How Working from Home Can Put Instant Savings in Your Pocket

One of the most significant things that deters people from taking the leap into the world of work-at-home businesses is the initial startup costs that are typically associated with any work-at-home system.

I certainly know the burden of that cost, as I was once in the very same shoes that every would-be Internet entrepreneur is standing in, warily debating how much the cost of that first investment is really worth.

But, I took that chance, and now I’m living a life that I only ever dreamed of living—and you can, too.  So, to make that decision of whether or not to invest a little bit easier, let’s consider some of the ways you’ll start saving money as a work-at-home professional right off the bat.

By working at home, you will save a substantial amount of money on:

·    Gas. With your work commute being just a short walk to your laptop, you no longer have to spend hundreds of dollars on gas every month to get to your job—nor waste gas by waiting an hour in deadlocked traffic each way.

·    Work clothes. The expensive wardrobe that you would normally need to keep investing in so that you could look as professional as possible in the workplace is no longer a necessity.  At home, you can work in your pajamas if you want to, as the only person you need to impress is yourself.

·    Babysitters or daycare. If you have little ones, as I did when I first started working from home, you know just how costly it can be to provide appropriate care for them while you’re away at work.  Luckily, that cost pretty much flies out the window when you decide to work at home, as you can work around your children’s needs.  When my kids went down for a nap, I went to work in my home office so that I could be free and attentive as soon as they woke up.

That first investment might seem a little scary, but the doors that it will open up for you will allow you to save much more money in the long run, as you can see in the instant savings that I’ve mentioned above.  So don’t let your fear get the best of you and chase away your chance of attaining a better life.  Take control of your future, and welcome the possibilities that working from home offers with open arms.

How to Go Green While Working at Home

As I’ve said before—and will probably say many more times in the future—helping the environment is one cause that is dear to my heart.  No matter what I am doing, whether driving or gardening, I always try to consider how my actions will be affecting the environment, and the same goes for when I am working at home on my online business.

I’m sure it’s not news to you, but there are so many ways that you can help to protect the environment even in your own home.  Energy-saving appliances are everywhere these days, but there’s plenty more that you can do to ensure that your work-at-home office is as green as it can be.

I’d like to share some strategies that I use to keep my own office eco-friendly below:

·   Power down. This is something I do whenever I know that I’ll be away from an electronic for more than 15 minutes.  Sure, I may be coming right back to my computer after lunch, but there’s no sense in wasting energy in the meantime.  The same goes for lamps, printers, and TVs.  Aside from helping the environment, turning all of these things off whenever you’re not using them has been proven to decrease annual electric bills by hundreds of dollars.

·    Choose a green web hosting service. Just about every major web host offers greener options to their users nowadays.  However, if you happen to use a hosting service that doesn’t, AISO.net is one service that specializes in helping online businesses to improve their carbon footprints, as they power all of their services through solar panels.  How cool is that?

·    Purchase equipment that was created with the environment in mind. Just about every major computer brand offers at least one greener option to their users, whether you’re looking for a Mac or a PC.  Just look for a computer that has been endorsed by Energy Star.

Also keep in mind that you don’t want to just toss your old computer out on the curb when you purchase your newer, more energy efficient equipment.  Turn your old computer in to the manufacturer so that it can be properly recycled to keep its toxins away from the environment.

As you can see, making your home office into a greener space isn’t very hard at all.  All you need to do is pay attention to the equipment you’re using and how often you’re using it, and you’ll be doing more than your part to help out the environment.

How to Start an Online Business—the Easy Way

I think that one of the greatest challenges of starting your own online business is learning everything you need to know in order to succeed. I know that when I first started working on eBay, I didn’t know anything about it, and it took me a long time before I actually felt confident enough to start taking some chances and developing my own business strategies.

This was especially hard for me because I have never really been an academic. I consider myself a highly intelligent and motivated person, but studying and memorizing new material has never really been my cup of tea—and spending hours and hours reading about eBay and online businesses wasn’t something that I had the will or free time to do.

That’s why my learning course for Work at Home Recruiters is so quick and to the point, as not everyone has the time or desire to study a new subject for hours on end, no matter how profitable it will be in the end.

But what myself and many others are lacking in academic motivation, we need to make up for by excelling in other areas. To help you understand how you can succeed at establishing your own online business, without putting in months of studying, just follow my suggestions below:

· Become goal-oriented. Set short- and long-term goals for your business and stick to them! When you strive to meet your goals, you’ll become a driven entrepreneur by nature, and you’ll accomplish a great deal more.
· Let mistakes happen. They are part of the learning process, whether you like it or not. So if something goes wrong, learn from it rather than worry about it.
· Stay focused. Even when you come across a new opportunity, don’t get distracted by it. Stick to accomplishing the goals you have set first before you get caught up in any other outside endeavors along the way.
· Practice makes perfect. So you should be practicing every day! Even if you only have a minute or two of your day to spare, dedicate that time to working on your business. The more time you put into something, the more you’ll get out of it.
· Have fun. You want to own your own business so that you can have more freedom to do the things you love, but you should also learn to love your business. When you love what you do, you’ll be happier than you’ve ever dreamed, even if you only spend an hour or two working every day.

As you can see, there’s more to succeeding than just studying your life away. Sure, we all need to learn the ropes, but sometimes just getting out there and doing it is way more beneficial. So if, like me, you’re not an academic, don’t let this stand in your way. Follow my tips and you’ll be sure to see the results you’ve always wanted.

eBay Wins Another Round Vs. Alternative Auction Sites

To keep up on some of the latest goings-on in the business world, I regularly read articles from The Motley Fool.  Typically, the articles here are written in a way that allows even the least business-savvy person to understand them, which is why I turn here to learn about current business news—and the writers are usually pretty funny, too.

Anyway, one of their latest articles mentioned Swoopo.com, a new auction site that is gaining ground on the Internet.  A lot of sites like this that are similar to eBay have popped up as of late, trying to cash in on the huge volumes of traffic that eBay pulls in every day.  However, none of these other sites have really measured up, and Swoopo is no different.

In fact, the auction process put in place on Swoopo almost takes advantage of its users, as it starts the bidding for a product at an extremely low price that is certain to catch consumers’ eyes.  But Swoopo then charges the user every time he or she makes a bid.  So, while you have the chance to win an iPod at $100 less than you can buy it for in the store, you’ll spend twice that much just to place your bids.

But you keep bidding anyway since you’ve already spent a small fortune thus far.  You might as well get your money’s worth and win, right?  And this thought processis what drives up the prices on Swoopo—and is exactly what Swoopo’s creators want.  In the end, you’re not really saving anything;  you’re just simply chasing after a bargain that never really existed in the first place.

It would be hard for me to justify working with an auction site such as Swoopo, which is profiting from the poor consumer decisions many Americans make every day.  Shopping on this site is, as The Motley Fool says, a gamble, and I’m glad that my own business is backed by a solid, customer-friendly site like eBay.

That’s not to say that Swoopo is a bad business;  it’s just simply not one that I would promote or work with.  When the alternative is eBay, which offers its users reliability and great bargains—neither of which can be found with Swoopo as far as I can see—I don’t see why anyone would choose to shop or sell on any other site.

How Women Are Succeeding in the Business World Today

I was catching up on my eBay news this morning when I came across an article in Forbes magazine called “More Than Just a Job” by Carol Hymowitz.  I’m not really a dedicated reader of this magazine, but the article was under a section titled “Power Women,” so naturally it caught my eye.

This article ended up being incredibly inspiring, and I think that any woman who is looking to take control of her own future by making a career change—whether it be with my Work at Home Recruiters program or otherwise—should really take a glance at this article.

In a nut shell, the author basically analyzed a recent trend involving America’s most successful women leaving perfectly good jobs in the middle management range with Fortune 500 companies in order to take a risk at a lesser known or less successful company, where they hold much higher leadership positions.

And the author interestingly notes that these women aren’t just switching up their jobs for the prestigious titles and lucrative salaries; they are primarily looking for a position they will enjoy and feel more passionate about.

One of the author’s greatest examples is former president of eBay Meg Whitman, who is credited with building the online auction site up to its current status as an Internet goldmine.  She did this for nine years after putting in her time at Disney and Proctor & Gamble, and after leaving the business world altogether following her long, successful run at eBay, she turned to politics and is now running for governor of California.

So for the women out there who are feeling particularly discouraged or anxious when it comes to making a career change or simply starting a new business venture, I encourage you to take a look at this article.  Women everywhere are taking their futures into their own hands and dominating the business sector, and there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t do the same!

Understanding the Language of eBay Sellers

Yesterday was my son Matthew’s last baseball game of the summer.  This was a sad event for him, but also a little sad for me as his games were one of the few times that I get to see and talk with one of the only other work-at-home moms that I know.

This mom just started working on eBay a few months ago after I introduced her to my line of work.  And while she is loving the fast and easy income and the minimal hours of work, last night she told me that she is having a hard time picking up the eBay lingo, especially since this is the first time she’s ever used the online auction site.

As we were talking about this, I realized that this is a challenge that most new online business owners run into.  So, to do my part and help everyone else out, I thought that I would put together a list of the most important terms that every seller should be aware of when listing products on eBay:  the terms that describe the condition of your product.

The terms that you should use to describe your products are:

·   Mint: Mint condition means that your product is brand new, never opened, and never used.
·    Near Mint: Near mint condition indicates that your product has been hardly used—only once or twice at the most, with no defects whatsoever.
·    Very Fine: This term is a bit more general.  It usually indicates that your product shows some signs of use.  There are also instances where the packaging of a mint product should be downgraded to very fine if it shows any damage or wear, while the product itself is still mint.
·    Very Good: Products in this condition show more noticeable signs of wear and tear, but these defects do not take away from the product’s usability.
·    Good, Fair, or Poor: Any items in these conditions should only be sold if they are especially rare, such as collectible’s items.  Otherwise, these terms are indicators that the product is not of the best quality and possibly does not work correctly.

As I told my friend yesterday, being up front with your customers about the condition of your products is really important to establishing your credibility as a seller.  So make sure you know the proper lingo before you post a listing, and use the above terms accordingly!

eBay Has New Apps for That!

Yesterday marked a pretty significant and technologically-savvy day in the lives of many eBay sellers, as eBay launched the debut of third-party applications which will, in essence, make selling on the notorious auction site easier and more accessible.

If you have an iPhone (which I recently bought, and LOVE), then you know what an application—or “app”—is.  It’s simply a program that completes a task for you quickly and effortlessly, so that you save time that can be better spent on more important things.

eBay’s first round of apps include a Terapeak app, which helps you complete product research on the spot; the ahTEXT app, which sends you a notification by email every time that you get a question from a buyer, a new bid, feedback, or any other new contact on eBay; and an app called HostedSupport, which is a tool that increases your store’s customer support services with features like auto-responses to your customers’ inquiries.

Pretty handy, right?  And all you have to do to get access to these great apps is to subscribe to Selling Manager or Selling Manager Pro levels on eBay.

These three apps are only the beginning, as literally thousands of new applications are on their way.  I know that I, for one, can’t wait to install them, so that I can spend even more time with my friends and family, and less time glued to my computer.

How I Mix Business and Pleasure by Promoting My Passions on eBay

For anyone who has ever repeatedly listed products on eBay like I do, day in and day out, you know the importance of changing up the products that you list, not just for the sake of keeping things interesting, but for the success of your listings, as well.

You see, just like in the “real world,” shopping trends change all the time on eBay.  In fact, if you’re ever interested in finding out what the current hot items are on eBay, you can see the top ten daily trends right on eBay’s homepage.  So, I change my products, too, and just to keep it interesting, I even primarily focus on a few products I’m particularly passionate about.

If you know anything at all about me, it’s that I love my kids, helping the environment, and just helping to better my community in general.  And those three things pretty much fuel my choices for the products that I list on eBay, as I tend to focus—at least most of the time—on children’s products and products that are eco-friendly.

Some of the products that I’ll be focusing on in the next month or two are eco-friendly electronics (like plasma TVs and such) and back-to-school products.  To get a better idea of which products are the best-sellers of this year’s back-to-school season, I’ll be taking my son and two daughters out for an early shopping trip, even though their school doesn’t start for another month or so.

Aside from focusing on these types of products for my own listings, I’ve also volunteered for a number of local organizations and helped them to get the word out about their missions or raise funds using eBay.  eBay has a special category for public and non-profit organizations called “eBay Giving Works” where they can list items for sale or collect donations.  Other sellers on eBay are also able to donate portions of their own sales to various organizations through this feature, which is something I do whenever I am personally selling a product on eBay.

When you’re forging a career on eBay, your life never has to be all work and no play, as it’s the simplest place in the world to mix business with pleasure.  You get to pick what you sell, so just sell something that you love, and you’ll come to love your job, too.

Why eBay (and My Career) Will Survive the Recession

The Great Recession, as today’s financial crisis has come to be known as, is putting just about every family in America in a bind in one way or another.  Whether you’ve lost your home, or simply have had to cut back on expenses, the recession is hitting everyone regardless of their financial status.

And businesses are no different, either.  Some of the biggest businesses to take a hit from the recession are retail stores, since individuals and families alike are cutting back on extra expenses—and this pattern will hold steady even through the shopping frenzy that typically surrounds the holidays.  In fact, many experts predicted last week that holiday sales will decrease by at least a third.

But eBay has an advantage with its consumers that these other retail stores do not, and that is the fact that you can buy just about anything on eBay at a proven 20 to 60% discount of the price it would normally sell for anywhere else.  Because of this, eBay is one of the few businesses whose presence might actually increase in its market this year.

And, of course, eBay is the perfect spot to find rare and unique items for all of those hard-to-buy-for friends and family members.  So for the shopper on a budget, you have the opportunity to save money without sacrificing the quality of your gift on eBay—and these factors hold true in any shopping scenario, not just around the holidays.

So while other retail stores and their workers may be looking at losses and layoffs this year, eBay and its sellers and listing agents, like myself, will still be turning a profit and, therefore, we’ll still be thriving even before the recession lifts and the economy gets back on its feet.

The Work-at-Home Solution to Single Moms and Summer Vacation

One of my favorite things about summer is that my kids are at home with me all day, every day.  And we get to do so many fun activities, like going to the water park and the movies, taking an art class (which I do with my daughters, Julie and McKenzie), and cheering my son, Matthew, on at his weekly baseball games.

But there is one small drawback to having the kids home so much, and that is the fact that I’m a work-at-home, single mom.  This means that I have to work, as well as be responsible for the planning of activities, the babysitting duties, and the taxiing to and from every class, friend’s house, and sporting event.  Some days, all that feels like more than a full-time job in itself!

Fortunately, I’m lucky enough to have a job that only demands an hour or two of my day, so that I can work early in the morning or late at night when my kids are fast asleep.  And even when I need to attend to work while my kids are ready and waiting to play, I can just bring my netbook or smartphone along, and work on the go since everything I need is online.

My work-at-home job is the perfect solution to the summer vacation paradox of getting to spend more time with your kids, but still get work done.  And what’s even better is that my job allows me to make a lucrative salary in just few hours of work per day, so that we don’t have to miss out on a single exciting trip, activity, or event the entire summer.

So on days when I feel like being a single, working mom is a full-time job, I just stop and think of how lucky I am to have the circumstances that I do, and happily go back to whatever planning, babysitting, or taxiing that my kids need me for.