Yes it happens to the best of us. There is going to be a day when you get sick while working online from home.

I unfortunately had a brush with that this week. On the upside, this is the first time that I have truly gotten sick (especially on a work day!) in the past 2 years.

So what can you do to minimize sick time throughout work from home careers?

Get plenty of rest

This is imperative to have a healthy work at home environment. It can be difficult for many of us to leave the office when the office is only a few feet away at all times.

Exercise

I don’t need to tell you that even the most disciplined home worker will at some point hit a slump. You might stop exercising because you don’t care as much about your appearance because you no longer work in an office (yes, it can be a cold hard truth).

But exercise isn’t just about looking good, it is a great immunity booster and gives you the energy that you need to get through a workday and take care of regular household chores.

Diet

This is one often goes hand and hand with exercise. It can be a slippery slope when you are working online from home and the kitchen is so easily accessible.  A few tweaks here and there will do wonders.

Drink Plenty of Water

Try nixing the old cliché picture of a work at home pro nursing a cup of coffee in a robe and fuzzy slippers. Staying well hydrated can be easy to forget, so try keeping a water bottle in your office.

And Taking Vitamins

While your drinking that water why not wash down a good old multi vitamin.

It can be easy to take forget these simple preventative measures to avoid being sick on the job. Starting a few healthy tweaks here and there can help avoid a very unpleasant workday or an unpaid sick day.

Technorati Tags: work at home agent, work from home careers, workathomeagent, working online from home

Technorati Tags: work at home agent, work at home career, work from home careers, workathomeagent, working online from home

Technorati Tags: work at home agent, work from home careers, workathomeagent, working online from home

Last week we discussed Egg Hunting While Working Online from Home, so it is only logical to go to the next step if your applications are successful: the phone interview.

Whether you are you are a work at home agent looking to become and employee, an independent contractor, or freelancer; there is a chance that you will at some point need to do a phone interview.

Many of the same concepts of doing an in person interview apply to doing a phone interview. I recently did a phone interview for an independent contractor position, so I compiled a list of tips that helped me:

1. Be prompt. Your interview likely has a busy schedule and quite a few interviews to do; being prompt will start you on the right foot.
2. If you have call waiting turn it off! My business line has no features, and if you are interviewing for call center work it is a must to have plain old telephone service (POTS) with no features on your line.
3. Do not eat or drink during your interview. You can imagine how bad it sounds to be talking to someone who is chewing throughout a telephone conversation  (this includes gum!). Although you should keep a glass or bottle of water on hand in case your throat gets a little dry.
4. If you have children, make sure you schedule your interview during school hours (if they are school aged, and not homeschooling), or enlist the help of a friend, relative, or babysitter (if they are younger or being homeschooled).
5. Smile. It is true, a smile does project over the telephone, and it will give your interviewer a positive image of you. This is essential if you are interviewing for any call center position for customer service or sales.
6. Use the person’s title (Mr., Mrs., Ms. etc.). This shows respect. You should only use their first name if they ask you to.
7. Always use appropriate language and grammar. Just don’t over think it, you should sound natural and not mechanical, and you will want to be thinking of your answers not whether or not you are ending on a proposition. And under no circumstances should you use profanity, this is never appropriate!
8. If your interviewer is late, remain polite. This has happened to me before, but you must remember that the interviewer has a busy schedule with many interviews to conduct. So be understanding if they are late.

When interviewing for any work at home position, the interviewer will likely ask you quiet a few questions about your home office setup; be honest with your answers. The questions may range from whether you have a home office that is has a closing door and is free from distractions, to what operating system you have on your computer.

Many work at home companies and freelance projects have a list of home office requirements and work requirements listed on their site or project listing. Do your homework before doing your interview.

Technorati Tags: independent contractor, work at home agent, work at home jobs, work from home careers, workathomeagent, working online from home

The work at home community will often refer to jobs as eggs. And as the saying goes, you should never put all of your eggs in one basket.

Yesterday I went on a application spree, applying for just about any job that I felt I had the experience to perform.

I already have work, so why, you ask, was I applying for more jobs? Alas, it is the curse of the independent contractor to continually be searching for more eggs to add to their basket. Independent contractor work is usually part time or temporary in nature, so it only makes sense to keep an eye out for more opportunities to continue working online from home.

In my case, it is a preemptive strike as one of my eggs is slowing down for the holiday season and another has a contract that may or may not renew in a few months.

Preparation is the Easiest and Fastest Way to Hunt for Eggs

This will apply if you are currently working online from home, or if you are working another job while trying to get work at home jobs (be it a traditional day job or full time caregiver to children or the elderly).

The first thing you will want to do is to create a resume. There are many guides and resources online with free resume writing tips. WorkPlaceLikeHome has a great thread for resumes for work at home jobs (clicking the link will take you to the page, though you will likely need to register to view it).

The next step is to keep that resume updated. Any work at home jobs you have (even if they are temporary) should be listed on your resume to show that you have experience working independently from home. You will also need to put our resume in an easy to find location on your computer (such as the desktop) for easy reference and quick upload to the site that has the job you are applying for.

You will want to have information for 2-3 references on hand in case the application requires references. Your references should not be family members, but former/current employers, coworkers, or friends. Make sure you have their name, address, phone number, and email.

A note: you should of course get the consent of the person you will be putting down as a reference and do your research to make sure that the company you are applying for is legit and will not be selling or using their information to harass or solicit.

Additional Preparation for Your Egg Hunt

You will want to have or setup an email account that you can check regularly. You will not want to have lost out on an interview opportunity because the email got lost in a sea of junk mail; most requests for more information or interviews are time sensitive. I recommend getting a Gmail account for the storage and ease of setting up for mobile use (yes, I am constantly checking my emails on my iPhone).

In a Nutshell:

• Create a resume.
• Keep your resume updated.
• Put your resume in an easy to access location on your computer.
• Get your references in order.
• Make sure you have an email account that you check regularly.

You should not just wait around hoping and praying that the one job you applied for might be the one. Continue egg hunting and checking your emails until your basket is overflowing with eggs.

Technorati Tags: egg hunt, independent contractor, work at home agent, work from home careers, workathomeagent, working online from home

Of course, first and foremost, you will need an internet connection capable of such work (hint: most companies will ask you to have DSL or Cable internet service). And you will need a computer. I am going to assume that you have both of these things if you are reading this.

The next thing that you will need is a phone. It cannot be your average digital handset phone, you will need your hands free to use your computer. And just about any company that you sign on with will alert you that you cannot use your digital handset phone with a headset plugged into for security and technical issues (imagine that you are midway through your 3 hour shift and your handset battery starts to die; not good!).

So that brings us to a dial pad and headset phone that plugs into the wall. The one that I chose, and many of the companies that I have worked for recommend, is the Plantronics T10.

Pros

• Since the phone plugs directly into the wall you do not need to worry about the phone dying on you or getting battery replacements (which due to the nature of call center work will add up after awhile).
• Having a headset greatly improves your productivity. Plus you won’t be having to pay the chiropractor bills from having to cradle the phone between your ear and shoulder.

Cons

• I have found that the volume on this phone is not the greatest, though I tend to speak rather quietly so as not to disturb my husband or daughter while I am working.
• The headset can give you a headache after a long shift. Again, I have a big head, so that might be subjective. Also, there is no way to tell if the headache is from the headset or a long shift

I have been satisfied with the Plantronics T10, and I can honestly say that it has helped me make quiet a bit of money.

If you are getting into call center work from home, then go pick yourself up a Plantronics T10.

Technorati Tags: Plantronics T10, work at home agent, work from home careers, working online from home

Working online from home is the dream of many people, and one of the best ways to make that dream come true is to make your own business. Today I am going to discuss with you potential ways to make money with photos. If you love taking pictures, then this is for you.

Many bloggers (such as myself) and other media outlets like to use stock images for there websites, magazines, and blogs. And many times we have to pay for those pictures from websites such as iStockphoto, Getty Images, and Dreamstime (In case you are wondering, these links take you to the actual part on the websites where you can get more info).

So what do you need to do to get started?

Well, to begin with you can start by offering a few free stock photos on Dreamstime and sxc.hu, or you can create a Flikr account to start building your portfolio.

I think that it is a great idea, when you are starting out especially, to take a camera with you wherever you go. You never know when the perfect photo will make itself apparent to you. A camera like the Flip is great for this, or if you have a smartphone it will likely have a camera.

Once you have built up a portfolio and have gotten people downloading and using your photos, you can graduate to selling your photos on one of these sites (there are more stock photo sites than these, but these three will be the only ones mentioned in this post).

Advanced options to maximize income

When you are selling your stock photos you will need to make a decision on whether you will be selling your photos royalty free or rights managed.

A royalty free license gives the buyer the right to use the photo however and whenever the want as much as they want while paying a one-time fee.

Rights managed photos are licensed with restrictions in place such as the size, placement, duration of use and geographic distribution. There are usually recurring payments to use these images. Also rights managed licensing is usually reserved for stylized photos (meaning it has to be professional grade).

Recommendations

It is recommended once you start getting your photos downloaded and hopeful getting people to buy them, that you begin to assess your equipment.

You might want to consider getting a better camera, perhaps something that will take pictures in HD. Many people look for an HD option when buying photos, and that usually means a higher premium. So it may be wise for you to upgrade your equipment to maximize your income.

Technorati Tags: flip camera, flip ultra hd, work at home agent, work from home careers, work online from home, workathomeagent

Today I received a notice that the Big List of Work at Home Companies was infringing on the copyright of RatRaceRebellion.

I want to publicly apologize for any infringement on my part. This list was meant to be useful to the work at home community as a whole; it was not intended to be malicious in any way.

You will notice that the work is no longer on the site. I will be reworking The Big List of Work at Home Jobs to still be useful, but not to infringe on R3’s copyright.

Please sign up for our mailing list to be notified when the list is back up and running.

Again I would like to apologize to the owners of RatRaceRebellion, Christine Durst and Michael Haaren.

Technorati Tags: christine durst, michael haaren, rat race rebellion, work at home agent, workathomeagent

This week I had a wake up call about my internet usage. I have been consistently going over the allowed download rate for the plan that I was on. So I had to reassess; would it be more expensive to stay on the internet plan that I was on (and keep paying the overage charges), or would it be necessary for me to upgrade to the unlimited plan?

Time For a Change

When you are working online from home, there are many times in business when you will need to reassess things, whether it is your time management style, your cost of doing business, or even what you are doing to make money.

We have all heard the saying, “if it ain’t broke; don’t fix it!” Well, I have a saying of my own, “if you can do it better; why not!”

What Tools are Going to Help You Be Successful?

Yes my internet was working fine, and yes I could just try and cut down on internet activity. But… working online from home requires certain tools, a big one being internet service! So it was more cost effective for me to upgrade and get more work done, and stop worrying that I was going to go over my download rate for the month!

The Tools of the Trade

The point is, that you need to focus on what is going to keep you on task, making money, and really take a look at something that might cost you more now (whether this is a new computer, internet service, or furthering your education) and look to see if it will save you more in the long run. I have skimped on the cost of a computer before and have learned the hard way that you usually get what you pay for.

What have you reassessed in your business, and how has it helped you?

Technorati Tags: work at home agent, work from home careers, workathomeagent, working online from home

In the old days of direct sales marketing, you used to have to network and sell with people that you knew or strangers that were local to you. The internet has changed all of that.

Now it is easier than ever to make your own website, use Facebook, and Twitter to up your direct sales marketing efforts. It is the perfect way to generate more business than was previously possible!

The Internet, Wave of the Direct Marketing Revolution

Think about it, the internet is open 24 hours a day and it allows you to do business the world over! Very exciting for anyone doing direct sales marketing!

Direct sales companies like Avon even help you set up your own website as an eRepresentative! Direct sales companies that do not offer the option to help you set up your own site will probably be okay with you setting up your own website, just be sure to contact someone from your upline to make sure.

Direct Sales Marketing and Online Parties

Most experienced direct sales agents will tell you that the most success that they have is through sales parties. For many direct sales companies will advise you to do this.

But you wanted a home based internet business opportunity! You didn’t want to be going out to stranger’s houses showing them products that they might not buy. Again with the internet this has changed! Now you can get your own secure chat room and host your own online direct sales parties!

You can guide your guest to your website and show them products, and there are plenty of online party games to play as well (such as a scavenger hunt on your website or a product word scramble game).

Direct Sales Marketing for a Good Cause

Direct sales companies such as Avon and their support of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Mary Kay’s commitment to ending domestic violence, and Tupperware’s support of the Boy’s and Girl’s Club (both of America and Canada) are a just a few of the good causes that you can reach out and support with your direct sales marketing efforts.

You may not be aware that your fellow representatives are not getting the word out about a certain aspect of your business (such as charitable donations).  And with all of the tools mentioned above it makes it easier for you to get the word out and make some sales for a good cause as well. And doesn’t it feel great to be able to make some money and to support a good cause!

Resources for Direct Sales:

http://theworkathomeagent.net/the-big-list-of-work-at-home-companies/direct-sales-jobs/

http://dsa.org/

http://www.directsalesparty.com/index.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_2130833_have-online-direct-sales-party.html

http://www.mydswa.org/

Technorati Tags: direct sales jobs, direct sales marketing, work at home agent, work at home jobs, work from home careers, workathomeagent, working online from home