KC Morgan's Blog

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.