Posts Tagged ‘ business ’

You can make real money online

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You can make real money online

One bright note in the ongoing financial recession in the United States is the opportunity to earn money online. Since more companies are cutting back on full-time staff members to save money, they are turning more and more to outsourcing work that used to be done in house. Before you decide that you are going to earn money working from home however, it is important that you understand that there is no method of “getting rich quick”. Work at home opportunities are numerous, provided that you know where to look and you can avoid getting scammed. For most people, the…

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The CMO – Chief Mediocre Officer

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The CMO – Chief Mediocre Officer

Most business owners want it all — A successful, growing business where they make the rules and the decisions. There is however a danger that the business owner may wind up being what I like to call the Chief Mediocre Officer.  In fact, many small business owners find themselves doing everything not simply because they are saving money, but because they want to maintain complete control over their business operations. Are you becoming a CMO? You might think that you are not a CMO and you feel that since this is your business, you have certain responsibilities that must be…

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oDesk: Another Epic Failure

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oDesk: Another Epic Failure

Several days ago, oDesk decided to roll out another “feature”. Now, I’m not sure who thought this was a good idea (or for that matter WHY they thought it was a good idea) but the overall failure of this feature is evident in reviewing the response from contractors (most, not all).  The feature is called “Similar Contractors” and it is placed in full living color on the right hand side of the users profile. The worst thing about this “feature” is the total lack of foresight oDesk displayed in implementing it. Failure number one: Communication Never, never roll out a…

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Content Mills: Like it or not they are valuable

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Content Mills: Like it or not they are valuable

I recently read a very well written blog post from a freelance writer who made the argument that freelancers should not start off their careers using a content mill. The theory is these sites encourage poor writing, encourage writers to accept lower rates of pay and stunt the growth of most writers. However, in my personal experience, this is simply false in many ways. Experience matters For many freelance writers who are just getting started (myself included), they may have not written anything since their school days. While there is some truth to the fact that many graduates who have…

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Six or Seven Figure Income: Save your money!

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Six or Seven Figure Income: Save your money!

I just love running into things that smack of schemes that are designed to separate people from their hard earned money. This morning, I was “cleaning” my Twitter account (which is a disaster looking for a place to happen!) and ran across a site that promised me I could have multiple six-figure months in the next twelve months by investing in their program. Unfortunately, while I was doing my homework (which I’m wont to doing) I found another site that is promoting one section of this “worthy” program promising me a potential of multiple seven-figure months.  Go figure. Before you…

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How to Create Online Income to Pay Bills

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How to Create Online Income to Pay Bills

Internet marketing, freelancing, article writing and blogging are all possible ideas to earn money online. Can they really help pay bills? The economy is in difficult shape, this is no big secret to anyone. For many, this means looking at additional means of earning income to help pay bills. Chances are that if you are like thousands of other people, you are searching online for opportunities that will allow you to earn additional income. While it is true that there are ways that you can earn income from various online activities, it is important that you know what you are getting…

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An Update on Textbroker

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An Update on Textbroker

I have to admit that I’ve been a bit skeptical about Textbroker because too often, I feel that the ratings by the editors (or whoever does them) is far too subjective.  While I am well aware of my propensity to either over or under use commas, I feel that for the most part, my writing is good enough to pass most editors.  For the past several months, I’ve continued to work at TB even though I am squeamish about some of the rates. However, with that said, I am fairly confident that going into 2013, that TB will work well…

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Your Emergency is NOT My Problem

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Your Emergency is NOT My Problem

As most of you know I work nearly every single day and I am actually pretty receptive to handling “fire drills” provided that I have the time to deal with them efficiently. I seldom (if ever) turn down an assignment if I have a fair amount of time to respond to it.  But then there are morons like this one who seem to think that freelancers are sitting at their computers just waiting for clients to contact them. Yesterday (12/27) an email was sent to me at 3pm in the afternoon.  Now keep in mind this is someone who has…

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Year drawing to a close

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Year drawing to a close

Who would have thunk it? 2012 is drawing to a close and I’ve gotten around to reviewing what my plans were for 2012. While some of my plans came to fruition, it appears that they got somewhat thwarted around mid-year meaning I had to change course!  Last year at this time I was planning on starting my new website, No Scam Work at Home to help identify and call out scams. For several months, this worked out pretty well. The problem of course came in that my site was hacked around mid-year and I had to rethink what to do…

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The best way to market your company

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The best way to market your company

Marketing for growth One of the many challenges of owning a business is marketing. Without a successful marketing plan, chances are that your business will stagnate and over time, you will see a decline in sales. When sales begin declining, it may be too late to start a new marketing campaign to revive your business. That means that you must have a plan in place when you begin your business and one that is flexible over time. To determine your best options for marketing you must have some basic knowledge including: Your customer base – you need to know who…

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Twitter – How effective is it for marketing?

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Twitter – How effective is it for marketing?

Maximizing Twitter’s effectiveness Freelance writers, online marketing professionals and bloggers may be overlooking the potential for a great Twitter advertising campaign for their products or services. Learning how to use Twitter effectively is one of the most important steps that must be taken to get the most out of Twitter. While Twitter is free to use, it is important to understand that it is a tool that can be most effectively used when reaching out to an audience. Interaction and information are the two primary things that are required to be effective when using Twitter. The art of interaction It…

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How do you select great writing topics

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How do you select great writing topics

Defining your niche market For many writers, the biggest obstacle to writing is selecting a worthy topic. For some, this is a fairly straightforward process while others struggle to come up with the right ideas. There are some things that may determine how a writer prepares to create new work. Interest, political leanings and even educational levels may limit a writer’s ability to find work they want. Some writers have identified niche areas that work best for them. For example, a writer with a good grasp of law or medicine may focus on these topics exclusively. Oftentimes, education and life…

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Essential elements of a successful blog

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Essential elements of a successful blog

Never overlook the importance of small things It’s easy to set up a blog, and with the variety of social media sites that are available, it’s easier than ever to find a group of readers who are interested in your site. Of course setting up your blog well and getting readers is crucial to long-term blogging success, there are some things that can make or break your blog regardless of how many readers you may have. Here are some of the components that make up a successful blog. Interlocking pieces There are pieces that all work together that can help…

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How to create an effective social marketing plan

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How to create an effective social marketing plan

Common social media plan issues Frequently, social media specialists think that opening an account on popular social media sites and throwing a bunch of information into the feed is the best way to attract attention. Nothing could be further from the truth. Social media marketing requires a well thought out plan that provides solid information to followers, and offers relevant information while promoting. Social media marketing involves sending a positive message to potential customers. An effective social media plan can help improve credibility, increase sales and reach out to new customers. However, a poorly designed social media marketing plan can…

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Online Writing: Pleasure or practicality

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Online Writing: Pleasure or practicality

Motivation for writing Many of us envy those writers who write for the sheer joy of writing. While many writers are motivated by the sheer pleasure of writing and sharing knowledge, many more are motivated by the money they can earn writing. However, this does not mean that the person who is motivated by cold, hard cash does not take any pleasure in their writing, it merely means their motivation is different. Here’s how you can determine your final motivation for writing: If you could not earn money online from writing would you stop? Answering for myself only, I would…

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