Homepreneurs Success Story – StellaredgePR

November 27, 2011

Homepreneurs is fortunate to meet some very talented entrepreneurs through this blog.  If appropriate for this forum, we love to share their success stories.  For this post, we were able to interview a web designer – Lindsay Coats – that we’ve worked with on other website projects.  I have seen Lindsay’s work and can attest to her ability to manage projects, work within a budget, and deliver the requested product on-time.  Lindsay not only has creative talent, but she is people-oriented and essentially an extension of your business.

This superior customer service combined with a self-motivated and can-do attitude has made her successful and constantly adds to her clientele. We sat down with Lindsay and asked her 11 questions to see what makes her design business a success:

1) Why did you start your own business?

I had a professor in college, Dr. Gary Ernst, who was very influential in my decision to start my own business. He guided me in the basics on opening my business and gave me the confidence to know that it was even possible.

Over the years, I have had four different home-based businesses. In every case, I started my own business because I love to create… and you can only create so much for yourself before you get bored!

With regards to my current business, Stellar Edge PR (formerly Lindsay Shannon Design), I began self-learning web design while working for my parent’s greenhouse in 1996. It was fairly early in the days of the Internet so things were not nearly as polished and complex as they are now, but it was thrilling to put something together building up all the different pieces and learn as I went.

2) How long has your business existed?  (When was it formed?)

 I worked as a freelance artist from 1999-2007. During this time, I was also employed outside of the home but did web design on the side to earn extra money and fulfill my desire to create. When my son was born in January 2007, I had to make a very important decision – go back to work or officially start my own business (Lindsay Shannon Design). It was a big risk, but it has definitely paid off in so many ways. 

Stellar Edge PR launched in April 2011 when I took on a partner, Sin Van V, and expanded my services beyond just web design.

3) What industry is your business in?

Stellar Edge PR is a public relations company. We provide a full-service offering of event planning, marketing, design, promotions, social media services, and public relations.

4) What are the greatest challenges you face?

One of the hardest things about working from home is balancing my schedule. With two small children (ages 3 and soon to be 5), it is sometimes a struggle to manage everything. Also, it’s hard to shut off. With email and everything being so accessible, it is hard to NOT work sometimes.

5) What advantages does self-employment provide?

 One of the main reasons I started my business was to have the ability to be home with my children. I have spent the last 5 years watching them grow and I love that I was able to be there for all their milestones. Yes, it involved a lot of late night working, but it’s all been worth it. Now that they are older, I can focus more on my business while still allowing myself time to enjoy my family.

Another advantage is the capability to work from virtually anywhere. My parents and my husband’s family all live in different states so it is wonderful to be able to go visit and still work when we are there and not have to worry about being back to work on Monday.

6) Do you have any tips/suggestions for those considering entrepreneurship?

Prepare yourself for months of hard work and not a lot of payoff. There are a lot of things that must go in to a business before you can get anything out of it – marketing, website, business cards, accounting software, materials/inventory, etc. depending on your industry. These are up-front costs that are hard to avoid, but they will allow your business to run smoothly and successfully. Also, think about the future. Even if you plan to start small, keep possible growth in the back of your mind and as you make decisions think, “How will this change or affect my business if I’m more successful?”

7) Do you use social media at all (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn)?

Yes. Social media is an important part of marketing and branding any company. It’s interesting to interact with my clients on a different level and create a community of people who have similar interests. This allows for exchange of information and a wonderful opportunity for networking and referrals.  Lindsay and StellaredgePR have a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/stellaredgepr and Twitter page: http://twitter.com/#!/stellaredgepr

8) Where do your greatest number of customers come from?  Word of mouth, networking, social media, advertising.

99% of my work has come from word of mouth. My biggest goal has always been to be an affordable option to working with a major marketing firm. I pride myself in working within a budget and truly becoming an extension of someone’s business allowing them the opportunity to implement a true marketing plan without having to hire someone internally. When you do that and do it well, people talk.

9) If you could change one thing when you started, what would that be?

I wouldn’t change anything. Everything I have encountered along the way has been a learning lesson and has made me the successful business owner I am today.

10) What are the rewards of self-employment?

Personally, I am able to fulfill the drive to create and I enjoy helping others with my skills. Also, I am happy that I can help provide for my family while still doing what I love.

11) What sources do you use to fill in your knowledge gaps? Why?

I have a network of professionals that I have worked with in the past that I am able to consult when I have questions about certain projects. Also, now that I’ve taken on a partner, we are able to bounce ideas off of each other to create an even more dynamic package for our clients. In addition to my human counterparts, I can always count on Google! ;)

Lindsay Coats is an owner of Stellaregdepr, a growing company that specializes in event planning, marketing and design, promotions, and PR and social media.  Stellaredgepr is on the Internet at these sites:

http://www.stellaredgepr.com
http://www.facebook.com/stellaredgepr
http://twitter.com/#!/stellaredgepr

By Dion D. Shaw

Dion D. Shaw is the founder and owner of Homepreneurs.

Homepreneurs.  New Day.  New Opportunity.

© Homepreneurs 2011

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Two More Survey Sites for Fast Money

November 25, 2011

Homepreneurs has suggested survey sites in previous posts to make money part-time.  In this article, Homepreneurs suggests checking into these two survey sites to make some extra money on the side:

- Delve – Delve was founded in 1973 to support the market research industry through qualitative and quantitative data collection. Delve is owned by Bush O’Donnell Capital Partners and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri where senior management and a team of operations, technology, sales and marketing staff reside. Delve has ten research testing facilities strategically located throughout the United States.

Delve pays up to $200 for testing a product for a few days, $25 for online surveys, and $80 to $100 for focus group participation.

- Harris Interactive – At Harris Interactive, we leverage all communication tools to get inside the minds of consumers, to decode what is really being said, and uncover what is really meant. Utilizing the most appropriate mix of media, tools, and methodologies, we turn relevant insight into actionable foresight.

Harris generally provides points for survey takers that can be redeemed for rewards and prizes, including cash, from $50 to $10,000!

As always, never pay for any of these services. Legitimate firms will never charge a sign-up fee or for shipping products.

Compiled by Dion D Shaw

Dion D Shaw is the founder and owner of Homepreneurs.

Homepreneurs. New Day. New Opportunity.

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15 Ways to Earn Extra Money With Low to No Startup Costs

November 22, 2011

Want some extra money in your pocket?  Stupid question.  Of course you do!  Cutting expenses only saves so much: we still need food, shelter, and other basic needs.  Homepreneurs ran across this article with 15 ways of earning extra money with minimal obligation or startup cost.  Most of these options need little or no training but will require a little research and networking on your part.  Building a customer base is important while providing reliable and efficient service.  This is not radical or different from any other job.  Provide superior service and you’ll have more clients than you can handle and join the Homepreneurs club!

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15 Ways to Earn Extra Money

Sometimes being frugal is not enough to meet your financial obligations and goals and you’ll have to look for ways to earn some extra cash. Whether you’re a stay at home parent looking to supplement your family’s income, looking to pay down debt or establish an emergency fund or saving for a special purchase, here are some ideas to help you make some extra money.

Note these are not get rich quick schemes and they might not work in every situation. The idea of this post is to help you brainstorm ways to use your unique skills and resources to make money that might not have occurred to you before.

1. Childcare. Occasional babysitting is not just for teenagers, in fact many parents prefer to have adult sitters and will pay a premium for experience child minders. Consider signing up with a service like Sitter City to find jobs.

2. Run errands for those who are too busy or incapable of doing it themselves. Be sure to check with your auto insurer and local regulations if you decide to offer a service that gives people rides, for example taking the elderly to do their shopping.

3. Pet sitting/dog walking. If you love animals but can’t have a pet of your own this could be a great part time job and a way to spend time with pets.

4. Secret shopping. Be sure to read the FTC guide on Mystery Shopping first to give you tips on signing up with a reputable agency. Also know that most require you to pay upfront for things like restaurant meals and then reimburse you for expenses along with the fee, so this might not be a good option if you are seriously strapped for cash.

5. Housecleaning. If you’d rather not do this on a regular basis, consider offering one-off services like helping get Spring/Fall cleaning done or specific jobs like washing windows, getting a home ready for a big party and so on.

6. Freelance writing. Even if you don’t have experience writing for publications, you can make money writing short, informative articles for companies such as Textbroker. You can find work writing for blogs at the Problogger job board, too. There are often writing jobs offered on Craigslist but proceed with caution as you could be scammed into working for free or ridiculously small amounts.

7. Start your own blog. This is by no means a guaranteed way to make money, but if you enjoy writing and/or taking photographs this could be a nice way to make a little extra money and have some fun. You can even be paid to review products or be given free samples, trips and other perks if you have a popular blog. You can get more information at Mom Bloggers Club.  Other good blogging hosts are WordPress, LiveJournal, Blog.com, and Blogger.com.  A comparison list with features, themes, and cost (if any) is available on Mashable.

Blogher is one ad network that bloggers can join to get ads that pay per view and sponsored review opportunities, and there are many more.

8. Handyman/woman services. If you are good with your hands, this can be an excellent way to make money and help people. Look into getting liability insurance if you do this sort of work though, as you could be sued if something goes wrong even if it’s not your fault. This kind of insurance is usually not prohibitively expensive and can offer great peace of mind. Ask your insurance agent for details.

9. Computer repair/lessons. Some ideas: help restore computers damaged by viruses, make backups, fix computers that are slow, install new operating systems and teach people how to use their computers.  If you have the skills, background, and experience – certifications are nice too – you will be more credible.  If you start this business, be prepared to handle all aspects of technology issues, including cabling and installing wall jacks.  Know wireless and the various ISPs quite well.  You may be asked to recommend a provider and be able to set up a home network.  Better yet, partner with a professional cabling company if you feel those tasks are too time-consuming or difficult.

10. Do customer service work at home. West at Home is one company that offers people jobs working at home doing customer service work, such as taking orders from people calling 1-800 numbers. Your computer will need to meet certain minimum standards and you’ll need to purchase a headset to be able to type and talk on the phone at the same time. You can learn about similar jobs at the WAHM forums (work at home moms, but anyone can register and read, not just mothers).

11. Help with catering/clean up for special events. Call around to temporary staffing services and catering companies in your area to find out if they maintain an on call list of people looking to work doing things like setting up and breaking down large parties or serving and tending bar. You might need to obtain a permit to serve alcohol depending on your location, so do your homework.

12. Pass out samples or demonstrate merchandise. You can search for jobs and register a profile on the National Association for Retail Marketing website. This is a great job for outgoing personalities with a lot of patience.

13. Be a search engine evaluator/assessor. Lionsbridge and Leapforce are two corporations that contract people to work at home to evaluate search engine results. These jobs are in high demand so it can be awhile before you hear back.

14. Score essays and other standardized tests. Pearson Educational Measurement is one company that hires people to grade essays and other standardized tests. You’ll need to meet certain educational requirements and the work is seasonal by nature. This would be perfect for teachers and other professionals that have the summer off.

15. Perform small tasks. Amazon Mechanical Turk offers computer users the opportunity to make money doing small jobs like drawing boxes around objects in a picture or clicking on links to see if they are live or not. Most tasks pay pennies but you can do dozens or hundreds in an hour. It’s not great money but a lot of the jobs are things that can be done during commercial breaks while watching tv or other down time. Don’t do any tasks that ask you to sign up for mailing lists or complete offers, such as applying for credit cards.

Some other tips:

  • Craigslist is not the only place where you can advertise your services for free. Many local papers now offer free online classifieds. Don’t forget about bulletin boards in local stores and community areas like churches or synagogues. Be sure to let everyone in your circle know that you are offering these services, networking is one of the most powerful ways there is to get a job.
  • If you are wary posting your private phone number or email address in public, get a free email account to forward to your main address and sign up for Google voice to get a free phone number that can record voice mails for you, send you text transcriptions of the messages and forward the calls to your land-line or cell phone (only in the USA).
  • Use reasonable caution before going to a stranger’s home. Be sure to let somebody else know where you are going and if the situation seems off to you, leave.
  • Make sure to discuss and agree upon all terms before you start a job, including how and when payment will be made.
  • Talk to your insurance agent about getting an umbrella policy for liability and any limits that might be placed on your auto or home insurance if you use them for work.
  • Look into local regulations, particularly for services that involve food, transporting individuals or child care.
  • Before you sign up for any work at home opportunity, do a search to find out about any complaints. Don’t let your hope for extra income cloud what you already know: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
  • Do not pay a company to work for them. If they need to run a credit check or background check, it should be on their own dime. Also, be very cautious before handing over your social security number or other unique identifiers. There are legitimate reasons that a company would need this (for example to give you a 1099 at the end of the year) but you should check out their reputation thoroughly before handing it over.
  • Speaking of 1099s, remember you are liable for taxes on any income you make. Keep careful records and stay on the right side of the IRS.

Edited and compiled by Dion D. Shaw from an article by Tracy

Dion D Shaw is the founder and owner of Homepreneurs.

Article Source:

http://moneyning.com/make-money/15-ways-to-earn-extra-money/

Homepreneurs.  New Day.  New Opportunity.

Disclaimer

Homepreneurs does not endorse nor have any relationships with any of the services listed.  Homepreneurs receives no compensation or consideration for its suggestions.  Homepreneurs strongly urges all interested parties to conduct research and accepts no responsibility for any losses incurred.

© Homepreneurs 2010 – 2013

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Posted by homepreneurs

Simple Work at Home Freelance Jobs

November 20, 2011

This list of work at home jobs is a freelancer’s dream.  In most positions, work when you want and how much you want.  These positions are ideal for part time work, stay at home moms, the disabled or those seeking a second income.  None of these listings are tested or validated by Homepreneurs.  Due diligence and beware the work at home scams!

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Simple Work at Home Jobs

Amazon’s Mechanical Turk

“What is Amazon Mechanical Turk?

Amazon Mechanical Turk is a marketplace for work that requires human intelligence. The Mechanical Turk service gives businesses access to a diverse, on-demand, scalable workforce and gives Workers a selection of thousands of tasks to complete whenever it’s convenient.

Clickworker

“We are always looking for people from anywhere on the planet who enjoy writing, translating, researching, and data processing. clickworker.com provides digital tasks to registered Internet workers – we call them Clickworkers. Clickworkers are independent service providers who utilize our workplace platform. As a Clickworker you earn money working completely independently on your own schedule from any personal computer with Internet access.

The tasks available may vary from Clickworker to Clickworker based on qualification and work assessments, language abilities, and declared interests.”

Cloudcrowd

“CloudCrowd is where work gets done. We bring together companies that need work done with people who want to work and get paid. When a company gives us a project, we break it down into a smaller set of tasks that you complete using our Facebook application. You select the tasks you’d like to work on, and are paid the next business day via PayPal for each task you complete correctly.”

DoMyStuff.com

“DoMyStuff.com provides a marketplace where anyone looking to outsource chores, errands, or projects can locate (and do business with) responsible and experienced local help.
At DoMyStuff.com, you can have all your chores completed by SOMEONE ELSE – all from the comfort of your own home. For the past few years, thousands of companies have relied on similar websites to outsource their business needs – and saved themselves valuable time and money in the process.

Field Agent 

Field Agent is an iPhone app that does exactly that. You can find tons of small gigs to do in your area, like taking pictures of certain things or filling out surveys and get paid between $2 and $8 for each task.

fiverr (what would you do for $5)

“How To Sell:

  • Create a gig for a small service you are willing to offer (for $5)
  • Share your gig with the world
  • You will be notified when your gig is ordered, and be asked to accept it
  • We will credit your Fiverr balance with $4, 48 hrs after you successfully deliver your work
  • Withdraw your earnings to your PayPal (according to the terms of service)”

MinuteWorkers

“Minute Workers is giving a unique opportunity to users by allowing them to generate REAL money and even sustain a continuous income. We are not a scam or greedy scheme, check us out in the forums there are 100′s of payment proofs which workers have posted.

To earn money you have to complete simple jobs online which are created by employers, they are short jobs which take minutes. These tasks will pay a minimum of $0.10 per task and the maximum payment is unlimited. You pick which jobs you want to complete, we have 100′s to choose from every week which are updated every 4 hours.

Microworkers

“Anyone can also be a Worker. You can be a stay-at-home mom, a student who needs extra spending money, or if you simply love helping others while making some extra cash alongside, this is the place for you. Joining Microworkers as a Worker does not mean you are employed by the site. Instead, you will be working as a freelancer. With that, you can work as much or as little as you want. At the same time, your potential for earning is also limitless since you can accept all the jobs you believe you are capable of completing, and get paid for it.”

ShortTask.com

“ShortTask has subdivided its working into two categories — solvers and seekers. The solver works on individual tasks, earns in dollars, and gets paid only once the seeker approves the work. The seeker assigns individual tasks, gains access to thousands of solvers, and pays only when satisfied.

Homepreneurs.  New Day.  New Opportunity.

Source:

http://www.ratracerebellion.com/jobs-tasks.html

Disclaimer

Homepreneurs does not endorse nor have any relationships with any of the services listed.  Homepreneurs receives no compensation or consideration for its suggestions.  Homepreneurs strongly urges all interested parties to conduct research and accepts no responsibility for any losses incurred.

© Homepreneurs 2010 – 2013, All Rights Reserved

17 Comments | Work at Home Jobs | Permalink
Posted by homepreneurs

Job Resources and Assistance for the Disabled

November 20, 2011

This list contains many links to local and national organizations committed to assisting the disabled and their families.  Many provided work opportunities and suggestions for how to find a job and employers that hire the disabled.  Some are federal government departments, other are non-profit entities.  While Homepreneurs has not contacted all websites, we have used several in the past and found value.  As always, research is your best friend and a phone call or email to find out more is never a waste of time.

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Job Resources for the Disabled


AbleData – “ABLEDATA provides objective information about assistive technology products and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources. Although ABLEDATA does not sell any products, we can help you locate the companies that do.”

DisabilityInfo.gov – “DisabilityInfo.gov is the federal government’s one-stop Web site for people with disabilities, their families, employers, veterans, workforce professionals and many others.”

Ticket to Work Program – “The Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program is an employment program for people with disabilities who are interested in going to work.”

DisABLEDPerson.com – “Our web portal is all inclusive as there are links for disabled people like you to such topics as learning disability, social security disability, the American with Disability Act, developmental disability, physical disability, emotional disability, mental disability, disabled veterans, disabled women and more.”

Diversity World – ” We are committed to reducing any barriers that prevent people from flourishing in their livelihoods.”

iCan Online – “Our focus is to build a trusted community that belongs to people with disabilities and reflects their collective voice. We are connecting ideas and resources that enhance our members’ lives.”

recruitABILITY – “recruitABILITY is totally free to both individuals and corporations.  You can now do Resume Posting, Job Posting and Resume Search all FREE!”

Internet Business Development for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities (IBDE) – “The Internet Business Development for Entrepreneurs with Disabilities (IBDE) Program provides an opportunity for adults with physical disabilities to enhance their work and employability skills in a self-paced and supported work and learning environment.”

The Small Business and Self-Employment Service – “The SBSES is a service of the  Office of Disability Employment Policy of the U.S. Department of Labor which provides information, counseling, and referrals about self-employment and small business ownership opportunities for people with disabilities.”

The Office of Disability Employment Policy – “The Office of Disability Employment Policy provides national leadership by developing and influencing disability-related employment policy and practice affecting the employment of people with disabilities.”

Goodwill Industries International – “We are one of the world’s largest nonprofit providers of education, training, and career services for people with disadvantages, such as welfare dependency, homelessness, and lack of education or work experience, as well as those with physical, mental and emotional disabilities.”

Employment Support Network – “Providing supports for better decision-making about employment options and policies affecting people with disabilities.”

eSight Careers Network – ” eSight Careers Network® provides online information and guidance for job seekers, career counselors, job developers and prospective employers about what works best for a range of disability employment issues. It attracts new members every day.”

Remploy (UK) – “Increasingly, the company is focusing on finding disabled people jobs in mainstream employment through Remploy Interwork, its specialist recruitment service for people with a health condition or disability.”

Disabled World – “News and information for the disabled community.”

Global Applied Disability Research and Information Network on Employment and Training – ” The Global Applied Disability Research and Information Network (GLADNET) brings together research centers, universities, enterprises, government departments, trade unions, and organizations of and for persons with disabilities. Our common goal is to advance competitive employment and training opportunities for persons with disabilities.”

Mobility International, USA – “Empowering people with disabilities around the world to achieve their human rights through international exchange and international development.”

Independent Living Institute – “The Independent Living Institute is a policy development center specializing in consumer-driven policies for disabled peoples’ self-determination, self-respect and dignity.”

Virtual World Congress on Disabilities (Virtual WCD) – ” The Virtual World Congress on Disabilities (Virtual WCD) is a comprehensive forum for persons with disabilities and those involved in their care and development. You will find associations, products and services to enrich your daily life.”

Abilitylinks – AbilityLinks is a nationwide, web-based community where job seekers with disabilities and inclusive employers meet and gain access to valuable networking opportunities.

Anixter Center – Providing an array of services and supports for individuals with disabilities to live, learn, work and play in the community.

EOP – Since 1968, Equal Opportunity Publications, Inc. (EOP) has led the way in diversity recruitment with a portfolio of seven national career magazines, a diversity website, online job board, and Career Expos for women, members of minority groups, and people with disabilities.

List compiled by Dion D Shaw

Dion D Shaw is the founder and owner of Homepreneurs

Homepreneurs.  New Day.  New Opportunity.

Source:

http://www.ratracerebellion.com

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