Working From Home-Get Inspried With Blogs

There are a lot of interesting blogs out there-blogs about people’s travels, daily food blogs; I especially love the home made crafts ones, probably because I secretly have no talent. Blogs are fun. They’re fun to read, and if you work from home they’re also very useful.

If you blog yourself, or run any kind of content based website then you know it can be difficult to come up with fresh quality content, especially if you are trying to focus on specific keywords.

Blogs are a great muse. You can find inspiration from blogs related to your niche and even those unrelated. When you see an article, don’t just read and pass by, ask yourself how you feel about what you just read.



I saw a great looking crafters blog the other day, and in her post she mentioned something about being out of the blogosphere due to too much work. I can’t relate to her craft, but I can relate to neglecting my blog. I know what it’s like to be well too busy to blog. And as a work at home blogger this is something I need to pay more attention to.

That one line on the crafter's blog inspired a draft for why we forget to blog sometimes. Content creation is vital for surviving in the blog world, but luckily inspiration is everywhere online.


Blogs are also great for research. Granted, they are not members of the encyclopedia since you can’t always trust what you read but they let you see perspectives.

Seeing different perspectives is great when you run a work from home business. It lets you understand your market better. Perhaps they are expressing a need not many people are addressing. Or it could lend a hand in your soft selling approaching.

If you are struggling to find content visit other blogs. You will learn, get inspired, or maybe even just laugh (which is always nice too).



Adelaide Kwaning

Deadly work at home sins

There’s a little devil in all of us. Some of us are full of envy some are lazy, but either way there’s at least one deadly sin that is hindering our success. Unlike the common 7 deadly sins, these ones pertain to working from home. Read on to see which one is challenging your work at home success.

1. Disorganized- Disorganization can wreak havoc on your business. If your office looks like hurricane Jane blew in, it’s time to get organized. A work survey found that someone who is disorganized is 3 months behind. That can translate to three months of sales. Your cluttered desktop could be keeping you from a very luxurious life.

2. Envy – Can’t get over the fact that others are successful and you’re still struggling? Then you’ll probably keep struggling. The problem with envy is it keeps you from embracing other people’s success that can potentially lead you to yours. Another reason is people who do things out of envy do it with a sense of bitterness. There isn’t the fun or healthy competitiveness; it’s a mean have-to-take you-down attitude which often leads to very lonely triumphs.

3. Know-it-all - Unless you’re willing to admit that you don’t know everything, you won’t be able to learn anything new and this will keep you back. Working from home means learning every day. Sometimes the information seems mountainous, but for those who love running their businesses they love seeping in new information. But if you close yourself off, and assume you already know how things are done, you risk being left behind because you’re less likely to be up to date and adaptable.

4. Fear of commitment. If you can’t commit yourself to your work at home business you most likely won’t be able to help the fact your business won’t grow. Too many people run too many home businesses. They treat their businesses like a cheap one night stand where they have a little fun but refuse to actually form a relationship. But like with any relationship you have to put in the effort to build it.

5. Lazy –If you do not work, you cannot expect to reap any rewards. There are a lot of lazy home business owners out there. They are always looking for the easiest way to make money, they don’t put enough hours into sustaining their business and they get bored quickly. Laziness is often a matter of dissatisfaction. If your home business doesn’t excite you then it may time to work with a business coach who can help you get motivated and passionate about your home business.

7. Affected - You are affected if you’ve been pretentious about your work at home job. You may make exaggerated claims on your website about how well you are doing. You’re only in the business to get rich and you have little concern for how you get there. You are all about impressing others and have become negatively influenced by the industry.


8. Timid- Almost everyone is a little shy sometimes, but if you’re shy to the point where you are not actively promoting your work at home business you are sadly causing its failure. Obviously you shouldn’t be too obnoxious, but sharing your opinion, content and putting yourself out there will let others know you and your business exist. You need a confidence boost and this in turn will help your business.

Beautiful work at home offices

Having a tidy organized work at home office can be the difference between making more and less. Not just because you are organized and can manage things with better ease, but because being in there makes you feel more relaxed than hectic cluttered spaces. Beautiful offices make getting the job done easier.

Creativity flows and you actually want to spend time in there so work actually gets done. If you are in the process of building your home office or are just browsing for some inspiration take a look at the home office spaces below. They may be able to give you some design ideas to beautify your work at home office.


This white office makes a beautiful minimalistic statement. I really like the black accents used, so the office isn't a blinding white slate. Another great idea is the vase with flowers. Having a plant in your office is a good way to bring a bit of the outdoors in and to brighten up the room. Sometimes it's all you need.


Designer Kim Myles creates a colorful home office and family hangout with natural accessories. The wall shelves are a great organization idea, especially for small spaces.


This sleek black office was made for serious business.


If you have the space, a wrap around office is a great idea. This is a custom built office from cheynnemillwork.com. I love the chairs. used in this office space.


This beautiful home office exudes sophistication. It's so simple yet it makes such an impact.



The only word to describe this work at home office is cozy. I'm not sure how much work I'd get done with that tempting window seat calling my name. Yes, I could always do my work there. But I'm sure I'd be taking a few naps.


This all oak work at home office is gorgeous. Crate&Barrel always has great furniture for the home office.


See any patterns in the home offices? I'm noticing that most of them have windows to bring in natural light. As well, there is uniformity in the design as well as personality. When designing your work at home office, make it your own. Try adding pictures of loved ones or drawing from kids. A painting is also a nice idea. It doesn't have to be grand, but it should be a place you want to spend time in. Now I'm in the mood to go shopping for my own home office.

Adelaide Kwaning

Can working from home make you fat

There’s no denying that sitting on your butt all day can sabotage anyone’s health regime. But are people who work from home more susceptible to weight gain?
Working from home can have negative and positive effects on your weight.




On a negative note:

1. Too many hours in front of the computer. The average work at home business owner spends about 6 hours in front of the computer working. Those who juggle several clients or deal with admin responsibilities can work for over 12 hours. This doesn’t give you a lot of time to exercise.
However, not all that time is spent working. Net surfing takes up a lot of hours from a person’s day. We easily become absorbed in watching videos, participating on forums and chat sites, and reading blogs or browsing profiles on social network sites. All this contributes to a lack of exercise.

2. Tend to work late. A number of those who work at home have day jobs. They work on building their businesses in the evening, sometimes late in the evening. Not too many people want to come home from an eight hour job, work 3 more hours on a web business and find time to exercise.

3. Food is within easy reach. It’s not a long walk to the kitchen to grab a snack or to make a meal. This can lead to eating more throughout the day. If we all ate well, eating several snacks may not be a big deal but honestly speaking, do you reach for an apple every time you have a snack attack. Even supposed healthy snacks are loaded with sugars. Because food is easily within reach, and many people have poor snack habits, it’s easy for work at homers to put on a little more weight.

4. It is easier to obey all your cravings. Ever been sitting in front of your computer and you see a picture of a great looking dessert? Before you know it, you’re in your car driving to the nearest bakery. It is so much easier to give into cravings. You cannot leave whenever you like at an office job for a coffee run. Many jobs do not let you eat on the job. But without the need for permission, you are more likely to give into the demands of your taste buds.

5. Juggling too many things. Stress causes us to overeat, and eat poorly, and there are many things that can stress you out when you work from home. The biggest problem is being your own boss means wearing a lot of hats, especially if you are on a budget. If you are not organized, you can be susceptible to bad eating habits.

But it’s not all bad there are also positives to working from home




The positive side:

1. Easier to make healthy meals. You’re home. You can make hot, delicious, healthy meals. When you work out of the home you may not have time to make great lunches or even time to eat so you grab whatever is convenient. More times than none it’s something fattening. But making your lunch at home means you can consider ingredients and portions carefully.

2. More convenient to fit exercise into your schedule. If you work at home full time, there really is not an excuse to not exercise. You can step away from your desk when it’s best for you and go for a walk, run swim ect. There are even workouts you can do at your desk. It’s just about finding activities you like to do and fitting them into your schedule.

3. Less lunch dates. Let’s be honest, friends and clients can make you fat. The daily latte runs, the lunch meetings where the only thing being served are too many carbs with a side of oil, and my favorite, when all the coworkers gather at their favorite greasy and fatty joint. Maybe it isn’t that bad, but being around others makes you eat more. You may miss out on the office gossip but your waistline won’t suffer as much.

4. Positive attitude. People who own work at home businesses tend to have a holistic view about life. They treat themselves the way the treat their business. That is they want to make sure they perform just as well. This means taking care of themselves by eating and sleeping well, finding ways to reduce stress and maintaining a positive outlook. I know we all sound like a bunch of happy sappy go getters ;P

Working from home can be either positive or negative on your weight. You choose how you want to be affected.

Adelaide Kwaning

Lose Weight, Quit Smoking, Drop Addictions and Other Bad Habits

Has working from home affected your love life?

Try Perfectmatch.com - The Best Approach to Finding the Right Person for You.


I’m writing this as a single person, since at the moment I don’t really have what you call a boyfriend. I’ve never been a serial dater but I have had a date or two in my life. However, working from home has changed my dating pattern a bit. Maybe it’s all the things I have to do in a day, maybe I’ve turned into one of those careers vs love girls, or maybe I just don’t feel like it, but I’ve noticed working from home has affected my dating life and even social life. Now don’t get me wrong I am dating but since I started working from home it’s been different.

Here are some ways my work at home business has affected my dating life.

1.Far more interested in individuals who also work for themselves. It could be because they are better able to relate to the emotional highs and lows of being your own boss. I don’t discount guys who don’t work from home but I notice I’m dating more men who are at least interested in it.

2. Whereas a few years ago I would never meet a guy offline that I originally met online, it’s not such a big deal now. Working online teaches you to develop this weird sense of trust since you often do business with people you have never, and may never meet in person. Yes you still have to be cautious of meeting anyone offline but the possibility of having a decent relationship with someone has increased. If I can have a good business relationship with someone I originally met online then why not a love relationship.

3. Long term investment. Maybe it’s the age I’m now (early twenties) but I no longer want to date just so I can say “I had a date.” Just like how I only want to invest time and energy into a business venture with long term potential, it’s the same with the guys I date. If I sense early on he’s not interested in anything more than a fling, I don’t even bother.

4. Networking more. Everyone knows owning a business means networking and this can help your dating life a lot if you are looking. Not that every time I go to a function I find a love potential but meeting more people, especially those you have things in common with, helps to open a lot more door and windows for the potential of a date.

5. Flexible hours make for better dates. I can set aside my work and make some time for a guy I’m dating. If he has the day off I can meet him for lunch or we can see 2:00 movie or go for breakfast. It’s also nice that I don’t have to rush home (sometimes I do) or worry about getting up early for work tomorrow. This makes me feel a lot more relaxed and of course him as well.

6. You seem more interesting. Telling a guy what I do for a living makes him sit up and pay attention. Owning an online business, being a content provider, or social media expert are all new career realms. While most of my friends have bosses and work in a cubicle, I work for myself virtually anywhere. This is attractive to a lot of people. It takes a lot of confidence, self trust, and perseverance to work for yourself. I know I’ve been interested in meeting guys who worked their asses off to build high traffic blogs.

7. More open. It could be because of my increasing networking skills, but I’m more open to new experiences and types of people. I really take the time to listen and be present with the person I’m dating now more than before. This makes dating a lot more fun. Guys are more open and honest and every date seems great. This new found sense of openness and exploration has allowed me to just have better dates even if a long term relationship doesn't ensue.

8. Easy to become work obsessed. Because there are so many things to do, and each project takes so much focus, it’s easy to become self immersed and enter your own world where you can forget the rest of the world.

If I have a deadline or a launch I have no interest in meeting anyone. My friends can suddenly take a backseat to my career. I’ll still call them but I keep it decreases when I have a project. The last thing I want is lose focus.

People think, “You work from home; you can always get back to it.” But the truth is when a good idea comes and the motivation is there, the last thing you want is a distraction. The problem is, unless the guy also works for himself he can rarely understand why I’d rather stay in on a Saturday night and work then to go out with him.

These are just some of the ways working from home and being my own boss has changed the way I date and go about my love life. I’m interested in knowing how your love life has been affected since you started working from home. Has it even been affected? Maybe you’ve managed to remain the same and in that case I want to know about that.

Try Perfectmatch.com - The Best Approach to Finding the Right Person for You.

Is it the right time for that type of work at home business?

A couple days ago I completed an article that I was eager to publish. There are several places I submit articles and Bukisa happens to be one of them. However, each time I tried to upload the article I got an error.

At first I was a little frustrated. Then I took it as a sign that I kept getting an error message and decided not to publish there. That meant of course looking for another avenue, while I was in pursuit of the right place for the article I took a good look at the article and asked myself “is it really the right time for this kind of information?”

After careful consideration, I realized it would not matter where I submitted the article, it could be online or off, the readership would be low. The information didn’t fit what majority of people were interested in at the time. Sure there might have been a few people that might take notice and even appreciate it but not near enough. When you work hard on any piece you need to get the most out of it.

This doesn’t just apply to a one little article, but work at home business ideas as well. There have been a number of times I had to reign in an idea because I knew it wasn’t the right time.

Businesses that survive meet a need that people desire right now. In rare cases some businesses were able to predict what people would be looking for months prior and build a business that way. Regardless, your work at home business has to be in accordance with today’s market place.

What are people reading, watching, buying, and doing right this minute? What challenges are people facing right now? And does your home business idea solve the problem.

It’s pointless to launch a business that does not serve today’s audience. You’ll spend too much time trying to convince people it’s worthwhile. Why not find out what’s on the minds and hearts of individuals and then offer products and services to help them.

For example, the number of people traveling this summer has decreased significantly from last year, but those looking for vacation ideas and activities in and around their city have increased. Thus, it would make more sense to provide advice and resources for people in your area to have the best summer vacation they can than to write about traveling abroad.

Does this mean that if your idea doesn’t suit the marketplace you should scrap it completely? Absolutely not! Just like how my article will be of use later on so can your idea. Always keep your ideas and plans someplace safe for you to refer to again. This way you don’t miss an opportunity to carry them out.

To help you decide if your work at home business has thriving potential and meets today’s audience take a walk in a book store. Book stores are one of the best places to get a quick take on what is relevant and current today since most publishers will only risk publishing books they know meet the general public’s needs and taste. Also hang out in forums and social networking sites like twitter.

Twitter is a great place to do market research since many of the users will post random rants and raves of products, services and issues. You can search twitter’s trends to see what topics are being posted about the most.

Do the research and make sure that it is indeed that right time for your work at home business.

Marketing in a Recession? YES!

Is the current tough market the right time to be slashing your advertising budget? Not if you want your business to survive the economic downturn and lay the groundwork to thrive when the economy improves! Tough times may actually provide us our best opportunity to reach out to our customers with little or no competition because so many of our competitors are doing just the opposite of that in an attempt to save money.

During good times everyone has the money (and bravery) to seek out clients, creating an atmosphere of extreme competition where reaching the consumer with your message proves to be exceedingly difficult. NOW is the time to have faith in your product or service, to reach out to your customers and to secure your success now and into the future. And there are easy and cost effective ways of doing so.

There are some simple things that you can do. Everyone knows about the internet, but not everyone knows the free ways to get exposure on the internet. You can write an article about your industry, or a product, and submit it to one of the many sites that accept them. At the end of your article, you mention your business and have a link to your website. Each site has it's guidelines on how the articles are to be written, so make sure to follow them. This will help establish you as a leader in your industry as long as the information you share is helpful and not self-promoting.

Guerilla marketing is great in slow time. Have some flyers or postcards made. One of your employees or friends can design it or you can find an affordable place to do it for you. During your slow time, have your employees go to a busy area and hand them out. Now you are putting your message directly into the hands of prospective customers. Make sure you have an attractive offer that will entice people to visit your business. Obviously, this is mainly for businesses with a store front, but you can do guerilla marketing online as well.

Guerilla marketing is done differently online. With blogs and social networking sites, there are opportunities to market your business in a different setting. You can create blogs and check the response you get from each entry which can help you check what the market is interested in at any given time. Or you can find blogs that have an issue that your company can help with. Respond to the blog with your company information. You can set up an account with a social networking site, giving more information about your business and connecting to other businesses to network and exchanges leads.

 

Cross promote with other businesses, in other ways. If you're feeling the pinch of the economy, most likely other businesses in your area/industry are feeling it as well. Find other businesses that don't compete with yours and see about exchanging some flyers or a banner promoting each other's business. Or if your business is online, do a link exchange with other businesses. Do not over due the link exchange or Google may lower your organic search results. Be selective in who you work with both online and in the brick and mortar world.

Press Releases can be a very effective way to bring attention to your business. If you have something that impacts the community, then you can have someone write a press release for you. If you hire someone to do it for you, make sure they know how to write and distribute it. Again, remember the topic must be something that impacts the community and not just a self-serving piece promoting your business.

These are just some of the ideas that will help your business grow in any economy. There are plenty of marketing options out there. You just need to find the ones that work for you.

About the Author:
Rob Bedell is an expert in the media industry and has worked in the industry for over 15 years. He has worked with some of the largest media companies in the world, Tribune and Knight-Ridder, as well as helping restructure and rebuild other companies in the Los Angeles, CA Metropolitan area. He now owns a marketing company that helps small to medium sized business, making sure that their marketing pays them back. http://www.bedellmediaconsulting.com