Working from Home

Working From Home

Here's an update on a previous post. I was laid off from work on August 31st and also had my driver's license taken away due to vision problems. I had to get creative and find a way to make money without having to leave the house!

Since then I have been trying to earn a living by working from home. I already had a couple of dozen clients that I had designed websites for so I started there by asking for referrals. I got a few new clients from that process which helps a little.

I also answered an ad on Craig's List from a guy who sells a high volume of merchandise on EBay. I worked out a deal with him where I get paid for doing the listings for him so he can devote his time to other aspects of his business. I get so much per listing and a commission when the item sells.

I am also trying to negotiate a telemarketing deal with a local company. That hasn't come to fruition yet, but it looks promising. There are tons of ads out there for work from home opportunities but to weed through them all and find the legitimate ones is a cumbersome job.

I also am using Google Adsense which I have been using for a few years now and get regular checks from that (not enough to pay the mortgage, but every little bit helps). In addition to that I use Commission Junction as an affiliate program and just started using the Amazon affiliate program.

All of these things by themselves are not enough income to live on; however, when they are combined together it starts to add up. The moral of this story is: if you want to make money working from home you can do it! It's not a get rich quick scheme, but it can be done. Just take one baby step at a time.

The most important thing to remember when you are just starting is that you need to be disciplined. It is just like a job. I get up early every day and jump right into it. Hopefully, as things start to pick up, I will spend less time working and make more money.

I am open to suggestions...please leave your comments.

Business Cards - Your Best Friend

Business Cards - Your Best Friend

In this day of modern technology and online advertising there is still one advertising tool that is often overlooked. It may seem like something out of the stone ages; however, your business card can still be your number one marketing tool.



Marketing study after marketing study has proven that Personal Referrals / Word-Of-Mouth advertising is THE...UNDISPUTED, HANDS DOWN best way to attract new business! The tool that goes hand-in-hand with this method of advertising is your business card.




Let me give you an example of how my business card recently landed me a new client. Just last week I was talking to a lady in my church and I mentioned that since I was laid off from work I was focusing my full attention on designing web sites. I handed her my business card and asked her to keep me in mind if she ran into anyone who had a need for an affordable web site.




The very next morning I received a phone call from someone who was looking for a web site and was referred to me by the lady in my church. This person needed a web site right away for a time sensative campaign and I was able to get the job done and her web site launched within 48-hours.




A couple of days later I was at a wedding shower and much to my surprise this new client just happened to be the MC at the shower and I was able to meet her face to face for the first time. She was excited about the great service I had done for her by getting her web site online so quickly and was spreading the word about me to all of her friends.




Do business cards still work? You bet they do! I never go anywhere without a stack of business cards in my pocket. If you need a business card made I would suggest using Vista Print, you can do it all online and they have a FREE BUSINESS CARD OFFER you can take advantage of. They have many pre-designed card styles or you can design your own.