Work Shak Archives - Page 57 of 123

Getting a Nanny for the Summer

: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Summer is approaching and that cheap child care known as “school” is about to come to an end for three months. As a result, I need someone else to watch my son for part of each day while I get my work done. Sure, I could do it all early in the morning or in the evening after he goes to bed. But my husband will still be working this summer, and he would rather I spend time with him in the evenings.

I think we’ve solved the problem by recruiting my cousin to serve as nanny. My son likes her, she’s just finished her freshman year in college (so she can drive) and she insists for doing it for a little less than market rate. She’ll have another job that she can do in the evening. It seems ideal.

At any rate, I’m talking with my accountant to see how we would work a possible tax deduction.

Choosing a nanny to watch your kids while you work from home

I’m lucky in that I have a relative I can call upon. However, if you are choosing a nanny for your children, you need to pick carefully. Interviews with potential nannies are very important. Have the nanny come over for 30 to 90 minutes. He or she should meet the kids, and talk to you. Things to keep in mind when choosing a nanny should include:

* Values and methods that largely alighn with yours.

* References and background.

* How well the nanny interacts with your children.

* How well you and the nanny interact.

Start out on a trial basis originally, making it clear that you want to give it a couple of weeks to make sure it works out.

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Home Business Collections: Small Claims Court

by Miranda Marquit 4 Comments

Last week I had a rather unpleasant surprise in that a check from one of my clients bounced. Luckily, this is a good client that made a mistake. I was able to resubmit the check and no harm done. However, I’ve been thinking about this a lot. What if the check was for more than $400 and/or represented a serious problem in my bank account? What if the client didn’t even pay me? What recourse would I have, since most of my home business income is made up of relatively small chunks of money?

Small claims court

One thing you can do if you having trouble with relatively small amounts is take your client (or anyone for that matter) to small claims court. Each state has different procedures for filing a claim in this manner, and there are limits on what counts as a “small claim”. This means that it is important for you to carefully check your states rules and regulations regarding small claims court. And if you are under contract, check your contract for information about the state that all disputes will be handled in. For example, I may be in Utah, but I have a client in New York, and the contract says that all disputes will be handled in accordance with New York state law. So I’d have to check out the requirements in New York state.

Realize that there are fees associated with small claims court, and that you will be expected to present documentation and evidence of your claim. This might include evidence of work done, receipts, invoices, copies of returned checks and anything else that supports your contention that your client has not, in fact, paid you. You should also be aware that you have the correct name and address of the business you are suing, or the case could be dismissed.

Since I am not a legal professional, and this information may be incomplete, it is a good idea for you to consult a legal professional if you have a question.

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Friday Fun Video: This Money Knows You Want to Save

by Miranda Marquit Leave a Comment

I really like the Geico money with eyes commercials. I don’t have my auto insurance through Geico, but that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the commercials.

Happy Friday!

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Are You Productive? Or Just Busy?

by Miranda Marquit 3 Comments

: Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Sometimes I get caught in this trap: I spend time doing “stuff”, but after a while I realize that I haven’t actually accomplished much of anything. Sparkplugging’s WAHM 2.0 made this point of confusing being busy with being productive:

Too many people are mistaking busyness for productivity and as a result, they aren’t seeing results even though they feel like they are working hard. While some busy activities are important (IE filing), they shouldn’t pre-empt more important activities that actually make money.

I think a good point is made here. Sometimes we get caught up in doing things that take up time, but don’t really accomplish anything in terms of growing income from a home business. So, how do we figure out what will be productive and what just makes us busy? WAHM 2.0 offers this helpful guide to prioritizing your home business activities:

1. Figure out what is making money, and do those things first. Do your marketing techniques work? Focus more on the marketing techniques that translate into income. If you make a product, fulfill your orders before you doing anything else for the day.

2. Stay connected. After you get the money-making home business activities out of the way for the day, you can then focus on the connections that bring you contacts. Save the social media and email for after your direct money-making activities are accomplished. Then focus on the indirect money-makers associated with networking.

3. Clean up your home office. Organization is important. But it’s more important to make sure you are bringing in some money. WAHM 2.0 suggests that you hire someone to do the filing, forms, etc. if you have the means for it.

Time really is money. Look at how you spend your time, and determine whether you are really accomplishing anything, or if you are just keeping busy.

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Home Business Technique: Bartering

by Miranda Marquit Leave a Comment

In these economic times, your home business may be short on the cash you need to get products or services that are important to you. Many businesses — not just home business ventures — are turning to bartering in order to get what they need. Whether it is a service or goods, bartering can help you get what you need when you provide something that someone else needs. No money needs to change hands.

It is important, however, to keep a few things in mind when you are bartering with fellow business owners for goods and services:

1. Be professional. Remember that this is a business arrangement. You need to remain professional throughout.

2. Be specific. Be clear about what you are offering, and what you need. Only by sharing specifics will you and your bartering partner be able to come to an arrangement that benefits both.

3. Use a contract. Make sure you put your agreement in writing. Specify how many hours of service you are exchange for certain goods. Realize that this is a binding business agreement.

4. Remember to pay your taxes. Many business owners do not realize that barter income (and expenses) are still subject to tax. You report what you gave in the exchange as an expense and what you received as income. The IRS offers some insight into how to report barter income.

In times when it can be hard to get your hands on cash to keep your home business running, it is no surprise that many people are turning to bartering to get what they need. Whether you want marketing help, delivery, goods or something else, it is usually possible to get it without using money — as long as you have something of value to offer in exchange.

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Using PayPal to Accept Payments for Your Home Business

by Miranda Marquit Leave a Comment

: Image via CrunchBase

Yesterday, I mentioned that bounced checks are sometimes a hazard of a home business. You do the work, and then a check bounces. While I have a few clients that pay by check, the bulk of my income is handled through PayPal. I actually really like this arrangement, since it provides a quicker way to get money I am owed. Additionally, payment clears quickly, and I do less work for free if something goes awry.

Other features that I like about PayPal include:

* Ability to generate monthly statements.

* I can invoice my home business clients easily (and with a saved template).

* Transferring money to my business bank account is simple.

* Fees are low (and tax deductible).

* Accept e-Check payments.

Do you use some sort of third-party payment for your home business? What do you like about it?

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Hazard of Work from Home: Client Bounced Checks

by Miranda Marquit 2 Comments

: Image via Wikipedia

I was checking my bank account over the weekend and saw that one of my clients had bounced a check. Nothing like seeing a chargeback on your bank account to make you feel…concerned. Luckily, this client is a trusted client that I have worked with for about two years. She apologized and explained that a check had been mistakenly written out of the payroll account, and that I should be fine to resubmit now. This is an understandable mistake — even I mix up my accounts on occasion! — and it got me thinking about how having a home business can make you more vulnerable to these types of mistakes.

Problems of client bounced checks

Obviously, the first problem is that money you expected to be there, isn’t. But if you are counting on that money, and it is suddenly no longer there, you might overdraw your account, incurring fees. Additionally, in many cases, you have already done the work for the client, so you’re out your time. Not to mention if you’ve been doing work since that you don’t get paid for. I’m glad that none of these things ended up being a problem for me.

Protecting yourself against client bounced checks

It is important to realize that this could happen to you. Here are some things you can do to protect yourself from situations in which client bounced checks might be very harmful:

* Make sure you have a cushion in your bank account to avoid charges in the event that you overdraw.

* Check your bank account regularly online in order to keep up to date. Often it’s way too late when the statement comes.

* For large projects, ask for some of the money up front. Divide payments into thirds: First bit due at the beginning, second bit due halfway through and third bit due upon completion. Chances are that the first check will clear. And you can stop work if the second check bounces.

Have you ever had issues with client bounced checks?

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Friday Fun Video: Investment Ideas for These Tough Times

by Miranda Marquit Leave a Comment

Stock market = mass delusion. Invest in tangible goods like “things you can eat”. And fire.

Happy Friday!

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=187614

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Do You Have a Backup Plan for Your Home Business?

by Miranda Marquit 1 Comment

Natural disasters can strike almost anywhere and at almost anytime. While we often think of hurricanes and tornadoes as serious problems, there are also threats of wildfire, earthquake, flooding and even ice storms, depending on where you live. All of these problems can interfere with your home business operation. Chief Home Officer offers this advice for preparing for disaster:

When considering how to prepare your corporate or home office for a mean season, or any time of year, ask yourself these questions…

How does home office protection differ from that of the corporate office?

What lessons have been learned in recent disasters that can influence or improve home office disaster protection?

What technology that’s widely available can help home officers smooth the transition from outage to productivity?

How can I get my home office – or telework team – back up and running with minimal disruption?

It is very important that you consider these questions and make a plan. Use data backup services when warranted, and think of such items as generators, supplies and other necessary items. If you need to be able to get online, think of a place you can go to get Internet access. It is important that you think of contingency plans so that when disaster strikes, your home business doesn’t come to a complete standstill for too long.

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Greener Home Office: Gadgets to Help You Save Energy

by Miranda Marquit Leave a Comment

: Image via Wikipedia

Today is Earth Day, and I thought that maybe we could look at making a greener home office. There are a number of gadgets that can help you create a home office that is a little bit greener. Here are some suggestions from Beststuff.com:

1. Seven day timer: Customize your home’s lighting, having it turned off during times of the day that you are using more natural lighting to work from home by.

2. Power strips: Plug in to a surge protecting power switch — then power down at the end of the day. Turning off the power strip can limit “phantom” leaks that waste energy and cost you money.

3. Power meters: You can gauge the efficiency of your electricity use with a power meter. Then look for ways to improve your efficiency.

Other things you can do to make your home business workspace more environmentally friendly include not printing emails out unless absolutely necessary, moving to online statements and billing to save the use of paper (and stamps!), and trying to find more energy efficient office equipment.

Can you think of other ways to save energy in your home office?

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