KC Morgan's Blog

Posted by KC Morgan

Do you know how to do your self employment taxes? Which form you’re supposed to fill out? What items you’re allowed to claim as end-of-the-year expenses? If you don’t really have an answer, don’t worry - lots of self employed professionals are in the same boat. Find out what you need to know about paying SE taxes.

Self Employment Tax Forms

For the most part, self employed professionals will be working with two types of tax forms: the 1099 and the 1040.

• 1099 Tax Form. This form is often uses by freelancers and independent contractors. Its main purpose is for people who need to claim “miscellaneous income,” such as royalties.

• 1040 Tax Form. Perhaps the most common self employment tax form, the 1040 form is used for professionals who need to file individual income taxes in the US.

Paying Your Self Employment Taxes

If you’ve earned self employment income in the last calendar year, you’re obliged to pay income taxes and self employment taxes on every bit of that money - minus expenses. This last part is the most important. Don’t ever forget to claim your expenses, because you’re only hurting yourself if you do.

Self employed professionals are eligible to receive tax breaks on their income if they’ve paid some of their own money toward maintaining their careers. For instance, if you purchase a health insurance policy it’s a work expense. If you use your car to buy and/or deliver goods, the gas you spent is another work expense. Starting to get the picture? Once you’ve subtracted your expenses, you’ll find that self employment taxes are much more manageable.

Posted by KC Morgan

Through freelance work, many different professionals can become self employed and enjoy the freedom of working at home. Accountants, writers, artists, designers and consultants are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to self employment possibilities in freelancing.

Freelance Work

Working freelance is a little like working without a net. Following this career path means being in charge of your own destiny. As a freelance self employed professional, you’ll seek out (and land) your own jobs in order to earn. Being successful in this endeavor means following through on promised work, meeting deadlines and establishing a reputation in the industry. It means being on your own, but it also means being your own boss.

Become Self Employed

These days, almost anyone can become self employed in their chosen career path. It’s too easy to make use of VoIP (voice over Internet protocol), Webcams and software which helps people hold meetings no matter how far apart they might be. In fact, many companies would rather save their space and money by hiring employees to complete jobs from home.

Administrative professionals, telemarketers, transcriptions and many other professionals can easily translate their skills into self employment. Through freelancing, almost anyone can earn with work at home.

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Posted by KC Morgan

For many, gambling is an every-now-and-then thrill, a pleasant entertainment best saved for special outings and occasions. But for some, gambling is daily bread and butter…and it can add up to big winnings. But is playing poker to be self-employed at all viable for the every day, average worker?

Self-Employment…with Poker?

It’s true that some rare individuals, a small percentage of the population, learn the craft of playing poker so well they can earn enough money, consistently, to support themselves in full. Professional poker players are, in a sense, self-employed, because they rely upon themselves for their income. Some even manage to gain sponsorships and endorsement deals for their efforts. Poker is considered something of a sporting event, so there is real money to be made in this skill.

Like athletic sports, however, only a small portion of the population can master the art of playing poker professionally. That said, it’s not impossible to achieve self-employment by gambling.

Being Self-Employed

Being successfully self-employed, in any profession, requires a lot of dedication. There’s no room for error when it comes to claiming income and paying the self-employment tax, for instance. Gambling earnings are still earnings, and must be claimed. Also, a bad day at work for a professional poker player could add up to staggering losses - and those staggering wins may not come just because a player wants them to.

Professional gamblers learn how to keep a cool head and study their craft inside and out. Even then, they may not succeed. Being self-employed means being in charge of oneself. Be sure to set some of those earnings aside, don’t forget insurance and retirement plans…and remember that being self-employed isn’t all fun and games, even in professional gambling.

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Posted by KC Morgan

You can pore over marketing tips for self employed professionals, and you’ll wind up getting the same message over and over again: you need a strong resume and portfolio if you want to be a contender in the work at home job market. Learn how to promote yourself to find self employment success.

Create a Self Employment Resume

Knowing how to write a self employment resume starts with self-confidence. Remember that if you want to get the job you’ve got to be your own biggest fan. Want to be self employed? Start thinking of yourself as an extremely skillful worker, a PR expert, a highly-successful promoter…because that’s what you’ve got to be to succeed. Your self employment resume will be scrutinized, looked over and glanced at by everyone who requests it, so put forth your best effort. On a single page you’ve got to showcase all your education, experience and skills; take the time to make that page look great.

Create a Professional Web Site

Want to show off your work and let potential customers know what you’re capable of doing? In self employment, it’s key to create a professional Web site that displays a great online portfolio. This page will show off just what you can do, so present your best work and make the layout simple and attractive. Include a link to your portfolio in every cover letter and job response you send. This single page can help make or break your self employed promotional campaign, so use it to show off all your skills and successes.

Posted by KC Morgan

Even good home-based business ideas can be risky, because starting a new business or new career path always is. If you want to become self employed, however, you could fall prey to one of the many online scams on the subject. Turn to ten legitimate home-based business ideas first, and look for real opportunities.

Become Self Employed

Creating a home-based business can certainly help you become self employed - if it works. When starting any new career path, think about your own personal interests and passions. Loving your job has a way of helping you become more successful at it. Explore Five Ideas for Starting a Home Based Business such as online image consulting, video game testing and cake decorating.

Home-Based Business Ideas

Even the greatest home-based business ideas aren’t guaranteed, and starting any business is no walk in the park. If you want to become self employed with your own business, be ready for lots of hard work and potentially long hours. Launching a business requires no end of marketing and promotion, networking and advertising. Even a good idea can fail, so put everything you can into whatever type of business you create. Look to Five More Home Based Business Ideas That Work for inspiration.

Stay up-to-date on being self employed and home-based business ideas by subscribing to the blog.

Posted by KC Morgan

It may seem like a bit of an old school idea to make money selling cosmetics, but there are many viable work at home opportunities that have been around and in use for decades. The Internet opens up even more possibilities to make money selling products, which makes this path to self employment seem more attractive than ever.

Use Make-Up to Become Self Employed

Why not use make-up to become self employed? There are several companies which provide work at home opportunities to professionals willing to sell products on their own time.

Cosmetics isn’t the only thing which can be sold in this fashion, but it is one of the more well-known and well-used methods for this sort of self employment. Those who are just starting in the field will find many well-established entrepreneurs who can share tips, advice and other valuable bits of information. Explore two opportunities to learn how you can work at home and make money selling cosmetics.

Sell Mary Kay for Self Employment

Mary Kay is a pretty well-known name in the make-up industry, and it’s also known as a good work at home opportunity for industrious professionals. This company is home to the famous pink Cadillac incentive, wherein an entire vehicle is awarded through a lease agreement to top sellers and recruiters in the company.

Work at Home Selling Avon

Avon is a famous name in cosmetics, and a common name in the world of self employment. Many, many work at home professionals have managed to establish a steady income flow with this company. There are lots of ways to sell Avon both online and in person, and this company offers a lot of materials for those who want to get started with these possibilities and more.

Posted by KC Morgan

Using Google to make money begins with free programs like AdSense and Blogger. With these two tools alone, anyone can use a free blog to make money at home. It’s not necessarily a quick and easy road to self employment, because it will take time and hard work, but it is free to try…so why not?

Make Money with Online Content

Even free blogs can help you make money with online content. If you create a free blog through Google’s Blogger, you can very easily take advantage of revenue-generating AdSense. This free program will, at your instigation, place clickable ads on your blog based upon the keywords you use in your posts. Using Google to make money begins to generating a lot of traffic, bringing visitors to your site with well-written and engaging content…but it doesn’t end there.

Increase Google AdSense Revenue

If you’re serious about using Google to make money online, it’s important to know how to increase Google AdSense revenue. After all, it’s always worthwhile to build on success, right? Even free ads can generate a lot of money when you use high-paying keywords and smoothly integrate ads into your site so they blend in and aesthetically please the audience.

Posted by KC Morgan

When the economy is bad, everything starts to fall apart. Professionals get laid off from work, new jobs are scarce and opportunities seem to get as slim as the household budget. Earn with self employment jobs, and add another source of income to help you face a bad economy bravely.

Finding Self Employment Jobs

There are many ways to earn with the Internet, even when a bad economic climate affects the entire job market. Competition for online self employment jobs can be stiff, but often the trick of earning is all about perseverance. Keep trying and try everything! Finding self employment jobs - and getting them - requires patience, time and the sheer stubbornness needed to keep trying. Look for reputable online job boards, read work at home forums and search for ads and opportunities that will yield true self employment income.

Earn with Self Employment Jobs

There are just as many self employment scams as there are jobs - in fact, scams may be greater in number. Avoid them by very simply not giving money away. Why should a job ask you to pay a fee, purchase equipment, buy software? A true self employment job will offer to pay you, for how else could you hope to earn? Don’t be roped into buying kits, products or packages - look for jobs that actually offer revenue, and provide your best effort on any projects assigned to you. Earning with self employment jobs can be a slow process, but in a bad economy it’s well worth it to try.

Posted by KC Morgan

When you can’t get work from home jobs, you start to feel a real financial pinch. Many self employed professionals and independent contractors rely solely upon the income they earn from finding their own jobs and offering their skills on a freelance basis. But when the economy is bad and no one is hiring, you’re in a pretty tough spot. Find out how to get work even if you can’t always land the job.

Can’t Get Work from Home Jobs?

Ads for freelancers are running pretty thin these days, and in many cases employers and clients seem willing to pay much less than what they once did. The economic troubles of today are affecting the amount of work you’re doing tomorrow, and it’s putting some self employed professionals in a bind. But even when you can’t get work from home jobs, you might still be able to get work…and get paid.

How to Get Work

Being successfully self employed, and working from home regularly, isn’t just about the skill required to find (and keep) various freelance jobs. As with everything else, working from home is very much about who you know. You should always be keeping records of jobs completed, amounts earned, contact names and information for those who have hired you in the past. When you can’t get work from home jobs, you can break out your list of people who have offered work in the past. It’s time for a little letter-writing when work is slow.

Contact past employers to politely touch base tp ask if any new work is available. Follow up on any and all projects and/or payments that were left incomplete. Shop around among the contacts you’ve established in the past. Sometimes, a single note will jog a memory or create a work at home opportunity. It only costs a little time to try to solicit work from past employers, and in the end it’s worth the expense when a new work from home job may open up as a result.

Posted by KC Morgan

The site known simply as eBay helped take Internet shopping to a whole new level. Entire businesses can exist through this site, a heady idea for those interested in self employment. Seeing the huge amount of stuff that’s available on the site can be utterly mind-boggling, but no less exciting is the sheer amount of opportunity it also presents.

A Simple Self Employment Idea

Sometimes, self employment ideas aren’t original or even your very own. Some ideas have already been thought up by others, and that means you can take advantage. Sites like eBay provide opportunity for entrepreneurs, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be one off them. This one-stop Internet shopping zone is much more than online auctions, it’s a fantastic self employment idea that absolutely anyone can learn how to use.

Making Money with eBay

Anyone can make money with eBay. Take this concept a little further, and it might be possible for some to make enough money with eBay to launch their own self employed career. Not all self employment ideas have to be one’s own, after all. The secret of making money with eBay is all in salesmanship. Can you sell something to others? Can you drum up excitement, assess a public need, learn how to play your auctions so that you get the most profit from them?

For those who want to keep things simple, it’s a great idea to use eBay for self employment. Find stuff to sell, create auctions and pay attention to the activity that transpires. Don’t forget to include shipping costs and deliver the promised products in a timely fashion. With sites like eBay, reputation is everything. It’s simply a great self employment idea to take advantage of this Web site, which is really a free-for-all for those who want to make money (or do a little shopping) over the Internet.

Posted by KC Morgan

Do you have to pay the self employment tax? What is the self employment tax? Even professionals who don’t own their own businesses or earn their money through paying clients may be subject this required annual fee. Whether you consider yourself technically self employed or not, you should learn if you’re liable to pay a special tax on your yearly earnings.

The Self Employment Tax

So, who does have to pay the self employment tax? In the United States, the rules are pretty clear. Answer the following series of questions to find out whether or not you’re liable for this tax burden:

• Do you own and/or operate any kind of business?
• Are you in a partnership that owns or operates any kind of business?
• Do you earn money as an independent contractor?
• Do you earn money as a church employee?
• In any way have you made money through a Web site, online or as part of any job that could be construed as self employment?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then yes you must pay the self employment tax. This tax is 15.3% of your total self employment earnings, provided you’ve earned more than $400 in the calendar year. If you are a church employee and earned more than $108.28 in a single year, you must pay a self employment tax on this income.

Keep track of all self employed earnings that are subject to this tax, and keep records of all business-related expenses. Remember that these expenses can be claimed to help alleviate some of that tax burden, reducing the amount you’ll be required to pay.

Posted by KC Morgan

Social networking sites are the hottest online trend, and for good reason. Not only can you find a mildly entertaining way to kill the time, look up former classmates and possibly touch base with friends and family, you can also use these sites to stretch your professional muscles and potentially forge new contacts. If you’re self employed, you should absolutely be using social networking to find new work.

Social Media: Just for Friend-Finding?

Social networking sites like MySpace aren’t just for people seeking friendship and romantic connections. Believe it or not, you can use these sites to form professional relationships as well. Sites like LinkedIn offer all the bells and whistles of social media, but they provide something more: they allow you to find other professionals, and people who could be in a position to give you a job. If you can join a group or create a contact that might advance your career, isn’t social networking worth a little bit of your time?

Use Online Networking for Self-Promotion

Sure, forging contacts and finding helpful groups of other like-minded individuals can be valuable, but there’s even more to online networking that the obvious. Facebook, MySpace and others also give you a priceless opportunity to do something extremely important in self employment: they allow you to self-promote. You can include feeds, links and other resources on your profile that direct others toward your work, which could help you showcase your skills to a much broader audience. Some sites even allow you to find jobs, a compelling draw for any freelance professional.

Posted by KC Morgan

Even if you’ve formally retired from your job, enjoyed a celebration and been given your grand farewell, you may not be quite ready to put working ways behind you. Not ready to settle into the life of leisure that follows your official retirement? You might want to try working at home to fill up some of that spare time.

Why Work at Home?

It’s tough to go from full-time work to full-time freedom, and not everyone finds the transition tolerable. Many retired professionals find part-time work, but with work at home you don’t have to leave the house to earn extra income and keep your job skills sharp. Not ready to leave your working ways behind? With work at home jobs, you won’t have to.

Not Ready to Retire!

Retired professionals still have a lot to offer to the work force. A variety of skills, strong work ethic and strong self-discipline are the keys of being successful with work at home jobs. This means that retired professionals stand to find success with self employment. Not ready to retire? Who stays you can’t earn money and spend your time on your own terms, even after you turn this important corner in your professional life?

Jobs You Can Do at Home

There are many, many jobs you can do at home, no matter your age. Being a self-starter and hard-worker alone can make you an excellent candidate for many work at home positions. The hardest part of making it happen, in fact, is usually finding people to pay you for your work. Look to online job boards to explore available positions. Find jobs you can do at home to make work at home happen:

• Customer service
• Blogging
• Online sales
• Transcription/typing
• Freelance writing

Posted by KC Morgan

There are many places to look if you want to know where to find self employment jobs, but there are many other places you may have overlooked in the past. Learn how to find new ways to discover new work at home opportunities.

Find Self Employment Jobs

Want to know where to find self employment jobs? Sure, Internet job boards provide a lot of opportunities…but sometimes, they still don’t provide enough. There are other places that might give you the steady gigs you’re seeking.

Administrative Sites

There are many online companies which specialize in hiring work at home employees to tackle the clerical and calling work needed by many large firms. Using these administrative sites, you might find steady self employment and the extra income you’ve been seeking.

Blogging Sites with Multiple Writers

You’ll find a bevy of blogging sites on the Internet, which strive to bring readers fresh content several times a day by hiring multiple bloggers. Based off page clicks, real income can be earned if you can write words that compel others to visit your pages. Seek out blogging sites that employ many writers and send an email to the powers-that-be to see if they could use your services. You never know where you’ll find self employment jobs, but blogging sites are a good place to start.

Suite101

Suite101 is always looking for writers who know how sweet the written word can be. If you want to know where to find self employment jobs, you’re already in the right place! Submit an application, share your opinion and earn a little money as a result.

Posted by KC Morgan

Do you know where to find self employment jobs? A lot of looking on the Internet for job boards and sites that are specific to your career can still add up to a lot of nothing if you aren’t getting the responses you want. Anyone can work at home - the trick is, finding someone who’ll pay you for it.

Find Self Employment Jobs

Okay, so you’ve looked all over the Internet. You reply to tons of ads on the job boards, you’ve got a good resume, your cover letter is attention-getting…and you still aren’t getting any self employment jobs. So what gives? Learn where to find work at home opportunities in some places you might normally overlook.

Local Unemployment Office

Believe it or not, your local unemployment office may have work at home opportunities you know nothing about. You can always sign up and register on the site to take advantage of job listings, and you should. This often-untapped resource just might provide your next steady gig.

Secret Shopping Sites

With secret shopping, you might find a way to pick up a few extra bucks while you’re doing normal errands. Self employment opportunities abound in this field, but be careful to work with reputable companies and double-check employers before accepting assignments. It’s a simple manner to look up a company name before you accept a job with them; often, other self employed professionals provide information as to the employer's credibility on forums and other online venues.

Want to know more places to find self employment jobs? Check back for the second installment of this two-part series.

Posted by KC Morgan

What do you love to do in your free time? With a little creative thinking, some self-promotion and no small amount of gumption, it might just be possible to turn your favorite hobby into a money-making career. Learn how to move your skills to the right medium to create income, and turn a hobby into a career through self employment.

Sell Your Skills Online

Are you a rabid TV watcher? Great at finding hilarious YouTube videos that your friends enjoy? Do you make crafts, paint pictures, have a great eye for spotting bargains? Almost anything can be turned into a career, if you know how to do it. The skills you have could easily translate into self employment, if you learn how to sell and apply those skills to the online world. The Internet opens the door for plenty of opportunities - so take advantage!

From Hobby to Career

Create your own Web site, blog or eBay profile and start creating an income for yourself by using the skills you already possess. For instance, TV watchers could easily write on the subject of their favorite shows. Lots of Internet surfers enjoy reading about what they watch on the tube, too. Any products or crafts you make could be sold through eBay or your very own selling site. Why not turn your hobby into a career? After all, you’re spending time on it anyway…so start making some money with it.

Posted by KC Morgan

Can you be self employed? Hasn’t everyone toyed with the idea of working at home, being an independent contractor, earning through freelance jobs? Learn how to find out if you’ve got what it takes to create your own career.

Self Evaluation for Self Employment

Self evaluation is the first step in finding out whether or not you’re actually cut out for the job of self employment. Can you stand sitting in a single room of your house - all alone - for many hours on end? Are you disciplined enough to get tasks done, even when jobs start to seem tedious and repetitive? Even those with a strong work ethic may find they aren’t ready for self employment. It’s important to maintain a working schedule, to be able to handle pressure and to be capable of working all alone while still getting the job done.

Tools You Need to Work at Home

No one can work at home or be self employed successfully without having a few tools in place, and that doesn’t always mean having a great home computer and a good long distance telephone plan. It means having a strong resume and a good grasp of how to sell yourself. At all times, you have to be your own biggest promoter. Believing in yourself - and getting others to believe in you - is one of the biggest hurdles in maintaining self employment.

Can You Be Self Employed?

Being self employed means being a self-starter, and being able to deal with the daily frustration of searching for new jobs and being rejected. Everyone who tries to work for themselves has to be prepared to hear “no” many times over. It can be disheartening, but all the more rewarding when an employer eventually says yes.

Posted by KC Morgan

There are lots of ways to create a self employment career, and it’s worth exploring them all. Take a closer look at three different possibilities that might become self employment opportunities. One of them might even become a full-fledged career.

Create a Courier Service

Have a functioning vehicle and a will to travel? Operating as a one-person courier service can become quite a lucrative self employment career for some. Place ads online and in local papers, contact local businesses and let them know about your services and start spreading the word that you can offer reliable, speedy and secure services for professionals who need to transfer documents and other valuables quickly.

Become a Personal Image Consultant

Have a great sense of style to share with the rest of the world? Many professionals and public figures make use of image consultants who help them put together outfits, answer interview questions and present their best face to the rest of the world.

Start Making Salable Products

Good with your hands? There are plenty of professionals who use artistic and craftsmanship skills to create salable products. If you’ve got something to offer, you can create a self employment career by creating a Web site and an eBay presence. Drum up excitement for your goods by buying a booth at local craft fairs and doing self-marketing to make your presence known.

Posted by KC Morgan

The truth is, home based jobs can be a little boring. It isn’t easy to sit at home all day, to scour the Internet for available self employment opportunities, to continue staying motivated and upbeat when, essentially, you’re completely alone. Feeling fed up with home based jobs? You might feel like you aren’t cut out for self employment, but don’t write off your independent contractor status just yet.

The Daily Grind of Home Based Jobs

Work at home isn’t easy. Sure you’re at home, but you’ve still got to work. There are deadlines, employers, responsibilities, maybe even boring or uninspiring assignments. There are distractions and long hours. The self employed don’t get holiday pay or vacations, help from co-workers or unemployment benefits. When you spend hour after hour, day after day, doing jobs that seem the same, jobs at home suddenly become extremely unglamorous. Feeling fed up with home based jobs? You probably aren’t alone…metaphorically, anyway.

Improve Your At Home Work Day

What if you find out you don’t like self employment? When work at home jobs seem boring, you might be looking for the wrong jobs. Consider trying something new, and respond to any at home job offers that sound interesting. You never know until you try, and when you work at home you’ve got plenty of time to find out what you like. There are lots of work at home opportunities out there, so why not explore every one? You might find that your at home work day just needs a little variety to feel more exciting, and that self employment isn’t so bad after all.

Posted by KC Morgan

Want to be self employed? You may be much closer to being an independent contractor than you think. What’s the key to finding success on your own? Use the skills you already possess to earn money - just go freelance!

Who Can be a Freelance Professional?

No doubt you’ve heard of freelance writers more than once. You might even know a few freelance photographers. But freelancing isn’t restricted to professionals in the periodicals game alone - in fact, many different kinds of workers can use their skills to carve out a freelance career. Painters, construction workers, consultants, people with products to sell - all of them, and many more, could become freelance professionals. What does it take to make this kind of career work?

Be Self Employed

Want to be a successfully self employed freelancer? Unfortunately, it’s much easier to say than to do. Those who want to create a career as an independent contractor have a major goal to tackle: find work. Advertise your skills and services, search job boards for opportunities and get your name out there to get freelance employment. Create a Web site and a portfolio of the kind of work you do, create a strong resume and create strong business contacts to establish yourself as a freelance professional. It takes time to build reputation and experience, but in the end being a freelance professional can be a very rewarding career.

Posted by KC Morgan

Being a full-time mom is more like having two jobs. You’ve already got your hands full, so how can you find the time to maintain a popular blog online? Starting and maintaining a blog might take less time than you think. Staying at home, mom? Make your blog your new home-based business.

How to Start a Blog

Need to know how to start a blog? Creating a Web log is as easy as finding a site which will provide you with the space you need to record all your blog posts. Look to sites like WordPress and Blogger to make use of free Web space where you can create your own custom blog.

How to Run a Blog

In fact, finding a blog and getting it started is the easy part - no doubt you already have some ideas about how your blog should look. Having something to say in your blog, well that’s an altogether different matter. The good news is, you can blog on any topic you desire and you’ll probably still get readers. Create keyword-focused posts that revolve around a single theme - motherhood, for instance - to create a blog that’s cohesive and interesting to read.

Blogging as a Stay at Home Mom

Blog posts are traditionally short, casual and personal in tone. Many, many bloggers are not professional writers, and in fact the polished style of journalists doesn’t lend itself very well to the casual nature of blogs. If you’ve got word to share, then you can blog. Blogging as a stay at home mom is a great way to be productive, to earn a little extra income, and it’s a great outlet when the kids are making you climb the walls.

Posted by KC Morgan

There are legitimate home based business opportunities out there, though sometimes it seems a whole lot easier to find the scams instead. Looking for work at home, a way to make money, full-time self employment? When it comes to opportunities, sometimes (in self employment, a lot of the time) you have to create your own.

Home Based Businesses

Work at home? Make money through these efforts? Then you can say you’re managing, running or working in your own home based business. You don’t have to own a building to own a business. In fact, all you really need is to get someone to give you money to do what you love to do.

Sure, that sounds simple enough. But finding and creating home based business opportunities may not always be so cut and dry.

Legitimate Business Opportunities

If you start looking online for business opportunities of any kind, you’ll find at least ten thousand companies claiming to have the answer. They might offer products you can sell, Web sites you can build, envelopes you can stuff or calls you can make. They might offer lots of things - but until they legitimately offer to pay you money for your efforts, don’t consider it a job.

Think you’ve found a great opportunity? Don’t just accept things at face value - do your research. Look up the job, the company itself, anything else you can find, and find out what others have to say. Look for legitimate work opportunities that will provide you with payment for products and services. This will help you create your own sort of home based business - yourself.

Create your own legitimate home based business opportunities by establishing a personal Web site to further your self employment efforts, an eBay account that will allow you to sell your products, a resume that will help you find work at home jobs. A legitimate opportunity is the one that will pay you for your efforts, instead of you paying them.

Posted by KC Morgan

Do independent contractors get unemployment benefits? Self employment is a lonely road to walk, and sometimes the business and the work just isn’t there. Are you just completely out of luck and on your own, or can you get self employment assistance in the form of unemployment income?

Unemployment Benefits

Who qualifies for unemployment benefits? In the United States, only those who have contributed to the system of unemployment can potentially benefit from the system itself. Basically, this means that only those who have put money into unemployment are eligible to take it back out of state funds. People who have been continuously employed through a legal employer for six months are automatically eligible for unemployment benefits, depending upon the circumstances of their departure from the job.

Do independent contractors get unemployment benefits? Only if they pay into the system - something that is not done through the normal course of paying self employment taxes and working as an independent contractor. This does not mean, however, that self employment assistance is completely out of reach.

Self Employment Benefits for Independent Contractors

For those self employed professionals who can not receive traditional unemployment benefits, a federal assistance program is in place. This program provides independent contractors with an “allowance” that’s not unlike traditional unemployment benefits. The assistance program is in place for those times when there isn’t enough self employment income coming in through no fault of the professional.

Independent contractors may also choose to take advantage of unemployment insurance. These policies are provided by the federal government and work in the same way any insurance policy does: self employed professionals pay into the policy when income is steady; when income is not steady, the policy will return some financial support. Through special programs and safeguards, even independent contractors can receive a form of unemployment benefits.

Posted by KC Morgan

Many work-related expenses can be claimed on taxes to lighten the load paid by independent contractors. The self employment tax can feel like a large burden when other taxes still have to be paid; balance it out with tax deductions that create less taxable income.

Tax Deductions for Independent Contractors

There might be many reasons you have to spend money in your line of work, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t be compensated for this effort. Spending in the name of the job? Save the receipt, document it and start brushing up on what’s tax deductible.

• Subscriptions. Receiving the Wall Street Journal or a number of online newsletters to help you do your job? Any time you spend your own money in the course of work, even for subscriptions, you can claim the expense as an independent contractor.

• Thank you cards, gifts, etc. Sending out cards to employers and potential employers? Having business cards printed to get new jobs? Such purchases are tax deductible - so go ahead and claim them.

• Retirement and 401k plans. You don’t have an employer to provide you with a retirement fund, life insurance policy or 401k - so you’ve done the responsible thing and purchased your own. Paying the premiums, however, is a huge burden when you have to pay such high taxes, too. There is some relief! Retirement, 401k plans and other similar expenses are tax deductible.

• Telephone costs. Calling potential clients and employers? Using the phone for the job? Some of the bill - and the related equipment purchases - is absolutely tax-deductible.

Posted by KC Morgan

There are many different tax deductions for independent contractors, and self employed professionals should take advantage of every single one they can. Learn what’s tax deductible, and save yourself some of those tax time expenses.

Work at Home Tax Deductions

Think the self employment tax is a burden? Claim expenses whenever possible, and learn which tax deductions will lighten the load. These are just a few work at home tax deductions you should keep in mind when it comes time to pay out for the income you earned as an independent contractor through the year:

• Health insurance. Supporting yourself with your work at home and/or self employment efforts? Independent contractors can receive a tax deduction for 100% of their health insurance expenses, both for themselves and their dependents. Professionals who do not receive health benefits through a spouse or employer, but who pay the entire cost of health insurance on their own, can always claim a little tax relief.

• Home office space. Some mortally fear claiming a home office, fearing it’s a giant red flag to the IRS. Some tax experts, however, say this is a false fear. If you truly have a home office space, then you have nothing to worry about anyway. Claim the expense of having a home office, because any little tax deduction helps.

• Furniture and equipment. Need a new chair for the desk? A new keyboard for the computer? Any office-related purchase that’s made for work, including furniture and equipment, is tax deductible.

Take advantage of tax deductions, and claim expenses for every purchase that's made in the line of work. Paying out at tax time, rather than receiving a windfall like so many others, is already a bit of a drag. Paying out more than you should - now, that's a fate you should never have to face.

Posted by KC Morgan

There are more than five things you need for self employment, not the least of which is plenty of self-motivation. But if you’d rather reach for something a little more solid to prepare for a self employed career, find out which five things can help you get prepared.

Self Employment: Five Things

There are at least five tangible things you need for self employment. All the intangibles, like perseverance, should already be part of your make-up (or at least, be in your mind) if you’re going to stick it out with a work from home career. Everything else? Well, it can be purchased or put together.

• Working computer with an Internet connection. The whole world’s going online, and you should too. If you don’t have a working computer with an Internet connection you can access on an unlimited basis, it will be more difficult to make self employment a success. Many work from home professionals, in fact, work and earn exclusively online - that’s how much work you could be missing if you’re not plugged in, too.

• A self employed resume. Even if you don’t have a lot of self employed work history, you can put together an impressive resume to highlight goals and skills. Include relevant work history of any kind, education, special skills you possess or special projects you’ve participated in to beef up your resume a little.

• An online portfolio. Have a presentable collection of your best work in one, easy-to-access location online. Many Web sites will allow you to create free pages, so there’s no reason you shouldn’t have a great online portfolio to show off to potential employers.

• Professional email address. If you were an employer and you received an email from RowdyFunGuy47, you’re not going to take it as seriously as you might take the mail from JohnJamesFreelancing. There are too many free email accounts available - create one that you’re going to use for your professional, self employed life.

• Personal space. Want to work at home? Then you’re going to need a space in which to do that work. Create a space and make it your own, even if your self employment jobs carry you out of the house. It’s nice to have your own personal “office,” and will help you maintain the professional feeling you’ll need to maintain self employment.

Posted by KC Morgan

It’s great to work at home and call the shots, earn money independently and reap the successes of a job well done. It can also be extremely boring, lonely and monotonous to sit in the same room doing the same thing for hours, days, weeks at a time. Learn how to banish work at home boredom.

Work at Home Boredom

Even a dream job can become a draining job when professionals work forty hours a week on their projects, which can start to all seem the same toward the end of Thursday. Struggling with work at home boredom? Many self employed professionals find themselves suffering from the same ailment. So…how do you get rid of it?

Changing the Pace of Self Employment

Even in the world of work at home, where professionals find their own jobs and make their own way, projects can start to take on a similar hue. Every task seems the same as the one before; every new day offers no difference from yesterday. Banish work at home boredom by changing the pace of self employment, mixing it up to inject a little novelty into the day.

Most people begin a project or working task and see it through to its completion. A few hours on Project A, an hour or two on Project B, and by the time you have to work on Project C you already feel burnt-out and bored. Remember that work at home doesn’t necessarily have to be linear. That, in fact, you can choose to work in your own way - a whole new way.

Why not get half of Project A done, then work a bit on Project C? Turn to Project B until the inevitable boredom sets back in, and finish up everything left undone on A. Switch it up, mix it up, and jump between assignments. You’re still getting work done - just not necessarily all at once. Even this small change can help banish work at home boredom, making old projects seem somehow fresher and more exciting.

Posted by KC Morgan

Search for freelancing writing jobs and you’ll find lots of revenue-sharing opportunities. Many sites want bloggers who will work on page clicks, article-writers who will optimize in order to earn. Other gigs may promise low money but a large audience of readers, or a certain audience of readers you hope to impress. But is exposure worth more than income, especially a stable, steady income you can trust?

Writing Exposure

Freelance writing can be a pretty rough road - just ask any self employed writer. It’s hard to seek out job opportunities, put together an impressive portfolio and convince publishers to give you a chance. However, all of that becomes a little bit easier once the writer starts to establish a reputation, a name, a little bit of recognition. Once the writer has all of that, the writer has an audience - and this often leads to better-paying writing jobs and higher income.

Writing Income

No one can live without income - just ask any self employed writer. It’s impossible to eat, pay bills or enjoy a roof without earning some sort of money. This is why many freelance writers shy away from revenue-sharing agreements which make no payment promises, or low-paying jobs which seem to offer little financial reward. However, freelance writers will admit that writing exposure is as necessary as writing income. The trick is to find a good balance between the two. Accept different writing job opportunities which give you both exposure and income. Pick jobs with good exposure and other jobs with great pay. If you can find a job that offers both, you’ve achieved one of the rarities of self employment.

Posted by KC Morgan

Working at home isn’t always the freeing, enjoyable experience it’s cracked up to be. Sometimes there’s nothing more difficult than ignoring the distractions of the home. Sometimes, it’s impossible to work your own schedule because you have to work around someone else’s. The spouse, the kids, the responsibilities of life may make working at home more like a fantasy than a planned event.

Finding it hard to keep working at home with so many interruptions? Learn how to follow your own schedule on your own terms.

Working at Home, Your Way

Cleaning up, feeding the kids and taking care of everyone else in the house can take its toll on time meant for working at home. It’s important to follow your own schedule on your own terms and learn how to budget your time so you still get the job done. You are your own boss - so make yourself stick to your own schedule for work at home, at least.

It’s important that you make your family understand that work time is separate from home time. Working at home sometimes makes it hard to separate housework from work work. Make the distinction and draw the line. Tell your family what hours your are unavailable, and explain that you need your work space (and work time) to yourself. Can’t get the message across? Close the door, put up a sign and tell them you’ll get to it when you’re off work - just like any other professional.

Working at home? Follow your own schedule - no one else’s.

Posted by KC Morgan

Find great self employment ideas by learning more about being self employed. A self employed person is one who finds their own clients and/or customers, sets their own schedule and creates their own revenue. There are many occupations which qualify as self employment: writing, graphic design, craft making, mystery shopping. People who use their skills and talents, anything from plumbing to a knowledge of law, to open their own businesses are also self employed.

But how does it get you closer to landing on a great self employment idea that you can use to create cash?

Self Employment Ideas

Do you have a great concept for an online business? A plan for how you can market your own baked goods? Crafty hands that know how to create a useful product? Then use it. Self employment starts with self employment ideas - namely, a product you want to sell.

It all comes back to a specific product. Writers create crafted pages for pay, electricians sell a service as a product and everyone has something to offer. When you find a buyer for your product and start to earn money through this endeavor, you’re earning revenue with self employment.

Want to find great self employment ideas? Find something to sell, either by inventing your own product or finding self employment opportunities online to help you get started.

Posted by KC Morgan

You might be surprised how far a good reputation can take you when it comes to real work at home jobs. To be treated like a professional that deserves high-paying work, you have to learn how to present yourself like one.

Think that your reputation has no role in whether or not you find real work at home opportunities? Think again.

Real Home Based Job Professionalism

Ever heard the expression that all it takes to get a job…is another job? When it comes to work at home, that saying is especially true. Always treat every job you get, no matter how short the project or low-paying the work, like a top priority. Want more home based jobs? Do a great job...on every job you get.

This goes a long way toward establishing your reputation as a true work at home professional - emphasis on the professional. Prove that you’ll put the same care and consideration into every project, and prove that you’re deserving of new home based jobs and opportunities.

You never know when you might make an impression on someone through your consummate professionalism and work ethic. When you show that you take every work at home job seriously, you prove that you have earned your right to more work - and work at home success. Want real home based jobs? Be really professional at all times. You never know who’s going to keep on you file for future projects.

Posted by KC Morgan

Can a mom run a home-based business? Asking that question is a little like asking if trees can change color. Who knows more about hard work, long hours and sacrifice than a mother? Lucky for mom, running a home-based business takes hard work, long hours and sacrifice.

Think you’re ready to run a home-based business? There’s only one way to find out.

Running the Home

Moms already know a little something about running the home. Taking care of a child, like taking care of a business, requires patience, creativity and lots of love. There will be times when you want to give up on your home-based business, but often it’s perseverance that pays off in the end. Moms who have experience running the home may have more experience with home-based business than they realize.

Running a Home-Based Business

The Internet makes many home-based businesses possible, for moms and executives alike. Have a great product to sell? Create pages to feature your wares, add safe buying links and launch your business. Have services you want to offer? Make them known, and offer pricing, on your Web site.

There are many wonderful tutorials and free tools which can help you create a business Web site very inexpensively. Once you’ve got a site, you’re ready to start running your home-based business and exploring the ins and outs of making a living with self employment.

Posted by KC Morgan

What you don’t know about jobs at home can easily be remedied - simply start on the path of self employment. However, trial by fire can be a pretty stressful experience. Get prepared by finding out what you don’t know, before you find yourself struggling even with steady jobs at home.

Finding, and performing, jobs at home is the secret to self employment success. How much you enjoy that success directly relates to how you handle everything else associated with jobs at home.

Jobs at Home

For one, if income earned through jobs at home is your primary or only source of money, you’re officially self employed. What that means to you is that you now have to pay a special self employment tax - money you’ll owe the government at least once a year. How much?

What, you don’t know the formula for self employment tax when you earn through jobs at home? Basically, you multiply your net self employment income by 92.35%. This amount is your net earnings. Any earned amounts in excess of $76,200 for the year then get multiplied by 2.9%. Earnings under this amount are multiplied by 15.3% (this is Medicare and Social Security). You’ll add the two amounts together and that’s how much you owe for the pleasure of enjoying jobs at home.

This formula can be intensely confusing, but think about it another way: when the math is all said and done, self employed professionals pay an additional tax that equals up to about $14 on every $100 earned. For instance, the person in question earns $100,000 on the year. They will pay $14,000 in self employment taxes. Then, they'll pay income taxes, too.

How much does that cost? Income taxes are a little harder to understand - they are calculated on a sliding scale, and through withholding not all income is taxable. But suppose you make about $15,000 taxable income on the year. Using the current scale, this adds up to about $15 (15%) for every $100 earned.

In order to pay all your taxes, in this scenario it would be necessary for you to save approximately $30 from every $100 earned. Does that put it into perspective?

Posted by KC Morgan

Admit it - you do a lot of spending for the sake of self employment. There’s the cost of the home computer, all that paper you use for printing, not to mention the cost of ink and other machine maintenance. You spend money on long-distance phone calls and materials to help you get the job done. But what about all those other costs that come up so naturally, you all but forget about them? Are bills tax-deductible?

You use the Internet to conduct some of your business, and you couldn’t possibly get by without electricity. You may work at home, but some of those bills come from money you spend on the job. Doesn’t this mean you can claim these expenses on your taxes, and give yourself a much-needed break from the whopping amount you’re going to owe the government?

Work at Home Tax Deductions

Taxes can be tricky for the self employed. Many work at home office expenses, for instance printer paper and ink, can be claimed on your taxes to give you a little relief. Claiming a portion of your home bills and insurance as work expenses, however, is a little trickier. You can’t reasonably claim the entire amount of your home bills as work expenses, because you’re not always working in your home. This means you can only claim a certain percentage of your home-living expenses, and you’ll have to have documentation which shows that these are, indeed, work expenses.

Are bills tax-deductible? A portion of them may be, but it’s important to consult with a tax professional before claiming these expenses in your income taxes. Figuring out the amounts can be an exact science, and you want to make sure you stay right with the government.

Posted by KC Morgan

Work at home can be stressful, hard to manage and extremely frightening. You’re out there all on your own, and sometimes you might not feel so certain you’ve made the right career choice. Self employment is tricky it’s true, and there are a lot of reasons some professionals might want to choose a more traditional path. But if you’ve forgotten what drew you to this independence in the first place, explore five reasons to work at home.

Why Should You Work at Home?

There are a lot of reasons work at home can be scary. For one, you have to depend on yourself. You’ve got to find your own jobs and create a reputation others can trust. You’ve got to learn how to deal with personal taxes and private insurance, employers who won’t pay and clients who won’t quit. But there are at least five reasons to work at home.

The hours can’t be beat. Pick your schedule, manage your time, do your thing - there’s no 15-minute break rules when you work at home.

Boss-free days. When you work at home, you call the shots. A boss-free work environment is always to be savored and enjoyed.

Work at your own pace. Work at home offers you the independence to pick and choose what you work on and when. You set the pace, and you’re always free to work your own way.

The best office in town. Should you work from the couch today, or the bed? When you work at home, you’ve always got a relaxing environment to call your own.

Enjoying the job. When you pick the gigs, do the work and provide the supervision, you’re doing more than work at home. You’re living the dream of doing what you want to do, and loving your work is slways something to celebrate.

Posted by KC Morgan

You’re all ready to work, but first you’ve got to make the beds. Next you’ll want to wipe down the coffee table, check the dishwasher and maybe even run a load of laundry. By the time you’ve had a little breakfast and have yourself in the mood to work, the day is half done. Having trouble meeting deadlines, keeping up, making money? Find a workable work at home schedule.

Self Employment and Discipline

Ask any entrepreneur or small business owner and they’ll tell you the same thing: it takes a good deal of discipline to work for yourself. There are times when you, quite literally, will have to force yourself to knuckle down and address a task.

But at what point are you crossing the line from being a good employee to being way too hard on yourself? The more you push yourself, the more your own inability to get the job done will push back. Soon, you may find yourself lolling your day away instead of getting the job done. It’s important to create a work at home schedule you can actually follow…one that doesn’t feel forced every single minute.

Scheduling Work at Home

Not everyone can sit down at a desk and bang out a workday in an eight-hour marathon session. Why not work two to three hours in the morning, take a break, and return to the grind in the afternoon and evening? Why not work six hours a day throughout the week and then put in another day’s work on Sunday, enjoying longer afternoons and some frequent down-time?

Find your own personal stride with work at home, a schedule that suits your own work habits, or you’ll find that work at home becomes harder and harder to complete. It’s always good to be disciplined, but remember to cut yourself a little slack, too.

Posted by KC Morgan

Need to how know to get more money from work at home? You’re getting plenty of jobs (almost more than you can handle), you’ve built up a great reputation and your resume is all but overflowing. So why aren’t you feeling financially comfortable and secure? Are you getting paid less than you’re worth?

Getting Paid Less Than You’re Worth?

If the jobs are poring in, why isn’t the money? Your hours are long, your email is full and your time is stretched pretty thin…doesn’t it follow that your wallet shouldn’t be? You know you’re getting paid less than you’re worth if you’re working twelve-hour days and still struggling with the bills. It might be time re-evaluate.

The Value of Work at Home Jobs

Asses the value of the work at home jobs you’re currently maintaining. Think about how much time it takes to complete each gig every day. Now, compare the amount of time you’re spending against the amount of money you’re earning. It may be time to leave some jobs behind so you can pursue new, higher-paying work at home opportunities.

How to Get More Money from Work at Home

In some cases, you may really enjoy the jobs at home you have. When you love the gig and want to keep it, consider asking for a raise. Once you’ve established a relationship with an employer and built up a reputation of producing quality work, you’re well within your rights to mention a need for higher pay. Remember to stay professional and don’t mention an amount (at least not in the opening negotiations). If they refuse to up your pay or given you a bigger share of revenue, if may be time to consider moving on to something else.

Posted by KC Morgan

When you’re self employed, you have to learn how to treat yourself like a business. You pay a special tax, you have to claim working expenses and you have to put time, effort and even personal income into marketing and promotion.

In many ways, you are a business of one. When you act like one, not just professionally but financially, you can go further with your work at home goals…and lifestyle.

You Are Your Own Commodity

You’ve got the Web site. You maintain a pretty regular schedule. You have steady work at home jobs and gigs to keep you going; you even have a special space to work. What you may not have is a special, business-based bank account. You may not think you need one.

Whether you pay your taxes annually, quarterly or monthly, you will owe the government part of your income. In almost all cases, self employed professionals are also independent contractors who are paid not through a regular payroll, but through checks and payments with no deductions or taxes conveniently calculated.

You have to claim your income and then pay what you owe - and this can add up to a pretty penny. Keeping track of all the receipts and deductions you’ll need to claim your expenses can be a complicated affair.

Treat Yourself Like a Business

You probably already use a personal checking account to balance your home and work budget, but why not separate the two? Open a business account and put a portion of your income here. Take out expenses as necessary to have an easy record for tax purposes, simplifying claims that will save you income taxes.

If you use a pen name or pseudonym to conduct business, you can legally register your business account in this name, creating a DBA (doing business as) persona.

Posted by KC Morgan

You always start the workday with the best intentions. You know what needs to be done, and you know how to do it. But suddenly hours have passed, and you’re no closer to your goal.

Are your deadlines just too impossible? Do you just have too many projects? Or, are you guilty of one of the pitfalls of self employment? Are you working at home, or playing at home?

Daily Distractions

It isn’t easy to work at home. There’s no one to tell you what to do or to keep you on track. There’s no reason you can’t enjoy television, do a little online shopping or simply stare blankly at the walls…is there?

When you find yourself caught up in daily distractions, instead of being caught up in your work, you’ll soon find yourself struggling to make ends meet or even maintain a good working reputation. You’ll find yourself no longer self employed…and that’s not what you want.

Stay on the Self Employment Track

Stay on track, stay focused and stay self employed by learning how to avoid all those little elements that entice you to have fun instead of having to do work. It’s much easier to sit on the sofa and flip channels, but no one’s going to pay you to do that.

Write out a daily list of tasks, small goals that seem large when you complete each one. Give yourself small steps rather than big leaps. For instance, if you have a large project due, don’t wait until the last day to get started. Spend the first day doing research, the second designing a layout, etc. Complete each little step until you reach the big goal - being finished with work, and being really ready to enjoy play. Use it as a reward for yourself, rather than a distraction.

Posted by KC Morgan

Are you an independent contractor? The question deserves more than careful consideration - legally, the IRS wants to know. If you’re still a stranger to 1099 forms, the self employment tax and claming expenses, you need to learn what working at home means for your budget.

The status of independent contractor is not hard to define, and it usually applies to many self employed, work at home professionals. Do you earn revenue directly from clients and/or consumers? If you ever receive income that has no taxes deducted, you can consider yourself an independent contractor.

Now, what does that mean?

Working at Home…on Your Budget?

Whether you conduct your business through email or go to client’s homes or offices to perform your service, self employment is expensive by nature. You’re independent and on your own - and even though the money you receive isn’t taxed, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to eventually pay your due.

When summer breezes are blowing, April tax time is a dim memory and barely a speck on the horizon of your future. But weeks have a way of moving quickly, and soon you’ll be liable for all those taxes you didn’t pay throughout the year.

Being an Independent Contractor

If you are an independent contractor, you’ll need to offer up a portion of your income for taxes. Remember to keep records throughout the year of what you earn and what you spend, including portions of any bills or money spent on the maintenance of your office environment and equipment. Always save a portion of your earnings - because a portion of your earnings will always be due to the government. In most states, you will also need to register yourself as an independent contractor (i.e., fill out a form) and pay your self employment tax (a percentage of your earnings).

Posted by KC Morgan

Are you working fewer hours but still making decent money? Do you find the pressures of scheduling and deadlines loosening up a bit? You have several very solid gigs and you know about how much you’re going to make each month. Have you hit a self employment stride…or a rut?

Do you find yourself making just enough money to get by? The bills are paid, the fridge is stocked and no one seems to be complaining. But if you’re making just enough, you’re probably doing just enough to get by when it comes to the job. Self employment is still a job…remember?

Do More for Your Self (Employment)

The hours are starting to become a bit more normal and you’ve managed to work out a good routine. You now have time to do all those little things in the day that used to be such a hassle before. Is self employment getting easier, or are you getting softer? There is always another goal to reach and there are usually even better opportunities out there. Don’t slide too deeply into your comfort zone - you can always take self employment further.

If you find yourself getting a little too complacent and realize that you may be making enough money but you aren’t making any extra, it’s time to amp things up a bit. Even when work at home seems steady and comfortable it’s a good idea to do daily or weekly job searches, to scout for new opportunities and employment. Even the most stable and steady positions can suddenly disappear, and you don’t want to be caught in your complacency. Self employment is, by nature, unstable - and anything can happen.

Posted by KC Morgan

When you work at home, it’s important to keep your self employment balance. Find the line between work at home and being at home, and try to maintain it.

When You’re at Home

When you’re at home, it’s easy to see the myriad of household chores you need to address. How can you work when you have so many things to do? You want to look for jobs, but you’ve absolutely got to take care of the laundry. You want to meet your deadline, but you have to make sure dinner is ready for the family. You want to work…but there’s so much work to do even before you begin your self employed day on the job.

When you’re at home, it’s easy to get distracted and get taken off-track. It’s easy to get tied up in the details of living, and forget all the important details of working for yourself.

Keeping Your Self Employed Balance

Find the line between work at home and being at home, and then maintain it. Give yourself a certain amount of time every day to take care of household chores and then no more. You may feel embarrassed or over-tired if the house is dirty, but you’ll feel hungry and completely at a loss if you aren’t earning income. The at-home workday is about much more than working about the house - it’s about working for yourself.

Remember to maintain a high level of professionalism, and don’t put off work chores for home chores if you can help it. You do have a job and you do have work to do - if needed, remind your family of these facts so that they’ll pitch in with household chores.

You are your boss - and when the boss says it’s time to work, then it’s time to work.

Posted by KC Morgan

Some sites let you access a bank of jobs for free, while others ask that you complete an extra step. Maybe you have to register your e-mail address, maybe you have to bid on available projects. But maybe you’re asked to fork over a fee just to get a glimpse at a world of self employment possibility.

Should you sign up to search for work at home jobs?

Paying to Find Work at Home

Many sites boast thousands of jobs and opportunities, with plenty of employer contact information to help you get the ball rolling. There’s just one catch: you have to pay a membership fee and belong to the club before you can get a good look at the jobs that are offered. It’s tempting to take the bait, especially when work seems lean and the only gigs you can get are short-lived at best. Is it time to take that next step in your self employment, join a community and get a chance to peruse exclusive offers?

Should You Sign Up for Search?

It’s true that some job boards may have listings which are unavailable to others, and the only way you can access these opportunities is through the site in question. However, there is a great deal of competition on these sites and you’ll find the members are extremely serious about getting the work. If you can afford the expense and truly can find opportunities no other way, you may consider paying to find work at home.

In many cases, however, you can make do with free job boards and find self employment just as easily (and more cheaply) through this medium.

Posted by KC Morgan

You may hear that self employment is very freeing, an independent lifestyle where you pick the jobs and call the shots. What they didn’t tell you is that work at home can come with its own unique set of troubles as well.

The Reality of Work at Home

The reality of work at home is that it can be very lonely and the work isn’t always steady. Your budget will change, your finances will fluctuate and sometimes your nerves will be frayed. You can handle all of these troubles. How about a few more?

What They Didn’t Tell You

Explore a few little-known facts associated with the work at home lifestyle, and find out if you’re still up to the task of self employment:

About Payment

Many employers may offer written or verbal promises of compensation. If you don’t understand the terms, do not agree to them. That revenue-sharing deal may sound great at first…until you realize just how hard it is to get more than one thousand clicks. You may also be required to ask for payment through PayPal’s invoicing system. Be advised that PayPal will take a percentage of every invoice amount received.

About Samples

You may have to go through a lengthy hiring process with some employers, who will ask for samples of your work. They may give you an entire assignment so they can see your style. You’ll have to take time out of your work day in order to provide this. In many cases, you’ll be compensated for none of it.

About Schedules

You decide when you want to work, sure, but they decide when they want to receive their projects. You’ll still have to work around an employer’s deadline in order to be compensated, and that means scheduling your time depending on their whims.

Posted by KC Morgan

Getting paid less that what you’re worth? Work at home gigs often feel tenuous. You know you’re doing a good job…but you also know there are many other people vying for your position. You want to make more money, but you don’t want to lose a good thing. Find out how to ask for a raise and get a good chance of getting it, too.

How to Ask for a Raise

You really like the job, but you can’t keep spending time on it unless you get compensation. In the world of self employment, any misstep could leave you out in the cold. Don’t alienate your employer by making demands. Instead, learn the right way to ask for a raise.

Be Indispensable

In a way, you have to prove that you’re “worth it.” Don’t start out by asking for more money. Start out by asking for more work. Take your existing tasks above and beyond what’s been asked for - throwing in a little extra for every assignment. Prove that you’re willing to do more by showing it to the ones writing the checks.

Be Independent

Always turn everything in ahead of schedule. Don’t cut deadlines too close if you’re angling for a raise - you won’t get it.

Be Indifferent

Once you’ve shown your high quality and proven that you can take on extra tasks, it’s time to think about that raise. Don’t threaten or become desperate. Instead, stay indifferent and professional. You have many other jobs to consider and many pressing tasks on your time, and you feel that you’re getting paid less than you’re worth. Say that you’re willing to accept new responsibilities to go with your new pay, but otherwise you just might have to terminate employment. If you’re really doing a great job, most of the time you’ll win that raise.

Posted by KC Morgan

It’s true that self employment takes strong self-discipline, shameless self-marketing and serious self-confidence to have any chance of success. There are a lot of reasons to be afraid of being self employed. But there are at least five reasons you should rejoice in work at home. Let’s look at some of the perks of being self employed.

Perks of Self Employment

You know plenty of reasons for disliking self employed - unstable pay, working holidays, an abysmal lack of benefits, even extra taxes. Buck up with these five reasons to rejoice:

Expensive gas? No problem!You don’t drive to work, ergo you aren’t spending hundreds of dollars a week on the gas it takes to get you there. As your friends and family grumble over the commute, you’re worrying only about Internet traffic.

Bad hair? Who cares?

There’s no such thing as a bad hair day when there’s no one around to impress with your appearance. For you, business attire is clothing optional.

Good manners need not apply.

Struggling to break off that phone conversation instigated by your mother-in-law’s call? Looking for a way to shoo out an unwelcome houseguest? You can always pull the “got some work to take care of” card and send them on their way.

Everything is a potential write-off.

Do you use your high-speed Internet to facilitate work at home? Did you buy a laptop to make the job easier? The stamps you use to mail the bill, the gas you burned up driving to the electronics store and all work-related purchases themselves can be applied as business expenses on your tax forms.

Snooze bar? Who needs it?

You can almost toss out the alarm clock when you create your own schedule. Sleeping in takes on a whole new hue when you can absolutely get out of bed whenever you feel like it.

Posted by KC Morgan

If you aren’t earning revenue, is any work at home job really worth your time? When finances are lean and your nerves are short, you may be ready to chuck it all and seek out gigs that reward you in cold, hard cash. But remember that some work at home positions offer other perks. Non-monetary compensation doesn’t always sound attractive…until you weigh all the variables.

Non-Monetary Compensation

“We can’t pay you right now, but we will give you a full-color page on our site and the work you do for us guarantees your name will be in the search engines.” If you stopped caring at “we can’t pay you,” you might be missing out. It’s difficult to weigh jobs on merit when you imagine bills looming above your head, but sometimes you might have to take a step back and look at a larger picture.

Work at Home Perks

If you like the job, it’s important to consider this reality. Even in work at home, no job is likely to be ideal. There will be times when you feel bored, bunt-out or dissatisfied. Actually enjoying the work can go a long way toward brightening your day (and keeping you sane). Having a true affection for what you do it its own reward.

Exposure is another huge factor in self employment. Maybe you aren’t making money, but you’re getting your name out there in a very big way - there’s no telling when this could lead to a bona fide paying opportunity.

Creative control is a huge reward, and one that doesn’t come with every gig. If you’re given the freedom to work your own way, pick your own topics and be as creative as you like, you have a great outlet for all those creative energies. Why would you want to give that up?

Posted by KC Morgan

At some point, following the boss’s orders may take on a very negative feel. It’s something which happens to everyone, but somehow it seems much more monumental when it happens to the self employed professional. Low job security, unstable payment and the truth of working all alone is bad enough - throw in a directive that feels weird and suddenly, you’re living in a work at home nightmare. Just how much should you take?

Following the Boss’s Orders

Work at home employment is unlike more traditional jobs which involve clocking in and out five days a week. You choose the hours, you choose the jobs, you call the shots - as long as it’s all within the framework of what your clients want. Even when you’re self employed, someone else writes the checks that keep you going, and those people expect something for their money.

What do you do when it seems like they’re starting to expect too much?

How Much Should You Take?

Maybe it’s software you have to download, hardware you have to go out and buy, an online company you’re told to sign up and join, an extra step in your work that requires a ridiculous amount of time - but for some reason, the directions you’re given just don’t sit well with you. How much hoop-jumping does a professional have to do to make a buck, anyway?

Drawing the Line

If you’re self employed, you’re the boss. You’re the one looking for and finding the jobs. You’re the one completing the work. And you’re the one who is going to put their name on the products or services given. Work at home may feel a little different than working at a company, but your morals and ethics haven’t changed. Follow your own counsel and conscience, and you can’t go wrong.

Posted by KC Morgan

Is overwhelming them a good idea? Writers seeking to get published are advised to send out as many letters as possible, to create huge lists of addresses and mail a standard letter to each and every one. Freelancers building their portfolios often use as many links and projects as they possibly can, showing off a prolific amount of work. Those seeking to gain a certain customer or position may send repeated emails to reach what they desire. And when a self employed professional is faced with an employer who won’t provide compensation, it’s tempting to send note after note to this person in hopes of forcing them to yield.

...Does any of it work?

The Fine Art of Persistence

It’s always good to be persistent, and in some cases it truly pays off. For instance, there’s a certain company you’d like to work with. Every time a position opens, you send another application. Eventually, all this effort may result in a viable opportunity. This is a form of positive persistence.

Let’s take the same situation. There’s a certain company you’d like to work with, so you send them a copy of your resume every single Monday. At the beginning of the week, someone at that office is greeted with your name and information - unsolicited, of course. This isn’t exactly negative, but it’s not usually effective either.

Overwhelming Them

Be persistent, but only up to a point. It’s a good idea to regularly look for jobs and to regularly apply to open positions, but not necessarily to send out un-asked-for resumes and letters on a frequent basis. Your portfolio should likewise not be swamped with links - quality over quantity. Overwhelm them with the quality of your work, not the amount of time you have to send out letters.

Posted by KC Morgan

You probably never thought of these 10 self employment jobs, but anything is possible in the modern world. What ideas could you come up with for work at home today?

Candle maker. All you need is a few saucepans, a little bit of paraffin and some time and you, too, could make elegant and sought-after candles to be sold online.

Psychic. It’s not illegal if it’s entertainment. Most people who phone psychics are really just looking for someone to talk to. A willing ear and a calming voice can go a long way toward a bright work at home future.

Researcher. Many companies and individuals can use the services of someone who is data-savvy and knows how to get their hands on reliable materials. Many, many writers are in the market for researchers who can commit time and effort to digging up the facts.

Genealogist. If you’re that good at research, how good are you at family backgrounds? There is a huge market for those who can locate records on family history - market your services and see where it goes.

MySpace Page Designer. Great at graphic design and up on the latest social networking trends? Market your services to a single niche, gather a backlog of contacts and specialize.

Posted by KC Morgan

Many employers will want your bio information. Here’s the rub: you’ll have to provide that information all on your own. Do you even know how to go about creating your bio? ...Do think you know how to write yourself?

Creating Your Bio

Even when writing isn’t your self employment trade, there are times when employers will want a few concise paragraphs on who you are. Often, these bios are displayed on Web pages, newsletters, flyers, etc. - places where the public at large can view them.

Just what will they see when they read yours?

Do You Know How to Write Yourself?

Creating a bio may not sound like an insurmountable feat. But even for those who write creatively, writing about oneself is a difficult task. It’s tough to be objective and tougher still to brag about one’s own accomplishments. But in a sense, that’s exactly what it takes to craft a great bio.

Always start the biography with your name, and write in the third person (don’t use the word “I” - talk about yourself as if you were talking about a stranger). The first sentence should describe who you are and what you do (fJane Doe is a graphic Web designer and entrepreneur). The next few sentences should list experience (fJane received her Master’s Degree at the University of State and has worked in the field of graphic design for ten years). The next paragraph should list professional accomplishments (In her years as a graphic Web designer, Jane has created pages for such prestigious companies as X, Y and Z. She has appeared as a public speaker and lecturer at Blank College and Pretend Group).

Remember to stay objective, but always to keep in mind that you’re making yourself sound good. Once you master this, creating your bio will seem much easier.

Posted by KC Morgan

Do you know how to explain quitting a job on a resume? Everyone understands the desire to move forward, strive for better and to take on new challenges. But truthfully, no employer wants to be the next in your line of people left behind. Learn a few resume writing tricks to make even quitting seem like an asset.

Resume Writing Tricks

A good resume is not necessarily the one featuring the most experience and accolades. You want your resume to highlight your successes, but also to downplay your failures so well that these, too, look like successes. At some point, you’re going to have to explain away a job you left behind. But how do you explain quitting?

It’s standard practice on every resume to show the duration of employment with every job you list. As most resumes show employment history from at least the last five years, this will inevitably mean listing a job you left at some point in the past. Whether you quit or were perhaps asked to leave, there’s always a way to spin this truth to make it more resume-friendly.

How to Explain Quitting

Never lie. You can tell the truth and still find the best way to tell that truth. For each job to which you are no longer currently employed, be sure to include a “Reason for leaving” under the job description. Here, list a reason that highlights the best part of the truth. Instead of saying you weren’t being paid enough money, say you “chose to leave in favor of work offering higher compensation.” Instead of saying you didn’t get along with coworkers, say you “left to pursue a more challenging environment.” Get the idea? Anything can sound like a positive - just find the right way to present it.

Posted by KC Morgan

Are you too lazy to work at home successfully? When you work forty hours a week for someone else and strive every day on the job, your first reaction is going to be “no, absolutely not.” But when you’re all alone and no one is around, everything suddenly becomes different. Asses your self employment capability, and find out if you’re up to the task of working at home.

Asses Yourself

It’s easy to be self indulgent when you are your own boss, easy to play solitaire instead of finishing off that job search, easy to think “I can just save that for tomorrow” when really you should probably get it done today. Everyone is probably guilty of a little laziness, whether they work for themselves or for someone else. But does that mean you can’t stand up to self employment? Asses your self employment capability, and find out.

Everyone works differently, but some are perhaps more suited to self employment than others. Are you capable of shutting out all distractions to the point of obsessing on a single project? Can you meet a deadline - no matter what it takes, and even if it’s self-imposed? Can you deal with not knowing your own future and having a rather unstable economic future from time to time?

Working at Home

The truth is, when you love what you do laziness doesn’t play a part. Sure it’s easy to get distracted at home and sure it’s easy to put off or ignore work which ought to be done. But when you love your job, none of it matters. If you love the idea of going it alone and working only for yourself, then you just might love being self employed.

Posted by KC Morgan

Many self employment mistakes are no different than other working mistakes. But for the self employed professional, the job comes with a whole new set of problems, concerns and room for error. How often do you make common self employment mistakes?

Common Self Employment Mistakes

There’s a great sense of freedom in self employment, but independence comes with a lot of pressures and responsibilities, too. What common self employment mistakes should you try to avoid ?

Far planning. Company A owes you a hundred and fifty bucks. Person X is supposed to pay you another seventy for the work you did last week. That’s more than two hundred dollars you’ll have to pay the phone bill…so it should be perfectly okay for you to order pizza tonight and go shopping for that new computer printer tomorrow. Don’t make the self employment mistake of far planning with your money. Many, many employers do come through with payments - but there are some who do not. Don’t spend your money until it’s actually in your bank account.

Too much independence. You don’t need a boss; you’re capable of doing it all on your own. You find your jobs, you supervise your work - you can do it all. But don’t let that work at home freedom lead to a common self employment mistake. You still need money in the bank, your own retirement plan for the future and insurance to protect yourself and your working assets.

Schedule juggling. You’ve got an assignment due tomorrow…so that means you might as well play today. But don’t leave deadlines to the last minute - you never know when a new client or job will present itself and need immediate attention. When it comes to work, try to be early - just in case.

Posted by KC Morgan

If you’re self employed, you’re going to have to think about insuring yourself. It isn’t enough that you already employ yourself - you have to see to all the necessary details, too. But providing your own health care is no easy feat.

The Cost of Self Employment

Self employment means finding (and completing) work, filing your own taxes (which can be a miserable undertaking) and taking care of yourself as far as breaks and vacations are concerned. But it also means paying. You pay for your taxes, you pay for your own supplies and equipment…and you pay for your own health care.

Insuring Yourself

Even when you’re self employed, chances are you were employed for someone else at some point in your life. You’re familiar, then, with employer-based health care. You pay a small weekly stipend and get gifted with full health care - including dental, vision, 401k, who even knows what else. Why should it be any different now that you’re employing yourself?

Because you only have one employee - you. When businesses purchase health care packages, they buy a large number of policies. You, however, will be purchasing one policy. And now, the cost of self employment is going to get much bigger.

Individual health care policies are different from employer-based policies in two ways: first, they offer much less care at much higher deductibles; second, they are much more expensive.

Cutting Down Costs

Shop around for health care when it’s time to think about insuring yourself. Get quotes, compare rates and realistically look at options to lower the cost without sacrificing care. Choose a plan you can afford easily…then choose a plan even cheaper than that. Insuring yourself is not a burden, but a joy, a sign of freedom and independence. It is, however, an expensive bill.

Posted by KC Morgan

Got a lot of ideas about self employment? Imagine a world with no employer to criticze or ask you to work late, where you can conduct business in your home office. Now imagine seven-day work weeks, holidays where you scramble to meet deadlines and criticism that seems to come from the world at large. That’s what it’s really like to work at home. But that doesn’t mean self employment ideas are completely removed from self employment reality, either.

Self Employment Ideas vs. Reality

It’s true that when self employed, you are your own boss. But it’s also a widely-held truth that you are your own worst critic, too. Successful self employment means getting paid. You will have to wow clients and customers, gain work from employers and answer to somebody at some point. You will probably have the option of working how and where you please…but you may not always work on the projects or assignments you love best. The reality of self employment is that you’ll have to make money, and that may mean doing work that isn’t particularly ideal.

What it’s Really Like to Work at Home

In other words, you may be calling the shots…but you won’t really be calling the shots. Your clients and employers will set deadlines, and have ideas about what they want - ideas which might not match yours. There may be weeks when it’s necessary to work seven days, holidays when you can’t spend every minute with friends and family and days when it seems like self employment was a bad idea. But if you have an idea that you’d like to find your own work, be your own boss and possibly earn income from your very own home, the reality of self employment may just be ideal.

Posted by KC Morgan

Shouldn’t you be compensated for being self employed? Being self employed often means doing work for free, on the promise or just the hope it might lead to a more substantially-paying gig. And sometimes, self employment means that employers suddenly vanish, refuse to hold up their end of the bargain or just completely ignore your rights. That’s when it’s time to start making them pay.

Be Compensated!

There are times when work is offered a sample, materials given under the stipulation the professional won’t be paid for providing them. But once you engage in a contract with any client or employer, be that contract written in legally-binding language or simply implied through an agreement of terms, both parties are required to hold up each end of the deal. As the self employed professional, you provide the agreed-upon materials. As the one who requested such work, they provide the agreed-upon payment. After all, you did do the work - shouldn’t you be compensated for it?

Making Them Pay

It can be very frustrating to be forced to ask for compensation that you’re rightfully due. Sometimes, employers may realistically make an error or forget what’s owed. Once the payment deadline passes, write a simple and professional e-mail making sure the assignment was received, being sure to state you’re asking because the payment has yet to arrive. This should open a dialogue about compensation. When employers seem to refuse to pay, offering excuses or reasons to put it off, try reminding them they have a contractual obligation. Sometimes, employers may refuse to acknowledge you, or refuse to pay. There are a few legal recourses for self employed professionals who are wronged in this way, but this process can be costly and time-consuming. Sometimes, you may be forced to simply take a loss.

Posted by KC Morgan

The job ad sounds great. You offer materials or services every day, or once a week, or once a month, for an agreed-upon sum. Perhaps it’s a per-word rate. Perhaps they’re going to pay you for every phone call you make, every person you sign, every click you get online for the materials you put on the Internet. But do the math first - before you agree to do anything else.

Getting Work at Home Gigs

The Internet provides a lot of unique opportunities for work at home professionals, people who want to become self employed. The dream is easier to reach than ever thanks to the expansive spread of online media, and more professionals are answering the siren song of ad revenue, pay per click, and high Web site traffic. But who’s really making the money from online successes?

Do the Math First

It’s important to read the fine print before agreeing to accept any job. Positions offering ad revenue or other pay-per-click or pay-per-call monies may provide very little actual income. Be sure to do the math first. Figure out the (approximate) amount of time it will take to complete each assignment, then figure up the amount of money received for each. Does it add up? Getting work at home gigs feels great, but getting paid what you deserve feels much better.

Posted by KC Morgan

Earning with ad revenue is not a new trend of the Internet. In fact, many professionals have been earning with ad revenue for years before there ever was a World Wide Web. However, the presence of the Internet has made this method of self employment more widely available. It’s siren song has tempted many into producing materials, waiting for weeks before receiving a cut of the money. The end result is often disappointing. Is earning with ad revenue a joke, or viable work at home opportunity?

Earning with Ad Revenue

Blogging, article-writing, page designing - there are many different ways to earn income with ad revenue. But is the end really worth the means? Establishing a highly popular blog is the stuff of Internet legend - everyone wants it, everyone says they know how to get it, and yet only a few people have ever done it. An unpopular blog is a lot of work with very little reward. So why is ad revenue so widely offered in work at home opportunities? Is this the key to self employment?

Self Employed Success

One thing is certain: the Internet is rich with ads. There are tons of different programs and ways to earn money using the Internet, and almost all of them revolve around marketing and advertising. There is money to be made, and in some cases almost anyone can learn how to earn some of it for themselves. However, establishing a strong Web presence (thus getting the high traffic which drives revenue) can be a very long and complicated affair. Don’t expect to get a gig and start making huge money from revenue right away, because in almost all cases it will take quite a bit more work than that.

Posted by KC Morgan

Ask almost any would-be freelancer, and they’ll say the same: they want to work from home by writing, earning an income and doing what they love. That all sounds fabulous, but the reality of being a freelance writer is often cold, lonely, and filled with the harshest of criticisms. Is freelance writing really the road you want to walk to self employment? Are you tough enough to take on the Internet?

Be a Freelance Writer

You know you’re a good writer, so good that you’re sure other people would pay you to just write. So, you answer some ads for jobs online. You send out resumes, you build a portfolio. You start to get some real-life writing gigs, you may even start to get some money. You get some regular readers, and suddenly the self employed dream starts to come true.

Are You Tough Enough?

If everything has an up, it also has a down. Writers who create materials for the Internet population at large are actually taking a risk every time they present a new piece. For every complimentary comment any freelance writer might receive, there are probably at least ten harshly critical comments to go with it. Every day turns into an adventure when readers start to sound off, and sometimes their comments may impugn not just the writing but the writers themselves.

You’re sitting at home, a place that should be secure, and yet these readers (and their comments) still find a way inside your e-mail, your office…your head. The more popular the writing becomes, the more likely it is these comments will arrive. As if the endless rejections writers face weren’t bad enough - now the general public is rejecting the writing, too. Are you tough enough to take it?

Posted by KC Morgan

Self employed professionals face the same concerns, the same problems and the same fears as those who work in employer-based settings, and yet the needs of those who work for themselves aren’t even so much as an afterthought when it comes to the current political and election climate. While all parties address issues of health care, none of the proposed plans do anything to help those who must support themselves without the aid of an employer. In fact, self employed professionals are rarely addressed during speeches and debates. Do politicians care about you?

Do Politicians Care About the Self Employed?

Self employment statistics show us that in 2003, there were 18.6 million self employed business out there, and those numbers have been on the rise. With nearly 20 million people, self employed professionals are truly a large demographic…and an important one. Why, then, are self employed professionals left out in the cold when it comes to political promises?

Self Employed Professionals are Rarely Addressed

The self employed may not be mentioned or addressed by politicians, but their votes are every bit as viable and important. The best way for the self employed to make their needs known is to present them, talk about them, and prove that they do in fact have voices (despite the politics).

Posted by KC Morgan

Some learn that self employment means discipline, and they count themselves out immediately. Many people find it hard to stick to a schedule, to control their own over-spending or bad habits, to simply do what they ought to do. But does a lack of self-discipline in life automatically equal a lack of self-discipline in self employment? Could you be self employed?

Test Your Own Self-Discipline

If you think that being self employed means being your own worst enemy and best friend, keeping yourself rigidly contained and on task, then you’re right. You do have to be disciplined in order to work for yourself, but you may be a better taskmaster than you might think. Want to know if you could be self employed?

Pick a week. Write out a schedule for the week - things you much do each and every single day. Be sure to choose at least three tasks for each day (all of seven days in a single week).

Could You Be Self Employed?

When the week starts, keep this list of chores close at hand. At the end of the week, when you look over your list to see how many of the tasks have been completed, you’ll have your answer. If you got all items done, without stressing yourself out unduly, then you probably have what it takes to keep yourself on-task for self employment. If not, then you may want to iron out some discipline issues before you rely on yourself alone for income.

Posted by KC Morgan

Who’s really your boss when you work at home, but depend upon others to write the checks? Sure, you created a Web site and a stunning portfolio, and you’ve managed to build up a reputation in your own field of expertise. But you still have to sell yourself, promote yourself, and pound the online pavement (so to speak) to find great jobs. Great jobs come with great (or, not-so-great) employers. So, are you the boss…or are they?

The Self Employment Authority Crisis

Even professionals who work for clients, persons who contact them about services such as consulting, might face the self employment authority crisis. You tell yourself you’re in charge, but you still have to do what they ask. Freelance writers may get told to rewrite, designers may be told to come up with an entirely new concept, performers may get booed off the stage and told they won’t receive any money. There’s always someone else to please, isn’t there? You find the work…but someone else has to be willing to pay you for what you do.

Here’s the luxury of being self employed: you get to decide which jobs to take and which jobs not to take, which clients to work for and which to tell no thanks to. If an employer asks you to do something you don’t want to do, you don’t have to do it. Sure, you won’t get paid - but that’s one of the downfalls of self employment (to everything, there is an up and a down). They may be the ones who are paying, but you’re the boss over what you do (and don’t do) with your self employment.

Posted by KC Morgan

In self employment, things aren’t always the way professionals want them to be. Sometimes, employers want materials on a project that doesn’t wholly inspire or interest the professional who creates them. Sometimes, employers may even ask you to do a little too much. Giving your all to self employment? Don’t leave ethics behind, even for the money.

Don’t Leave Ethics Behind

It’s a fairly common practice. Self employed professionals are asked to present materials in a certain way, perhaps to favor a product or give a subject certain shades of meaning. Many things in today’s world are about selling, enhancing, convincing - which makes it the job of many self employed professionals to get those feelings across. But suppose the shades of meaning you’re meant to apply to a project don’t agree with your own ethical and moral code? Suppose you are asked to do something which goes against what you think is appropriate?

Don’t leave ethics behind! In many cases, it’s okay to present materials to make certain products or ideas look more appealing. But in some cases, you may not feel that it’s right to do so. If you truly think it would be a breach of morals or ethics to comply with an employer’s request, simply explain that to them. Present the materials in a way that meets your own ethical fiber, explain why you’ve made this change, and take it from there. Nine times out of then the employer will understand, but there may be cases when you lose an opportunity and even income because you took your stand. This doesn’t mean you’ve made the wrong choice. Follow your own moral and ethical code, despite the amount of money involved, and you will never go wrong.

Posted by KC Morgan

So, you can’t find any work at home jobs. Perhaps you’re applying to listings but can’t seem to get a response. Maybe you can’t find any work at home jobs you seem qualified to do. Or maybe the offers just aren’t good enough. Learn how to get yourself hired, and get yourself back into the swing of self employment and working at home.

Tips for Finding Work at Home Jobs

Having a great resume goes a long way toward getting yourself hired. Here’s the trick to a good resume: it doesn’t always have to be filled with experience. Perhaps you haven’t got a lot of work at home experience, because you’re just starting out. Capitalize on education, other kinds of work experience and special skills to fill in the blanks.

You’ll also have the opportunity to promote yourself in the cover letter. Be sure to express interest in the job or project and point out reasons why you’re the perfect candidate.

Do a job search every day, because you never know what opportunities might appear.

Get Yourself Hired

Many employers will want additional samples or materials before they commit to hiring. When they request a sample, be sure to submit your best, most highly-polished work (and do it the same day, or the day after, the request appears). Always respond to an email from a potential employer, and try to do so in a timely fashion. Be open to phone calls and chat sessions with employers as well, as some people prefer these methods of communication. Be receptive, give them what they want and be sure to thank them for their time. This will help you get yourself hired.

Posted by KC Morgan

You’re self employed, so you’re the boss. Want to sleep until noon, work late at night, eat jelly sandwiches over the keyboard? Well go ahead - nothing’s stopping you. But not everyone has what it takes to work at home, because above all else the self employed professionals have to be disciplined professionals. For some, only a set routine will let them get the work done. Others choose a more random, free-flowing schedule. But…what works for you in work at home?

The Routine

This is the only method I can personally work in - but I like structure. For many work at home professionals, it’s impossible to get a thing done without the organization and the feeling of having that schedule. Those who like a routine generally wake up around the same time each day, know what they’re going to eat for breakfast and follow a pattern when it comes to getting the job done. Organization is achieved through calendars, to-do lists and the assurance of that routine. But all work at home professionals don’t have to subscribe to such careful planning, and some just can’t.

The Random

Others who are self employed take an open-ended approach to working. Perhaps it’s a busy schedule, a busy family, a certain mindset, but some professionals have to constantly change up their routines and choose instead not to follow patterns. If this works for you, great, but be sure to get projects done on time to avoid a work overload.

Working Your Own Way

The whole benefit of self employment is finding the working style which suits you best. Design your own days, but always maintain a certain level of discipline. It’s easy to simply skip work completely - so don’t fall into that highly financially-damaging pattern.

Posted by KC Morgan

A wicked storm comes through and blow out the power lines. The cable goes down - for three days. Your computer breaks down, just completely goes kaput and stops working. Family emergency strikes and you’ve got to take care of some serious stuff. In all these scenarios, you might have some pretty deep trouble getting into your home office to work. When you’re working on your own, you’ve always got to have a backup plan.

Working on Your Own

You’re self employed. That means you call the shots, you set the hours, you pick the jobs. But it also means you’re all alone, even when something goes horribly wrong. A lot of self employed professionals rely heavily on the Internet, everything from email to their own Web site to other sites like PayPal and eBay. But suppose something happens and you can’t access the Internet, or even your computer, at all? Do you know where you would go, what you would do? That’s called having a Plan B - and you need one even if it’s highly unlikely something will go wrong. In the world of self employment, something can always go wrong. Be ready for it.

Local public libraries and Internet cafes, even the airport, may provide the safe haven (and Internet access) you seek. Find out when and how these places are available to you, if at all, should you even have need of an alternative office site. You might also make a list of local places where you can rent or buy a computer quickly, should your equipment fail at that crucial moment. Be sure to give yourself a few options. This way, if something does happen the situation won’t be quite as dire.

Posted by KC Morgan

Should you pay for job listings? It’s relatively easy to find Web sites dedicated to offering work at home jobs and freelance job listings. The problem is, many sites ask you to sign up to gain membership, which might cost money. The site might even ask you to bid on jobs, turning self employment into an auction. Paying out of pocket when you’re actually looking for work opportunities is a little backward…isn’t it?

Paying for Job Listings

Web sites which make their money by offering jobs crop up in pretty much all job searches. Even when you’re using a site offering free job listings, you’re bound to stumble across a link that takes you to an incredibly professional-looking Web page. It will be filled with just enough information to make you want more…and then you click the link. It’s at this point you find out how much this wonderful, job-ridden Web site costs. Should you cough up the dough, swallow your pride, pay for self employment opportunities?

Paying Out of Pocket…to Get Work?

It’s a bad idea to pay for the pleasure of looking through job listings. Even if you pay a small fee, gain membership, and start to receive job listings, you’re still going to have to follow all the normal channels of getting the job. And you may not. So, what are you paying for? There are plenty of free Web sites out there offering job listings, and don’t underestimate the power of the print media and classified ads. Don’t pay for your right to find work. It is out there, and it’s there for the taking free of charge.

Posted by KC Morgan

The results of the recent politics poll shows that some self employed, work at home professionals don’t seem to have strong opinions about how politics affect their daily working lives. Politics in the workplace matters a great deal to you - and it might all be about to change. How does the election affect you, as a self employed professional?

Politics in the Workplace

“It doesn’t,” isn’t the answer, though for many it may seem that way. After all, you’re on your own. You have to deal with your own taxes at the end of the year, you have to find your own work, you have to take care of everything. No politician really matters to you - you don’t answer to anybody. But, whether you know it or not, there are politics in your workplace.

It’s tax time, and that means you’ll become aware of the self employment tax. You actually have to pay for privilege of working at home. And if you are reasonably healthy and can’t claim state-offered health benefits, then you probably have to pay for your own health care out of pocket. The individual policy you have probably isn’t as affordable nor as medically viable as the one you’d receive from an employer.

That’s politics.

How Does the Election Affect You?

Health care is a banner issue for this year’s presidential election, and health care is one issue which affects every self employed professional. If the self employed aren’t represented by the politics of the nation, it’s because the self employed aren’t making themselves (and their needs) known. Sometimes, politics responds to votes instead of voices.

Posted by KC Morgan

It’s not easy to stand out in a crowd of dozens, maybe even hundreds, of job applicants. Even if you wow them with your resume, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the job. The most important tool you have, and the most persuasive, is the query (or cover) letter. Use this the right way, and you’ll get the positive response you’ve been waiting for. When it comes to approaching an employer or gaining some opportunity, be different to be successful.

Stand Out in the Crowd

You find a job opportunity that appeals to you. The ad requests cover letter, resume and samples. You’ve worked hard to create an outstanding resume and a great online portfolio. The trouble is, if your query letter isn’t any good they’re never going to see how great you are. They’re never going to know you’re the perfect candidate, because your letter was boring, stale and not at all original. Why is your cover letter so bad? Probably because you listened to expert advice, which often advises query letters be simple, short and pretty devoid of emotion or coercion. Get their attention by standing out in the crowd of applicants, and write a cover letter that’s uniquely your own.

Be Different to Be Successful

Don’t make the mistake of writing a plain, uninteresting cover letter. Be sure to inject elements of your own personality and show them what makes you different from everyone else. Are you funny? A master of sarcasm? Great with puns? Put a little of that into your letter, and don’t be afraid to show that you do have some confidence. Many experts advise against showing ego in a query letter, but showing that you have confidence in your work and yourself doesn’t hurt a thing (just don’t go overboard).

Posted by KC Morgan

Running out of ideas? Don’t worry - everyone’s been there. Self employment is difficult because it’s often lonely, and there’s no one else around to check your ideas with. You might get to a point where every idea sounds like a bad one, or you just stop having ideas at all. But there are ways to get the creative juices flowing again.

Move on to something else. Start working on another project, perhaps something you’ve already started or have an outline for. Sometimes, working on something else gives you an idea for the project you’re currently stuck on.

Take a walk. Even a walk around the house might help loosen a few ideas in your brain, and sometimes taking a break from work is the best possible course of action. Just take a break, take a walk and come back to your desk with a fresher perspective.

Look at past projects. If you’re really stuck, go ahead and start looking at projects you’ve completed in the past. You may find something you never finished and can now use, or you may suddenly get an idea for the new project you’re trying to complete.

Sleep on it. If at all possible, just put that project away for the evening and come back to it the next day. You may have an idea during the night, or you may find you’re no longer stuck once you come back to your work refreshed for a new day.

Posted by KC Morgan

It’s that time of year again, and that means there’s talk of New Year’s resolutions. Here’s the problem: even if you manage to lose that extra weight, get yourself organized and quit smoking, you’ll still have all the same employment problems. If you aren’t happy with your job, no amount of dieting is going to change it.

Make a New Year’s Change

This year, don’t make any New Year’s resolutions. Instead, make a New Year’s change and make the decision to love your job. But take a realistic approach to finding happiness with your job.

First, it just isn’t possible to make money without doing any work. Don’t expect self employment to be easy. For many, work at home is the answer to unhappiness on the job. For others, the sheer isolation of work at home is too much to handle. If you like working by yourself and feel that you’re disciplined enough to complete tasks without a boss riding over you, then you might want to make a New Year’s change toward work at home.

Find Happiness With Your Job

Even work at home isn’t always the answer. What is? Only you know. Think about your ideal work environment. If it includes isolation, being free to work in your own time and at your own pace, self employment just might be for you. Get started by searching out the available jobs for work at home professionals. Look online to see what’s out there, and to learn whether your skills will apply. When self employment isn’t the answer, explore other job opportunities that might make you feel happier with your chosen profession. If all else fails, try stress-relief and meditation techniques to help take the edge off.

Posted by KC Morgan

On average, most consumers living in the U.S. didn’t spend as much as they usually do during the holiday shopping season this year. Even with this slight consumer decline, a lot of people are facing the post-holiday backlash that comes with a backlog of bills. Trying to piece it all back together now that the warm fuzzies have faded? Get yourself (and your budget) back on track with a little post-holiday financial fix-up.

Get Quick Cash

Is it possible to get quick cash? In an Internet-driven world, you may be able to get a paycheck with electronic speed, but don’t count on doing work today that you get paid for tomorrow. In most cases, employers take as much time as they please in paying you - and sometimes, those hoped-for bucks don’t arrive at all. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to obtain a little extra money for those times when you need just a little bit of financial cushioning.

Look for online contests, new work from home opportunities and Web sites which might help you make a few extra bucks. If worse comes to worse, you can always sell those less-favored holiday gifts on eBay for some quick cash.

Resolve to Re-Budget

Don’t make the same mistake next year, and stretch those self employed finances a little too thin when all your generous tidings are at their peak. Set up a Christmas account through a banking or credit union institution, and start putting a little bit back for next year right now. When you contribute even five dollars a week for forty weeks, you end up with a cool two hundred bucks - and that goes a long way toward alleviating some of those post-holiday financial blues.

Posted by KC Morgan

Paid vacations. Holiday bonus money. Extra days off from the job. Add all these things to the list of what you probably won’t have when you work from home as a self employed professional. Not the sort of thinking to put you in the holiday spirit, is it? Add all this to the fact that self employment often comes with unstable pay (and sometimes, no pay at all), and you might say “bah humbug.”

Money Issues During the Holidays

Okay, so money is scarce. Money may always be a little scarce when you work at home, but the situation often seems more dire when holiday spending threatens to overwhelm your entire budget. Don’t let the holiday shopping madness make you forget about meeting monetary responsibilities such as bills and food costs. It’s important to enjoy the holidays…but that doesn’t always mean spending every penny you have.

From Ho-Hum to Ho Ho

Get creative with gift-giving. Even if you don’t have a lot of money, you don’t have to give people "cheap" presents. Put a little thought into every gift, and even inexpensive purchases will become extraordinary. Your friends and family will understand that you don’t have a lot of money for gift-giving, but you can still put thought into every item you offer. Often, the most memorable gifts are the ones that mean something…not the ones which cost the most.

Posted by KC Morgan

You decide you want to work from home. You’re comfortable at home, you’re good with a computer, and you feel confident you can manage your own money correctly. So, you get online and do a search on work from home jobs. You’ll find scams, propaganda, and plenty of sponsored ads. You’ll have a much harder time finding any viable self employment opportunities.

Finding Jobs

Work from home isn’t as easy as getting on a search engine and getting swamped with opportunities, and you’re going to have to work several hours every day of the week (sometimes even including weekends and holidays), but it’s anything but impossible. Succeeding with work from home and self employment is as easy as finding jobs. Finding jobs is by no means simple. You’re going to have to bookmark a few trusted sites which post job advertisement regularly, and you’re going to need to check said sites at frequent intervals (every day, two to three times a week, etc.). Sometimes, it will take trial and error to discover which sites are good to use and which aren’t. Never, ever pay for the privilege of looking at Internet job ads. There are too many sites out there who have them free of charge.

Make it Work

Once you’ve found some job opportunities and actually start to get paid for your efforts, you’re well on your way to making work from home work. It’s going to take constant maintenance and regular job searches. You’ll have to strive to improve your work and your skills, and you’ll have to work to maintain your own reputation. But if you keep up the work, you’ll make work from home work to your own advantage.

Posted by KC Morgan

Even those who work at home aren’t immune to loneliness, boredom, uninspiring job duties and feeling burnt out. When you get a few regular gigs, you start repeating the same routine over and over again. Your regular work day starts to feel less like you’re calling the shots, and more like you’re trapped in a daily grind. Many people opt for self employment because they dislike their daily jobs. So…what do you do when you hate your job – and you’re already self employed?

When Work at Home Isn’t Perfect

No one said self employment was going to be easy, or that you’d fall in love with the act of sitting by yourself for long stretches at a time. But many self employed professionals are surprised to learn that, even when you work at home, you can still find things to hate about your job. Sometimes, you don’t always get to set your own schedule because you have to work around someone else’s. Your family and kids might get in the way of working, and the gigs you land may not be all that interesting or creative.

Do You Hate Your Job?

Do you hate what you do, even when what you do is work at home? It’s time to re-assess. It may take some time figure out what specifically you don’t like. Write down everything you think bothers you, then take a good look at the list. If you can find the root of the problem, you can cut away all those parts of your job you no longer love. If, however, you find your list growing and growing, it might be time to consider backing out of self employment. After all, if you’re not happy there’s no point.

Posted by KC Morgan

When jobs are scarce and times are lean, you’re going to want to jump at every single self employment opportunity. After all, you do need money to survive. But you can’t always accept every offer – even when you might want to. There are lots of reasons why it might be better to lean how to say “no.”

Thanks, but…

You’re self employed, and that means your name is your greatest asset and your biggest calling card. Putting your name on something means you’re putting it out there for everyone to see, and in a business where reputation is everything it’s important to be careful about what you show off. Is the money worth the sacrifice of your own principles and reputation? Unless you’re absolutely desperate for some cash, don’t accept sub-par opportunities. You simply can’t accept every offer.

Say No

The follow-up is one of the most important aspects of the business of being self employed. Even when you get turned down for a job, you want to follow up with a thank-you card. Sometimes, you may end up getting a call in the future, because your thank-you effort stuck out in someone’s mind and something new has come up. Likewise, if you’re going to turn a job offer down, make sure you follow up by saying no – and tell them why you’re saying no. State your reasons, because you never know when they might present a second offer that’s more to your liking. Don’t get locked into a project or a job you can’t take pride in. You can’t accept every offer even when you want to – you have to show that you have some level of professional standards. You have to learn how to say no.

Posted by KC Morgan

Want to take the day off? When you’re self employed, it’s not as easy as picking up the phone and saying you won’t be in to work that day. If you get sick, if you put it off, if you don’t get the work done, there’s no one that’s going to cover for you. But this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to work every single holiday, either.

Vacation Time

When you work for yourself, you’re not going to get extra acclaim or bonuses for working on holidays. There is no time and a half, no stockpile of personal days, no one to help you pick up any holiday slack. There is only you, and that means you have to learn the best way to go about scheduling your own vacation time. If you don’t make it work for yourself, then all you’re going to be doing during the holiday season…is working.

Taking the Day Off

Do you have daily commitments? A regular weekly workload? No one knows how to tweak that time table quite like you, so get to it if you want to enjoy holidays this season. Being organized is the best way to go about this. Make a list of all the projects you need to complete for each day, then do an assessment. What can you get done right now, today, so you might enjoy yourself a bit more tomorrow?

If you end up having to take a little time to get some work done during a holiday, that’s just part of the price of self employment. But with a little creativity and some extra hard work, you should be able to enjoy both a paycheck and a little holiday time, too.

Posted by KC Morgan

You may be your own boss, but that doesn’t mean the workday is filled with fun. Sometimes, you might even find yourself working on projects you don’t really care about, or even want to do. But staying self employed means getting paid, and sometimes getting paid depends upon working when you don’t want to and completing projects that don’t fully inspire you. Putting off the work isn’t really the answer, though in some cases you can afford to wait an extra day or two.

When Should You Wait?

When should you wait to complete assignments? If you’re keeping on top of your schedule and getting everything completed on time, it might not hurt your work load too much to push something back a day or two. However, you should never, ever miss a deadline. When you’re self employed, your reputation is all you’ve got. Don’t screw it up by missing a deadline or disappointing an employer. If, on the other hand, you have an assignment due in three days you know you can complete in one, you may decide to wait an extra day before taking the project on.

Why Should You Wait, Instead of Work?

But why wait? Sometimes, you might find it hard to concentrate on an assignment, to the point you feel you’re actually forcing yourself to get it done. It’s always important, no matter the task, to take pride in your work. You want to make sure you’re in the right mindset and have the right inspiration, before delivering sub-par work. If you can afford to wait until your mood for work has adjusted slightly, that might be the best course of action to take.

Posted by KC Morgan

Everyone wants to increase cash flow, whether or not they work at home. Making money can be easy, but only if “easy” is working steadily at home, knowing how to use the Internet and keeping daily maintenance.

An eBay Career

The Internet has given rise to many new ways to make money, and eBay has become the career of many self employed professionals. Buying and selling on eBay is fairly straightforward, not difficult to master for those who have a digital camera and basic Internet skills. Post colorful pictures of salable items, offer interesting descriptions and come through on all shipping promises. These are the basic rules of selling on eBay, skills most anyone can learn.

Internet Cash Flow

Almost everyone has a Web site these days, and for good reason. Internet revenue is a truly viable way to make money, but pennies can trickle in slowly or not at all. To really make money from Internet “hits,” or Web site visits, content has to be popular, keyword-rich and highly searchable. Google AdSense and other programs offer revenue for sponsored-link placement, but this only creates cash flow when Web traffic is high.

Money Making Tips

Even outside the Internet, there are a lot of ways to make money. When financial matters are desperate, there are few ideas that shouldn’t be explored. If self employed professionals have troubling increasing cash flow with their own efforts and budgets become strained, it’s a good idea to take a look around the house. And don’t underestimate the power to make money on eBay – craft-related skills such as woodworking might just become highly profitable.

Posted by KC Morgan

Is money from nothing possible? Can self employed professionals earn money without effort? When you know how to make residual income, it will seem a whole lot easier to get your hands on cash. But one thing still holds true even in today’s highly modern society: you can’t get anything from nothing at all.

Without Effort Earning

Okay, residual income can’t be made completely effort-free, but it is a good way to get more out of less. The trick to residual income is that you start out with a body of work that you’ve created – be it a Web site, an article, a piece of property that you’ve flipped or even an investment – and then continue to earn on that work well after the actual work is done. This is earning without effort…or at least, not much effort.

Continuous Earning

Residual income, continuous earning that’s reaped from a body of work, is a great way for self employed professionals to keep up with their own budgets. Some have even learned how to live off of residual income only, but this is usually achieved through large investments and Internet efforts. The online world is a great way to make money, be it through a Web site you maintain, affiliate programs, ad sharing revenue or some combination of all this.

Earning without effort can be achieved, but only after that initial effort has been put forth. What you need to know about residuals is that they offer you a great way to earn, but make sure you offer high quality work to maximize your residual return.

Posted by KC Morgan

There’s no one to cover for you when you’re sick. There’s no one to look over your shoulder. There’s no one to say “do it over again,” or “you did a good job.” It’s all you. Working alone isn’t all peaches and cream and fun days and praise…it’s a lot of hard work. You have to find your own jobs, maintain your own daily schedule, congratulate yourself. You are the boss, and it’s one job you want to be good at.

Don’t Be a Bad Boss

Working from home puts you in a unique position of authority over yourself, and no one will be a stricter taskmaster or more forgiving when you totally slack off. There’s a line you’ll have to walk between self-discipline and self-punishment, self-indulgence and pure laziness. Simply making yourself work, making yourself complete projects, and getting yourself to get the job done is the art of self employment. It’s what you’ll have to master to succeed: yourself.

Working for Yourself

When you work for yourself, you only have one person to rely upon for money. That’s a strong self-motivator, and also the reason many people find failure with self employment. Be sure to give yourself specific tasks, setting and reaching even tiny goals. Once you complete each task or goal, mark it ceremoniously off your list. This feeling of accomplishment is just the fuel you need to tackle more formidable self employment tasks. And don’t forget to reward yourself. Take a day off if you can afford it, take a movie break on slow work days, even buy yourself a present if you’ve experienced extra income. You earned the reward, so reap it. You may be a boss, but you’re a hard-working employee, too.

Posted by KC Morgan

“Please send hourly rates, cover letter, and resume.” It’s a standard line for job ads, but do you have a standard reply? The need to get work and the desire to succeed may be strong motivators to push that project bid a little lower, but it’s important that you don’t undersell yourself even when struggling with self employment.

Estimating Your Worth

Just how much is your work worth? That’s pretty much what employers want to know when they ask for project bids, and it’s important for self employed professionals to screw their courage to the sticking place. Before you make a decision, avoid underselling yourself by learning the standard rates for entrepreneurs.

Learning the Rates

For freelance writers, general rates are derived from word counts. Other self employed professionals estimate their worth on an hourly wage. It’s not at all unheard-of for writers and other entrepreneurs to make fifty or more dollars an hour, if that puts your own worth into a frame of reference.

Your Own Rate

You’re the one who decides what your rate shall be. Choose an hourly or per-word rate you feel you can live with, and stick to it. Quote the same rate to all comers, and don’t lower your fee unless the work seems highly promising or compelling in some professional way. If you absolutely cannot get work, then perhaps you’ll want to lower those rates - but only if you absolutely can't get work. Figure up your cost, estimate your own worth, and refuse to undersell yourself. You’ll find employers willing to pay your price, and you’ll find richer opportunities for your efforts.

Posted by KC Morgan

Want to be a writer? A subcontractor? A home-based business owner? Or do you just want to make some cash while you sit comfortably at home? No matter where your employment desires lie, the trick to staying self employed is in knowing how to sell yourself.

Be Your Own Best Friend

You are your biggest fan – and it’s time to start coming off that way. If you don’t know how to sell yourself, you won’t be able to stay self employed. Honestly evaluate yourself. What are your best skills? Your strengths? Your weaknesses? You are the only one who knows what you’re capable of. Believe it, live it, and then you can begin to prove it.

Sell, Sell, Sell

When you know what you can do and can’t do, play to your strengths. Look for jobs that cater to your unique skills, jobs you know how to market yourself toward. Use the right tools to apply for a job: a great cover letter, resume and portfolio. And remember, no matter what kind of job it is or what kind of money you’ll be making, you are constantly trying to sell yourself. The selling doesn’t stop once you’ve got the job, because now you have to sell them that you continue to be, indeed, the right person for the job.

Posted by KC Morgan

You won’t get health insurance. You have to claim your own income taxes. There’s little job security, and no guarantee you’ll even get work. It sounds like a chilling Halloween tale, but it’s really self employment. But don’t get spooked by working at home, learn the “scary” aspects of self employment…and then learn how to tackle them.

Unstable pay. Okay, so jobs aren’t always guaranteed. In fact, if you want to make self employment and working at home work, you have to go out there and find your own jobs. You may have to aggressively pursue work, keep your resume updated and hoarde some money in the bank to take care of even regular monetary needs. By keeping some money in store and landing a few regular gigs, however, anyone can make a go of self employment and working at home.

Personal costs. Yes, you’ll have to pay for health insurance out of pocket (unless you live in a state where such is provided for you). Yes, you’ll have to claim your own taxes. Yes, for many even these hassles are completely worth it for the ease and joy of working at home. Remember, self employment means setting your own hours, choosing your own jobs and being your own boss – and everything does have a down side, even working at home.

Posted by KC Morgan

The Internet is hugely popular, and many have learned how to use the Web as a tool for all things – from making money to Christmas shopping. The lure of the Internet is that you can make fast cash, with little or no effort. Can the online hype really be believed?

Programs like Google AdSense, affiliate agreements, and online ads for work from home opportunities make it seem that money for nothing is as easy as clicking a few buttons and filling out a few forms. Is self employment really such a cakewalk? Should you give in to the lure of the Internet?

It is possible to make money using online tools. Those who truly want to find work from home can learn how to avoid the scams and find viable jobs and payment opportunities. People who’d like to maintain a blog or Web site can sign up to affiliate programs, Google offerings, and anything else they like to earn bucks. But you can’t make money from nothing. Everything, even maintaining a site, is going to take at least some work. The more work you put into it, the more successful your self employed ventures will be. It isn’t as easy as signing up and signing online, and there are many, many work at home scams out there that need to be avoided. Remember this: you’ll get out of it what you put into it.

Posted by KC Morgan

When family, pets, and day-to-day distractions get in the way of your work at home day, it might be hard just to get through your regular working routine. When distraction interferes, learn how to use anti-distraction to get back on track.

Anti-distraction is what you use when other diversions keep intruding. What takes you away from your work during a typical day? Is it the kids, your spouse, pets, something captivating on reality TV? Find ways to combat these distractions with anti-distractions of your own design.

For instance, drown out distracting background noise. Play a favorite CD or DVD – something you’ve heard and seen a thousand times before. You’ll find it’s much easier to tune out the old, familiar sounds of a favorite program, while anything new (no matter how uninteresting it might ordinarily be) can cause your mind to wander away from work. Shut the door and drown them out, so you can get back to the task of making money.

Learn how to use diversion to your benefit. When the kids, spouse, and pets are threatening to drive you batty, find some way to get them out of the house (and your hair) altogether…and all together. Giving them tasks to complete will often free up a few minutes at least. Look for fun craft projects and other time-consuming activities to keep kids quietly entertained, and encourage your spouse to enjoy a hobby instead of looking for your company for entertainment. Sometimes, it’s good to establish a rule that when you’re working, everyone pretends you simply aren’t at home.

Sometimes, the only way to combat distraction is by simply cutting yourself off. Shut the door, remind everyone you’ve got a job to do, and then get it done.

Posted by KC Morgan

Do you find your attention wandering when you’re trying to work from home? Are you often compelled to walk away from the projects you’re supposed to be doing? Do you often find yourself scrambling to meet deadlines on time? You’re not alone – self employment is difficult, because it’s always hard to be your own boss. Use the following work from home tips to stay motivated, focused, and on track with your assignments.

Keep a visible list. If you make a daily list of work that has to be done, even getting so detailed as to include emails you need to answer, you should be able to get projects completed in a timely fashion. It’s easy to lose track and to forget, so keep a daily list (or use a calendar or scheduler program) so nothing falls between the cracks.

Write down inspirations. We all get random ideas. When something strikes you that you think might work for work at home, go ahead and write it down. Keep a running list of all these ideas, crossing or erasing the ones that you use. Sometimes, just looking at this list will help you generate new ideas for the tasks at hand.

Schedule breaks. Don’t over work yourself, or over schedule your time. It’s necessary to take breaks, to spend time with family, to have fun on the job. Work from home should always be enjoyable. If you aren’t having fun, take a little time for yourself.

Posted by KC Morgan

You’re trying to work, they’re trying to get your attention. This is the daily dance of the work at home parent. When it comes to self employment, there’s always something to do – from finding jobs to completing tasks. There’s always something the kids want – and they want you to do it. So, how are you supposed to get any work done at all?

When the kids get in the way of working, use diversion to keep them busy - so you can stay busy on the job. You don’t want to sit your kid in front of the TV all day while you work, but you do need to get the job done. Use fun summer and outdoor activities to keep them active and outdoors when you need quiet time to complete work at home projects. If possible, take your own work outside to keep an eye on them as they play, or sit near a window that offers a good view of your children.

You may be busy on the job, but it’s important to have together time with the kids, too. Sometimes, kids demand attention because they feel deprived in some way. Try to spend time on activities for some portion of the day, then find ways to interest kids in playing on their own. Most kids crave independence, and play time can be a great outlet for that. Remember, being a work at home parent is a delicate balancing act. Sometimes, you may have to put work aside to spend a little time with them. Other times, find ways to interest them in their own thing, so you can get back to doing yours.

Posted by KC Morgan

Are you ready for the self employment plunge? Take the self employment quiz, and find out if you can work at home.

1. Your ideal working environment:

a) Busy, noisy, lots of people.

b) A quiet, private office.

c) A small area, with only a few people around.

2. Will you work nights, weekends, and holidays?

a) I can’t – I have too many other responsibilities.

b) I’ll work all hours, regardless of holiday or weekend status.

c) I will – but only when I have to.

3. What personal qualities would you point out to employers?

a) I let my work history and past accomplishments speak for themselves.

b) I’m quick, hard-working, and willing to give my all.

c) I would rather show my abilities than tout them.

Answer key:

2 or more Cs – Work at home will be a tough adjustment for you. Remember, you have to aggressively look for work, write a great resume, and show off your own abilities to succeed.

2 or more Bs – Work at home and means you’ll be working, even when you don’t want to. If you’re willing to be alone, work hard, and promote yourself, you might be ready for self employment.

2 or more As – Work at home requires you to be isolated and to stay disciplined. You also have to sell yourself. You may not be quite ready to face the very competitive world of self employment.

One of Each – You’ve got some of the qualities for self employment. Get used to the idea of working alone, and working long, hard hours to become successful with work at home.

Posted by KC Morgan

The art of self promotion is an essential self employment skill. You have to be able to self-promote to stay self employed – it’s just that simple.

Whether you know it or not, you’re already selling yourself every day. When you meet someone knew, when you put your work out there for others to see, when you write a query letter, you’re creating a certain image of yourself. The trick is to learn how to present the best possible image for self employment.

What do you know about marketing? This can be a somewhat frightening word that only means “selling.” Marketing comes in many forms, but self-promotion is going to be your main focus, whether you’re just starting out in self employment, or looking for ways to stay ahead of the pack.

For the most part, your self employed career is going to happen online. You should be using the Internet to find new work and gigs, to promote yourself, and to reach out to potential employers and customers. Make sure the cover letters you send out are strong, highlighting your abilities and skills. It’s also important to have a web site or online portfolio that showcases your talent. If you’ve thought about self employment at all, you probably already know these things.

But, don’t underestimate the power of the follow-up. It’s always a good idea to write back, write again, follow up. Be sure to keep your tone cool and professional in every email you send in the line of work, and always include your contact information and a brief explanation of why you’re writing the mail in the first place. For example, “I’m writing today to follow-up on the project I applied to on August 1.” Show that you’re interested, and continue to sell yourself by showing this interest and your own motivation. Showing that you’re willing to keep trying can be some of the best self promotion of all.

Posted by KC Morgan

Looking to become self-employed? You can scour the Internet for jobs, or you can find someone who will give your projects on a regular basis. This person does exist – they’re called contractors. Contractors take on jobs and projects in many different fields, everything from construction to distribution to sales, and they hire subcontractors to actually do the work for them. This arrangement works nicely for contractors, who can focus their efforts on getting more work, and for subcontractors who need to make money.

But, is subcontracting right for you?

Can you work alone?

Being self employed, even self employed as a subcontractor, means doing a lot of work alone. This can be stressful, and make it hard to focus, but it’s necessary to work independently if you’re going to do any subcontracting work at all. Contractors usually won’t check in with your very often, so you’ll have to be your own boss.

Can you handle the finances?

Working as a subcontractor, which is essentially working for yourself, isn’t the same as going to a job where you get a weekly paycheck. You’ll have new tax forms, and you’ll have to claim income at the end of each tax cycles (and, in most cases, pay out taxes instead of getting a return). You’ll have to learn how to

for times when work isn’t rolling in, and learn how to deal with work when too much piles up. If you’re not good at managing your own money, subcontracting might not be the route for you.

Posted by KC Morgan

You’ve got the idea, and it’s stellar. But do you have everything else you’re going to need to turn that business idea into a true home-based money-maker?

The web site

Creating a business web site is one of the most important steps in getting your business ideas off the ground. Make sure pages are easy to read and navigate, and that you’re catering to the search engines to get as much traffic as possible.

Insurance

Insure that home-based business, or you might end up paying the consequences later. Make sure you find out how much insurance will cost, so you can incorporate this expense into your business plan.

The plan

Ideas are well and good, but make sure you craft a comprehensive home-based business plan to give yourself some guidelines to follow. Include goals, new business ideas, and all the essentials you’ll need to give clients and customers everything they want and need

Most people would love to learn how to make money at home, but not everyone is up to the task. Think your idea can take you there? To create the next great home-based business, make sure you work out all your business ideas, goals, and plans – before you actually get started and get your ideas up and running.

Posted by KC Morgan

It’s the middle of the day, and you’ve been working for about three hours. You know what needs to be done, your desk is organized and your calendar very precise…but you just can’t seem to make yourself stay on track. Your mind wanders, your attention is captured by interesting objects outside the windows, and every time you turn back to your computer you get a sinking feeling. You just might need to ask yourself one important question: are you in a self employed slump?

Even though it’s great to work for yourself, even when projects are coming in and you’re making the money you need, even when you set your own schedule and enjoy what do you, self employment can feel tedious. Having regular gigs can be a blessing, but some days it might just seem boring, too. Even when you love your job, you can find yourself in a slump that leaves you unmotivated and unwilling. So, how can you snap yourself out of it?

Sometimes, it’s a good idea to change scenery, so to speak. If at all possible, re-arrange your work space, or take projects into a completely different room of the house or apartment where you live. Break up the monotony of the day with regular breaks, or shake your schedule up by planning projects differently. Doing even a little bit different can feel like a big change, and help break that self employed slump. If you really can’t focus on a specific project, step away from it for an hour or so. Work on something else, until the creative juices start flowing again. Even when you do something you love in a way you love to do it, it’s possible to suffer through a self employment slump. Mix it up, change it up, do something different, and break up that tedium.

Posted by KC Morgan

The sentence “I work from home,” actually sounds a lot better than it realistically is. The truth is, work at home usually means sitting in the same room for several hours at time, with nothing but the sound of your own typing to keep you company. The job gets even harder when family members, daily responsibilities, and difficult work at home projects conspire against your best working efforts. Self employment isn’t sunshine and roses…can you handle the reality of working at home?

Not everyone has the discipline needed for self employment, and not everyone can handle being alone day in and day out. It isn’t easy to stay on schedule, often without a sounding board or inter-office distraction to break up the monotony of the day. Can you handle self employment?

Get mentally ready for work at home by finding out how well you handle work alone. Self employment, for the most part, is a very lonely occupation. There’s no one else to rely on, nothing to fall back on, and when you look around all the work pressure is on your shoulders alone. It can be lonely, frightening, and sometimes terribly boring – but in its way, self employment can be extremely rewarding, too. Where in your home do you do your best work? When you know the answer, go into that room and shut the door. Shut out the world, and simply sit there and work. Time yourself, and see how long you can stand it before you need a break, social interaction, a snack of some sort, even a hard drink. If you find yourself constantly getting up and roaming around, calling friends on the phone, looking for ways to connect, and discover that you’ve hardly got any work done at all, then you’re going to have trouble adjusting to a work at home schedule and lifestyle. But, it can be done. Ease yourself into self employment by practicing loneliness, working completely on your own, and finding out how to create helpful background noise (some listen to music, some play DVDs, others like to leave the TV on) that helps you stay tuned into the job at hand.

Posted by KC Morgan

Blogs, or web logs, became an almost overnight sensation. Suddenly, even celebrities were keeping regular blogs, with the entire entertainment industry following suit. Blogs appeared on sites like MySpace, and thus, it was born: the blogosphere, that huge variety of blogs that are easily accessible if you’ve got an Internet connection.

With any new trend, there are always opportunities. Because blogs equal content (the stuff that makes the search engines go ‘round), soon companies started offering money to bloggers who keep the world entertained with regular posts. Is blogging for bucks a viable form of self employment, or just a way to spend a whole lot of time for a whole lot of small results?

There are some self employed professionals who’ll say paid blogging is a good idea, but these are the rare few who’ve found both readership and success. For those that can write keyword-rich posts that the public finds appealing, blogging for bucks might not be a bad idea. The trouble is, most companies offer very small amount of revenue that’s based on the amount of “hits” your blog gets. Unless the blog you’re writing becomes highly popular, it’s unlikely you’ll enjoy huge financial returns on blogs.

Blogging for bucks can often be time-consuming as well, as most companies have requirements on how often they want their bloggers to post. This means you might spend five days a week on your blog, and receive a monthly check that still doesn’t seem to add up. Blogging for bucks could become viable self employment, but only if you manage to type up a blog that many, many, many Internet users want to read – and, you find a site that’s willing to pay you for your blogging efforts.

Posted by KC Morgan

It’s easy to be relaxed and loose when you work at home. You’re on the job, but you’re comfy and totally at ease with the world. Want a cocktail? Have one. Want to turn a movie on in the background? Go right ahead. Need a fifteen-minute break that stretches to forty-five? No big deal. Just don’t forget one important rule of work at home: the key word to “self employed professional,” is professional.

No one that you work with is your friend. Employers are not buddies, the people who contact you for work don’t want to have conversations about your personal life, and if your work isn’t up to par there aren’t going to be any favors. Sure, you work at home and you’re the one calling the shots – but if you fail to act in a professional manner, you’re going to find out just how hard it is to live without money.

Keep close to the “rules” of self employment and work at home, and keep your reputation intact as a quality provider of services.

1. Don’t make friends. You haven’t got the time and frankly, neither do they. No comments about personal business – only comments about business business will do.

2. Keep emails short and to the point. Your professional emails aren’t the time to trade witty banter or share the latest joke. Keep it short, sweet, and no-nonsense at all times.

3. Open and close each email professionally. Always include your name no matter how well acquainted you are, and always address the person you’re sending the mail to in the proper fashion. Thank them, always, for their time at the end of each mail.

4. Keep records. You want to know who you did the work for, what the file name or project names are, and on what exact date you turned work in. Don’t expect them to keep track – you be the one who keeps track.

5. Send invoices. When they fail to pay, don’t be afraid to send a gentle (professional) reminder. Include an invoice every time you send a note regarding payment.

6. Find out everything you can about employers. In the world of self employment, some people who hire you will play their cards pretty close to their vests. They may disclose little else than an email address. Find out more – and tell them you need to know for your resume.

7. Meet every deadline. Reputation is everything, and you want yours to show that you can manage tasks.

Posted by KC Morgan

It always seems to happen just when you’re at your most comfortable. Self employment actually works for you, and you’ve learned how to discipline yourself for successful work at home endeavors. Just when you thought things were great, the money stops.

…So, what next?

When work at home doesn’t work, the self employment dream doesn’t have to die. It isn’t time to give up by any means. If you’ve planned ahead (and as much as you can, you should), you’ll have a little bit of moneys stashed away in savings (or, a sock drawer). If you haven’t, then you’re going to start hurting for money pretty quickly. One of the biggest problems in work at home is employers who don’t pay on time. Sometimes, gentle persuasion through emails (always written as a professional follow-up, not a friendly reminder) works to bring your money in on time. Sometimes, however, it doesn’t.

When the work at home well seems to be running dry, it’s definitely time to explore some new income options. You already know how to work at home, and you know how to find jobs for self employment. It’s time to look at online job boards for other types of work at home jobs, because there’s a lot out there even when your chosen field seems to have few opportunities at a given time. Look for different opportunities and new ways to make money at home, keeping you in the swing of self employment even when the jobs you want don’t come rolling in.

Posted by KC Morgan

Your resume is the most revealing thing about you – at least, where employers and new work at home jobs are concerned. While there may be no such thing as the perfect resume, it is possible to get pretty close.

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to list every single job, every project, all the gigs you’ve ever done. In fact, you probably shouldn’t list every single thing, unless you’re having problems making your resume look full and complete. Your resume is supposed to display your best qualities and experiences, and you don’t want to cram it full with everything you can think of. Just use your best material.

The biggest problem most people have with resumes is with jobs they are no longer performing, past work. Should you, or should you not, state a reason for leaving a job? It’s a good idea to reveal reasons for leaving on your resume, only make sure to do it as succinctly as possible. Good reasons for leaving a job include wanting to find more challenging projects, leaving an irregular gig for more stable work at home gigs, or branching out to find new and different opportunities. You want to reveal yourself on your resume, but only the best part of yourself, the best work experiences, the best skills – everything about you that might appeal to new employers. After all, that’s what a resume is all about – finding new work.

Posted by KC Morgan

The hardest part of being self employed is getting started. Finding self employment opportunities is necessary if the dream of working at home is ever going to be reached, but where are the work at home jobs?

Anyone who looks for self employment opportunities is going to, constantly and repeatedly, run into one hated thing: Internet scams. Learn how to avoid scams, and weed out the real opportunities from the sites that just want money. Knowing how to become self employed can be as easy as knowing where the work at home jobs are found. The Internet, in spite of the scams, is a great way to find self employment opportunities that could lead to viable work at home jobs. Look for work through reputable job boards, instead of typing in keywords through search engines. Keyword searches are a great way to find scams, but not such a great way to find self employment opportunities.

There are many different ways to find freelance jobs online, and it’s even possible to find work in slow times when it seems impossible to find any opportunities at all. There are a lot of work at home success stories out there, and the only difference is that those people know where work at home jobs can be found.

Posted by KC Morgan

You’re up for a great new work at home job, so you give it your all. Many jobs want workers to “try out” before securing the position, either providing samples of work or providing services on a probationary period. For these jobs, you put your best effort into you work. You wait, and you wait, and you wait for new about the position – and then one day, the email comes. And you’ve been rejected. You didn’t get the job.

It’s a sad story, but one that happens to work at home professionals every single day. When you’re self employed and attempting to work for yourself at home, rejection is going to become part of your daily life. You’ll get nice, polite “no thank you” notes, many of which won’t have much of an explanation. And you’ll feel crushed. But learning the art of moving past the “no thank you” is essential if you want your work at home goals to come true.

Even the most successful entrepreneurs have been rejected at one time or another, so don’t let it get to you. The secret to moving is in simply shaking it off. You got rejected this time, but next time things just might be different. It’s important to actually send a thank you note every time you get rejected for a job or position you attempt to attain. The thank you is important because it’s polite to thank employers for at least taking the time to consider you, and it also shows the employer that you’re taking the rejection in stride. This will help them remember you, and who knows? They may call you at a later date and actually offer work, because you took the time to show them your poise and professionalism.

Posted by KC Morgan

For self employed professionals who must struggle to find work at home projects, nothing is sweeter than the taste of working success. You’ve got some regular employers and clients, and you’re finally making enough money to feel proud of work at home. So…what happens when you’ve got a few too many projects to do, when it’s time to think about picking and choosing employers? In other words…when should you quit a job?

When you’re just getting started in self employment, it’s pretty necessary to accept any and every paying job that’s offered. But, when jobs aren’t so few and far between and you’re really making a living through your work at home efforts, you may not have to hold on to those early jobs anymore. You may make enough money to stop working for those who pay you less or offer fewer extras. So…how’s it done?

Even in self employment, it’s nice to give some notice. If you work for this client infrequently, or have done very few projects lately, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with writing a simple note saying you’d like to move on. Be sure to complete any current work you have with this client – you don’t want to leave anyone in the lurch. Don’t be shy about explaining why you feel the need to move on – you make more money with other employers, you’d like more challenging projects, etc. You never know when an employer might up their offer just to keep you on board, which can end up being a win-win situation for you.

Posted by KC Morgan

The informercials and Internet ads are seductive in their way, promising easy money and enjoyable work. It’s enough to sway any hard-working, struggling self-employed professional. After all, everyone has a great need for money.

But, can you believe the hype? Can making money really be as easy as all that? Is it possible to download a single program, buy one book, listen to one CD, watch a DVD – and learn the secret to successfully making money? If it was possible, wouldn’t everyone do it?

In many cases, the only person who makes any money off of those programs is the person who’s selling them. Self employment is a real possibility, and it’s true you can learn how to make money at home – but there really is no magical get-rich-quick program that will help you reach those ends.

Avoid schemes. Don’t spend your hard-earned money on any program, no matter how much work or money it promises to pay off. A viable work opportunity will never ask you to spend your own money. Successful self employment and real work at home means actually having to work – sometimes, even long hours. And while you may not get rich quick, you’ll still be your own boss – which is almost as good.

Posted by KC Morgan

Even successful writers have to receive hundreds, sometimes thousands, of rejection letters before they get just one big break. Most freelancers and would-be self-employed professionals have to suffer the sting of rejection before they know the glory of acceptance. There are few things in this world that are as disheartening as being rejected, turned down when you apply for a job, gig, or project that you’d really like to get. But perseverance pays off, and you should always keep trying to find success.

The secret of self employment is that almost everyone who enjoys work at home (or wants to) has one “dream gig” or job that they’d love to have. The problem is actually getting the letter that says “you got it!” Even one rejection from a company you’d love to work for can be a huge blow – enough to keep you from trying again.

But, you should. Rejection, not getting the job, or having someone turn down the work you submit is all part and parcel of self employment and work at home. Yes, it stings. Yes, it hurts. Yes, it’s disappointing. But yes…you have to give it another shot. If you really want to do a certain job or work for a certain company, you have to keep trying. If at all possible, look at other work they’ve accepted – what’s on their existing site? Read over submission guidelines carefully and do what you can to absorb the company you’re dreaming about. Look closely at past rejection slips – what reasons did they give for turning you down? Keep trying to find success, and keep trying to tailor your work to their needs. Perseverance pays off in most cases. When you finally get accepted by that one company, for that certain project you’ve been wanting, the self-confidence you feel alone can make you feel like the most prestigious self-employed, work at home professional out there.

It’s a feeling that makes every rejection worth it. Remember, every single freelancer, self employed professional, and work at home guru has been rejected by a potential client or employer at one time or another. It’s all just part of the job.

Posted by KC Morgan

When you have no one but yourself to rely upon for income, financial pressure can become overwhelming. Being self employed means making your own way, and it can be a very empowering feeling - but, it can leave you feeling desperate when the ends don’t meet at the end of the month. Sometimes, self employment is slow to start, or even starts to slump after a period of high success. Being a self employed professional can be very up and down, but if you know how to get cash fast then at least you can relieve some of the pressure of money matters.

There are actually lots of ways that entrepreneurs and self employed professionals can earn a fast buck, just for those times when self employment doesn’t pay off as nicely as we’d like. Check out these various tips on fast money to learn a few ways to get ahead when the end of the month gets here just a little too fast.

Maintaining a web site is always a good way to work on extra revenue, though this has a way of becoming an ongoing project. Learn how to add ads to your site to make it more worthwhile – additions like a regularly-updated blog and a paypal account can make a big difference. Some self employed professionals have even learned the merits of making money with MySpace and eBay, two web sites that help with self-promotion and extra earnings.

When the ends don’t meet, try a few of these ideas to get cash fast. In today’s Internet-driven world, there’s always a way to turn a little time into a few extra dimes.

Posted by KC Morgan

What is self employment? Self employment means many things to many people, but the answer isn’t that complex. When you work for yourself, either at home or even at someone else’s home, and earn money directly from clients and customers for these efforts, then you can say you’re self employed. The only true definition of self employment is you relying upon yourself for financial gain. However you decide to make that money is up to you, and with the many ways to work at home these days, your options are almost endless.

Freelance writing and graphic design are two very popular forms of self employment, but the competition is stiff in both arenas. If there is one freelance writing job posted on a job board, there are forty freelancers poised to answer. This doesn’t mean that those who really want to work from home through writing shouldn’t give it a try – there are ways to make yourself stand out and get ahead even in this competitive field.

Many people want to work at home, and there are plenty of ways to make it happen. Many self employed professionals earn their way through over-the-phone customer service at home, transcription gigs, secretarial work, sales, even academic writing. Online surveys, ad sharing revenue, blogs, and other web-based ventures can be very lucrative, too. Whatever your skill, there’s a good chance you can parlay it into a self employment opportunity. Use the Internet to promote yourself, scour job boards, and make connections. There are many ways to work at home…and there’s no reason you can’t enjoy at least one of them.

Posted by KC Morgan

Ah, self employment. The freedom of work at home jobs, the laid-back lifestyle of the at-home professional. It all sounds great…but that’s not all the reality of self employment. Even work at home isn’t easy, and even self employed professionals can have strict schedules to follow. To really stay on top of work, a schedule and even a to-do list is often necessary.

Daily to-do lists are a great way to keep work-at-home schedules more organized, and to keep projects from slipping through scheduling cracks. Organizing the at-home work day is an essential part of a self employed professional’s daily routine. Doing projects haphazardly and when the mood strikes is a good way to miss out on money-making opportunities and deadlines set by clients and customers.

However, keeping a huge desk calendar or scribbling on a wall calendar, even keeping little slips of paper with “to-do” projects isn’t very practical. Scribbles are hard to read, little pieces of paper are too easy to lose, and often people only see what’s right in front of their noses. Create a self employment schedule that’s easy to access, easy to change, and easy to update in a moment – and leave the White Out in the desk drawer.

There are many free, easy-to-use calendar programs available online. Small calendar programs that fit on a desktop which can be easily updated often come with on-screen reminders, separate to-do lists that are easy to change around, and other fun features that make creating a self employment schedule a snap. These programs can help self employed professionals maintain time frames to get projects completed on time, and let them get a good look at how daily schedules and chores shape up.

Posted by KC Morgan

The Internet is rich with web sites, ads, and online tools that all claim to do the same thing: help you get rich. While obviously these claims might be a little far-fetched, it is possible to make money with online tools. Right now, what’s hot in all the online communities is blogging. Web logs are like online journals on any topic and every topic under the sun. Regular blog posts fill web logs with fresh content, which attracts notice from search engines and visitors. But, until you know how to use online tools, that blog is little more than random text. Use affiliate ads for blogging profits, and turn that text into a money-maker. Affiliate programs are a great way to earn a little money without having to do much work, and can actually help boost page views.

Making money with google adsense is another great way to make money with online tools. Google adsense is one of the most popular online tools, are for good reason: this program works. Learn how to make it work for you, and the Internet will become a veritable gold mine.

Online surveys also offer money-making opportunities, but it’s hard to separate the scams from the legitimate offers. Look for a company that requires no upfront fees, and you’ve probably found one that’s completely legit. Always, always exercise care when using the Internet. Gold mind it may be, but it’s also filled with scams. Don’t give them money! They should give you money, not the other way around. Any site that asks for your hard-earned dollars before giving you work is one that you should avoid.

Learn more about making money from home, and learn how to use online tools to their fullest advantage.

Posted by KC Morgan

The logistics of self employment are simple enough. Professionals work from the comfort of their homes, providing service or doing jobs for clients and customers. When the work gets completed, the paycheck arrives through the mail, paypal, or direct deposit. Right? Wrong. The truth is, not everyone pays when they say they’re going to, or what they say they’re going to. In some worst-case scenarios, self employed professionals never get paid for the work they do at all.

When the money isn’t rolling in, and getting paid with self employment seems like a rare possibility instead of a regular thing, work at home gets a whole lot scarier. What’s a self employed professional to do?

Legally, your work is always yours until money exchanges hands. Even if you’ve signed a contract granting a client the exclusive use of your work, that contract is void until the payment terms outlined therein have been reached. Many times, writing a firm but professional e-mail to non-paying clients produces some results, but in a few cases you’ll get no response. If this happens, just write a follow-up mail stating that you will be taking the project elsewhere and sell it at will to other, paying clients. You will be well within your legal right to do so.

Getting paid with self employment shouldn’t be a headache. Keep records of clients, work submitted, and dates you receive payment. This will give you an idea of which customers are paying on time and which are not. Keep track of what you’re owed and who isn’t paying, and you’ll be able to avoid most payment mishaps in the future.

Posted by KC Morgan

When you start to get better and better at your chosen career, start to make contacts and the jobs come rolling in, everything’s wonderful, right? But when you get better and better, it might be time to re-assess some of those paying jobs you started out with. As you start getting more money for projects, your time becomes more valuable. But you may have worked with an employer for a long time, and it seems disloyal to leave them just because your rates have changed. But, is it? Should you quit a job once your self employed career starts taking off and you’re able to get better-paying gigs?

Knowing when to quit is an important lesson to learn. When the work load is too heavy or the demands of one client get to be too much, it’s time to seriously think about walking away. You might even explain to the employer why you’ve decided to leave – that you’ve learned much more about your craft and your time is getting more valuable. In some cases, they may offer you a raise to keep your services. In other cases, it’s simply time to part ways.

But, don’t quit a gig until you’re sure you’re ready. Can you live without the income? Do you really need the time the job is taking away from you? Carefully assess the situation before deciding to quit. Once a bridge is burned or a job lost, it is much, much harder to put things right again.

Posted by KC Morgan

Scheduling conflicts do arise, even in the rosy world of self employment and work at home. Once you get used to going at your own pace and doing your own thing, it’s hard to make an adjustment when a client or employer tries to pin you down on a time. “We’ll need you to report online promptly at 7am.” No more fiercesome words were ever written over e-mail.

When work at home stops being convenient, scheduling conflicts are blowing an ill wind all across your laid-back, self employment lifestyle. The joy of work at home is that you can design your own work schedule around what’s best for you and your family, so when a new job opportunity throws a wrench into well-laid plans it can throw any professional off.

What do you when scheduling conflicts cut into the time you spend with family, with your pillow (sleeping), and with your other projects? You’re your own boss – and you alone have to make the decision. Whenever there is conflict with your work at home goals, you have to decide which projects to give priority to and which to cancel out. If work at home stops being convenient because of a new gig, you have to ask how much it’s worth to you. If the income is necessary, you'll have to make adjustments. If it’s not, you may want to bypass on the job.

Don’t let scheduling conflicts stress you out. If a work overload is making work at home less convenient, you’ll have to cut back, confront the problem, and figure it out. Remember, with the good of self employment also comes the bad.

Posted by KC Morgan

Changing jobs is always a little nerve-wracking, even scary. It’s hard to leave a job you know and understand - even if you don’t like it, at least you know what to expect. Facing a new job, new environment, new people – it could make anyone hesitant. But facing self employment…well, that’s a whole new job market.

When you get a new job, at least you have some idea of what it will be like. You know when you’re going to get paid, when your benefits start, what those benefits will be. You’ll get this much vacation time, and you’ll know exactly who your boss is. Self employment isn’t like having another job at all. When you’re self employed, you only have yourself.

What could be more frightening than that? You won’t get paid every two weeks – sometimes, you mightn’t get paid at all. Want health insurance? You have to buy individual care and pay for it yourself. The only thing you have to depend on...is you.

But what’s the worst that could happen with self employment? You might fail. Whenever anyone leaps into something brand-new and different, they always risk failure. In the case of self employment, failure means not making any money. No longer having the mans to support yourself. In that case, you feel less self employed and more like someone who’s just out of work. And it can feel more terrible than the failure itself. Facing that is frightening, but that’s the risk that self employed professionals have to take. When you fail at self employment, you really fail.

That’s a lot to deal with. Have a Plan B, an escape route, a way to save yourself. If you think you’re failing, it may be a good idea to bail on self employment for a while. You can always go back to working full time, and focus on self employment efforts in your free time. When you start to succeed at self employment, you can always try it a second time. But if you never face the fear of failure, then you never get the sweet taste of success.

Posted by KC Morgan

All self employed professionals have experienced it. It’s painful, it hurts, it’s confusing. It’s dropped communication, and it happens completely out of the blue. Sometimes, you will respond to and communicate with someone who is looking for a work from home professional like you. You may even complete work for this person, exchange information, sign contracts. And then one day, all of a sudden, they stop talking to you. Payments don’t arrive, assignments don’t come, e-mails go unanswered.

Is there any way to avoid this humiliation and rejection? Learn the art of the follow up letter, and avoid getting swept under a rug of dropped communication. Maintaining a cool, polite, and professional tone often goes a long way toward promoting a response from someone who has inexplicably stopped contacting you for work or payment. The follow up letter (or e-mail) that you send should contain only a few short, direct sentences that promote response.

When writing this letter, start out by re-introducing yourself and stating who you are (“My name is K. C. Morgan, and I am writing to you today to follow up on the project I completed 3-3-07, titled Work From Home.”) Include the date you completed the work and a description or title of the work itself. State that you are following up on this project. End by asking if there is anything else this person needs, or by asking them how they want you to proceed with this project. Often, this sort of simple follow up promotes a response.

Sometimes, it doesn’t. In this case, another follow up letter is definitely in order. Be sure to space your follow up letters and e-mails apart accordingly, waiting at least a few days before sending a second follow up request. Always maintain a cool, professional tone, and keep letters as simple as possible. Fifty percent of the time, the art of the follow up will save you from getting swept under a rug. It’s a good idea to complete regular follow ups with people who don’t respond, just to check in and remind them of who you are. Often, you aren’t being ignored on purpose, and it’s a good idea to put yourself in the forefront again with a follow up. Learn a few tips for writing good letters that will help promote a response.

There will be times when even this procedure does not work, however, and your letters will disappear into a void that never answers back. Even learning the art of the follow up letter doesn’t save you every time, but it can save a lot of projects that might otherwise have been lost.

Posted by KC Morgan

Are you ready for self employment? The only person who knows the answer is you. Before you take the plunge, think about the amount of money you need just to survive. Sometimes, finding work when you’re self employed isn’t easy. A slow work week could really change your whole career outlook, especially when you’re just starting out.

How much do you spend? Add up the cost of monthly bills (an average) and factor in grocery and gas money (these numbers are always higher than what you suspect). The number you’re left with is how much you need to make. …Daunting, isn’t it?

And yes, self employment is scary! You’ll know you’re ready to start building toward your self employment goals when you start running out of time. When you can’t get your regular job and your self employment jobs done at the same time, it’s time to start evaluating. You may be ready to take self-employment full time.

It’s always a good idea to have money saved up for self employment, however. Sometimes, work is slow, and jobs don’t come pouring in. You want to have a back up. If you don’t have any money put away, then you probably aren’t ready for self employment. Remember, you don’t just have to worry about monthly bills – you also have to cover the cost of your own health insurance. This is an expense that prevents many from taking the self employment plunge.

Know what sort of budget you’re working with, and you’ll have a much better idea of when to start self employment as a career. Sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself is not take the plunge. When you start full-time self employment before you’re truly ready, financial burdens can become too big of a strain. Have some support, have some backup, and have a real idea of how much your life actually costs.

Then, you’ll know if you are ready for self employment.

Posted by KC Morgan

In a few short years, Google has become the powerhouse of the Internet. Everyone knows what Google is, and most people have used it for themselves to find things on the Internet. It’s definitely the leading search engine, and everyone with a web site knows what “Google ranking” is. In fact, Google is one of the most popular web sites on the Internet - and that's saying a lot. Google makes a ton of money for itself….but how can Google work for you?

When you know how to use search engines, you can practically rule the online world. These days, content is king on the Internet for only one reason: search engines. And Google is, without a doubt, the King of the search engines. Get a good ranking with Google, and you’re going to get the web traffic you’re looking for. More traffic means more attention to your site, and all of this directly equals cash for your pockets. Google can work for you when you know what Google's users want.

It’s not hard to master keyword usage. Once you learn how often to use your keywords to get the results you want, you’re pretty much ready to go…right? Consider how much more traffic you might get if you use the most popular searched words on Google. Lots of hits can equal lots of cash, and it’s all done with Google (and a few well-place words). Use the keywords that get the most attention, and then your site can be among the frontrunners of big online sites.

Posted by KC Morgan

The good thing about self employment is, there’s no one to tell you what to do. The bad thing about self employment is…well, that there’s no one to tell you what to do. Twelve hour days, three-minute lunch breaks, seven-day work weeks – when you’re the one in charge, you are your own worst enemy. And the scary part is, there often isn’t anyone to stop you from over-taxing yourself.

Many people who start out trying to make self employment work find themselves pushing way too hard for success. Measure your signs of stress to find out if you’re working a little too hard for your own personal well-being.

If it’s hard to focus on your work, if you’re unusually irritable with family and friends, if you find yourself experiencing a short temper, you might be over-stressing yourself. If you feel at odds and stressed out, you aren’t going to produce your best work. You’ll work harder, but see fewer results. In this way, you’ll be defeating yourself.

To relieve stress, learn more about meditation and the health benefits associated with this stress-relieving activity. It’s a good idea to practice some stress-relieving techniques as a matter of course, to keep yourself in good spirits and in a relaxed frame of mind.

Work is difficult, and when you work for yourself it can be very stressful. Ask yourself if you’re working too hard, and don’t be afraid to take a day off every now and then. There’s a reason that most people only work forty hours every week. If you find yourself working too hard most of the time, you might be a workaholic. Take this fun quiz to see if you fit the personality type of a workaholic.

Even when you’re self employed, you deserve to take it easy every now and then. Don’t work so hard that you can’t produce quality results from your effort.

Posted by KC Morgan

Anyone who has dragged themselves out of bed in the morning, grumbled as they drove to the job, and watched the clock painfully throughout the day understands how grim it can be to work at a job you hate. There are some people who cheerily go about their work, who love what they do, who have for the perfect career match. But not everyone knows how to become one of them.

So, how can you find your perfect career match? It’s as easy as knowing yourself, knowing what you love to do. Chances are, there’s some way to turn the hobbies you love into the career you draw your income from. Almost any skill can be parlayed into a career, and the Internet is often the key to advertising your skills and finding those who could make use of them. There is even a market for personal shoppers, assistants, people who can write academic papers - almost anything you can do could become a job.

When your job means doing something you love, you’ll forget what it was like to watch the clock continuously and to hate getting up in the mornings. Loving your job doesn’t always mean loving every aspect of it, but doing what you love sure beats doing what you hate any day. This Valentine’s Day, love yourself enough to look for ways to turn your dream job into your real career.

Posted by KC Morgan

Before trying to make any self-employment, work from home, or business ventures happen, it’s a good idea to have some money saved up for times of lean. Not everyone is lucky enough to become successful right away; it’s much more likely that you’ll have to spend some time building your business up. Have some income ready, so you don’t have to starve waiting for business ideas to take off.

Funding a business is a big deal. Check out the Investment section to see what trends are making it big on the market. Investment is risky, but if you’re willing to take a chance you might come up with some funds for your business. Learn as much as you can before investing – in anything. Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to money and money-making.

You may consider using the equity in your home or other property, though you’ll want to be good and sure about this before taking the leap. Learn more at Mortgages and Loans.

Start small, and spend little. The less you spend in the beginning, the easier it will be to find funding for your business. Don’t try to do everything all at once, but start small and work your way up. Great businesses take years and years to fully blossom.

Posted by KC Morgan

Unfortunately, not everyone does what they say they will do. Someone may contact you for products or services, and then you never hear from them again. You may complete and turn in a big assignment, only to be told it won’t do and get stiffed on a bill. Other times, you may complete a project and never receive any kind of response. The politics of self employment can be rough, especially when you’re faced with certain questions like, “how can I ask for the money I’m owed?” and “why aren’t they getting back to me?”

When you don’t get a response, or you don’t get paid, what are you supposed to do? In some cases, you may have to write some losses off. If you submit something and don’t get a response, write a professional, casual e-mail asking if they received your submission. Continue writing until you receive a response. There will be times when you may never hear from that customer or client again. This is the dark side of the politics of self employment. Sometimes, people don’t write back.

But you have a better chance at getting an answer if you approached the problem with a cool, professional tone. Ask if the materials were received, if there was any problem. If they don’t bring up payment, you should do it first – “when may I expect to receive the agreed-upon payment?” Maintain a calm, businesslike tone.

Staying professional is a good rule of thumb for any conflict between you, the self employed professional, and your clients and customers. As long as you stay professional, they should, too. And if they cross a line, don’t be afraid to correct them. The truth is, you don’t have to play politics in self employment. Just stand up for your rights, and let them know that you are a serious pro.

Posted by KC Morgan

Any job can start to feel like a routine when you’ve been doing it for long enough. Even a job you love can feel a little dull and completely old after enough time passes. But when you get into a rut at work, finding the motivation to make a change can be one of the hardest things to do. How do you make that next step? How do you know what that next step even is?

Sometimes, the best thing to do when you’re in a rut at work is to talk with others. This will provide a valuable resource where you can exchange information and pick up some (very motivating) tips and advice. Hearing how others found their motivation might help you find what you’re looking for, too.

When it all feels like the same old thing, mix it up a little. Check out this money challenge and learn how to turn bad spending habits into money-making ones instead. Having a little extra cash is always a get way to get out of a rut .

Don't let work weigh you down and pull you under. Find the motivation (and the support) to make the change, and make it happen.

Posted by KC Morgan

Want to make 2007 the year of your self-employment success? With a little hard work, you can make it happen. Being ready for self employment is as easy as saving up some money, finding some work, and taking the plunge.

Is it as easy as it sounds? Well…that all depends on how badly you want to experience self employment, and make money from home. Learn more about how you can save money in the New Year, and get yourself on track for success in 2007. Budgeting is a big part of successful self employment.

When you know how to make money online, you make self employment happen. Find work through job boards, and put your own advertisements out there to generate interest in your services or skills. If you want it, you have to grab it. Take advantage of all the resources, tips, and advice that are availble for you right here at Self Employment. Want a new job for the New Year? You’ve got the power to make it happen.

Posted by KC Morgan

The trick to sticking out a New Year’s resolution is in making one that you know you can keep. If you decide to lose weight, for instance, but don’t really feel motivated to do anything to lose weight, then your resolution is probably going to fail. They aren’t magic spells – they’re like promises, and they only work if you work on them.

Learn how to start the New Year right by using resources available online. There’s a whole world of support out there, for those that need a little outside motivation. To get yourself in the right mindset to create New Year’s resolutions you can keep, take a look at this goal setting guide.

The perfect New Year’s resolution is one that means a little something to you – the one that sets a goal you hope to achieve, and want to work on. When you want it, you can make it happen.

Posted by KC Morgan

When food is so readily available, it’s hard to stick to any sort of diet plan. Add to this the chemistry of holiday leftovers, cookies, candies, and other assorted food-related goodies and you’re facing the impossible after-holiday problem: sticking to a diet.

The holidays are over. You’re in the house alone, working on your latest project. Hunger beckons you to the kitchen, where a veritable smorgasbord of fattening treats await. How do you choose a leafy green salad over leftover ham? How do you keep yourself from devouring the cookies, and turning instead to the celery? When hunger decrees that you eat, the enjoyment of food seems a small price to pay in the moment. It’s only later, when we look in the mirror, that we say “I gotta go on a diet.” But when the moment of truth arrives, the cookies and the ham usually win out.

Learn how to loose the pounds and control calories whether you work at home or just can't seem to lay off the goodies. Get more tips for losing weight, and pick up some new recipes to try. After all, soon enough it'll be swimsuit season. We all need a little help to get through the after-holiday dieting craze. Staying slim and working at home doesn't have to be impossible...it's just a little more difficult than we'd all like.

Posted by KC Morgan

When you get back to work after a few days off, especially during the holiday season, you might feel slow, sluggish, and uninspired. Too much ham and holiday hooplah has that effect on people, so you aren’t the only one. It’s hard to get back into a humdrum work routine after holiday enjoyment. So, how do you kick-start yourself after the vacation that is the holiday season?

Make a list. Making to-do lists is often the salvation of the self-employed professional. Keeping thoughts organized, and keeping yourself on track, is much easier when you have a point-by-point list to follow. This will help you get right back into the swing of working.

Start small. Don’t overwhelm yourself with lots of projects right after enjoying a few days off. Giving yourself too much to do will make you feel tired, overworked, and will lower your productivity. Start with little projects, complete them, and work your way up. Get back into self-employed goals slowly.

Posted by KC Morgan

For the best in gift-giving holiday self-help, check out the technology section, which provides info on all those gizmos and gadgets that everyone wants. Stuffing stockings always seems like the hardest part of Christmas, until it’s all said and done. Then, you get a great feeling of accomplishment as you watch lights dance off packages of red and green.

But then come the holiday get-togethers. Getting through the holiday season unscathed seems almost impossible when family get-togethers are on the horizon. Spending time with your family, spending time with your spouse’s family, the office parties and the traffic – holiday self-help is definitely in order to get through these traumas. To learn how to deal with the best in holiday hoop-lah (and your in-laws), check out the partners and parents section.

It’s hard getting through the holidays alone. Learn the tips, tricks, and devious schemes that will help you get through the season unscathed.

Posted by KC Morgan

The Internet, which seems to make everything possible, has opened up a whole new world of freelance work to those wishing to start a work from home career. If you’ve ever wanted to become a freelance writer, now is the time. Internet content is highly in demand, and that means good writers are a valuable commodity.

If you can research a topic and write concise, clear statements about it, then you might be able to start a work from home career and become a freelance writer, too. Self employment as a freelancer means making your own hours and choosing your own jobs. If you don’t know where to start, start here. Suite101 is always hiring freelance writers, and it’s a great way to get started with a work from home career.

Learn how to write for 101, or learn more about freelance writing in general with the Freelance Writers section. Write for us at Home and Garden, Social Issues, Technology, Sports, or Travel and Culture. Read Christmas Survival Tips for holiday season career advice.

Starting a work from home career is all about finding the work. The sooner you start looking, the sooner you can become a freelance writer and enjoy self employment.

Posted by KC Morgan

Knowing when to take the plunge and become totally reliant upon your own self employed efforts is the hardest decision to make. Self employment is not something you should jump into, but plan for. Is it one of those things that “you just know”?

Usually, no, it’s not. Some of us may tend to be more cautious, holding off on taking the plunge into self employment. Others will be ready to jump in, feet first, without thinking twice. There’s no specific guideline for when to start your self employment fully.

The trick is in knowing how to evaluate yourself. Making self employment goals means making realistic goals that you know you can meet, and one of your most important goals will be becoming fully self employed. Evaluating yourself for self employment means realistically evaluating how much you spend and how much you make through self employed efforts. One should be higher than the other – you know which.

Don’t do it if you can’t afford it. Evaluating yourself and your spending habits can be very difficult to do, but it’s something you have to face before you take the big step into total self employment. Check out these free business e-books to get some free tools, and know When to Quit.

Posted by KC Morgan

No matter how successful your self employment may be, every holiday season your family somehow makes you feel inferior because you have the luxury of working from home. Bolder family members may even ask you how much you make, and other invasive questions.

They’re your family – so what do you do? The holidays would seem a little less bright if you told them off or primly said, “It’s not really any of your business.” You don’t want to reduce the discussion at the table to “pass the green beans” and “ready for dessert?” So you bite your tongue, you smile, and you patiently explain – again – the nature of your self employment.

Answering all their holiday season questions usually lasts through at least the first hour of the family holiday get-together. When you feel like you’re being put on the spot and you’re wishing the holidays were over so you could escape, your family and your self employment aren’t seeing each other eye-to-eye.

How do you get them on the same page? Or at least, get them off your back so you can enjoy your turkey? Every time they ask you an invasive question, smile, take another bite, and turn the tables on them. They’ll get the hint, and you won’t have to go out of your way to put them in their place. If they try to press you, just shrug, smile, and say “that would be telling, now, wouldn’t it?” And wink.

Let them wonder what you mean for the rest of the evening.

Posted by KC Morgan

“I can always do that later.” “I’ll get back to it after this movie’s over.” “I’ll look into it right after dinner.” Sometimes, self employment is too relaxed. And when you get too relaxed, you get lax. What does that mean?

That the work doesn’t get done. When you notice yourself falling behind, or working extra hard two or three days out of the week and doing much less on other days, you may have self employmentitis. This is a condition that results in having too much freedom with your time.

When it comes to making your own hours, it’s a little too tempting to go astray. So what if you slack off? You’re the boss, after all.

The only trouble is, when you have trouble making your own hours work for self employment, then you’re having trouble making self employment work for you. In order to make money, you have to get the work done.

For tips on how making your own hours can get a whole lot easier, learn how to Get Organized at Work.

Sometimes, you’re not having trouble making you own hours or finding time. Sometimes, you can get into a self employment slump and your creative juices stop flowing. Read the Creative Writing discussion for tips on getting your gears back into motion.

Posted by KC Morgan

When you start looking at self employment as a job instead of what you love, you’re not having enough fun with it. Put some play in your work day.

You get up, you go to the office. You grouse about the junk in your e-mail inbox and you start thinking about the projects you have to do that day. If you start looking at the clock and thinking about quitting time, you’ve got a problem. After all, self employment is supposed to be fun. It’s what you love to do, right?

Here’s one of the perks of self employment: you don’t have to work like you’d work for someone else. You can take hour long lunches, thirty minute breaks, you can pause what you’re doing and surf the ‘Net. If you really need to take a break, you can even play a game. After all, you are your own boss.

And no one is a more strict taskmaster. So take a break every now and then and simply enjoy the fact that you’re self employed. You can slack off, but don’t fall too far behind. For more on-the-job fun (whether you’re self employed or otherwise), check out Workplace Culture, where you can learn Creative Ways to Get Fired, among other things. For more resources for the self employed, take a look at Entrepreneurs.

Posted by KC Morgan

Though self employment can seem a little lonely, it’s actually one of the hot career paths to pursue. As the Internet opens up whole new worlds, self employment rises. In fact, you may be surprised to learn just how many other self employed professionals there are out there.

According to some of the most recent reports done by the US Census Bureau (an organization that does nothing but compile statistics so that people like me can talk about them), self employment experienced a huge growth rate (5.7%) between 2002 and 2003. This brought the number of self employed professionals up to 18.6 million – and that’s a lot.

You definitely aren’t alone when you’re working alone, if the job is self employment. As more and more explore the world of self employment and the numbers continue to rise, more possibilities open to self employed professionals. Internet and real estate markets are especially hot for those wishing to pursue the path of the self employed.

Does geography play a factor? It’s true that self employment, no matter what the field, can be done pretty much anywhere. But if you’re wondering which state leads the pack for self employed persons, in 2003 it was Nevada (which one assumes is due to the high level of professional gamblers in the area), followed closely by Arizona as the fastest-growing state in terms of the number of self employed persons.

After crunching the numbers, it’s evident that there’s a whole lot of us out there.

Posted by KC Morgan

“Send cover letter and resume” is commonly included at the end of every single advertisement for employment, even jobs that are primarily used for self-employment. If the query letter isn’t good, no one’s going to bother reading the self-employed resume you’ve worked so hard on. Getting your resume out there depends on the strength of the query letter that you attach it to.

The first rule of the query letter is the one that most people ignore: short and sweet is better. Never forget this. No one, least of all a potential employer who is likely combing through dozens of emails like yours, has the time to read a two-page letter about how great you are. Keep it short.

Start with an introduction and a brief explanation of why you’re writing (i.e. I saw your ad on the Internet). Briefly highlight your experience in the job you’re applying to, then finish up with a good closing. For example, “I’m interested in learning more about this project. You will find my current resume attached, and my contact information has been listed below.” Always thank your reader at the end of the query letter. They’ve taken the time to read it, so say thank you.

Read Don’ts for Query Letters and learn to avoid common mistakes. And remember, the query letter is only a small part of self-employment marketing. Read this blog to learn more.

Posted by KC Morgan

Mom wakes up promptly at dawn every day. Dad is getting ready for another day at the office with his customary good cheer (meaning he’s grumbling under his breath and any second will start complaining about the weather). The baby’s crying, and the two-year-old already has the TV turned on in the next room.

After Dad’s off to work, Mom spends her day at the usual pursuits of keeping the toddler under control (a task that seems better suited to an entire team of professionals, not just one tired woman) and feeding the baby every four hours…or else. In-between feedings, changings, and answering endless questions (“Because I said so!”), Mom tries to get some of the laundry done and almost forgets to unthaw the hamburger for dinner. By the time she gets the chance to sit down (for the first time that day), Dad is already coming up the front walk and looking like he’s had another rough day at the office.

At what point, in all of this, does Mom have the chance to surf the Internet for work at home job opportunities? Being a stay at home Mom is very often a full-time job already, nevermind taking care of additional work responsibilities. If you’re a Mom that truly feels she does have some extra time, though, think about how much of a workload you can realistically handle. The key to finding success as a work at home mom is in not biting off more than you can chew.

Posted by KC Morgan

When you want to be self-employed, and make yourself a good income doing so, at some point you will have to find freelance gigs. Many companies will not need your services and/or products all of the time, and periodically search for freelancers to take on some of their work load. For the self employed professional, freelance work can be very lucrative and sometimes, necessary.

Doing freelance gigs can be fun, too. It's a good way to do something different, take on new assignments that you wouldn't otherwise be working on. Freelance work that you perform can also be added to your self employed resume as a way to highlight your versatility. Freelance work can help you make money, expand your expertise, and give you something fun and different to work on (even self employment can become tedious in time when you do the same things over and over again).

The only trouble is, where do you find these freelance gigs? Check out some of the articles and information for writers at Reading and Writing to learn where to find freelance gigs and new customers.

Major job boards contain listings for freelance professionals literally every day. Whether you're a freelance writer, graphic designer, consultant, or another type of freelance professional, check out major job boards for freelance gigs. Make sure to include "freelance" in the search string to return the results that will apply to you.

There are a huge variety of freelance-specific job boards on the Internet. For writing, transcription, graphic design, even typing gigs, check out Freelance Jobs. Some of these job boards will require you to “bid” on projects. I do not recommend these boards. There are many, completely free, job boards for self employed professionals that do not require you to sign up for anything or bid on jobs you’d like to have. This is where your focus should lie.

Posted by KC Morgan

A resume for a self employed person is no different than any other resume in the business world. When you know how to self evaluate, you can write an attention-grabbing resume that will look great to potential customers and clients. Even when you’re self employed, you need a good resume to help further your business goals.

The question is, how to self evaluate? Think about your past educational and job experiences. Did you take a typing class in school, shop, or computer lab? Did you work with office equipment in past employment endeavors? Do you know how to work with computers, fax machines, the Internet? All of these are salable skills, and all will look good on your self employed resume.

When you’re working on a self evaluation, it’s important to think about your future business and self employment goals. Cite your objectives on your resume, and list any special qualifications or skills you may have. What are your strengths? Find a way to highlight them. What are your weaknesses? Know what they are and if necessary, mention that you are working on improving yourself in these areas – and work toward that goal. When you know how to improve yourself in weaker areas, your entire self employed resume becomes stronger.

Know how to self evaluate and learn your own strengths and weaknesses. Once you know what they are, you can highlight strengths and turn weak areas into strong ones.

Posted by KC Morgan

Everyone handles stress differently, and being stressed because of work concerns is familiar territory. Even when you work from home or work for yourself, work can still be stressful. When you’re self employed and still stressful, how do you handle it?

Because your finances and your self employment are all one, stress happens. Some deals fall through; others are just not what you thought. Money matters and financial concerns stress a lot of us out, and this is one facet of self employment that isn’t all fun and games. The key to dealing with self employment stress is through maintaining a healthy attitude.

Understand where your stress is coming from. Are you worried about finding work, making money, the possibility of going back to working for someone else? Knowing what is stressing you out is important – how else can you make that stress go away? Then, you can re-adjust your thinking and reduce stress. If you need to find more work, get on Internet job boards. Find new job boards through search engines. There are many freelancing opportunities available for those wishing to pursue self employment. Spend some time and look for new work every day, or every other day. You <b>will</b> find something. Having more work means more money, which will help to greatly reduce stress. Find how to change what stresses you, and change it. Confront your stress and deal with it, and it will go away.

To learn more about stress, read What is Stress?.

Posted by KC Morgan

A new laptop. Office furniture. A cell phone with all the gadgets. A digital camera. Sometimes, you get to the point in your self employment when it's time for an upgrade. Things are going well, you've started to turn a profit, but you're sure you just can't go further without some new self employment tools.

But can you justify the big purchase that you want to make? Because I can always learn how to justify spending any amount of money, I can help you with this aspect of self employment as well. For starters, anything specific you buy for your business (the business of being self employed) can become a tax write-off. The new laptop, the furniture, even some of your electric bill can all be written off as business expenses, because you're self employed and an independent contractor.

Isn't self employment grand? But it's not as easy as it sounds! First, you have to have the money to buy the new tools you crave. Then, you have to be able to afford that purchase until next Spring. Listen, you can't get a tax break until you've turned in your taxes. So be frugal, but don't be afraid to buy yourself things that you think you need. If you know it will help your business and you can afford it, make the upgrade. You'll get a tax break, eventually, and in the meantime you can improve your business.

Consider it another perk of being self employed.

Posted by KC Morgan

Sometimes, self employment stings. You decide to take the plunge into self employment, and it starts to go well. Money comes in, bills go out. You pay for the expenses of living, you continue to eat well, you laugh your way to the bank and tell everyone what a cool job you've got. Then...things go downhill. You lose a big client. You can't find new work. Your bank account runs on empty. Gas prices just get higher. Your computer breaks down. The roof leaks. You break a tooth. What do you do when self employment stings?

The first rule of self employment is to live within your means. You can't always go on living the way you lived before self employment. The road to financial success never runs smooth, and self employment isn't always easy. You may need to cut back. You only have as much money as you made on your last self employment job. Tomorrow, your biggest buyer could disappear. Always be on the lookout for new work, and always be ready for the rug to be pulled out from under you.

This way, you won't be at all surprised if this is what happens. Self employment can be insecure. Always market yourself, always find new work, always try to keep customers happy. Be ready to do some cutting back and scaling down, so you'll always live within your means. Read more at Personal Budgeting.

Posted by KC Morgan

In self employment, your efforts directly reflect your income. Having an "off day" might result in a serious loss of money. And let's face it: none of us wants to lose any income. Staying mentally sharp helps you keep your focus, so that you won't slack off when it comes to self employment. Remember, when you're the boss milking the clock is just a bad idea.

Learn how to exercise your mental fitness, which will help you with staying mentally sharp. After all, being unsuccessful at self employment means you may have to go back to working for someone else - and you definitely don't want that. Mental Exercise, Mental Fitness offers lots of great advice.

Posted by KC Morgan

So, Friday afternoon, after a lazy morning, I decided it was finally time to get some work done. A very organized person, I keep daily check lists so that I can be sure to get everything done, all assignments turned in on time. The secret to my self employment is in writing everything down.

I settled myself before my computer and turned it on.

Nothing. A clicking. No life on the screen.

Unfortunately for me, my computer had gone through a meltdown - and right before a holiday weekend. When it comes to self employment and your computer, you simply can't have one without the other - not in this day and age. I was terrified. I was frantic!

I was in a whole lot of trouble. I've learned, quite by accident, that it's a good idea to have an emergency plan in place. Technology fails, computers go kaput, and self employment waits for no machine. Know where you can access a computer to complete self employment goals, know what you're going to do if a piece of equipment fails. Know how to get through a problem like mine.

Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

Posted by KC Morgan

When budgets fail, self employment can get a little scary. Even those with the best-laid plans can find themselves in a financial struggle from time to time. Money transfers take longer than expected, clients don't pay on time, and unexpected expenses come out of nowhere. When you need to make a quick buck because the bills are due, one of the best things you can do to make some extra cash is to hold a yard sale.

It isn't as easy as it sounds. You want to use your yard sale to generate a good bit of money, so plan carefully and arrange salable items attractively. De-junking Your House is filled with tips and information about where to find stuff to sell, and is a pre-yard sale must-read.

Yard sales are a great way to generate a little bit of money while you wait for you self employment checks to start rolling in, but yard sales cannot be relied upon all the time to pick you up out of a financial rut. If your budget repeatedly fails and your incoming payments are habitually late, think about setting aside some money into a savings account. This will give you something to fall back on when money is lean.

Posted by KC Morgan

Self employment can be a very rewarding career path to pursue. However, self employment is also a road filled with ups and downs. There are times when business is down, when people don't pay on time, when you struggle. But there will also be times when business is booming. How can you prepare for the ups, the downs, and everything in-between?

To learn more about keeping a tight self employment budget, which will help you make ends meet even when the money isn't flowing in, read more at Personal Budgeting. Using the information you gather here, you'll learn all you need to know when it comes to budgeting and keeping finances on track.

When you're self employed, you are essentially running a business. You have to maintain your bottom line and keep the money flowing in to cover the expenses going out. To learn more about the ins and outs of every day business, check the out Business Management section.

As a self employed professional, you will become an independent contractor, an entrepreneur, for tax purposes. You'll have to keep track of your business expenses and purchases, and records of your income. To learn the details of being a self employed professional, read tips at the Entrepreneurs section.

Posted by KC Morgan

When you work in an office, taking a day off means that some things might not get filed, a deposit doesn't get made, a meeting goes unattended. When you work from home and you take a day off, it means work piles up.

When you get back to working again, the pile can be so huge that suddenly, you're overwhelmed. Even when you work from home, even when you're self-employed, you can't escape stress. Learn how to make time budgeting work for you so that work doesn't threaten to overtake you.

If you need a day off, then take one - but prepared to work twice as hard the next day around. Keep lists of things to do, so that you can check off completed tasks and visibly see yourself making a dent in your workload. Focusing on one small task at a time gives you a sense of accomplishment, and keeps you from looking at the big picture that seems filled with work.

Work from home can be enjoyable as long as you maintain some sort of schedule and budget your time. Give yourself some quiet time to work when you can, and you'll find that you get a lot more accomplished. Focus not on the big picture, but break your day down into several smaller tasks that are easy to complete. Take things slowly, and soon you'll find that you've finished your day's work early.

Learn how to use time budgeting to make work from home, work for you.

Posted by KC Morgan

The fact of self employment is, if you have a bad day or something goes wrong, then you're completely on your own. There's no one else to talk to about it, and no one to ask for help. Self employment can get very lonely and at times, very hectic. Working alone also means that there's no help, and self employment can put a lot of pressure on your shoulders.

How do you manage stress when you work from home as a self employed professional? Sometimes, the best thing to do is simply take a break and walk away for a little while. Self employment and working from home also means there's no boss hanging over your shoulder, so you get to decide when it's time to take a rest. Do something to get your mind off work, even if it's only for fifteen minutes.

And every so often, treat yourself so that self employment stress doesn't weight you down. Take a midday break and go shopping, go out to eat, do something extra special. After all, you work alone, so why not take an extended lunch every once in a while?

To manage stress, simply give yourself a break. Turn off the computer, turn off the phone, and turn off your mind. Just relax. When you go back to your work, you'll have fresher eyes and a clear head. That goes a long way toward fixing any problems you may be having in work.

Posted by KC Morgan

In self-employment, 90% of the time your income is going to come to you in a gross amount, with no taxes taken out. Even for work at home positions, companies will often hire employees on an "independent contractor" basis.

An independent contractor is someone who works with a company but who really works for themselves, meaning that the company does not put the person on the payroll or give them a regular paycheck with taxes taken out.

In self-employment, work from home jobs, or being an independent contractor, it all means the same thing: you have to claim all income taxes yourself. You will have to claim all of your income with the federal government, as per the law. Because you will not have taxes taken out of your checks as you receive them, you will no doubt end up owing money for taxes when Spring comes.

This is a gruesome fact of self-employment. There are ways to keep yourself from going broke paying out taxes, however. If you work from home, you can get a tax break on the electricity you use, your phone bill, the cost of office supplies, etc. Anything you have to pay our for your business, save the receipt. This will make tax time a lot easier.

And most importantly, consult with a tax professional when it comes to doing your self-employment, or independent contractor, taxes. They will help you pay the smallest amount back to Uncle Sam.

Posted by KC Morgan

Web sites can be used to generate a lot of money, through online selling and even ad revenue. But in order to make those profits, you have to learn how to rope in visitors. When it comes to the Internet, word of mouth and search engines have to be your best friends if you want high traffic. To learn more about all matters technical, check out the Technical section.

Creating your own web site is not the only way to bring in income from the Internet. Online auction sites, like E-bay, can also be used to bring money for your pockets. Internet buying, selling, and trading is huge right now, and more popular than ever. If you've got the gift of commerce, you can learn how to use auction sites to trade items you no longer need for much-needed cash, or items that you can re-sell for a fine profit.

You don't have to be a technical whiz to make money from the Internet. It's a skill that anyone can learn, but the best way to learn is to dive right in. Surf around a little, familiarize yourself with the Internet, and find out what sites get the best rankings with the search engines. The only way to learn more about the Internet is to check it out, for yourself.

Posted by KC Morgan

The poll results are in, and most of our readers are interested in work from home jobs that focus on writing skills. For work from home writing jobs, you are definitely in the right place - because this happens to be my obsession.

Writing to generate a good income while working from home sounds great, but in truth this requires a lot of hard work and commitment. Get acquainted with writing job boards, and learn how to use them. For some helpful tips, check out Job Hunting Tips.

The most important aspect of writing is to get your name out there. Submit, submit, and submit again - because eventually, you will get a positive reply. All writers, however, do have to deal with their fair share of rejection. To learn more, read further at Dealing With Rejection.

It's true that anyone can work from home, but not everyone can keep up the amount of work and pure perseverance required to make their work from endeavor a success. To learn more about work from home and the latest poll conducted in this section, read the latest self employment article.

Posted by KC Morgan

Though they're much harder to find than the sites that are nothing more than Internet scams, anyone can find real work from home opportunities with a little hard work and effort. Once you know what not to look for, your odds of success at finding work from home begin to look much better.

To learn how to avoid Internet scams, read Internet Scams to Avoid in this section. Those interested in self employment and real work from home opportunities can find a good level of success in the field of academic writing. You don't have to have a degree to do academic writing, just a flair for research and a good ability to follow strict formatting rules.

Work from home opportunities often come in the form of typing, transcription, and making calls to clients. There are many web sites that look for professionals in these fields. Look for "work from home" and "data entry" or "research" or whatever you think your strengths are, and you'll find opportunities. Some of these will be scams!

But some of them, will not.

Posted by KC Morgan

When you reach the point in your self employment where the work load demands that you hire staff to help you with your work, congratulate yourself. Your home based business is booming, you are expanding, and you are definitely firmly established as a self employed professional.

Which means you have to start paying like one. Most employees will not work for free, and even friends and family members will no doubt want special breaks or deals. Being self employed means taking care of your own financial needs without the help of others, but it can also mean caring for others' financial needs.

As if working for yourself wasn't hard enough already! But paying your employees doesn't have to break you, or be the ruination of your home based business. Keeping a careful eye on your budget, and knowing what you can afford to pay, will help safeguard you against draining your self employment resources. Know what you can afford, and keep a steady eye on your income flow. If you reach a point where you are paying out more money than what is coming in, it may be time to re-evaluate your home based business and the cost of your staff.

For tips, tools, and advice on budgeting, check out the Personal Budgeting section.

Posted by KC Morgan

Today, it seems like everyone is online. You can buy, sell, trade, research, and find almost anything you could name by using the Internet. So how can you use the Internet to bring in business for yourself?

If customers can't find you online, you're in a pretty bad position. You want your web site to get a high ranking in the search engines, or else you won't get visitors. Search engines look for the following things:

- Keywords within content

- Links

- Relevancy of content with keywords

The keywords that you use are very important. Think about what customers might type in a search engine to find your business. Make a list of all these words, and then write content using these words. The content you have on your site is very important, because search engines won't be fooled by keywords that are nonsensically repeated in text strings. You want good content, because not only will your site rank better with the search engines, but it will impress your potential customers more. To learn more about the Internet, check out the Internet section.

Be sure to display information about you and your business, as well as product and services information. Graphics and bright colors that are pleasing to viewers are much needed, as well. You want your site to have a great design, to stand up against (and outdo) the competition. To learn more about web site design, read Web Design Made Easy.

Posted by KC Morgan

Risking it all to become self-employed can be a very good experience. Self-employed professionals learn a lot about themselves within the first year of self-employment - and not all of it is positive.

Self-employment is scary because you have nothing but yourself and your own resources to fall back on. When the money doesn't come in, you may not get to eat. Even with a great budget, self-employment can bring periods where you see no money coming in at all.

Should you save up for your self-employment before you ever take the big step and become a self-employed professional?

In most cases, it is probably a good idea to have a little bit of money to fall back on in case of times of lean, if nothing else than for peace of mind. However, if this simply isn't possible then don't assume that you're doomed to failure. If it makes you feel better, then save up. It's a little safer this way and will help you out when the money doesn't roll in.

To read more about budgeting for self-employment, read Your Self-Employment Budget.

Posted by KC Morgan

When day-to-day hassles and responsibilities get in the way, it's hard to work on plans and ideas for the future. You can't expand your business if you barely have enough time to take care of the business matters you already have. And you thought self employment would give you more time!

How do you make time when you seem to have no time? First, figure out your routine. What do you have to do every day, what do you end up doing every day anyway, and what do you spend the most time on? Try to set aside one "errand" day, if you can, to take care of all chores that need to be done away from your home office. When you work from home, being at home is important - so try to get as much "away from home" things taken care of during the weekends or on "free" days you give yourself.

Learn how to juggle your time between work and chores, this is the key to time-management. Once it's all in front of you in black and white what you need to do and you know roughly how much of your day those things might take, you can shift and bend your schedule to best suit your needs. For time-management tips, read Prioritize Your Workload.

Posted by KC Morgan

Today, there are many choices for your potential customer to make. You want consumers to feel that they can get something from your business that they can get nowhere else.

No customer wants to think that they're just another sale, someone without a face or a name, a credit card with no body. Treat your customers like treasured friends. Know who they are, what services or products they're purchasing. Even if your business is strictly online, you can get to know a little something about the people shopping around on your site simply through their purchases.

If you want them to come back for more, then encourage it. Send out coupons, ads, and notices. Be friendly to customers and let them know who you are, so that they are no longer dealing with a company but with a person. It will make a lot of difference to people who are buying from you if they feel they have a true human connection - and it will make you and your business much more attractive.

If a customer feels they have a personal connection, they will come back. Everyone is trying to offer great products and good customer service to your customers. Personalize the experience. This will set you apart from the others in your field, it will make customers feel good, and it will definitely bring repeat and future business. To read more about satisfying customers (even difficult ones), check out The Customer Still Isn't Right.

Posted by KC Morgan

Self employment can be very scary and insecure at times, but in most cases the benefits outweigh the risk. The joy of working for yourself and being your own boss cannot be compared to any other feeling - expect perhaps owning your own business. However, self-employment and owning a business are two sides of the same coin, and one pretty much goes with the other. Suppose you have everything you need for self-employment...except that great business idea. What do you do?

You have drive. You have determination. You have ambition. You have dreams, and you even have some money saved up, all in the hopes of beginning your self-employment in the near future. When you have everything else, how important is that big business idea?

Ideas can make, and break, business. However, if you don't even have an idea to begin with, you don't have much of a beginning. But being self employed can be about many things that don't require you to have creative genius. Sometimes, that big idea just doesn't hit - but that doesn't mean that you can't still be self-employed.

Anyone with talent or skill can become self employed with a little bit of drive, determination, and ambition. Good at typing? You can become self-employed by using that skill. Sewing, cooking, even organizing - anything that you do well can be your springboard into self-employment. Chances are, you've already got many skills that would be valuable to someone else. Read A Salary for Stay-at-Home Moms for more ideas and information.

Posted by KC Morgan

The most recent self-employment poll conducted in our section shows that readers work best only as their already busy schedules allow. Many readers feel most comfortable working when the house is quiet and they are alone. Many readers have the most trouble with managing their time.

It's important to have a schedule, or a plan, in mind when it comes to your self-employed career. Know what your daily routine is, or try to work into a daily routine, to have more time to devote to your self-employment pursuits.

You are the only one who knows how you work best, so work out a schedule to maximize the time that you have. You know your strengths and weaknesses, and you know what sort of working environment you prefer. Only you can make it happen.

To read about facing your fears and taking the plunge into self-employment, read Facing Your Fears.

Posted by KC Morgan

Gaining the support of your family and friends is essential to the self-employed professional. Being self-employed is a big step, and it can be pretty scary. Without support of family and friends, being self-employed is even more difficult. So how do you convince them that your ideas are great, and get the much-needed encouragement you need?

Involve them. Involving your friends in your self-employment decisions is actually a big help. Your friends are the only ones who are going to tell you the truth about most things, anyway, and just hearing them say that your ideas are good is a big help. In fact, involve them as much as possible. Get them to put up flyers, to spread the word, to use their contacts. If they feel that they're somehow involved in your business future, they're going to lend a lot more support to your self-employment goals.

Talk to your friends. Tell them what your long-term plans are, what you want your self-employment to be like, how you're going to make it all happen. They will not only be able to point out any faults in your plan, which can help you, but they will also be able to tell you what's good about your plan. Getting feedback from another person is invaluable when you're self-employed, because we aren't always the best judges of ourselves.

To learn more about gaining the support of family, read Involving Family.

Posted by KC Morgan

The self employment section's recent poll suggests that most of our readers are either already self-employed or interested in becoming self employed very soon. This shows that even those who live the dream of self-employment are interested in learning more about the day-to-day aspects of employing themselves.

Another recent poll conducted by the Business & Finance section suggests that you're most interested in learning about how to get support from family/friends on becoming an entrepreneur, how to face fear and take the plunge into starting self-employment, and how to come up with/evaluate a business idea.

Because of the latest poll results, the above are the next topics we'll discuss in the self-employment section. Please feel free to contribute to our Discussions to talk about these topics more in-depth. The latest article in self-employment focuses on the importance of confidence in self-employment.

Posted by KC Morgan

Becoming self employed isn't as dangerous or as scary as it sounds. The Internet, the best friend of the self-employed professional, can be your key to becoming your own boss. Literally thousands of web sites offer work-from-home opportunities that will allow you to bring in some much-needed revenue, the first step to becoming self employed. Until you're making money, you just aren't working. If you're bringing in some income, then you are officially a self-employed professional.

While there are plenty of opportunities to work at home by using the Internet, there are also plenty of ways to make residual income using the 'Net. To learn more about residuals, read The Secret of Residuals. Residual income is money that can be earned through little to no work. And yes, it is as easy as it sounds.

If you have your own web site, you can use it to make money for yourself. Banner exchanges are bigger than ever before, and not only increase traffic to your site but also help put money in your pocket. Affiliate programs are offered by thousands of sites on the Internet, and these programs are a great way to earn extra cash. Learn more at the Internet blog.

Posted by KC Morgan

Being a stay-at-home mom is an incredibly difficult task that requires tolerance, patience, and skills in a variety of fields. Every stay-at-home mom is an experienced nurse, counselor, and manager - to name just a few of the things that they do every day. Even harder than being a stay-at-home mom is the job of being a work at home mom, or WAHM.

While it is not impossible, it is hard to do (perhaps not as hard as motherhood). There is a huge support system in the online community for work at home moms. Any Internet search will produce hundreds of web sites offering links, chat, and information about business opportunities and jobs for work at home moms.

Moms might find opportunities that are as simple as surfing the web or talking on the phone. Even writing about experiences as a mother can bring in extra income, as many sites are looking for first-person accounts of working motherhood. Professional writers can hardly compete with work at home moms in their own field.

Many sites are dedicated to the purpose of the work at home mom, and moms can gather information about job opportunities and read stories of other women who have succeeded. Any mom who can create crafts or foodstuffs could reasonably start her very own online business, instead of going through another company, and there are many online resources to help moms get started if that's a goal. For more information about running an online business, check out the small/home business section.

Posted by KC Morgan

Anyone who has ever come up with a creation or invention has pondered the necessity of copyrighting their materials. Copyrights apply to writing of all kinds - slogans, songs, poems, short stories, greeting cards. Every single copyright that is taken out by any individual is on file with the Library of Congress. And yes, they are extremely important.

Without a copyright, your writing isn't yours. Even if you are published, no matter what your material may be, nine times out of ten the copyrighting expense will fall on your shoulders. You created it, you pay to copyright it, and that's probably as it should be. The process is simple and forms can be printed out, courtesy of the Library of Congress, on your home computer. A fee is paid, a copy of the work given, and six weeks later you've got the copyright in your legal name. The rules aren't so hard and fast in an Internet medium, not all the time, but if you want to have complete legal control over your writing then take out a copyright. Any company or publisher you sell your writing to will usually have their own information and standards that apply to the copyright in their contracts. A logo, an image, a design, trademarks generally apply to artwork, and the same is true for trademarks.

It is important, especially when it comes to earning residual income, that you protect your rights. To be sure you earn all that you deserve, protect your materials legally.

Posted by KC Morgan

Only forty percent of family owned businesses survive to the second generation (Boston Globe, May 4, 2003), and the numbers only get smaller for succeeding generations. Just spending the holidays with your family can seem like an unbearable pain, so why would anybody want to work with their family every day?

Actually, there is no better resource than family to the entrepreneur. Once you've tried self-employment and found out you can make it a real success, there will come a point in time when you need a little extra help to get the job done. It's preferred that business pick up and that you have so many demands you can hardly fill them all, but it does mean you might have to take on some help. The closest people at hand are literally going to be your immediate family, then your extended family and friends.

It only makes sense that you would go to them first. In most cases, it is a lot easier to trust family than strangers - especially if your business is in your home. Also, your immediate family is already going to have a personal stake invested in your business, because your success is their success. A close family member will work hard with you towards a shared goal. To learn more stats and information about this topic, read A Working Family?

Posted by KC Morgan

Wouldn't it be fantastic to walk out of your job tomorrow? To tell your boss "see you later" and smile as you wave good-bye on your way out of the door? It sounds great, and it's a fantasy that many of us have entertained, but unless you win the lottery tonight that probably isn't going to happen.

When early retirement isn't really a realistic option, the next best thing is self-employment. Employing yourself sounds great when you think about it, but making that goal a reality requires no small amount of effort and planning. Being your own boss is a dream come true, but for many it ends up as a dream-come-not.

How do you become self-employed? Moreover, what is it? To be self-employed, you must first decide what it is you have to offer to the world, what skills and talents you have that you could use to earn an honest wage. If creating and selling a product isn't your thing, the Internet can become a great tool for work-from-home opportunities. Find out more about working from home on the discussions page.

Self-employment isn't Easy Street, and it can be very stressful when you have no one but yourself to reply upon. But when you can make it work, there is no job that could ever be as rewarding or fulfilling.