Jul 18 2011

Easier Business Management

Category: General,Internet — admin @ 11:44 am
SAN FRANCISCO - FEBRUARY 25: Job seekers Ray ...

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Keeping your people working together effectively can be a serious challenge. Sometimes, it almost feels like you can not allow anyone to leave the office if you want to be sure they all stay on the same page. However, through the use of technology, you can get your people to work together reliably. You can even make it tax deductible for yourself, and offer your people the perk of doing some work from home.

When people communicate well they do better business together. By using a system such as a Cricket Android that you supply, every member of your team can be in contact. There won’t be issues of incompatible phones or issues with payment, because you’ll be taking care of this. This is especially nice because you’ll be able to deduct the costs of the phones you issue your team from your taxes.

The best part of all about issuing your people some high-end phones is that you can pick up apps and distribute them easily. This way you can ensure that everybody has the same kind of functions available to them. So when you send a particular kind of file out in a mass email, you won’t have to worry about everyone being able use it.

Of course, your team will love how this will allow them to telecommute. One of the best perks in the corporate world is being able to work from anywhere. Never underestimate the effect this has on morale.

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Jul 17 2011

Advantages of Working From Home

Category: General,Parenting — admin @ 6:36 pm

Are you thinking about working from home? For those ready to get out of the office and into a comfortable chair at home, it may be worrisome to make that official move. However, working at home has its advantages. Depending on the type of job or business you run, you may find yourself wondering why you waited this long.

The Business Owner at Home

While working from home has key advantages over going to another location, it still requires protection for the business owner. You will need professional indemnity insurance and perhaps a business license. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce to determine what requirements you need to fulfill. You still remain responsible for your business. Many will need business insurance, too.

Once you meet them, consider the following advantages of working at home. It may be easier than you think to make the switch.

  • No longer paying for gas or waiting in traffic are definite advantages to working from home. This can be a time and a money saver for you. You no longer are giving up a commute time from your free time.
  • You have more freedom to work the hours you want. Keep in mind that most who work from home do put in the same hours, depending on the business, but doing so throughout the day rather than all at once can be helpful.
  • You are closer to family when you work from home.

For those who are considering whether or not to work from home, keep these advantages in mind. Prepare yourself for any challenges that may occur, but focus first on organizing your business so you can work from the comfort of your home.

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Jul 16 2011

Don’t Miss Deducting Your Home Office on Your Taxes

Category: Career,General — admin @ 3:34 pm
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One of the most overlooked tax deductions for a person that works from home is the ability to deduct a number of home office expenses. By declaring a home office deduction on your taxes, you can reduce the amount that you owe to the IRS significantly.

If you are considering writing off your home office on your taxes, you need to make sure that you qualify for the tax deduction. Here’s a look at how you can determine if you qualify for a home office deduction.

Primary Place of Business

The home office that you are trying to deduct on your taxes must be the primary place of business. The home office must be the principle location for any managerial and organizational activities for the business. While you may conduct business outside of the home office, the majority of these business activities must take place in the home office.

Business Only Section

When trying to deduct a home office on your taxes you must make sure that space is used solely for the purpose of business and not for anything personal. While the whole room doesn’t have to be completely devoted to business, a small section needs to be a business only section where only business is conducted.

Amount Deducted

When deducting a home office you can only deduct up to the amount of money the business made. This means if you made $600 but spent $2000 on an office you can only get back $600. However, the next year you can claim the remaining amount until the $2000 is used up.

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Jun 04 2011

Tax Benefits for an Office in Home

Category: General,Technology — admin @ 1:27 pm
Paying taxes is required for both citizens and...

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If you work at home, whether you work for an employer or are self-employed, you may be able to take advantage of the Office-in-Home deduction on your federal income tax.  In order to claim the Office-in-Home deduction the IRS requires that you meet two fundamental requirements.

First, that the space in your home is used regularly and exclusively for business. It doesn’t have to be an entire room.  It can be a corner of a room, but it must be used exclusively for business.

The second requirement is that it be your principal place of business.  If you are self-employed and work out of your home you meet the qualifications.  You may also meet the qualifications if you are an employee and work at home for your employer’s convenience.  Sales people often have this arrangement because the majority of their office work is done at home. The actual sales are made at various locations and the employer is headquartered in another city or state.

If you meet the two fundamental requirements, you may be able to deduct a portion of your utilities, your home owner’s insurance, real estate taxes, mortgage interest, etc.   You don’t have to own your home to be able to claim the deductions.  Renters also qualify.

So if you work from home, it is good idea to keep a record of all your monthly utility bills and other expenses so you will have the information available to you at tax time.  For further details about the Office-in-Home deduction, consult IRS publication 587.

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Mar 07 2011

Simple Strategies for Working Parents

Category: General,Parenting — admin @ 7:50 pm

If marriage is about teamwork, nothing illustrates that more than parenting, especially for working parents of multiple children.

For those days when the children have school, nothing works better than a set morning routine. In general, the couple works best when one person consistently does the same thing each school day when work schedules allow.

For example, one person may be in charge of waking the children up and making sure they get dressed while one partner is getting ready for work. While the other partner then gets ready for work, the other partner can take care of feeding the children breakfast and preparing their lunches. Of course everything is based on the start times for work and school, but ideally consistent start times will bring a consistent routine that is beneficial not only for the parents, but for the children.

For other areas of daily living, a routine is still helpful when possible, but naturally limited by extra-curricular activities and work schedules. Here, the key is for both parents to be actively involved in all areas of raising the children, whether it is bring them to events, working with them on their homework, putting them to bed, or just spending time with them.

By switching off which parent does what, the children become more accustomed to the routines and what they need to do rather than which parent is with them at the time.  This can also be effective when neither parent is home and a babysitter or other family member is in charge.

There are numerous challenges to be working parents and many unforeseen things will come up, but there are strategies to make daily life more manageable.

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Mar 03 2011

Challenges of Working at Home

Category: Family,General — admin @ 7:50 pm

Working at home is ideal for some people and a nearly impossible situation for others. It may sound like an ideal position to be in, but it depends on the individual’s personality and work style.

The disadvantages range from no interpersonal contact to a lack of a set schedule to overcoming distractions.

It takes personal discipline to overcome not having to be in an office at a certain time and put in certain hours. For one thing, the requirements for a work-at-home job will necessitate the same number of hours as if the job were located in an office. This means that if one is working a 40-hour job, it will still be a 40-hour job at home with all of its distractions and the opportunities to do other things.

Secondly, it is easy to get caught up in a series of small distractions that can easily add up from sleeping a little later in the morning, running errands, catching up on a favorite television program, or enjoying the weather.

Another disadvantage of working at home is the lack of an opportunity to just quickly run an idea by your boss or co-workers. Although this can sometimes be accomplished via e-mail or phone, it is not as easy or consistently available as if you were in the office and could see who was around at the time. You may feel isolated in your work and may not be kept in the loop the way one generally is while working in an actual office.

One must possess an excellent inventory of his or her strengths and weaknesses before considering working at home.

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Feb 23 2011

The Benefits of Working at Home

Category: General,Internet — admin @ 6:21 pm

Working at home offers an incredible amount of benefits and freedom. Unfortunately, most people get intimidated by that sense of freedom and never pursue a work-at-home career. They distrust an outside-the-box system that doesn’t involve a commute or an office. However, working at home is nothing to be scared of. It’s no secret that working at home is not for everyone: it requires an incredible amount of self-discipline and doesn’t include a lot of social interaction. However, the benefits are outstanding. Here are a list of benefits from working at home.

  1. Freedom. Work in your pajamas. Forgo the high heels or neckties. Settle in with some comfy clothes and some home-brewed coffee and get to work in your home office. Yes, your home office: you’ll need a space to call your own, somewhere you can go to and shut the door and get to work. Work when you want to, work how you want to. However, you may find that without a schedule, you start doing other things when you want to, such as watching a movie or taking a nap. Naps are fine as long as you get your other work done! Make yourself a schedule and stick to it. However, that schedule can include mornings and nights instead of a straight 9 to 5 schedule.
  2. More time for your family. You feel better connected when you have the freedom to pick up your kids from school or make them an afternoon snack. You’ll have a much easier time going to mid-day appointments or school events. You’ll never miss a school play performance again!
  3. Be your own boss. Yes, you’ll still have clients, and those clients will be incredibly demanding. Yet you can take vacation whenever you choose, and you won’t have to navigate around others’ schedules. You will have to enforce your own deadlines, but you won’t have to sit through board meetings.

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Feb 16 2011

Stand up for Your Work-at-Home Career

Category: General — admin @ 6:21 pm

People who work at home are a rare breed that the office-going public frequently doesn’t understand. They might believe that your stay-at-home job isn’t a “real” job. They might believe what you’re doing is just an excuse to be a stay-at-home mom or dad without any real responsibility or salary. It can be hard to get people to understand that yes, what you’re doing is a real career. Here are some tips on how to make people in your life understand your decision to work at home. As an added benefit, they’ll make your work and home life easier, too.

  1. Just say no.
    While that phrase has been used often in teenage drug and alcohol campaigns, it applies to freelancers and work-at-home individuals, too. People often think that individuals who work at home can drop everything easily. They’ll call you up to ask you for daytime favors, like picking up things, running errands, or dropping people off. You’ll get frequent requests to babysit–even if it’s for “just an hour.” First of all, “just an hour” frequently becomes “an hour and a half” or “two hours” or even “four hours.” You’ll get requests that people would never ask anyone with an office job. Yes, working at home does come with benefits. However, by constantly saying yes to these requests, you’re short-changing your own career. Don’t be afraid to say “yes” to occasional favors. Do NOT let it become a habit. You still need to get your own work done. Unless you treat your work-at-home job as seriously as you would a regular career, you will not succeed.
  2. Don’t let people put your career down.
    People might believe you’re just doing this “in transition” until your next “real job.” Call them on it. This is your “real job.” Explain your career choice. Be proud of how hard you work. Stand up for yourself. You deserve it.

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Feb 08 2011

Advice for Aspiring Freelance Writers

Category: General,Internet — admin @ 6:21 pm

Are you thinking of becoming a freelance writer? It’s a wonderfully rewarding career–but you have to be realistic in your expectations. It’s not all lounging around in your pajamas, writing interesting and thought-provoking pieces. Here are some tips for aspiring freelancers.

  1. Get writing clips.
    They don’t have to be fancy. Did you write for a local newspaper or church bulletin? Did you do any writing in college? Find something that you wrote (preferably with your name clearly stated within the writing). Without writing samples, no one will hire you.
  2. Redo your resumé.
    For each of your previous jobs, look closely at the description of what your job requirements were. Did you have to write or edit anything? Even if you wrote daily emails, it can still count. Edit your job descriptions to focus as much on writing as possible. Managing deadlines are another excellent point to hit on your resumé; clients are always looking for someone who is reliable and will meet their deadlines.
  3. Be wary of freelance writing sites’ job postings.
    Freelance writing sites are an amazing place to find advice about the profession. However, they are widely read and watched. For every job posting, hundreds of freelance writers are scouring those posting and applying to the jobs listed. If you must utilize these sites, be sure to apply as soon as possible–no more than one day after the initial posting. Many employers will stop reading applications and queries after a certain amount because they get overwhelmed (and who wouldn’t?). You’ll have much better luck looking on your own. Look on Craigslist and your local classifieds. Check out businesses in your area. Query businesses to see if they have any need for your services. Search for companies hiring writers outside of the ones posting on these freelance writing sites. You’ll have a much better shot of getting hired, especially if you’re a new writer.

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Feb 03 2011

Work-at-Home Freelance Writing

Category: General,Internet — admin @ 6:21 pm

If you’re one of those people who’ve always dreamed of being a writer, you may want to consider being a freelance writer. Here’s what you’ll need to know before starting a career in the freelance writing field.

  1. It’s hard work.
    You may actually have to spend more hours working at home than if you work in an office. You’ll have to hustle up your own clients, make sure they pay you and pay you on time, do your own taxes, and set your own rates. You are your own boss, true, but that means you’ll have to whip yourself into shape. Working at home requires an intense amount of self-discipline.
  2. You won’t always get to write about what you want.
    Especially when you’re just starting out, you’ll learn quickly to write what pays. This does NOT mean you should “sell out.” It means that you may have to write product descriptions of vacuum cleaners before you can write about interior decorating. We all have to start somewhere. Don’t snub your nose too much at these types of jobs: you’ll be thankful you did them when your paycheck comes in. Slowly, you’ll start to work your way into what you REALLY want to write about.
  3. You’ll get burned a couple times by clients over your career.
    The world of freelance writing is filled with serious clients who are upstanding and honest. Unfortunately, not every client meets these standards. There are times when you’ll do work for a client and you won’t get paid, or you won’t get paid as much as you previously agreed upon. You may even be in the middle of a project and you have a client seemingly fall off the face of the earth: they won’t return your phone calls, emails, etc. This happens to even the best of freelance writers. Just be prepared for it.
  4. You’ll face much more distractions at home than you would in an office.
    Being your own boss provides you a great deal of freedom. Unfortunately, it’s also a freedom to do housework or hobbies instead of writing.

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