business Archives

Promote Yourself For Free

5436885426_7846b5cc35_z If you have a brand to grow (maybe you’re a Realtor, small business owner, blogger, or freelancer), you absolutely can’t be shy about promoting yourself. However, that doesn’t mean you have to sink thousands of dollars into advertising! There are plenty of ways to market yourself for free. Check out this post by Lisa at A Day In Your Shoes for ideas. Here are some of my favorites:

-Create your own Facebook page and Twitter account and post from them yourself

-Create content and post it on Pinterest

-Host a class at your local library or rec center

-Never leave home without your business cards

-Check out local fairs and festivals, consider renting a booth

Photo Credit: VFS Digital Design

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Grow Your Business Without Quitting Your Job

by Shakadoo Leave a Comment

3722888550_fc03105751_z Small businesses are pretty risky and often start on shaky ground. Whether you’re working on becoming an entrepreneur, or going full time with freelancing or blogging, it can be daunting to leave a salaried job to pursue that dream. However, there is a way that you can be smart about the transition: you build your business and portfolio while still working at a full time employer. Check out these tips by Grace Bluerock at Entrepreneur.com for some great tips:

-Know your reason and motivation for wanting to start your own business

-Commit to making your business a reality: that means no quitting when things get stressful or overwhelming. Focus on the ultimate goal.

-Immerse yourself in learning everything there is to know about your new business.

-Stay positive about your day job

-Set daily goals and accomplish them.

Photo Credit: Jose David Leiva

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Work From Home Idea: Data Entry

by Kathy T.

Data entry is a common work from home idea that I hear often. It’s appealing because it involves little to no phone calling, and no dealing with customers. However, it can be hard to find a legitimate job. According to this article by Real Ways To Earn, there are more scams out there for data entry jobs than actual jobs. Of course, the golden rule of finding ANY work from home job is: if they ask you to send THEM money, it’s a scam. That’s not how jobs work. That being said, here is their list of (legit!) companies that often hire data entry specialists:

Red Vision

Smart Locating

Xerox

Cass Information Systems

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Work From Home Idea: Secret Shopper

by Kathy T.

Okay, so this technically isn’t working from HOME, but come on. Mystery shoppers have awesome jobs, and control their own hours and how much work they pick up. You get paid to shop at stores you love, go to movies, eat at restaurants, get your hair cut, nails done, oil changed- there are so many different businesses out there looking for mystery reviewers. If you’re unfamiliar with the purpose, you go in secret to a business and make note of everything you see. What was your cashier’s name? Did they greet you with a smile? Was their appearance professional? Was the establishment clean? What was the quality of the food? Businesses then use your information to make improvements to their services. And becoming one is super easy! Check out this post by Lauren at I Am That Lady for how:

-Start with a company with a solid reputation: MSPA-NA is a great place to start gathering information. Another great resource is Bestmark.com.

-Have reasonable expectations- each job will pay between $25-$100, and will reimburse you for money spent at the shop. However, jobs are not always available. Secret shopping is a great way to make extra cash on the weekend.

-Make sure you are a detail oriented person, and can remember a lot without taking notes.

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Ultimate List Of Companies That Need Remote Workers

by Kathy T.

When you first decide to start working from home, it’s easy to get caught up in the sea of survey-taking and scamming. Some sites are legit, yes, but you’ll be working for pennies an hour. An extra $20 a month in gift cards is not going to cut it. That’s why I love this list by Anna at Real Ways To Earn Money Online. She’s compiled a huge post full of companies – that you’ve probably actually heard of– that are always hiring people who work from home. Check it out:

Amazon – hires customer support workers

American Airlines -hires work from home reservation reps

Apple – home based customer support

Carnival– work as a virtual vacation planner

Mayo Clinic– hires work from home medical transcribers

U-Haul You can work at home for U-Haul doing everything from social media to roadside assistance.

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What Not To Do On Facebook

by Kathy T.

Social media is an amazing (free) tool for getting your name out there. It’s especially helpful if you are a work-from-homer, freelancer, independent sales rep, or if you own your own business. However, just like with any other form of marketing, social media comes with its own set of faux pas. In fact, on Facebook or Twitter, blunders can be especially bad- since they are sent everywhere and read instantly. For what to stop doing on social media, read this post by Melissa at Blog Clarity:

-Auto-posting from Facebook to Twitter- disconnect, and give each platform its own link to your content.

-Overusing hashtags- don’t use more than one or two on Twitter/Facebook, no more than five on Instagram, and don’t use ANY on Pinterest.

-Posting too much content at once- stay relevant, but don’t be annoying.

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Work From Home Idea: Photographer

by Kathy T.

Now, I realize that being a photographer means that you will probably not be working from home. Most of the time, you’ll be out in the world, taking pictures of beautiful things. However, it is still an opportunity to be self employed, set your own hours, and be your own boss! If you are a freelance photographer looking for ways to sell your photos online, read this article by Angie Nelson at The Work At Home Wife:

Fotolia

Shutterstock

Dreamstime

FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Shutterfly

Photo Credit: Kishjar

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Pinterest For Freelancers

by Kathy T.

Pinterest is a great tool for professionals to promote themselves, get their name out, and connect with potential clients. I follow Realtors, bloggers, crafters, cooks, makeup artists, interior designers, writers, and photographers and see their work (and their names) every day. If you are a freelance worker, you can grow your business significantly by using Pinterest the right way. Check out these tips by Gina Horkey at Horkey Handbook:

-Set up a Pinterest business account (separate from personal accounts)

-Follow as many like-minded individuals as you can- reach out to others in the same line of work as you, your Pinterest network will be a hub of important information

-Create boards and join collaborative ones

-Pin, pin, pin

-Cold pitch to others- email other pinners/businesses (bloggers) an example of your work, and ask if you can do some freelance work for them. The worst they can say is no.

Photo Credit: Bernard Goldbach

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The Pros And Cons Of Working Remotely

by Kathy T.

One of my friends recently moved to another state because her husband got a new job there. She hasn’t found a new job there yet, so her current company is allowing her to work remotely for them. Working from home is great in some ways- you set your own hours, you don’t have to leave the house and deal with a commute, and you honestly have much more free time. However, it is MUCH easier to get distracted, get behind, and spend your evenings and weekends playing catch up. Check out this post by Ieva at therandomp blog for the pros and cons of working remotely, and decide whether or not it’s right for you:

Con- you can feel misinformed, out of the loop, and miss out on communications if you are not diligent.

Con- there is less contact with coworkers and clients- you can’t judge reactions by body language.

Pro- you can do things whenever you want.

Pro- way more independence and freedom

Con- hard to organize other people and projects from far away.

Photo Credit: dave.see

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Work From Home Idea: Search Engine Tester

by Kathy T.

I’m always on the lookout for new, interesting ways to work from home. I feel like when you’re out there looking for work from home jobs, you either get stuck with virtual assisting, or survey taking- neither of which are particularly fun or stimulating. I’m lucky, since I love writing and make my living as a blogger. Some other cool ideas I’ve found are: travel agent, literary editor, tutor, proofreader, social media expert, and now, a search engine evaluator. Sites like Google and Bing are always looking for people to make sure their services are working. Check out how to test them by reading this article by Ashlee Anderson at Work From Home Happiness:

Search Engine Evaluators rate the relevancy of search results based on user queries.

Some companies hiring evaluators:

Photo Credit: CE Kent

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