Sunday, February 1, 2009

Creative Home Business Ideas - Kitchen Arts


"They" say you should find out what you enjoy doing and then figure out how to make a living doing it. Sounds like a good idea so let's explore a few home business ideas that make use of inborn creativity. We will limit this article to kitchen arts.



1) Baking. Baking what? Well, darn near anything.



Try baking and decorating wedding cakes and other wedding treats, birthday cakes, anniversary cakes, or cakes for any special occasion! You could try cookie baskets or huge whole cookie sheet cookies in special shapes for special occasions.

The number of people who are intolerant to certain foods is growing exponentially. I would NOT recommend getting into making treats for these people unless you are VERY familiar with what is involved in their food preparation, but IF you are, special treats for these people would be a Godsend and oh, so appreciated.



Treats for sale at local truck stops or sandwich shops. There are certain legal requirements and permits that need to be passed before selling home baked goodies, but if you are willing and able to navigate through those, this home business could become quite lucrative.



Gourmet treats for dogs and cats. Some people pamper their pets like royalty. If they have the money to do so, they indulge in all sorts of pet finery, including custom made biscuits without dyes, preservatives or other unhealthy ingredients. There will be legal requirements and permits required here, also.





2) Candy Wrapping. Would you believe there is quite the market for candy bars in wrappers created specially for that certain event? Every event you can think of that calls for celebration might also call for specially wrapped candy bars to be handed out. Think birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations, new babies. There are several e-books on the market on this topic. Some come with templates for the wrappers as well as for gift tags, gift cards, address labels, etc. Others come with instructions for creating your own unique templates and designs. All come with information on marketing your business.





3) Candy Making. Special events sometimes call for special treats in special shapes or flavors. With pure wholesome natural ingredients and your creativity, your quality product could become a very lucrative business. Chocolates and hard candies can be poured into molds of almost any shape, or you can make them free hand. Colors and flavors are limited only by your imagination! The same legal requirements and permits as before will apply here.





4) You could also combine your candy making business with your candy wrapping business!


For information on these and more Work-At-Home Business Ideas and Opportunities, visit



123 I Work From Home 4 Me


Friday, January 30, 2009

How Can I Work From Home?


Finding the Right Home Business


There are two basic ways you can work from home: start a home based business or find a work from home job.


If you want to start your own home business you need to break the concept down further into two basic types: sell a product or service, or become in essence a one man (or one woman) company and market yourself as an independent contractor to people who contract for your skills. The distinction between that and finding a work from home job can be a bit fuzzy, so we will focus on working from home with your own home business.


All of us are interested in something, good at something, passionate about something. Figure out what you are passionate about, and then figure out how to make money from it.


Do you enjoy children? You could start a home daycare, but you certainly are not limited to that. If you are also good at writing, you could start a "Santa Letter" business and market it to parents of kids you know. Those letters are not only from Santa; they can be from any character and the business can be operated all year. If you like to sew, you could create and sell custom made clothing. Market to friends, at craft fairs and swap meets. If you have skills in subjects taught in school, you could tutor. Tutoring can be done in person (your house or theirs) or online. You choose the subjects, location, and times. If you have outstanding skills in music, art, or sports, consider giving private lessons. Depending on your skill and skill level you may be able to make a good income!


Teaching sign language to moms and their babies is really popular. You could also offer your services to daycare facilities (home or professional) and churches who have nursery workers that could benefit from understanding what a baby is telling them. Consider also offering the teaching to pediatricians and their nurses, children's hospital workers, police and firefighters, and anyone else who might come in contact with an infant.


Perhaps you would rather work around adults. There are seemingly countless services that adults somewhere are looking for. Consider starting an errand service, or ironing/laundry. You could start a cleaning business, become a professional organizer, party or event planner, or you could sell almost anything through home parties. Create and sell gift baskets or craft items. Consider focusing on a particular ethnic group, either yours or one with which you are very familiar. Almost everyone is interested in genealogy. Acquire the necessary certification and research family trees for people who have "hit a brick wall."


The possibilities are almost endless.



You can find more Home Business Ideas and Opportunities by visiting

123 I Work From Home 4 Me

123 Home-Based-Business-Works-4-Me

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Work From Home - Earn Money Writing as a Ghostwriter


Got Writing Skills? Get Paid to Write Every Day as a Ghostwriter

If you have ever dreamed about having a career in freelance writing, you might look into the growing opportunity of ghostwriting. Ghostwriting is the practice of writing works (books, articles, etc.) anonymously for a client. In turn, the client gets full rights to place her name on the writing and publish it as her own.

Side Note: If you’ve heard of ghostwriting before and you already know it’s a career path you want to pursue, I recommend you pick up a copy
of
Just Add Sweat’s “How to Become a Ghostwriter” Guide. It will show you exactly what you need to know to get started.

But if you’re new to the idea of becoming a ghostwriter, let’s continue…

To get into ghostwriting, there are a few skills you should have or work to acquire:

- Excellent Writing Skills: Certainly to be a ghostwriter, you need to be able to write well. Your writing should flow well, cover topics thoroughly and in many cases, your clients will expect you to capture their unique voice in your writing.

- Research Skills: As a ghostwriter, you’ll be responsible for finding and process all of the information that you will need to be able to do your writing on a specific topic.

- Grammar & Spelling: It might seem obvious, but it’s important to note. All of the work that you turn into your clients as a ghostwriter must be free of any grammar and spelling errors.

Many different types of businesses and individuals readily use ghostwriting services. Authors, business executives, celebrities and others may look to ghostwriters to write books for them. Online business owners, blog publishers and other websites hire writers to create articles and other content. Information product sellers look to ghostwriters to publish how-to and other instructional guides. The sky is the limit when you are looking for people who want to hire ghostwriters.

There are many things you can do put yourself ahead in this field (and the
How to Become a Ghostwriter Guide covers these and more in depth).

Here are a few ideas to get you started:

- Start building a resume that will get you noticed. Highlight any writing experience and if you don’t have any, you can offer to do a few free small projects to build your resume. Approach a non-profit business or someone that you know that might need writing services.

- Determine which topics you are qualified to write about. Although many ghostwriters are well-rounded and can write on many researchable topics, having a specialty can help you get work. For example, you might have special knowledge of health, finance or parenting topics. Use this to your advantage.

- Have relevant samples readily available to showcase your writing skills. Many clients are more concerned with how well you write, rather than the amount of experience you’ve had.

To get more help, get a copy of
Just Add Sweat’s “How to Become a Ghostwriter” Guide. It will help you discover if ghostwriting is indeed the right career for you, how to break into the business, service rates and more. Ghostwriting can be a competitive business, but there is plenty of room for new writers if you’re armed with the right approach and that’s exactly what the guide will give you. Click here for all the details.

Friday, January 23, 2009

How Can I Work From Home

How Can I Work From Home?

There are two basic ways you can work from home: start a home based business or find a work from home job.

If you want to start your own home business you need to break the concept down further into two basic types: sell a product or service, or become in essence a one man (or one woman) company and market yourself as an independent contractor to people who contract for your skills. The distinction between that and finding a work from home job can be a bit fuzzy, so we will focus on working from home with your own home business.

All of us are interested in something, good at something, passionate about something. Figure out what you are passionate about, and then figure out how to make money from it.

Do you enjoy children? You could start a home daycare, but you certainly are not limited to that. If you are also good at writing, you could start a "Santa Letter" business and market it to parents of kids you know. Those letters are not only from Santa; they can be from any character and the business can be operated all year. If you like to sew, you could create and sell custom made clothing. Market to friends, at craft fairs and swap meets. If you have skills in subjects taught in school, you could tutor. Tutoring can be done in person (your house or theirs) or online. You choose the subjects, location, and times. If you have outstanding skills in music, art, or sports, consider giving private lessons. Depending on your skill and skill level you may be able to make a good income!

Teaching sign language to moms and their babies is really popular. You could also offer your services to daycare facilities (home or professional) and churches who have nursery workers that could benefit from understanding what a baby is telling them. Consider also offering the teaching to pediatricians and their nurses, children's hospital workers, police and firefighters, and anyone else who might come in contact with an infant.

Perhaps you would rather work around adults. There are seemingly countless services that adults somewhere are looking for. Consider starting an errand service, or ironing/laundry. You could start a cleaning business, become a professional organizer, party or event planner, or you could sell almost anything through home parties. Create and sell gift baskets or craft items. Consider focusing on a particular ethnic group, either yours or one with which you are very familiar. Almost everyone is interested in genealogy. Acquire the necessary certification and research family trees for people who have "hit a brick wall."

The possibilities are almost endless.

You can find more Home Business Ideas and Opportunities by visiting

123 I Work From Home 4 Me

123 Home-Based-Business-Works-4-Me

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Finding A Work From Home Job During A Recession


If you are one of the millions who have been laid off or downsized out of your job, working from home looks really good to you right now! But how do you find a job you can work from home?


Consider freelancing.

When you freelance, you offer your services to those who need to hire your skills for a mutually agreed upon fee. Work is typically done on a per job basis, but can lead to repeat jobs and even permanent part time or full time employment. However, you need to keep in mind that when you bid on a job, there is no expectation of repeat jobs or assignments.
When you look for freelance work, look for jobs that require the skills you used at the job you just left, or skills you have acquired some other way. Some examples might include:


Bookkeeper
Computer Programmer
Consultant - literally subject about which you have knowledge
Desktop publishing
Graphic Designer
Language translator
Proofreading and editing
Transcription - medical or otherwise
Tutoring - literally subject about which you have knowledge
Virtual assistant
Web site design

If you want to work for local people, some of whom might be familiar with you and the quality of what you can do, consider advertising on Craigslist.


If you want to expand your horizons nationally or even globally visit sites like GoFreelance. Keep in mind that GoFreelance and other freelance sites may let you look at jobs for free, but if you want to bid on jobs, especially the quality jobs, there will be a fee. That's how they stay in business.

Don't let the fact that the world economy is currently in a recession keep you from looking for that home based job. Now more than ever employers are looking for just what you have to offer!


For other work at home ideas and home based business ideas, visit


123 I Work From Home 4 Me

123 Home-Based-Business-Works-4-Me

Friday, January 16, 2009

Professional Organizer

Some people are just naturally organized and tidy. I think they are born that way. They just naturally keep their rooms, desks, closets, homes, garages, cars, whatever clean and neat. Either that, or they learned the skill at an early age and realized how much easier life is when you can find things!



Others are not so organized. They never quite seem to get it, or they struggle mightily trying.



A growing trend even in today's economy is for more and more naturally organized people to start home businesses as professional organizers.



Professional organizers have total control over whose stuff they organize and what kind of spaces they organize. They can choose to limit themselves to homes or even certain rooms such as kitchens or garages. They can even limit themselves to closets only! Through networking with others in their area, they can make mutual referrals for others who prefer to organize different areas. Everyone wins!

Professional organizers can set their own rates and can choose to charge by the hour or the job. Depending on the economics of the area, the nature of what is being organized, and the experience and reputation of the organizer, rates can range from around $25 per hour to $200 per hour or even more.

If this sounds good to you, here are a few links you can explore for more information.


Becoming a Professional Organizer


Before & After

Saturday, January 10, 2009

Virtual Assistant

There is a lot being said these days about being a Virtual Assistant. The field is growing rapidly because many office professionals have discovered they can cut expenses while maintaining top-notch quality when they contract with a professional Virtual Assistant.

So just what is a Virtual Assistant? In a nutshell, a Virtual Assistant is someone who assists someone else through cyberspace. Almost any type of office work that does not actually require your physical presence in the office can be done as a Virtual Assistant.

This would include phones, appointment setting, document preparation, transcription, proof-reading, etc. The only thing you couldn't do is make the coffee for the boss!

If you have general office and computer skills, this might be the work at home opportunity for you. You decide who you want to work for and when. Schedules are usually quite flexible and you normally do not need to keep regular office hours, as long as the work gets done by the deadline. Just match your skills with their needs

Here are some sources of information to get you started and set up. Yes they come at a cost because the people who put these packages together work at home, too, and are asking for compensation for the effort put into what you get.

Prices vary widely. Some come with just an e-book while others offer support, and web site and more.

GoFreelance is a place to find work. Virtually all freelance sites charge a membership fee for access to all offers - especially the best ones, so don't be put off by that

Have a look around, and enjoy your Virtual Assistant career!

Go Freelance

BizyMoms ExpertVA

Hire My Mom

Virtual Assistant Classroom

Suits 2 Sweats

Just Add Sweat Virtual Assistant Starter Kit