by BlondieWrites on October 11, 2009
One of the best jobs for a work at home business right now is graphic designing. With the popularity of ebooks and special reports plus other graphic design needs such as business cards, brochures, CD covers, DVD covers, graphic designing is simply one of the hottest work at home businesses to be into.
Graphic designers are in need for all sorts of online graphic design work, not to mention the offline graphic design possibilities. Graphic designers design websites, business cards, brochures, stationary, DVD and CD covers and cases, special report covers, ebook covers, website banners, website backgrounds, book covers, software boxes, presentations and presentation covers, membership cards, gift cards, magazine covers, ecourse bundles and covers, and much more.
I’ve recently come across (and bought!) a really cool graphic software program called Cover Action Pro that just about anyone can do. First, I will tell you that it’s not cheap. If you’re looking for something for nothing or something cheap, then stop reading, because this isn’t it. This is serious software for some serious graphic designing. Frankly, this is one of THE best things I have come across in a while!
Before I say more, go look ….. Cover Action Pro.
It’s used with Photoshop. It works with Photoshop CS2, CS3, and CS4. I have CS2, for a few more days. I will be buying Photoshop CS4 in a couple of weeks. But if you have Photoshop CS2, that’s fine. Cover Action Pro will work just fine with CS2.
There are two versions, the standard and the extreme. The only difference in the two versions is that one comes with an extra DVD that allows you to do more. The standard version is probably fine for most people that want to do graphic design work.
Check out Cover Action Pro’s site here and be sure to watch the video (it’s short but extremely interesting). Note the clarity of the items on the main page, the high resolution, etc.
If you are looking for something to make money at home, this just might be for you. But go look and see for yourself. Granted, graphic design is not for everyone, and the price isn’t for those looking for a cheap way to go. You need to want to invest in yourself! If this is you, go check it out … Cover Action Pro. And if you get this, be sure to share here what you think of it to help others decide if this is for them!
by BlondieWrites on October 5, 2009
Despite what many think, starting a business doesn’t have to deplete your life’s savings. Many successful businesses have been launched from home with a little investment and a lot of determination. Several years ago I launched a Homeowner Referral Network (HRN) business with a $5000 loan from my husband’s retirement savings plan. Not only was I was able to repay the loan in less than six months but my business has grown into a cottage industry nationwide grossing more than $2 million in revenue to date.
If you have the desire to start your own business but have limited resources, below are three tips to help you stay on budget:
1. What do you (really) need?
Before you head out to purchase the latest and greatest technology for your home office, assess your needs. Decide what equipment will be essential to your business start-up and then shop around at local retailers for the best price. Basic office equipment generally includes a computer, printer, fax machine, telephone, answering machine, desk and file cabinet. Unless your business is in a computer-related or hi-tech field, chances are that you can do everything you need with your existing equipment, last year’s computer model or refurbished equipment that includes a warranty or service contract.
TIP: Computer and office supply stores often offer credit cards with 0% financing for 6 months to one year which will help buy you more time to launch your business and start generating some revenue.
2. Seek out free resources.
Whether you need advice on how to set up your business’s legal structure, marketing strategies or accounting techniques there are numerous free resources available for entrepreneurs. Before you invest in costly outside advisors to help you launch your business locate and visit a local SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives) chapter in your area. SCORE is a nonprofit association run by volunteer business counselors who donate their time and talent to provide free and confidential business advice to entrepreneurs as a community service. (To find a SCORE chapter near you, visit their website at http://www.score.org.)
The U.S Small Business Administration (SBA) also offers the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Program to provide management assistance to current and prospective small business owners. Entrepreneurs can find an SBDC chapter by visiting the Small Business Administration’s website at www.sba.org.
Finally, the Internet is an amazing source of information and support. Search online for websites and other business owners in your field. Join chat groups where others in your industry meet to share ideas and offer support to those just starting out.
TIP: Not all resources are free. You may also need to hire professionals with a specific area of expertise (i.e. lawyer, graphic artist, website developer, etc.) to help you with certain aspects of your business. Decide what tasks you can handle on your own and outsource other tasks to people with training in that field. Colleges and Universities or Retirement Centers can also be great places to find new talent or part-time help for your business.
3. Don’t overspend on advertising.
Many new business owners invest in expensive advertising campaigns that don’t produce results. Paid advertising isn’t always the best promotional tool. As a new business owner with limited start-up capital, seek out promotional opportunities for your business that are less expensive or—better yet—free!
For example:
- Contact the Business Editor of your local newspaper and pitch your business to them for a story or offer to serve as an expert for an upcoming story on a topic related to your industry.
- Donate your product/service as a giveaway at a local charity event.
- If you have a website, seek out other businesses with websites that generate traffic from your potential customers and offer to put a reciprocal link your site.
TIP: Networking is an effective and inexpensive way to generate business. Look for opportunities where you can meet other professionals who can help generate word of mouth referrals for your business. Make a list of trade organizations, merchant associations, Chambers of Commerce and/or networking groups in your target market and ask to attend a meeting to see if the group is a good fit for you and your business.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com
Debra Cohen is President and founder of Home Remedies® of NY, Inc.–a Homeowner Referral Network (HRN) business that serves homeowners throughout Nassau County, NY. She is also author of The Complete Guide To Owning And Operating A Successful Homeowner Referral Network and has helped more than 400 entrepreneurs launch successful HRN’s of their own. For more information, visit her website at www.hrnbiz.com.
by BlondieWrites on August 2, 2009
Work at home burnout is something most of us face from time to time, even if we absolutely love our work at home jobs and life. It happens for a number of reasons and those reasons are often the answer for how to recover from burnout. Here are a few reasons for work at home burnout and how to recover from the burnout.
#1 Gratitude. Sometimes we lose sight of what we do enjoy about our career, job and life. We get busy, we become bogged down with work and demands and we lose the joy. How on earth can you feel inspired and motivated when you’ve lost the joy? You cannot, so the answer to recover from this type of burnout is to find the joy again. Remember why you love to do what you do and why you’re grateful to be doing it.
For example, if you’re a writer then perhaps you are writing 24/7 and you have some demanding clients. Maybe you’re even writing on some topics you don’t enjoy. We’ll it’s time to do some more writing…it’s time to start a gratitude journal. If you’re really burnt out on writing you could simply establish a mental habit of listing at least five things you’re grateful for each day.
#2 Escape. Sometimes we just feel overwhelmed by our career. We feel the pressure to perform, particularly if it is a creative job and can feel overwhelmed. Escape is the answer to recovering from burnout caused by feeling overwhelmed. Set time aside each and every day to take a break and if possible, take a full day off each week or at the minimum, each month.
It’s easy, particularly when you’re working from home, to work 24/7. However, everyone needs an escape from their job, even if they love it. When you escape, don’t think about work or the clients, don’t be readily available to your email or phone – make sure it really is an escape.
#3 Change of pace. Sometimes our job can begin to feel stifling and uncreative, even if it is a creative job. If you’re a writer, for example, then you might be writing every day on the same subject matter. Your job can become rote, habitual, and the result is burnout. Recover from this type of burnout by mixing it up a bit. Change your routine, add a new element to your job or make some significant changes to your life to add the spice back to it.
#4 Stress. Chronic stress is difficult to recover from and it is quite likely the single biggest cause of burnout. If stress is causing your burnout, evaluate what it is about your working from home job that is causing the stress. If possible, simply eliminate that element. The joy you feel from eliminating a cause of stress is a sure cure to burnout. However, if you cannot eliminate the stress then spend some time doing two things: reducing the stress as much as possible, perhaps by hiring or seeking assistance, and adopting some stress reduction habits like meditation, exercise and biofeedback.
Burnout happens to the best of us and the key to recovering from it is to first understand its cause. Once you understand what is causing you to feel unenthused about your work or your life, then you can begin to recover from it. Working from home can be fulfilling and fun!
