Work from Home - Volume 2

Yesterday I posted about the virtual assistant. Today I will post more information on that and start a different work at home opportunity tomorrow.

After getting your marketing packet ready to go, you can put them in envelopes. You can do them in the manila envelopes or the size 10 envelopes. I prefer the manila ones that are 9x12 only because they draw more attention.

Don't forget to put everything in them that you are sending out including your business card, letter of introduction and a flyer outlining your services. Do not put your fees on your flyer. They will all be different for each individual business you do work for.

This is when the phone book or www.switchboard.com will come in handy. You can use either one or both. Search under contractors and get their mailing information. If you like, you can call them and make sure the address is correct. This will save you time and money in the long run because you do not want to end up with a bunch of returned, undeliverable mail. You can also contact your local chamber of commerce, they will be happy to give you information on new business owners - these are great as they are just starting out and don't have, and probably haven't even thought of, someone that will do all their paperwork for them.

Here's an article on Virtual Assistants click here from entrepreneur.com. It's very informative. You can also go look around on their website to see if there is other information you could find useful in your personal quest for the perfect business. There are also several virtual assistant databases out there you can join for advertising your services. VANA is one of them and you can go there by clicking here. I promise you, once you get your name out there and you do your marketing and keep at it, you will be successful.

Remember, anything worth having is not going to come easy but you can do it. I know you can, I have faith in you. You are smart, you are valuable and you are a child of God's. Now, go out there and be the best Virtual Assistant you can be. I'm standing right there cheering you on. Please contact me with any questions or if you need any help whatsoever. I'm here to help.

Have a blessed day!

Work from Home - Volume 1

Ok, ladies and lurkers. I told you yesterday that I would come in here and start posting ideas and information on what you can do from home to earn some money. How much you earn doing these things will depend on how bad you want to work. Where there is a will, there is a way and if you have that will, I am going to provide you the way.

Today I am going to talk about something anybody can do, yes even you, from home with their computer. I know you have one because you are on here reading about this. How to become an administrative/virtual assistant.

Things you will need are as follows:

• A computer
• A phone
  
• A printer, nothing fancy just so it prints
• A fax machine - they are like 50 bucks new...cheaper at garage sales
  
• Business cards/flyers
  
• Your desire to succeed

I should mention that the last one is the most important one. Now, once you have all those in line....and the cards by the way you can print for about 5 bucks. You get them free just pay 4.95 postage from www.vistaprint.com

If you do not want to wait for them to ship them, which by the way doesn't take long, then you can make your own. However, I must tell you theirs are on heavy card stock and are much more professional than those flimsy ones you print yourself. Besides, think of the cost for the ink as well. It isn't cheap and printing your own cards will cost you more and give a less professional look. Just because you work from home does not mean your cards do not have to be professional-looking.

You can design your own marketing flyer with any of numerous programs out there. One thing you must have, if you don't already, is Microsoft Office. All new computers come with Microsoft Works, unfortunately, this will not do. Remember, most places of business work in either Microsoft Office or WordPerfect. Legal (attornies) entities usually work in the latter. Not always but more often than not.

Just as you can design your own flyer, you can design your own letterhead. If you need help with that, contact me. I will be more than happy to help you on that. I can even design one for you if you need me to. The objective here is to get your name out there. You would be surprised how much your help is needed by contractors near and far.

Once you get the marketing packet together--I would include a flyer outlining your services, a business card and a coupon for a certain percentage off if they contact you by a certain date--look on www.switchboard.com under contractors for whatever field you decide to work with in whatever city/cities you choose. Those details are at your discretion. Do not work for free, unless this is going to be a hobby of yours. Your time is valuable and you deserve to be paid and be paid well.

Most contractors are charged by the hour or if you prefer by the job. That is again up to you. The going rate in most bigger cities is anywhere between $10 to $20 an hour or depending on the job you can offer them a monthly rate for say, proposals, payroll, bookkeeping. If you are going to do anything in payroll or bookkeeping, you will need to have accounting software like PeachTree or QuickBooks.

Now you are probably thinking, I don't have that kind of money to purchase all that software. There are women's shelters and other places in your area that will help you get those. If you need help finding those, let me know. Since there are people reading this that are in different parts of the country, I cannot post one specific one. I will, however, help you do the research if you need me.

Come back tomorrow for another episode of Work from Home. I know you can do it. Have a blessed day and don't forget to thank God for your blessings. You have many even if you don't see them all the time. Being alive is one of them.

Work from Home -- an ongoing blog of information

Good morning all. The last time I posted about work from home jobs I got several emails asking more information. I have decided that I am going to put some good information with links and resources on here every week. I want to help you ladies that want to stay home to tend to your kids or those of you that have a physical handicap or even those of you that are tired of the rat race.

There is just so much information that I have from my own search that spans several years before I finally decided on doing this a couple years ago.

I will include all kinds of ideas, walk you through the steps you must take, licenses needed, if any and all sorts of goodies. Unfortunately, I can only give you the information and cheer you on. You will have to do the rest. You have to want it bad enough.

My father used to tell me when I was growing up, Diane, you must go after what you want. Nobody will hand it to you. There is no free ride. I was only 9 or 10 at the time and those words would repeat over and over in my head as I grew up and into my adult years. Every time I thought something was insurmountable, I would remember his words as if he were saying them right then and there. My father was right.

So, for those of you that want to get more information, just come in here and read all the stuff I have just poking at my little brain to come out. I will be more than happy to share what I have found that works and some that don't work so well. I'm sure on that last one, we've all had our shares of scams going around.

If at least one of you ladies can glean some information that will help you on your path to work from home then all the years of research that I have done will be worth it. Remember, though, you do have to put some effort into it. Unfortunately, the money will not rain down on you while you're sitting on the couch watching soaps and snacking all day. You can do it, I know you can, I know I did and I'm lazy.

I'm still waiting for that wonderful invention -- the remote control refrigerator-bot. One of my friends posted on her blog about this other marvelous invention that has not yet come to fruition. She's a smart one, my friend N.

In my blog there will be so much information accompanied by links taking you to where you need to go to educate yourself even more about finding real work you can do in the privacy of your own home. Imagine, working in your pajamas, don't have to brush your hair, don't have to shower, er, well, you might still want to do that; for the sanity of the people you share your humble abode with. Just a suggestion, don't get all huffy with me. Sheesh!

Yesterday I spoke to one of my friends from my old job. She's really talented too. She's an excellent greetings card designer. You can look at her stuff here
I really miss having lunch with her. In fact she's supposed to get back with me on a time when we can go have lunch together soon. She's a real genuine, down-to-earth person who loves to do crafty stuff. She's really good at it.

Well, ladies and lurkers alike, until tomorrow. Remember, if you have any questions whatsoever on any information I post just ask. I promise I won't bite. Hasta manana!