Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.
Position: Product Line Creator
Education: Not applicable.
Skills: The ability to design original ideas and art to submit online.
Job outlook: Could be good, depending on how much self-promotion you do and the variety of your designs.
Possible employers: Websites such as zazzle.com and cafepress.com, among others, offer freelance designers the opportunity to submit artwork for mugs, t-shirts, children’s accessories, posters, stickers and housewares, to name just a few options. Also check with local t-shirt or other printers to see if they offer similar opportunities for freelancers.
Preparation: Refresh the artist inside by taking an art course or workshop to see what new techniques are out there. Ask family and friends for feedback on your designs to see what could be a potential hot seller.
Get your foot in the door: Start with a few designs and see what sells and what doesn’t before expanding to a larger product line.
Until next time,
Sarah
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Marketing Your Home-Based Business: Postcards
In this age of electronic communications, using something as old-fashioned as a postcard to promote your business might seem like a throwback to the Dark Ages. But postcards can become a great way to capture the attention of current and potential clients.
Here are some tips to develop a smashingly successfuly postcard campaign.
Start with one idea per postcard. Don't overload your postcard with multiple ideas. Simplify your text to one idea or promotion per postcard. If you want to highlight several different things in an integarted campaign, consider doing a series of postcards instead of piling everything up on one postcard.
Write your copy with an eye for clarity, not cleverness. No one wants to get a postcard that cloaks its message behind overly cute word play or coyness. You don't have to be boring with your word choices, but don't go too far in the opposite direction and have copy that the reader doesn't get.
Use artwork sparingly. Don't have your copy overwhelmed by the postcard's design. Go with streamlined instead of cluttered when it comes to graphics. Many printers--both online and traditional--have templates you can customize.
Shop around for the best price. Online printers such as Vistaprint.com offer good prices on good quality print jobs. But don't forget to call your local printer, such as FedEx Office, to talk about pricing because you might be surprised how affordable local printers can be.
Postcards can be an effective marketing tool that any business should consider adding to their advertising program.
Until next time,
Sarah
Here are some tips to develop a smashingly successfuly postcard campaign.
Start with one idea per postcard. Don't overload your postcard with multiple ideas. Simplify your text to one idea or promotion per postcard. If you want to highlight several different things in an integarted campaign, consider doing a series of postcards instead of piling everything up on one postcard.
Write your copy with an eye for clarity, not cleverness. No one wants to get a postcard that cloaks its message behind overly cute word play or coyness. You don't have to be boring with your word choices, but don't go too far in the opposite direction and have copy that the reader doesn't get.
Use artwork sparingly. Don't have your copy overwhelmed by the postcard's design. Go with streamlined instead of cluttered when it comes to graphics. Many printers--both online and traditional--have templates you can customize.
Shop around for the best price. Online printers such as Vistaprint.com offer good prices on good quality print jobs. But don't forget to call your local printer, such as FedEx Office, to talk about pricing because you might be surprised how affordable local printers can be.
Postcards can be an effective marketing tool that any business should consider adding to their advertising program.
Until next time,
Sarah
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Online Guide Writer
Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.
Position: Online Guide Writer
Education: None required.
Skills: Writing skills and an expertise in a specific subject area.
Job outlook: With more people turning to the Internet for advice and information, there are more opportunities for writers to make money via online guide sites and advice sites.
Possible employers: Sites such as eHow.com and About.com offer opportunities for writers to specialize in certain subjects. Chacha.com and other live help sites let users type in questions and receive answers from its stable of writers.
Preparation: Hone your writing skills. Both eHow.com and About.com have an application process that involves writing samples and testing.
Get your foot in the door: Develop your own area of expertise and then search for ways to use your particular knowledge on these and other online sites.
Until next time,
Sarah
Position: Online Guide Writer
Education: None required.
Skills: Writing skills and an expertise in a specific subject area.
Job outlook: With more people turning to the Internet for advice and information, there are more opportunities for writers to make money via online guide sites and advice sites.
Possible employers: Sites such as eHow.com and About.com offer opportunities for writers to specialize in certain subjects. Chacha.com and other live help sites let users type in questions and receive answers from its stable of writers.
Preparation: Hone your writing skills. Both eHow.com and About.com have an application process that involves writing samples and testing.
Get your foot in the door: Develop your own area of expertise and then search for ways to use your particular knowledge on these and other online sites.
Until next time,
Sarah
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Importance of Shut-Eye
Let’s face it: We could all use more sleep. The bad news is that we’re more likely to forgo sleep than food, especially when recent studies have found that we need sleep more than food to function properly, according to the Harvard Business Review.
Sleep deprivation can lead to memory problems and muddled minds. Most experts peg how much sleep we need as adults as between seven and eight hours each night.
Sufficient sleep improves our functionality during the day, which can boost our productivity and overall life enjoyment. Ways to improve your sleep include going to bed earlier and at the same time each evening; begin a wind down routine 45 minutes before bedtime; and jot down your thoughts before bed. Also, turning off electronic devices—including cell phones, computers, e-readers and TVs—during your pre-bed rituals can help prepare your mind and body for bed.
Until next time,
Sarah
Sleep deprivation can lead to memory problems and muddled minds. Most experts peg how much sleep we need as adults as between seven and eight hours each night.
Sufficient sleep improves our functionality during the day, which can boost our productivity and overall life enjoyment. Ways to improve your sleep include going to bed earlier and at the same time each evening; begin a wind down routine 45 minutes before bedtime; and jot down your thoughts before bed. Also, turning off electronic devices—including cell phones, computers, e-readers and TVs—during your pre-bed rituals can help prepare your mind and body for bed.
Until next time,
Sarah
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Blogger
Each Thursday, I’m highlighting a work-from-home job or business.
Position: Blogger
Education: None required.
Skills: Writing skills and the ability to navigate the Internet by posting your blog.
Job outlook: With more and more people turning to the Internet for information, blogging has a robust future.
Possible employers: Professional bloggers make money by attracting viewers to their blogs and having those visitors click on ads. Use Blogger.com's AdSense feature to get advertisements on your blog page. Eefoof.com also allows postings of videos and photographs, sharing a percentage of the site’s revenue with its posters.
Preparation: Brush up on your writing skills. Make sure your blog is unique and written in a style that draws people in.
Get your foot in the door: Getting starting with blogging is as easy as registering with a free blog site like Blogger.com and posting your first blog.
Until next time,
Sarah
Position: Blogger
Education: None required.
Skills: Writing skills and the ability to navigate the Internet by posting your blog.
Job outlook: With more and more people turning to the Internet for information, blogging has a robust future.
Possible employers: Professional bloggers make money by attracting viewers to their blogs and having those visitors click on ads. Use Blogger.com's AdSense feature to get advertisements on your blog page. Eefoof.com also allows postings of videos and photographs, sharing a percentage of the site’s revenue with its posters.
Preparation: Brush up on your writing skills. Make sure your blog is unique and written in a style that draws people in.
Get your foot in the door: Getting starting with blogging is as easy as registering with a free blog site like Blogger.com and posting your first blog.
Until next time,
Sarah
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