KC Morgan's Blog

Posted by KC Morgan

When you’re self employed, you have to learn how to treat yourself like a business. You pay a special tax, you have to claim working expenses and you have to put time, effort and even personal income into marketing and promotion.

In many ways, you are a business of one. When you act like one, not just professionally but financially, you can go further with your work at home goals…and lifestyle.

You Are Your Own Commodity

You’ve got the Web site. You maintain a pretty regular schedule. You have steady work at home jobs and gigs to keep you going; you even have a special space to work. What you may not have is a special, business-based bank account. You may not think you need one.

Whether you pay your taxes annually, quarterly or monthly, you will owe the government part of your income. In almost all cases, self employed professionals are also independent contractors who are paid not through a regular payroll, but through checks and payments with no deductions or taxes conveniently calculated.

You have to claim your income and then pay what you owe - and this can add up to a pretty penny. Keeping track of all the receipts and deductions you’ll need to claim your expenses can be a complicated affair.

Treat Yourself Like a Business

You probably already use a personal checking account to balance your home and work budget, but why not separate the two? Open a business account and put a portion of your income here. Take out expenses as necessary to have an easy record for tax purposes, simplifying claims that will save you income taxes.

If you use a pen name or pseudonym to conduct business, you can legally register your business account in this name, creating a DBA (doing business as) persona.

Posted by KC Morgan

You always start the workday with the best intentions. You know what needs to be done, and you know how to do it. But suddenly hours have passed, and you’re no closer to your goal.

Are your deadlines just too impossible? Do you just have too many projects? Or, are you guilty of one of the pitfalls of self employment? Are you working at home, or playing at home?

Daily Distractions

It isn’t easy to work at home. There’s no one to tell you what to do or to keep you on track. There’s no reason you can’t enjoy television, do a little online shopping or simply stare blankly at the walls…is there?

When you find yourself caught up in daily distractions, instead of being caught up in your work, you’ll soon find yourself struggling to make ends meet or even maintain a good working reputation. You’ll find yourself no longer self employed…and that’s not what you want.

Stay on the Self Employment Track

Stay on track, stay focused and stay self employed by learning how to avoid all those little elements that entice you to have fun instead of having to do work. It’s much easier to sit on the sofa and flip channels, but no one’s going to pay you to do that.

Write out a daily list of tasks, small goals that seem large when you complete each one. Give yourself small steps rather than big leaps. For instance, if you have a large project due, don’t wait until the last day to get started. Spend the first day doing research, the second designing a layout, etc. Complete each little step until you reach the big goal - being finished with work, and being really ready to enjoy play. Use it as a reward for yourself, rather than a distraction.

Posted by KC Morgan

Are you an independent contractor? The question deserves more than careful consideration - legally, the IRS wants to know. If you’re still a stranger to 1099 forms, the self employment tax and claming expenses, you need to learn what working at home means for your budget.

The status of independent contractor is not hard to define, and it usually applies to many self employed, work at home professionals. Do you earn revenue directly from clients and/or consumers? If you ever receive income that has no taxes deducted, you can consider yourself an independent contractor.

Now, what does that mean?

Working at Home…on Your Budget?

Whether you conduct your business through email or go to client’s homes or offices to perform your service, self employment is expensive by nature. You’re independent and on your own - and even though the money you receive isn’t taxed, that doesn’t mean you don’t have to eventually pay your due.

When summer breezes are blowing, April tax time is a dim memory and barely a speck on the horizon of your future. But weeks have a way of moving quickly, and soon you’ll be liable for all those taxes you didn’t pay throughout the year.

Being an Independent Contractor

If you are an independent contractor, you’ll need to offer up a portion of your income for taxes. Remember to keep records throughout the year of what you earn and what you spend, including portions of any bills or money spent on the maintenance of your office environment and equipment. Always save a portion of your earnings - because a portion of your earnings will always be due to the government. In most states, you will also need to register yourself as an independent contractor (i.e., fill out a form) and pay your self employment tax (a percentage of your earnings).

Posted by KC Morgan

Are you working fewer hours but still making decent money? Do you find the pressures of scheduling and deadlines loosening up a bit? You have several very solid gigs and you know about how much you’re going to make each month. Have you hit a self employment stride…or a rut?

Do you find yourself making just enough money to get by? The bills are paid, the fridge is stocked and no one seems to be complaining. But if you’re making just enough, you’re probably doing just enough to get by when it comes to the job. Self employment is still a job…remember?

Do More for Your Self (Employment)

The hours are starting to become a bit more normal and you’ve managed to work out a good routine. You now have time to do all those little things in the day that used to be such a hassle before. Is self employment getting easier, or are you getting softer? There is always another goal to reach and there are usually even better opportunities out there. Don’t slide too deeply into your comfort zone - you can always take self employment further.

If you find yourself getting a little too complacent and realize that you may be making enough money but you aren’t making any extra, it’s time to amp things up a bit. Even when work at home seems steady and comfortable it’s a good idea to do daily or weekly job searches, to scout for new opportunities and employment. Even the most stable and steady positions can suddenly disappear, and you don’t want to be caught in your complacency. Self employment is, by nature, unstable - and anything can happen.

Posted by KC Morgan

When you work at home, it’s important to keep your self employment balance. Find the line between work at home and being at home, and try to maintain it.

When You’re at Home

When you’re at home, it’s easy to see the myriad of household chores you need to address. How can you work when you have so many things to do? You want to look for jobs, but you’ve absolutely got to take care of the laundry. You want to meet your deadline, but you have to make sure dinner is ready for the family. You want to work…but there’s so much work to do even before you begin your self employed day on the job.

When you’re at home, it’s easy to get distracted and get taken off-track. It’s easy to get tied up in the details of living, and forget all the important details of working for yourself.

Keeping Your Self Employed Balance

Find the line between work at home and being at home, and then maintain it. Give yourself a certain amount of time every day to take care of household chores and then no more. You may feel embarrassed or over-tired if the house is dirty, but you’ll feel hungry and completely at a loss if you aren’t earning income. The at-home workday is about much more than working about the house - it’s about working for yourself.

Remember to maintain a high level of professionalism, and don’t put off work chores for home chores if you can help it. You do have a job and you do have work to do - if needed, remind your family of these facts so that they’ll pitch in with household chores.

You are your boss - and when the boss says it’s time to work, then it’s time to work.

Posted by KC Morgan

Some sites let you access a bank of jobs for free, while others ask that you complete an extra step. Maybe you have to register your e-mail address, maybe you have to bid on available projects. But maybe you’re asked to fork over a fee just to get a glimpse at a world of self employment possibility.

Should you sign up to search for work at home jobs?

Paying to Find Work at Home

Many sites boast thousands of jobs and opportunities, with plenty of employer contact information to help you get the ball rolling. There’s just one catch: you have to pay a membership fee and belong to the club before you can get a good look at the jobs that are offered. It’s tempting to take the bait, especially when work seems lean and the only gigs you can get are short-lived at best. Is it time to take that next step in your self employment, join a community and get a chance to peruse exclusive offers?

Should You Sign Up for Search?

It’s true that some job boards may have listings which are unavailable to others, and the only way you can access these opportunities is through the site in question. However, there is a great deal of competition on these sites and you’ll find the members are extremely serious about getting the work. If you can afford the expense and truly can find opportunities no other way, you may consider paying to find work at home.

In many cases, however, you can make do with free job boards and find self employment just as easily (and more cheaply) through this medium.

Posted by KC Morgan

You may hear that self employment is very freeing, an independent lifestyle where you pick the jobs and call the shots. What they didn’t tell you is that work at home can come with its own unique set of troubles as well.

The Reality of Work at Home

The reality of work at home is that it can be very lonely and the work isn’t always steady. Your budget will change, your finances will fluctuate and sometimes your nerves will be frayed. You can handle all of these troubles. How about a few more?

What They Didn’t Tell You

Explore a few little-known facts associated with the work at home lifestyle, and find out if you’re still up to the task of self employment:

About Payment

Many employers may offer written or verbal promises of compensation. If you don’t understand the terms, do not agree to them. That revenue-sharing deal may sound great at first…until you realize just how hard it is to get more than one thousand clicks. You may also be required to ask for payment through PayPal’s invoicing system. Be advised that PayPal will take a percentage of every invoice amount received.

About Samples

You may have to go through a lengthy hiring process with some employers, who will ask for samples of your work. They may give you an entire assignment so they can see your style. You’ll have to take time out of your work day in order to provide this. In many cases, you’ll be compensated for none of it.

About Schedules

You decide when you want to work, sure, but they decide when they want to receive their projects. You’ll still have to work around an employer’s deadline in order to be compensated, and that means scheduling your time depending on their whims.

Posted by KC Morgan

Getting paid less that what you’re worth? Work at home gigs often feel tenuous. You know you’re doing a good job…but you also know there are many other people vying for your position. You want to make more money, but you don’t want to lose a good thing. Find out how to ask for a raise and get a good chance of getting it, too.

How to Ask for a Raise

You really like the job, but you can’t keep spending time on it unless you get compensation. In the world of self employment, any misstep could leave you out in the cold. Don’t alienate your employer by making demands. Instead, learn the right way to ask for a raise.

Be Indispensable

In a way, you have to prove that you’re “worth it.” Don’t start out by asking for more money. Start out by asking for more work. Take your existing tasks above and beyond what’s been asked for - throwing in a little extra for every assignment. Prove that you’re willing to do more by showing it to the ones writing the checks.

Be Independent

Always turn everything in ahead of schedule. Don’t cut deadlines too close if you’re angling for a raise - you won’t get it.

Be Indifferent

Once you’ve shown your high quality and proven that you can take on extra tasks, it’s time to think about that raise. Don’t threaten or become desperate. Instead, stay indifferent and professional. You have many other jobs to consider and many pressing tasks on your time, and you feel that you’re getting paid less than you’re worth. Say that you’re willing to accept new responsibilities to go with your new pay, but otherwise you just might have to terminate employment. If you’re really doing a great job, most of the time you’ll win that raise.

Posted by KC Morgan

It’s true that self employment takes strong self-discipline, shameless self-marketing and serious self-confidence to have any chance of success. There are a lot of reasons to be afraid of being self employed. But there are at least five reasons you should rejoice in work at home. Let’s look at some of the perks of being self employed.

Perks of Self Employment

You know plenty of reasons for disliking self employed - unstable pay, working holidays, an abysmal lack of benefits, even extra taxes. Buck up with these five reasons to rejoice:

Expensive gas? No problem!You don’t drive to work, ergo you aren’t spending hundreds of dollars a week on the gas it takes to get you there. As your friends and family grumble over the commute, you’re worrying only about Internet traffic.

Bad hair? Who cares?

There’s no such thing as a bad hair day when there’s no one around to impress with your appearance. For you, business attire is clothing optional.

Good manners need not apply.

Struggling to break off that phone conversation instigated by your mother-in-law’s call? Looking for a way to shoo out an unwelcome houseguest? You can always pull the “got some work to take care of” card and send them on their way.

Everything is a potential write-off.

Do you use your high-speed Internet to facilitate work at home? Did you buy a laptop to make the job easier? The stamps you use to mail the bill, the gas you burned up driving to the electronics store and all work-related purchases themselves can be applied as business expenses on your tax forms.

Snooze bar? Who needs it?

You can almost toss out the alarm clock when you create your own schedule. Sleeping in takes on a whole new hue when you can absolutely get out of bed whenever you feel like it.

Posted by KC Morgan

If you aren’t earning revenue, is any work at home job really worth your time? When finances are lean and your nerves are short, you may be ready to chuck it all and seek out gigs that reward you in cold, hard cash. But remember that some work at home positions offer other perks. Non-monetary compensation doesn’t always sound attractive…until you weigh all the variables.

Non-Monetary Compensation

“We can’t pay you right now, but we will give you a full-color page on our site and the work you do for us guarantees your name will be in the search engines.” If you stopped caring at “we can’t pay you,” you might be missing out. It’s difficult to weigh jobs on merit when you imagine bills looming above your head, but sometimes you might have to take a step back and look at a larger picture.

Work at Home Perks

If you like the job, it’s important to consider this reality. Even in work at home, no job is likely to be ideal. There will be times when you feel bored, bunt-out or dissatisfied. Actually enjoying the work can go a long way toward brightening your day (and keeping you sane). Having a true affection for what you do it its own reward.

Exposure is another huge factor in self employment. Maybe you aren’t making money, but you’re getting your name out there in a very big way - there’s no telling when this could lead to a bona fide paying opportunity.

Creative control is a huge reward, and one that doesn’t come with every gig. If you’re given the freedom to work your own way, pick your own topics and be as creative as you like, you have a great outlet for all those creative energies. Why would you want to give that up?

Posted by KC Morgan

At some point, following the boss’s orders may take on a very negative feel. It’s something which happens to everyone, but somehow it seems much more monumental when it happens to the self employed professional. Low job security, unstable payment and the truth of working all alone is bad enough - throw in a directive that feels weird and suddenly, you’re living in a work at home nightmare. Just how much should you take?

Following the Boss’s Orders

Work at home employment is unlike more traditional jobs which involve clocking in and out five days a week. You choose the hours, you choose the jobs, you call the shots - as long as it’s all within the framework of what your clients want. Even when you’re self employed, someone else writes the checks that keep you going, and those people expect something for their money.

What do you do when it seems like they’re starting to expect too much?

How Much Should You Take?

Maybe it’s software you have to download, hardware you have to go out and buy, an online company you’re told to sign up and join, an extra step in your work that requires a ridiculous amount of time - but for some reason, the directions you’re given just don’t sit well with you. How much hoop-jumping does a professional have to do to make a buck, anyway?

Drawing the Line

If you’re self employed, you’re the boss. You’re the one looking for and finding the jobs. You’re the one completing the work. And you’re the one who is going to put their name on the products or services given. Work at home may feel a little different than working at a company, but your morals and ethics haven’t changed. Follow your own counsel and conscience, and you can’t go wrong.

Posted by KC Morgan

Is overwhelming them a good idea? Writers seeking to get published are advised to send out as many letters as possible, to create huge lists of addresses and mail a standard letter to each and every one. Freelancers building their portfolios often use as many links and projects as they possibly can, showing off a prolific amount of work. Those seeking to gain a certain customer or position may send repeated emails to reach what they desire. And when a self employed professional is faced with an employer who won’t provide compensation, it’s tempting to send note after note to this person in hopes of forcing them to yield.

...Does any of it work?

The Fine Art of Persistence

It’s always good to be persistent, and in some cases it truly pays off. For instance, there’s a certain company you’d like to work with. Every time a position opens, you send another application. Eventually, all this effort may result in a viable opportunity. This is a form of positive persistence.

Let’s take the same situation. There’s a certain company you’d like to work with, so you send them a copy of your resume every single Monday. At the beginning of the week, someone at that office is greeted with your name and information - unsolicited, of course. This isn’t exactly negative, but it’s not usually effective either.

Overwhelming Them

Be persistent, but only up to a point. It’s a good idea to regularly look for jobs and to regularly apply to open positions, but not necessarily to send out un-asked-for resumes and letters on a frequent basis. Your portfolio should likewise not be swamped with links - quality over quantity. Overwhelm them with the quality of your work, not the amount of time you have to send out letters.

Posted by KC Morgan

You probably never thought of these 10 self employment jobs, but anything is possible in the modern world. What ideas could you come up with for work at home today?

Candle maker. All you need is a few saucepans, a little bit of paraffin and some time and you, too, could make elegant and sought-after candles to be sold online.

Psychic. It’s not illegal if it’s entertainment. Most people who phone psychics are really just looking for someone to talk to. A willing ear and a calming voice can go a long way toward a bright work at home future.

Researcher. Many companies and individuals can use the services of someone who is data-savvy and knows how to get their hands on reliable materials. Many, many writers are in the market for researchers who can commit time and effort to digging up the facts.

Genealogist. If you’re that good at research, how good are you at family backgrounds? There is a huge market for those who can locate records on family history - market your services and see where it goes.

MySpace Page Designer. Great at graphic design and up on the latest social networking trends? Market your services to a single niche, gather a backlog of contacts and specialize.

Posted by KC Morgan

Many employers will want your bio information. Here’s the rub: you’ll have to provide that information all on your own. Do you even know how to go about creating your bio? ...Do think you know how to write yourself?

Creating Your Bio

Even when writing isn’t your self employment trade, there are times when employers will want a few concise paragraphs on who you are. Often, these bios are displayed on Web pages, newsletters, flyers, etc. - places where the public at large can view them.

Just what will they see when they read yours?

Do You Know How to Write Yourself?

Creating a bio may not sound like an insurmountable feat. But even for those who write creatively, writing about oneself is a difficult task. It’s tough to be objective and tougher still to brag about one’s own accomplishments. But in a sense, that’s exactly what it takes to craft a great bio.

Always start the biography with your name, and write in the third person (don’t use the word “I” - talk about yourself as if you were talking about a stranger). The first sentence should describe who you are and what you do (fJane Doe is a graphic Web designer and entrepreneur). The next few sentences should list experience (fJane received her Master’s Degree at the University of State and has worked in the field of graphic design for ten years). The next paragraph should list professional accomplishments (In her years as a graphic Web designer, Jane has created pages for such prestigious companies as X, Y and Z. She has appeared as a public speaker and lecturer at Blank College and Pretend Group).

Remember to stay objective, but always to keep in mind that you’re making yourself sound good. Once you master this, creating your bio will seem much easier.

Posted by KC Morgan

Do you know how to explain quitting a job on a resume? Everyone understands the desire to move forward, strive for better and to take on new challenges. But truthfully, no employer wants to be the next in your line of people left behind. Learn a few resume writing tricks to make even quitting seem like an asset.

Resume Writing Tricks

A good resume is not necessarily the one featuring the most experience and accolades. You want your resume to highlight your successes, but also to downplay your failures so well that these, too, look like successes. At some point, you’re going to have to explain away a job you left behind. But how do you explain quitting?

It’s standard practice on every resume to show the duration of employment with every job you list. As most resumes show employment history from at least the last five years, this will inevitably mean listing a job you left at some point in the past. Whether you quit or were perhaps asked to leave, there’s always a way to spin this truth to make it more resume-friendly.

How to Explain Quitting

Never lie. You can tell the truth and still find the best way to tell that truth. For each job to which you are no longer currently employed, be sure to include a “Reason for leaving” under the job description. Here, list a reason that highlights the best part of the truth. Instead of saying you weren’t being paid enough money, say you “chose to leave in favor of work offering higher compensation.” Instead of saying you didn’t get along with coworkers, say you “left to pursue a more challenging environment.” Get the idea? Anything can sound like a positive - just find the right way to present it.

Posted by KC Morgan

Are you too lazy to work at home successfully? When you work forty hours a week for someone else and strive every day on the job, your first reaction is going to be “no, absolutely not.” But when you’re all alone and no one is around, everything suddenly becomes different. Asses your self employment capability, and find out if you’re up to the task of working at home.

Asses Yourself

It’s easy to be self indulgent when you are your own boss, easy to play solitaire instead of finishing off that job search, easy to think “I can just save that for tomorrow” when really you should probably get it done today. Everyone is probably guilty of a little laziness, whether they work for themselves or for someone else. But does that mean you can’t stand up to self employment? Asses your self employment capability, and find out.

Everyone works differently, but some are perhaps more suited to self employment than others. Are you capable of shutting out all distractions to the point of obsessing on a single project? Can you meet a deadline - no matter what it takes, and even if it’s self-imposed? Can you deal with not knowing your own future and having a rather unstable economic future from time to time?

Working at Home

The truth is, when you love what you do laziness doesn’t play a part. Sure it’s easy to get distracted at home and sure it’s easy to put off or ignore work which ought to be done. But when you love your job, none of it matters. If you love the idea of going it alone and working only for yourself, then you just might love being self employed.

Posted by KC Morgan

Many self employment mistakes are no different than other working mistakes. But for the self employed professional, the job comes with a whole new set of problems, concerns and room for error. How often do you make common self employment mistakes?

Common Self Employment Mistakes

There’s a great sense of freedom in self employment, but independence comes with a lot of pressures and responsibilities, too. What common self employment mistakes should you try to avoid ?

Far planning. Company A owes you a hundred and fifty bucks. Person X is supposed to pay you another seventy for the work you did last week. That’s more than two hundred dollars you’ll have to pay the phone bill…so it should be perfectly okay for you to order pizza tonight and go shopping for that new computer printer tomorrow. Don’t make the self employment mistake of far planning with your money. Many, many employers do come through with payments - but there are some who do not. Don’t spend your money until it’s actually in your bank account.

Too much independence. You don’t need a boss; you’re capable of doing it all on your own. You find your jobs, you supervise your work - you can do it all. But don’t let that work at home freedom lead to a common self employment mistake. You still need money in the bank, your own retirement plan for the future and insurance to protect yourself and your working assets.

Schedule juggling. You’ve got an assignment due tomorrow…so that means you might as well play today. But don’t leave deadlines to the last minute - you never know when a new client or job will present itself and need immediate attention. When it comes to work, try to be early - just in case.

Posted by KC Morgan

If you’re self employed, you’re going to have to think about insuring yourself. It isn’t enough that you already employ yourself - you have to see to all the necessary details, too. But providing your own health care is no easy feat.

The Cost of Self Employment

Self employment means finding (and completing) work, filing your own taxes (which can be a miserable undertaking) and taking care of yourself as far as breaks and vacations are concerned. But it also means paying. You pay for your taxes, you pay for your own supplies and equipment…and you pay for your own health care.

Insuring Yourself

Even when you’re self employed, chances are you were employed for someone else at some point in your life. You’re familiar, then, with employer-based health care. You pay a small weekly stipend and get gifted with full health care - including dental, vision, 401k, who even knows what else. Why should it be any different now that you’re employing yourself?

Because you only have one employee - you. When businesses purchase health care packages, they buy a large number of policies. You, however, will be purchasing one policy. And now, the cost of self employment is going to get much bigger.

Individual health care policies are different from employer-based policies in two ways: first, they offer much less care at much higher deductibles; second, they are much more expensive.

Cutting Down Costs

Shop around for health care when it’s time to think about insuring yourself. Get quotes, compare rates and realistically look at options to lower the cost without sacrificing care. Choose a plan you can afford easily…then choose a plan even cheaper than that. Insuring yourself is not a burden, but a joy, a sign of freedom and independence. It is, however, an expensive bill.

Posted by KC Morgan

Got a lot of ideas about self employment? Imagine a world with no employer to criticze or ask you to work late, where you can conduct business in your home office. Now imagine seven-day work weeks, holidays where you scramble to meet deadlines and criticism that seems to come from the world at large. That’s what it’s really like to work at home. But that doesn’t mean self employment ideas are completely removed from self employment reality, either.

Self Employment Ideas vs. Reality

It’s true that when self employed, you are your own boss. But it’s also a widely-held truth that you are your own worst critic, too. Successful self employment means getting paid. You will have to wow clients and customers, gain work from employers and answer to somebody at some point. You will probably have the option of working how and where you please…but you may not always work on the projects or assignments you love best. The reality of self employment is that you’ll have to make money, and that may mean doing work that isn’t particularly ideal.

What it’s Really Like to Work at Home

In other words, you may be calling the shots…but you won’t really be calling the shots. Your clients and employers will set deadlines, and have ideas about what they want - ideas which might not match yours. There may be weeks when it’s necessary to work seven days, holidays when you can’t spend every minute with friends and family and days when it seems like self employment was a bad idea. But if you have an idea that you’d like to find your own work, be your own boss and possibly earn income from your very own home, the reality of self employment may just be ideal.

Posted by KC Morgan

Shouldn’t you be compensated for being self employed? Being self employed often means doing work for free, on the promise or just the hope it might lead to a more substantially-paying gig. And sometimes, self employment means that employers suddenly vanish, refuse to hold up their end of the bargain or just completely ignore your rights. That’s when it’s time to start making them pay.

Be Compensated!

There are times when work is offered a sample, materials given under the stipulation the professional won’t be paid for providing them. But once you engage in a contract with any client or employer, be that contract written in legally-binding language or simply implied through an agreement of terms, both parties are required to hold up each end of the deal. As the self employed professional, you provide the agreed-upon materials. As the one who requested such work, they provide the agreed-upon payment. After all, you did do the work - shouldn’t you be compensated for it?

Making Them Pay

It can be very frustrating to be forced to ask for compensation that you’re rightfully due. Sometimes, employers may realistically make an error or forget what’s owed. Once the payment deadline passes, write a simple and professional e-mail making sure the assignment was received, being sure to state you’re asking because the payment has yet to arrive. This should open a dialogue about compensation. When employers seem to refuse to pay, offering excuses or reasons to put it off, try reminding them they have a contractual obligation. Sometimes, employers may refuse to acknowledge you, or refuse to pay. There are a few legal recourses for self employed professionals who are wronged in this way, but this process can be costly and time-consuming. Sometimes, you may be forced to simply take a loss.

Posted by KC Morgan

The job ad sounds great. You offer materials or services every day, or once a week, or once a month, for an agreed-upon sum. Perhaps it’s a per-word rate. Perhaps they’re going to pay you for every phone call you make, every person you sign, every click you get online for the materials you put on the Internet. But do the math first - before you agree to do anything else.

Getting Work at Home Gigs

The Internet provides a lot of unique opportunities for work at home professionals, people who want to become self employed. The dream is easier to reach than ever thanks to the expansive spread of online media, and more professionals are answering the siren song of ad revenue, pay per click, and high Web site traffic. But who’s really making the money from online successes?

Do the Math First

It’s important to read the fine print before agreeing to accept any job. Positions offering ad revenue or other pay-per-click or pay-per-call monies may provide very little actual income. Be sure to do the math first. Figure out the (approximate) amount of time it will take to complete each assignment, then figure up the amount of money received for each. Does it add up? Getting work at home gigs feels great, but getting paid what you deserve feels much better.

Posted by KC Morgan

Earning with ad revenue is not a new trend of the Internet. In fact, many professionals have been earning with ad revenue for years before there ever was a World Wide Web. However, the presence of the Internet has made this method of self employment more widely available. It’s siren song has tempted many into producing materials, waiting for weeks before receiving a cut of the money. The end result is often disappointing. Is earning with ad revenue a joke, or viable work at home opportunity?

Earning with Ad Revenue

Blogging, article-writing, page designing - there are many different ways to earn income with ad revenue. But is the end really worth the means? Establishing a highly popular blog is the stuff of Internet legend - everyone wants it, everyone says they know how to get it, and yet only a few people have ever done it. An unpopular blog is a lot of work with very little reward. So why is ad revenue so widely offered in work at home opportunities? Is this the key to self employment?

Self Employed Success

One thing is certain: the Internet is rich with ads. There are tons of different programs and ways to earn money using the Internet, and almost all of them revolve around marketing and advertising. There is money to be made, and in some cases almost anyone can learn how to earn some of it for themselves. However, establishing a strong Web presence (thus getting the high traffic which drives revenue) can be a very long and complicated affair. Don’t expect to get a gig and start making huge money from revenue right away, because in almost all cases it will take quite a bit more work than that.

Posted by KC Morgan

Ask almost any would-be freelancer, and they’ll say the same: they want to work from home by writing, earning an income and doing what they love. That all sounds fabulous, but the reality of being a freelance writer is often cold, lonely, and filled with the harshest of criticisms. Is freelance writing really the road you want to walk to self employment? Are you tough enough to take on the Internet?

Be a Freelance Writer

You know you’re a good writer, so good that you’re sure other people would pay you to just write. So, you answer some ads for jobs online. You send out resumes, you build a portfolio. You start to get some real-life writing gigs, you may even start to get some money. You get some regular readers, and suddenly the self employed dream starts to come true.

Are You Tough Enough?

If everything has an up, it also has a down. Writers who create materials for the Internet population at large are actually taking a risk every time they present a new piece. For every complimentary comment any freelance writer might receive, there are probably at least ten harshly critical comments to go with it. Every day turns into an adventure when readers start to sound off, and sometimes their comments may impugn not just the writing but the writers themselves.

You’re sitting at home, a place that should be secure, and yet these readers (and their comments) still find a way inside your e-mail, your office…your head. The more popular the writing becomes, the more likely it is these comments will arrive. As if the endless rejections writers face weren’t bad enough - now the general public is rejecting the writing, too. Are you tough enough to take it?

Posted by KC Morgan

Self employed professionals face the same concerns, the same problems and the same fears as those who work in employer-based settings, and yet the needs of those who work for themselves aren’t even so much as an afterthought when it comes to the current political and election climate. While all parties address issues of health care, none of the proposed plans do anything to help those who must support themselves without the aid of an employer. In fact, self employed professionals are rarely addressed during speeches and debates. Do politicians care about you?

Do Politicians Care About the Self Employed?

Self employment statistics show us that in 2003, there were 18.6 million self employed business out there, and those numbers have been on the rise. With nearly 20 million people, self employed professionals are truly a large demographic…and an important one. Why, then, are self employed professionals left out in the cold when it comes to political promises?

Self Employed Professionals are Rarely Addressed

The self employed may not be mentioned or addressed by politicians, but their votes are every bit as viable and important. The best way for the self employed to make their needs known is to present them, talk about them, and prove that they do in fact have voices (despite the politics).

Posted by KC Morgan

Some learn that self employment means discipline, and they count themselves out immediately. Many people find it hard to stick to a schedule, to control their own over-spending or bad habits, to simply do what they ought to do. But does a lack of self-discipline in life automatically equal a lack of self-discipline in self employment? Could you be self employed?

Test Your Own Self-Discipline

If you think that being self employed means being your own worst enemy and best friend, keeping yourself rigidly contained and on task, then you’re right. You do have to be disciplined in order to work for yourself, but you may be a better taskmaster than you might think. Want to know if you could be self employed?

Pick a week. Write out a schedule for the week - things you much do each and every single day. Be sure to choose at least three tasks for each day (all of seven days in a single week).

Could You Be Self Employed?

When the week starts, keep this list of chores close at hand. At the end of the week, when you look over your list to see how many of the tasks have been completed, you’ll have your answer. If you got all items done, without stressing yourself out unduly, then you probably have what it takes to keep yourself on-task for self employment. If not, then you may want to iron out some discipline issues before you rely on yourself alone for income.

Posted by KC Morgan

Who’s really your boss when you work at home, but depend upon others to write the checks? Sure, you created a Web site and a stunning portfolio, and you’ve managed to build up a reputation in your own field of expertise. But you still have to sell yourself, promote yourself, and pound the online pavement (so to speak) to find great jobs. Great jobs come with great (or, not-so-great) employers. So, are you the boss…or are they?

The Self Employment Authority Crisis

Even professionals who work for clients, persons who contact them about services such as consulting, might face the self employment authority crisis. You tell yourself you’re in charge, but you still have to do what they ask. Freelance writers may get told to rewrite, designers may be told to come up with an entirely new concept, performers may get booed off the stage and told they won’t receive any money. There’s always someone else to please, isn’t there? You find the work…but someone else has to be willing to pay you for what you do.

Here’s the luxury of being self employed: you get to decide which jobs to take and which jobs not to take, which clients to work for and which to tell no thanks to. If an employer asks you to do something you don’t want to do, you don’t have to do it. Sure, you won’t get paid - but that’s one of the downfalls of self employment (to everything, there is an up and a down). They may be the ones who are paying, but you’re the boss over what you do (and don’t do) with your self employment.

Posted by KC Morgan

In self employment, things aren’t always the way professionals want them to be. Sometimes, employers want materials on a project that doesn’t wholly inspire or interest the professional who creates them. Sometimes, employers may even ask you to do a little too much. Giving your all to self employment? Don’t leave ethics behind, even for the money.

Don’t Leave Ethics Behind

It’s a fairly common practice. Self employed professionals are asked to present materials in a certain way, perhaps to favor a product or give a subject certain shades of meaning. Many things in today’s world are about selling, enhancing, convincing - which makes it the job of many self employed professionals to get those feelings across. But suppose the shades of meaning you’re meant to apply to a project don’t agree with your own ethical and moral code? Suppose you are asked to do something which goes against what you think is appropriate?

Don’t leave ethics behind! In many cases, it’s okay to present materials to make certain products or ideas look more appealing. But in some cases, you may not feel that it’s right to do so. If you truly think it would be a breach of morals or ethics to comply with an employer’s request, simply explain that to them. Present the materials in a way that meets your own ethical fiber, explain why you’ve made this change, and take it from there. Nine times out of then the employer will understand, but there may be cases when you lose an opportunity and even income because you took your stand. This doesn’t mean you’ve made the wrong choice. Follow your own moral and ethical code, despite the amount of money involved, and you will never go wrong.

Posted by KC Morgan

So, you can’t find any work at home jobs. Perhaps you’re applying to listings but can’t seem to get a response. Maybe you can’t find any work at home jobs you seem qualified to do. Or maybe the offers just aren’t good enough. Learn how to get yourself hired, and get yourself back into the swing of self employment and working at home.

Tips for Finding Work at Home Jobs

Having a great resume goes a long way toward getting yourself hired. Here’s the trick to a good resume: it doesn’t always have to be filled with experience. Perhaps you haven’t got a lot of work at home experience, because you’re just starting out. Capitalize on education, other kinds of work experience and special skills to fill in the blanks.

You’ll also have the opportunity to promote yourself in the cover letter. Be sure to express interest in the job or project and point out reasons why you’re the perfect candidate.

Do a job search every day, because you never know what opportunities might appear.

Get Yourself Hired

Many employers will want additional samples or materials before they commit to hiring. When they request a sample, be sure to submit your best, most highly-polished work (and do it the same day, or the day after, the request appears). Always respond to an email from a potential employer, and try to do so in a timely fashion. Be open to phone calls and chat sessions with employers as well, as some people prefer these methods of communication. Be receptive, give them what they want and be sure to thank them for their time. This will help you get yourself hired.

Posted by KC Morgan

You’re self employed, so you’re the boss. Want to sleep until noon, work late at night, eat jelly sandwiches over the keyboard? Well go ahead - nothing’s stopping you. But not everyone has what it takes to work at home, because above all else the self employed professionals have to be disciplined professionals. For some, only a set routine will let them get the work done. Others choose a more random, free-flowing schedule. But…what works for you in work at home?

The Routine

This is the only method I can personally work in - but I like structure. For many work at home professionals, it’s impossible to get a thing done without the organization and the feeling of having that schedule. Those who like a routine generally wake up around the same time each day, know what they’re going to eat for breakfast and follow a pattern when it comes to getting the job done. Organization is achieved through calendars, to-do lists and the assurance of that routine. But all work at home professionals don’t have to subscribe to such careful planning, and some just can’t.

The Random

Others who are self employed take an open-ended approach to working. Perhaps it’s a busy schedule, a busy family, a certain mindset, but some professionals have to constantly change up their routines and choose instead not to follow patterns. If this works for you, great, but be sure to get projects done on time to avoid a work overload.

Working Your Own Way

The whole benefit of self employment is finding the working style which suits you best. Design your own days, but always maintain a certain level of discipline. It’s easy to simply skip work completely - so don’t fall into that highly financially-damaging pattern.

Posted by KC Morgan

A wicked storm comes through and blow out the power lines. The cable goes down - for three days. Your computer breaks down, just completely goes kaput and stops working. Family emergency strikes and you’ve got to take care of some serious stuff. In all these scenarios, you might have some pretty deep trouble getting into your home office to work. When you’re working on your own, you’ve always got to have a backup plan.

Working on Your Own

You’re self employed. That means you call the shots, you set the hours, you pick the jobs. But it also means you’re all alone, even when something goes horribly wrong. A lot of self employed professionals rely heavily on the Internet, everything from email to their own Web site to other sites like PayPal and eBay. But suppose something happens and you can’t access the Internet, or even your computer, at all? Do you know where you would go, what you would do? That’s called having a Plan B - and you need one even if it’s highly unlikely something will go wrong. In the world of self employment, something can always go wrong. Be ready for it.

Local public libraries and Internet cafes, even the airport, may provide the safe haven (and Internet access) you seek. Find out when and how these places are available to you, if at all, should you even have need of an alternative office site. You might also make a list of local places where you can rent or buy a computer quickly, should your equipment fail at that crucial moment. Be sure to give yourself a few options. This way, if something does happen the situation won’t be quite as dire.

Posted by KC Morgan

Should you pay for job listings? It’s relatively easy to find Web sites dedicated to offering work at home jobs and freelance job listings. The problem is, many sites ask you to sign up to gain membership, which might cost money. The site might even ask you to bid on jobs, turning self employment into an auction. Paying out of pocket when you’re actually looking for work opportunities is a little backward…isn’t it?

Paying for Job Listings

Web sites which make their money by offering jobs crop up in pretty much all job searches. Even when you’re using a site offering free job listings, you’re bound to stumble across a link that takes you to an incredibly professional-looking Web page. It will be filled with just enough information to make you want more…and then you click the link. It’s at this point you find out how much this wonderful, job-ridden Web site costs. Should you cough up the dough, swallow your pride, pay for self employment opportunities?

Paying Out of Pocket…to Get Work?

It’s a bad idea to pay for the pleasure of looking through job listings. Even if you pay a small fee, gain membership, and start to receive job listings, you’re still going to have to follow all the normal channels of getting the job. And you may not. So, what are you paying for? There are plenty of free Web sites out there offering job listings, and don’t underestimate the power of the print media and classified ads. Don’t pay for your right to find work. It is out there, and it’s there for the taking free of charge.

Posted by KC Morgan

The results of the recent politics poll shows that some self employed, work at home professionals don’t seem to have strong opinions about how politics affect their daily working lives. Politics in the workplace matters a great deal to you - and it might all be about to change. How does the election affect you, as a self employed professional?

Politics in the Workplace

“It doesn’t,” isn’t the answer, though for many it may seem that way. After all, you’re on your own. You have to deal with your own taxes at the end of the year, you have to find your own work, you have to take care of everything. No politician really matters to you - you don’t answer to anybody. But, whether you know it or not, there are politics in your workplace.

It’s tax time, and that means you’ll become aware of the self employment tax. You actually have to pay for privilege of working at home. And if you are reasonably healthy and can’t claim state-offered health benefits, then you probably have to pay for your own health care out of pocket. The individual policy you have probably isn’t as affordable nor as medically viable as the one you’d receive from an employer.

That’s politics.

How Does the Election Affect You?

Health care is a banner issue for this year’s presidential election, and health care is one issue which affects every self employed professional. If the self employed aren’t represented by the politics of the nation, it’s because the self employed aren’t making themselves (and their needs) known. Sometimes, politics responds to votes instead of voices.

Posted by KC Morgan

It’s not easy to stand out in a crowd of dozens, maybe even hundreds, of job applicants. Even if you wow them with your resume, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll get the job. The most important tool you have, and the most persuasive, is the query (or cover) letter. Use this the right way, and you’ll get the positive response you’ve been waiting for. When it comes to approaching an employer or gaining some opportunity, be different to be successful.

Stand Out in the Crowd

You find a job opportunity that appeals to you. The ad requests cover letter, resume and samples. You’ve worked hard to create an outstanding resume and a great online portfolio. The trouble is, if your query letter isn’t any good they’re never going to see how great you are. They’re never going to know you’re the perfect candidate, because your letter was boring, stale and not at all original. Why is your cover letter so bad? Probably because you listened to expert advice, which often advises query letters be simple, short and pretty devoid of emotion or coercion. Get their attention by standing out in the crowd of applicants, and write a cover letter that’s uniquely your own.

Be Different to Be Successful

Don’t make the mistake of writing a plain, uninteresting cover letter. Be sure to inject elements of your own personality and show them what makes you different from everyone else. Are you funny? A master of sarcasm? Great with puns? Put a little of that into your letter, and don’t be afraid to show that you do have some confidence. Many experts advise against showing ego in a query letter, but showing that you have confidence in your work and yourself doesn’t hurt a thing (just don’t go overboard).

Posted by KC Morgan

Running out of ideas? Don’t worry - everyone’s been there. Self employment is difficult because it’s often lonely, and there’s no one else around to check your ideas with. You might get to a point where every idea sounds like a bad one, or you just stop having ideas at all. But there are ways to get the creative juices flowing again.

Move on to something else. Start working on another project, perhaps something you’ve already started or have an outline for. Sometimes, working on something else gives you an idea for the project you’re currently stuck on.

Take a walk. Even a walk around the house might help loosen a few ideas in your brain, and sometimes taking a break from work is the best possible course of action. Just take a break, take a walk and come back to your desk with a fresher perspective.

Look at past projects. If you’re really stuck, go ahead and start looking at projects you’ve completed in the past. You may find something you never finished and can now use, or you may suddenly get an idea for the new project you’re trying to complete.

Sleep on it. If at all possible, just put that project away for the evening and come back to it the next day. You may have an idea during the night, or you may find you’re no longer stuck once you come back to your work refreshed for a new day.

Posted by KC Morgan

It’s that time of year again, and that means there’s talk of New Year’s resolutions. Here’s the problem: even if you manage to lose that extra weight, get yourself organized and quit smoking, you’ll still have all the same employment problems. If you aren’t happy with your job, no amount of dieting is going to change it.

Make a New Year’s Change

This year, don’t make any New Year’s resolutions. Instead, make a New Year’s change and make the decision to love your job. But take a realistic approach to finding happiness with your job.

First, it just isn’t possible to make money without doing any work. Don’t expect self employment to be easy. For many, work at home is the answer to unhappiness on the job. For others, the sheer isolation of work at home is too much to handle. If you like working by yourself and feel that you’re disciplined enough to complete tasks without a boss riding over you, then you might want to make a New Year’s change toward work at home.

Find Happiness With Your Job

Even work at home isn’t always the answer. What is? Only you know. Think about your ideal work environment. If it includes isolation, being free to work in your own time and at your own pace, self employment just might be for you. Get started by searching out the available jobs for work at home professionals. Look online to see what’s out there, and to learn whether your skills will apply. When self employment isn’t the answer, explore other job opportunities that might make you feel happier with your chosen profession. If all else fails, try stress-relief and meditation techniques to help take the edge off.