Where you can sell things, you have financed to get out of debt. For example if you have a four-wheeler, three cars and a boat all financed it is time to cut down. To get out of debt you have to look at every purchase differently and remove the non-essentials until you are on better footing.
Okay, now that you have trimmed the fat as much as possible it is time to roll up your sleeves and get serious about getting out of debt. Calculate how much extra money you have been able to squeeze out of your income and make extra payments on your smallest debt.
Add payments until the debt is cleared, then take your payment plus the extra, and apply it to the next debt. This will snowball after a time and before you know it, you will enjoy the freedom that comes from being debt free.
The path to get out of debt can be a long arduous one filled with peril and temptations. Nevertheless, stick with it and if you fall along the way simply get back up and try again, the dividends are worth it.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Home Based Business In a Tough Economy
The economy has worsened to a point not seen since the great depression. Can I share something with you however? We are not any worse off now than we were a year ago! We are actually beginning to see a major shift in our financial standing. How? I have a home based business.
Work at home opportunities are not everywhere but it is possible if you are set up correctly. The first thing you will need is a home computer and internet access. You can start at an internet cafe or the local library but the time and sites will be limited.
Now you must decide what kind of home based business you want. Are you a good writer, do you already have an established blog or website? If you are writing freelance is a great work at home job. Starting a freelance writing career is difficult and will be slow to begin with, however if you know where to start you will be off and running before you know it.
The best places to start getting your name out there are:
Associated Content
E-How
These both will pay you on an ad sharing basis. The trick is to learn all you can about what gets page views and ad clicks on these sites. While you are building your reputation there go over to Digital Point Forum and set up an account. There are always people on there looking for freelance work at home providers. You will not get slammed with work over night but you can pick up a client here and there, or offer your work in cheap packets to build a reputation. Personally I have made about $100 on Digital Point Forum from two clients, without putting a lot of effort into getting the clients in the first place.
There are many more ways to earn money working from home, the key truly is finding something you love to do and doing it. Eventually it will pay off. One huge CAUTION never pay for a work at home opportunity, they are often bogus and the only one making any money is the guy on the other side, you will make nothing and be out your hard earned money to boot!
Work at home can be scary and unsure, however it looks like a regular job is in the same category. If you are unemployed with extra time on your hands try looking for a home based business opportunity that is in line with what you enjoy, then perhaps you can recession proof your income as well.
Work at home opportunities are not everywhere but it is possible if you are set up correctly. The first thing you will need is a home computer and internet access. You can start at an internet cafe or the local library but the time and sites will be limited.
Now you must decide what kind of home based business you want. Are you a good writer, do you already have an established blog or website? If you are writing freelance is a great work at home job. Starting a freelance writing career is difficult and will be slow to begin with, however if you know where to start you will be off and running before you know it.
The best places to start getting your name out there are:
Associated Content
E-How
These both will pay you on an ad sharing basis. The trick is to learn all you can about what gets page views and ad clicks on these sites. While you are building your reputation there go over to Digital Point Forum and set up an account. There are always people on there looking for freelance work at home providers. You will not get slammed with work over night but you can pick up a client here and there, or offer your work in cheap packets to build a reputation. Personally I have made about $100 on Digital Point Forum from two clients, without putting a lot of effort into getting the clients in the first place.
There are many more ways to earn money working from home, the key truly is finding something you love to do and doing it. Eventually it will pay off. One huge CAUTION never pay for a work at home opportunity, they are often bogus and the only one making any money is the guy on the other side, you will make nothing and be out your hard earned money to boot!
Work at home can be scary and unsure, however it looks like a regular job is in the same category. If you are unemployed with extra time on your hands try looking for a home based business opportunity that is in line with what you enjoy, then perhaps you can recession proof your income as well.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Taxes a Work at Home Idea
Well the new year has come upon us again, that means one thing it is tax time! For many people that is going to mean a way to be ahead on bills and repairs for others it will mean yet another bill to pay. What it can mean for you is a little extra cash. If you have a computer and a little know how you could make a few hundred dollars preparing tax returns for family and friends.
The IRS has made it easy for people to freely do simple returns. If you are talking about a W-2 and Earned Income Credit, EIC then the forms really are a piece of cake. Most people are unaware that they can do their own taxes or a friends with no upfront cost. And with major tax preparation franchises charging upwards of $200 for a simple 1040a tax return it is well worth the money to look into this.
Forms are readily available from the IRS website. All you need to know for a simple return will be included in the instruction booklet also available on the IRS website. Download the forms and the booklets then get busy making a few dollars this year and save your friends and family hundreds on tax preparation fees.
Another simple way that you can help someone with their taxes is to work with them to use one of the several online tax software providers. Many of these are available free of charge, all you need is a separate email address for each individual. Set it up with your computer and internet connection and charge a nominal fee for printing and your time.
If this is something you are interested in doing be sure to check on state laws, some may require anyone who is paid for tax preparation to be a certified preparer or CPA.
WARNING!!
If you have absolutely no head for numbers or a return is complicated by self employment income you may not want to prepare taxes for anyone. A miscalculation could cost a friendship not to mention the issues your friend will have with the IRS.
The IRS has made it easy for people to freely do simple returns. If you are talking about a W-2 and Earned Income Credit, EIC then the forms really are a piece of cake. Most people are unaware that they can do their own taxes or a friends with no upfront cost. And with major tax preparation franchises charging upwards of $200 for a simple 1040a tax return it is well worth the money to look into this.
Forms are readily available from the IRS website. All you need to know for a simple return will be included in the instruction booklet also available on the IRS website. Download the forms and the booklets then get busy making a few dollars this year and save your friends and family hundreds on tax preparation fees.
Another simple way that you can help someone with their taxes is to work with them to use one of the several online tax software providers. Many of these are available free of charge, all you need is a separate email address for each individual. Set it up with your computer and internet connection and charge a nominal fee for printing and your time.
If this is something you are interested in doing be sure to check on state laws, some may require anyone who is paid for tax preparation to be a certified preparer or CPA.
WARNING!!
If you have absolutely no head for numbers or a return is complicated by self employment income you may not want to prepare taxes for anyone. A miscalculation could cost a friendship not to mention the issues your friend will have with the IRS.
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