Ready to Learn Mom

As we continue to enjoy our family and friends, please know that we wish you all the best for the end of 2009 and a FANTABULOUS 2010!  Amazing things are happening with us, and we’re SO glad you’re along for the ride!

Stacey Kannenberg, Get Ready to Learn Mom!

At year’s end, work-at-home moms (and everyone else) think about setting New Year’s resolutions. Though a new year is an ideal time for WAHMs to review professional and personal goals, we can do it all year round. In fact, in order to achieve success with New Year resolutions, we must keep these goals in mind all year. While everyone must personalize their own set of resolutions, here are a few goals those working from home may want to consider.
Get organized. Stay organized.

January is the time to review organization systems and add new ones (but, of course, you can do it anytime). As you think about taxes, you may realize you need to track receipts better, or a post-holiday clean up may reveal junk that piles up in one place. Find your weak spot, and then figure a better way.

But the tougher part is sticking to a new system. Don’t wait until you’ve completely fallen off the organizational wagon. Give yourself monthly organization reviews. Pick a day of the month (1st, last, the 15th, whatever works for you) and look over your to-do list, files or maybe that pile of papers on the kitchen counter. Are things handled as you planned? If not, get back on track (with help from your family) and resolve to do better.

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With the holiday season upon us, it’s time to consider how you are going to stay on top of work while traveling to visit family and friends for home-cooked feasts and togetherness.

oDesk recently asked one of our world-traveling providers, Jacqui Pittenger how she stays on top of things while jet-setting, and here are the holiday packing secrets she shared…

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The unemployment rate have spiked by a mile in a span of a few months since the global financial crisis hit the Western Hemisphere like a hurricane with a mission.  In this light, people have come to realize that the only way they are going to keep their heads above water is to get a job, any job at all, that will allow them to earn money even while staying at home. 

Here are some of the reasons why you should get yourself a home based job today:

Getting a work at home job is just about the wisest thing you can do.  It is not at all that hard either because there are thousands of possible jobs that you can choose from depending on your free time and available skills.

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It’s a shame that there are so many people out there trying to rip off the work-at-home job seeker. It’s even more disheartening to see them targeting the stay-at-home mom, the retiree, and the disabled. But the fact remains; they’re out there trying to capitalize on your desire to stay home and earn an income. And they’re making good money while they’re at it, because there’s no shortage of people who want so badly to believe their claims of easy income and instant wealth.

Lynette Valdez, of Westbrook, Minn., thought that when she gave Pacific Webworks her debit card number last year, it was just for a $1.99 shipping and handling fee to get information about an at-home business offer supposedly connected with Google. But before long, she noticed two mysterious charges of $59.99 each on her card.

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Working from home, whether as a freelance contractor or remote employee, can be a great thing, particularly if you live alone. But what if you have a spouse and/or children at home with you while you work? Every work environment offers distractions, but those who work from home with their families face a unique set of issues—and need equally unique ways of dealing with them.

How it happened to me

A year ago, I was returning to a full-time career after taking time off to be home with my then toddler daughter. She was going into preschool and my husband had just renovated the back of our basement into a dazzling office just for me. A stellar company in San Diego, Monk Development, hired me to work from home. Life was good. A few weeks into the job, I suddenly became very ill and couldn’t work. I quickly discovered I was pregnant with twins, after five years of trying.

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There are many distinct differences between an online small business and an offline small business. Being aware of these differences will help you plan for success.

Offline Businesses

Offline businesses allow face-to-face interaction, which allows customers to see what the business is about for themselves. Talking to customers and potentially making sales is easy, because people can physically visit an office.

Offline businesses generally target a specific locality, whereas online businesses can target a specific locality or the entire country. Offline businesses can be spread throughout several localities with franchises or chains to increase their visibility.

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Many people who have tried working from home have found that their productivity and work suffered. Many new parents have tried working at home as a solution to their child care dilemma. Also, with the increasing number of baby boomers in ill health, many people have chosen to work at home to help care for aged or infirm parents. Workers with certain disabilities may find that working from home is the best solution to avoid travel and access problems. Finally, some careers, such as freelance writing, may require that an employee work independently out of an office. Renting office space may be too expensive or inconvenient for a freelance employee, so working from home may be the best solution. Whatever the reason, working at home may present challenges that working in an office or other workplace did not.

For example, working at home may decrease productivity or the quality of work. Some people who have tried working at home find that they cannot concentrate on the task at hand, or they become wrapped up in the duties of home life. Other people who have worked at home find that they must go to another location, such as a local library or coffee shop, to finish their assignments. Here are a few solutions to common working at home problems that everyone who has chosen this option should read:
 
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Any work-at-home-mom will confess that owing her own business is as challenging as it gets. While the rewards are bountiful, the word easy is not one used to describe small business ownership.

Many moms who work out of their home also have to multitask tending to the needs of their small children. In fact the reason many parents choose to work at home is so they can be available to care for the kids. Keeping up with household maintenance and child rearing is a full time job. So how does one find time for her business?

The answer to that is simple. You don’t find time; you make time. Okay the part about making time may not be that simple, but it is very much doable. The most important factor in making time is your mind set. Remember RYBLAB – Run Your Business Like a Business. Assuming we’re talking about a bona fide business and not just a little something you do periodically to earn a little extra cash, then it’s important to manage your time.

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