Your elevator speech is a verbal business card or billboard. In order for it to be effective it must be compelling. You want it to draw in the prospect yet leave them wanting to know more.

It is one sentence, two at the most, and serves as your benefit statement. Your elevator speech needs to be just what its name implies, short enough to share on an elevator ride.

It should provide clear, jargon-free information about who you are, what you do and what’s in it for the prospect.

Craft your elevator speech when you have a crystal clear picture of your business. Simply stating your industry and title is too vague. You must be able to articulate the main problem your specific type or business focus solves for your target market.

You must also know your target market and what motivates them. For example, when I was networking with financial planners, I tested a few elevator speeches to see which got the best response.

The one that worked well was “I partner with new financial planners who want to blow their numbers out of the water.”

The one that flopped was “I coach financial planners so that they can effectively market themselves.”

The latter describes what I actually do with them, but that language is not as appealing to them as the other statement because they tend to be competitive and driven to win.

What to Include in Your Elevator Speech

1) Your name
Oddly, some people forget to put their name in their elevator speech. You are promoting yourself, so be sure to state your full name clearly.

2) Who you work with or who your product is for
Identify your target market. Being this specific won’t eliminate buyers, it will make it easier for people to refer you business.

3) What’s the benefit they get if they buy what you’re offering
You can state either the end result or share the problem that you solve.

4) What is your product or service
Most elevator speeches work well without mentioning the actual product or service, because most of the time people buy the benefit. Sometimes it is necessary to include. If it is, do so without going into detail or listing the features of what you offer. Come up with a succinct and attractive way to state what you sell.

What Not to Include in Your Elevator Speech

1) Your title
In most cases your title doesn’t tell people much about what you do. It wastes words and time. If they are interested, they can see it on your business card.

2) Pricing
Never include what you charge in your elevator speech, but do be prepared to discuss your fees if asked.

3) Features
Features are not benefits, but many professionals confuse the two. Features are things the product or service has, such as a new car’s features might include anti-lock brakes, a lighted mirror on the sun visor and six cup holders. The features may provide benefits, such as safety or comfort. In your elevator speech, focus on the benefits.

4) Packaging
Unless your packaging is what makes your product or service unique, such as video conferencing, then leave it out of your short description.

Formula for Composing a Great Elevator Speech

Your Name + Target Market + Benefits
or
Your Name + Product/Service + Target Market + Benefits

Example 1:
I’m Tracy Manning. I facilitate virtual teams to maximize their productivity.

Example 2:
I’m Jonathan Smith. I guide at-risk teens to develop their sense of self-esteem and stay in school.

Example 3:
I’m Jane Doe. As a room designer, I partner with new homeowners who want to their new home to feel like a summer cottage in England.

Example 4:
I’m Jason Horn. Carpet Layers International specializes in quality installations for property owners with round staircases.

Take note of the strong verb used in each of the examples. You will want to choose an equally impactful verb for your elevator speech.

I suggest using the formula to create a basic elevator speech and then spice up the language.

Once you’ve crafted a couple of elevator speeches you’ll want to test them out to see which gets the best response.

After you’ve identified the winner, the key to using it effectively is to practice, practice, practice. Say it out loud in front of a mirror until it flows comfortably off your tongue.

Your elevator speech describes who you are and what you do professionally. Take pride in it.

(c) 2009 Leah Grant Enterprises LLC.

About the Author:
New Business Mentor Leah Grant publishes Startup Success, a weekly ezine. If you’re thinking about starting a new business or are in the early phases of entrepreneurship, subscribe now for tips, articles and resources at http://www.leahgrant.com

Unicenter Consultant (Telecommute)

Healthcare Project Manager ( (Telecommute)

Normally, I am not one to complain about the weather. Okay. Maybe I complain a little about the weather. All right, have it your way, I complain a lot about the weather. Are you happy now?

Actually, it is important for me to complain about the weather. It is either that or politics, and you know what that does to my blood pressure. If I had my rathers, I would rather complain about politics. It is so much easier to do, and there is always something to complain about. After all, sometimes the weather is perfect.

I have always felt that complaining about politics is part of a very good health plan. First, it gets your blood boiling, which has the effect of cleansing your blood. You know what dirty blood can do for your health. Then, it clears your head of all the nonsense collecting up there for days or weeks on end. It is the only political health plan that actually works.

There should be some kind of a plan, maybe a lottery system, to select the politician of the day to complain about. With so many politicians, I am concerned I may forget to complain about some politician who actually needs to be complained about. Some congressional committee needs to be put together so that they can select the politician of the day to grumble. After all, I do not want to miss an opportunity to make a complaint about some politician.

Complaining about politics has another beneficial effect. It keeps you from complaining about your spouse. After all, when you have said everything you have to say about politics and politicians there is not much left over to shoot at your spouse. I am still waiting for my wife to thank me for this one.

There are those who feel you should not complain at all about anything. I think the British say, “Just keep a stiff upper lip.” But, thankfully, I am not British. And if I was, I do not think it would be something for me to complain about when there is so much good complaining material with our politics these days.

Another thing about complaining people often overlook, particularly when you are complaining about the weather. No matter who you are around, you can always say something about the weather. “How about this weather we’re having?” And that breaks the ice and a very delightful conversation can begin. Without complaining about the weather, people stand around staring into the air thinking the other person is stuck up.

If it is raining, we can whine and say, “When is this rain ever going to stop?” And those around you will give an affirming nod and then opine on the subject at hand.

Then, if it has not rained for a few days, we can always grumble and say, “We sure do need some rain around here, don’t we?” Then the vigorous affirmative nods will begin and the conversation will center on the weather.

My grandfather once told me that when you are in public you should never talk about religion or politics. These are the two areas that can get you into trouble, and yet these are the two areas that we cannot help talking about.

This is where complaining about the weather tops everything. You can be a Republican or a Democrat and agree on complaining about the weather. You can be a Christian or an atheist and agree that the weather outside is lousy. Of course, this latter one is a little slippery, because the Christian might inadvertently say, “I pray God will help us with the weather.” Then the atheist is mad because… well… he does not have anybody to pray to.

Of course there are those who believe complaining about sports is in the same league as complaining about the weather. Nothing could be further from the truth. Not everybody is affected by sports. Not everybody watches the football game or the Super Bowl. Not everybody watched the Winter Olympics but everybody gets wet when it rains.

I have also found this to be helpful when I come home from a long day away from the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Invariably, she will ask me about my day and who I met throughout the day. Then she will say, “What did you talk about?” Then I can smile broadly and say, “We complained about the weather.” And that usually settles the whole matter.

There is no more level playing ground than grumbling about the weather. Both rich and poor can do it. Both celebrity and average person can do it. Male and female are on equal footing when it comes to grumbling about the weather. Complaining about the weather is the great equalizer.

One equalizer stands out among all others regardless. I am referring to Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul wrote this, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:26-28 KJV).

Someone once said, at the foot of the cross the ground is level. Meaning, anyone and everyone can come to Jesus Christ and no one has more of an advantage than everyone else does.

The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is www.whatafellowship.com.

Windows Systems Administrator/Telecommute

Web Project Manager – Telecommute

Fraud Scientist – Healthcare – Nationwide

NoSQL Engineer / DBA – Telecommute

As you start the New Year and a new decade, it’s a good time to give your business success skills a quick check up. Do you have what it takes to get you where you want to go? As you review your tools and strategies, I’d like to suggest an area that many savvy business women overlook—and this error of omission costs them big. One of the most crucial skills for any thriving solopreneur or professional is the ability to take excellent care of herself. After all, aren’t you the most important asset your business possesses? I know what you may be thinking. Many of us entrepreneurs have so much on our plates that it’s impossible to get to it all, and often, self care or “me-time” is one of the first things to go. It’s not essential. It may feel self indulgent or you think it’s rather a luxury. You tell yourself you can get to it later. Not true.

Here’s what THRIVING business owners know (and many of us learned it the hard way). The way you care for yourself counts and it counts big. You can’t show up powerfully in your business or your life unless you are showing up powerfully for yourself. Taking care of YOU is not a luxury, it’s an essential part of a successful business plan.

Successful business owners spend time and energy on themselves. They prioritize their health. They manage their stress. They take time off—real time off. They play and sleep and make efforts to eat well. And it has an impact—not just on how they feel, but on how they work in their businesses. The cost of not making and taking time for yourself: Self care isn’t always easy. In fact, sometimes, carving out the space, time, and energy you need is really quite an art, but learning to do so is well worth the investment.

When we don’t take good care of ourselves:

• We have less energy
• We are more distracted and less focused
• Our stress level is higher
• Sleep can be impaired
• We may feel deprived, irritable, more easily frustrated, or impatient
• We are less creative
• Our health isn’t as good
• We tend to turn to “vices” to fill in the gaps that we aren’t filling with good stuff.

Stress eating, smoking, drinking too much, wasting time surfing the internet—these are a few things that tend to show up big, waste more time and energy, distract us, and immerse us in a vicious cycle of decreased productivity and reduced happiness. We’re simply not at our best. When we aren’t at our best, neither is our business. How can we possibly play our best game under these circumstances?

The answer, of course, is that we can’t. When we are stressed, overwhelmed, or not getting what we need, we tend to feel like we are playing catch up. It’s the feeling of running along behind your life and your business instead of the one of sitting securely in the driver’s seat. We tend to feel deprived—short on time, short on energy, even short on options. That is NOT the place from which one plays powerfully and big.

Stressed-out entrepreneurs risk thinking too small and making decisions from a place of limitation. Overwhelm is not an expansive place. When we are not taking good care of ourselves, we don’t feel at our best. We don’t shine. Guess what—people notice. When we are stressed or overwhelmed or feeling less than 100 percent, we tend to be reactive, not proactive. This can drastically affect the choices we make in our business. Finally, when we don’t feel we can “take the time,” it’s next to impossible to stop, take a calm step back, and get the perspective or “big picture” view that is so vital to creating a thriving business (and life).

What’s a busy business owner to do? If you recognize yourself, you are not alone. Falling off the self care wagon is one of the most common pitfalls for high-achieving, smart professional women. Knowing that this is a problem for you is the first powerful course-correcting move. It’s the only way that you can start to value and work on prioritizing the self care you really need.

About the Author:
Are you a smart, busy woman struggling with emotional eating, overeating,and balancing work and life? Claim your free psychologist-designed audio series: “5 simple steps to move beyond overwhelm with food and life.” Melissa McCreery, PhD, ACC, is a Psychologist, ICF Certified Life Coach,and emotional eating coach who specializes in providing smart resources to busy women struggling with food, weight and overwhelm.

You’ve been talking about pursuing your dream since high school. You’ve been stuffing a file with places you’d like to travel since you got your first job. You’ve envisioned what your boutique store would look like for years, even driving around searching for the perfect location, yet you’ve never taken that next step.

So, what’s stopping you?

In my coaching with clients they regularly share the obstacles that are stopping them from moving forward. At least fifty percent of the time, these items are perceived, not real.

Here’s a list of the most popular ones I’ve heard and how to avoid them:

1. I’m too old.

Years ago I heard the story of a 70-year-old woman who lifted a car off her grandchild and saved his life. When she was interviewed, instead of being ecstatic, she was melancholy and admitted that if she could lift a car to save a child what else might she have been able to do that she never tried. The interviewer asked her what she’d always wanted to do, but hadn’t tried. The grandma replied, “Go to college.” The interviewer challenged her, “So why not do it now?” And so she did.

You are only too old if YOU decide you are. There are lots of stories of older Olympians, older singers and older musicians-fields typically associated with youth.

2. It costs too much money.

I have found that most people who make this statement actually have no idea what the item in questions costs. They are operating on some notion that it’s above what they would be willing to spend. Or they are not open to creative solutions and assume that they must pay retail for what they want-be it a new car, travel, or a house. There are many innovative ways to get what you want (and no, they aren’t illegal!)

Don’t make this statement unless you know the exact cost and have made the decision that the cost for the value isn’t there.

3. My spouse/children/parents/etc. wouldn’t like it.

I’m surprised to hear adults say this statement, but I hear it more often than one might imagine. First, you really don’t know how someone will react until you actually take an action. In most cases, you are speculating as to how they would react or assuming they will react similar to ways they have in the past.

Second, are you living your life to make them happy or to make you happy? Of course, if you have a family you need to consider how your choices affect them, but not to the point that if they may be uncomfortable with your choice you give it up without seeking a compromise or resolution.

4. It’s too hard.

This statement is another one that is usually based on incomplete information or full out speculation. You don’t know how difficult something will be for you unless you try it. Nothing is impossible.

Stop pushing what you want away until you decide you don’t want it anymore.

5. I’m too fat.

* “I’m too fat to go out to networking meetings and market myself. Who would want to hire me?”
* “I’m too fat to take professional photos for my website.”
* “I’m too fat to get a date. No one will ever want to marry me.”

Admittedly, I’ve heard these declarations from women far more than men, but a few of my male clients have said it too in reference to why they think they may have gotten passed over for a promotion or not getting hired for a new job.

While I won’t say that weight discrimination may not be at play in some cases, the bigger obstacle is how you feel about yourself.

If you believe that you are fat and feel self-conscious you will present yourself differently. When you aren’t confident and someone else is-they will likely get the date or the job over you.

6. I’m not educated enough.

Bill Gates quit college before earning his degree. There are countless stories of high school children who have opened businesses that have hit a million in sales.

Education doesn’t equal success.

If what you want to do requires a higher level degree than what you possess, figure out a way to get it.

7. I’m too OR I’m not .

Are you seeing a pattern here? Search your language and see if you’re shutting yourself down by believing in a perceived obstacle.

If you are, stop now and go take an action to pursue your dream. These obstacles do not need to stop you from achieving success and fulfillment in life.

Think about the grandma who said that if she could do something she thought impossible at age 70, what else could she have done in her life, then ask yourself, “What could I do if only believed I could?”

About the Author:
© 2009 Leah Grant Enterprises LLC
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR ON YOUR WEB SITE? You may, as long as you include this entire blurb with it: New Business Mentor Leah Grant publishes Startup Success, a weekly ezine. If you’re thinking about starting a new business or are in the early phases of entrepreneurship, visit www.leahgrant.com Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Have you been dreaming of working at home for a long time now, but still haven’t figured out how to make it happen? The old saying is true, if you want your life to be different, you have to do something different.

Here are some things you can do to take positive action and make this the year you really do start to work from home.

1. Make a choice. What are you going to make money from home? A lot of people get stuck on this very first step. I think they’re overwhelmed by all their choices, and afraid of making the wrong one. The worst choice you can make is not to choose anything! If you choose to follow a work-at-home path and later on decide it wasn’t the right one for you, that’s not a mistake. It’s a learning experience, and an important part of learning how to work from home.

2. Start saving. Very few people who work at home make a profit immediately. Start saving now so you can afford to invest the time you need to get your work at home business up and running. You may even want to take a part time job so you can afford your startup expenses.

3. Build relationships with others who are working at home successfully. They may be in your community or online. Ask them what they’re days are really like, and for any advice they have for you. Knowing how others make it work may give you the kick-start you need.

4. Seek out quality information about working from home. Make sure your information comes from reliable sources, and has actually worked for the people who are giving it to you.

5. What has been keeping you back from working at home in the past? Do you have a fear you need to address? Are you lacking confidence? Or do you need to develop a skill? Evaluate what has held you back from making this move, and come up with a strategy to overcome it.

Let’s make this the year you start working from home too!

About the Author:
Denise Willms is a Publicity and Marketing Virtual Assistant and work at home mom of two teenagers. Do you want to know more about how you can work at home too? Visit www.wahm-articles.com and search for work at home articles on the topics you’re most interested in. While you’re there, go ahead and subscribe to the weekly WAHM Tips newsletter. You’ll get new WAHM expert articles delivered to your inbox each week!
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Many who are already in the work from home industry know most of these terms but those who are just searching and have not understood all that is involved in working from home yet… will not know most of these. This is where educating yourself before searching for work from home is necessary to find what you are looking for. Especially if you want to avoid scams and wasted time on your search.

Below are a list of terms to know when you are searching for work from home or already work from home. This will make it much easier for when you need to disect a word you do not understand in the industry.

Affiliate – An Individual who partners to a product / service and promotes/markets it to others for a commission.

Article Writing – Someone who writes articles online to earn an income or build their opportunity.

Blog – A place where individuals can write and share anything they desire (similar to a journal). You can utilize blogs for personal, promoting, earning an income and/or growing on the internet.

Downline – People you recruit or those under you recruit into your Home Business, Network Marketing, Direct Sales or MLM Company whom are in your organization.

Freelancer – A person who enjoys working from home performing tasks on their own time. They provide services to those companies or individuals who need something done on a temporary basis.

Groups / Forums / Message Boards – A place online where you can network, meet others, socialize, get advice and participate with in the subject you are looking into. You can find these on many Social Networking websites and directly online. On Social Networking websites they are considered ‘Groups’ and directly online it is considered a ‘Forum / Message Board’.

Home-Based Business – Similar to a Direct Sales/Network Marketing company. Provides a service or product that allows you to work from your computer and phone. Without having to leave your home.

Independent Contractor – A person who is not an employee of the company, but provides a service for the company under a written contract or agreement. Also someone who is self-employed.

Multilevel Marketing/MLM – A binary or two leg system that allows others to grow a downline by placing people below each other. There are many forms of MLM systems.

Network Marketing – Networking/communicating online and sometimes offline with those who already work from home or those who are searching. Many home based companies are considered “Network Marketing”.

RSS – Rich Site Summary or Really Simple Syndication is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. You will find this mostly on blogs.

Search Engine Optimization/SEO – The process of making a site and its content rank highly in search engines using keywords or keyword phrases relevant to a site’s content.

Telecommute – To work for a company from your home. Utilizing your phone, computer and/or fax.

Upline – In Home Based Businesses, Direct Sales, Network Marketing and MLM this is considered the person whom enrolled you, your Mentor, those on your team above you and your training support.

Virtual Assistant/VA – Works from home providing different services from admin, phone work, filing, faxing, communicating through email, assistance to the company that they are working for or provides a certain service to Clients as their own VA Home Business.

There are many other terms you might come across. The best you can do is educate yourself, research and make sure you completely understand a term before judging.

About the Author:
Jennifer May is a proud work-at-home Mom with Ameriplan® and also is the Founder/Owner of www.TheWAHMGuide.com. She has experienced years of searching for work from home and is now successful from this experience. She has made it her goal and purpose to help as many as she can find and grow work-at-home successfully. She also shares true work-at-home jobs, home based businesses, research, tips, advice, personal experience and more. She has a passion for helping others and changing lives! She shares extensive resources, listings, knowledge, advice and tips in her Work from Home Mom Website www.TheWAHMGuide.com.
Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

The Problem with Clutter

Did you start your workday with an already cluttered desk? If so, a recent survey conducted in the UK by Avery Dennison Worldwide Office Products indicates you weren’t the only one. More than half of the survey participants couldn’t remember the last time they saw their desks. But, does all this clutter really pose a problem? Sometimes it seems that cleaning up the clutter is more time consuming than working around it.

Clutter interferes with office productivity on a few different levels. First of all, clutter is a time waster in an already full day. Think of the wasted minutes and extra frustration spent sifting through piles looking for that document you had in your hands just yesterday. Secondly, a disorganized environment can leave your mind feeling cluttered too. Being surrounded by so many tasks all requiring your attention makes it difficult to focus on one task or to prioritize your projects properly. And finally, a job doesn’t feel finished until it’s cleaned up. Putting away a finished project provides a feeling of closure, freeing you to fully concentrate on your next task.

The Real Reason Your Desk Is Cluttered

Take heart! Despite your messy desk, you’re not lazy, nor are you a slob. Habit, time management, and your office furniture are all culprits when it comes to desk clutter.

You may be able to place the blame for your cluttered desk on your office furniture! A small desk can feel cluttered just by spreading out your current project. Or, you may not have enough shelving for the books you refer to throughout your day, leaving you no choice but to pile them on your desk. Do you have enough filing cabinets and are they easily accessible? If not, extra files will end up on, you guessed it, your desk. Appropriate office furniture and enough storage space are essential to maintaining a clutter-free work environment.

Almost everyone procrastinates on tasks that we don’t like to do. If certain types of routine work regularly accumulate on your desk, it’s usually work you don’t enjoy doing or that you don’t have time to do. You may need to reexamine your workflow and give these tasks to someone else in your office who either likes these tasks or has more time for them than you do. If that’s not possible, consider outsourcing these specific tasks to a virtual assistant or someone who specializes in that type of work. You may even want to enlist the help of a professional organizer to help you find more efficient ways of working.

Most often, clutter is simply a habit. It’s easy to fall into the habit of leaving items lying on your desk and not taking the time to put them away. If habit is the cause of your clutter, you can break the clutter cycle by establishing new habits and new daily routines.

Now that you have examined the real reasons your desk is cluttered, it’s time to do something about it. The following steps will lead you to a cleaner desk and help you make changes that will prevent your desk from becoming so cluttered again.

Easy Steps to Decluttering

Small changes made each day will ease the decluttering process as well as establish new habits. For the next five days, take five to fifteen minutes out of your workday to work on one part of your clutter. By the end of the five days, you will have a clean desk and will be on your way to establishing new habits and daily routines.

Day 1

Congratulations on your decision to declutter!

For today, simply determine if your office furniture is suitable for your needs. For example, if you normally work with a lot of paper spread around you, a larger desktop may resolve your clutter problem. Do you refer to books throughout the course of your workday? A hutch for your desk or a bookshelf will lessen the chance of these books piling up on your desk. If your desk is not suitable for your needs, or if you need some additional office furniture, spend some time today shopping for what you need. Shop online for greater convenience, and to avoid the additional clutter of office furniture catalogs on your desk.

Day 2

Today you’re going to remove all non-paper, unessential items from your desktop. Prepare three boxes and label them Keep, Return and Toss. Remove all non-paper items from your desk and place into the appropriate boxes. This includes items such as stuffed animals, pictures, empty coffee cups and other odds and ends that are not used in your daily work. Find a more appropriate place for the items you would like to keep. Pictures, for example, can be hung on walls rather than placed on your desk. Stuffed animals can be placed on shelves. Recycle or throw away the items to be tossed and return the items that need to be returned. You’ll still have your piles of paper for now, but the only other items left on your desk should be the items necessary for your daily work.

Day 3

Today you’ll be attacking the crux of the clutter problem: paper. Dealing with paper is the hardest part of tackling clutter because there is so much of it and it accumulates very quickly. Depending on how much paper you have, use either your boxes from Day 2 or simply separate it into separate stacks.

Begin clearing one side of your desk, and, paper by paper, make your way to the other side. As you pick up each piece of paper, decide if you should keep it, return it or toss it, and then place it in the appropriate pile. You will need to make two separate piles for documents you’re keeping, one for active and one for inactive documents. If you’re scared to throw something away, that’s fine. Place it in the inactive pile to be dealt with later. Don’t let a little fear stand in the way of your clean desk.

Finish off the task by giving your desktop a thorough cleaning. Leave your desk ready for the next day with only essential items you need for your workday. This was probably a draining task, so we’ll do something about the piles of paper tomorrow.

Day 4

You saw your desk when you came into work this morning! That’s great progress. It’s time to finish up with that paper. Recycle or shred the paper in the pile to be tossed, and return other people’s items. Your active files can be placed on your desk in a file holder, and your inactive files placed out of the way to be filed later. Spend some time at the end of your day putting things away so you can come in to the same clean desk tomorrow morning.

Day 5

You did it! You’re desk should now be decluttered. To keep it this way, get out your appointment book and make some appointments with yourself.

First, set a date to begin going through your inactive file box. You may need to schedule several appointments to take care of these properly. Then, at the end of each workday, schedule five minutes for yourself to clear off your desk and put everything where it belongs.

Stay Decluttered

It can take six to eight weeks for a new behavior to become a habit, so force yourself to clean off your desk daily with that goal in mind. Take one day a week to thoroughly clean your desk, including dust it (hint: in order to dust it, you have to be able to find it!). If you still aren’t able to make time in your day to keep your desk clean, you may need to enlist the aid of a professional organizer. If routine administrative tasks continue to pile up on your desk, think about different ways of handling this work. Outsourcing to a virtual assistant or other professional may help you resolve the issue.

Now that you have come this far, you can apply these five steps to the rest of your desk and your office. Good luck!

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Denise Willms is a professional article writer and owner of a busy article directory for www.wahm-articles.com”>work at home moms, WAHM-Articles.com. To learn more about starting your own successful home business, visit www.WAHM-Articles.com to sign up for her weekly Work at Home Moms Tips newsletter.

When it comes to gibberish, nobody appreciates it more than Yours Truly. If the truth were fully known, and let’s hope it isn’t, I have engaged in more than my share of gibberish.

Just last week the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage accosted me on this very subject. I was trying to explain to her why I did not do something she asked me to do when in the middle of my explanation she stopped me and said, “I wish you would stop all of this gibberish and just tell me the truth.”

I did not point out to her at that time – there were other priorities – but later on I mused on what she said. In her statement she made an assumption that I’m not quite sure is absolutely the truth. Her assumption, plain and simple, is that gibberish and truth are not synonymous. According to her, it is either gibberish or it is the truth, and neither shall the twain meet.

I feel, however, that this is not fair.

Undoubtedly, everybody would agree that there are plenty of times when the truth is absolutely essential. The higher up the chain of authority the more essential that truth is.

For example, if I am driving down the road speeding and a police officer stops me and asks me if I was speeding, the truth will set me free. Especially, when the nice police officer has irrefutable evidence that I was in fact speeding. There is absolutely no good that can come from lying in a situation like this.

Then there is the other side. If your wife asks you if the dress she is wearing makes her look fat, believe me, the truth will not set you free. This is where gibberish comes in.

There is a place for everything in life, and I am happy to say that there is a place for gibberish.

Now the question bears asking, what is gibberish?

According to the dictionary, gibberish is “rapid and incoherent talk; unintelligible chatter; jargon.” That definition covers a vast territory of human experience.

Nowhere in that definition does it even suggest that gibberish is the opposite of truth. In fact, gibberish at its best is truth disguised in order not to hurt somebody. That somebody may be yourself or in my case, my wife. I employ the fine art of gibberish so as not to hurt the one I love. And I am sticking with that story.

First, gibberish is “rapid and incoherent talk.” Many a time this has been my salvation. When I am caught, for example, with my hands in the cookie jar and someone catches me and inquires, “What are you doing?” this level of gibberish is employed. And the faster the better. Of course, if your mouth is filled with cookies at the time, all the better.

Then there is the “unintelligible chatter.” This is harder to master. Not the “unintelligible” part. For many of us, especially husbands, this is almost a natural thing. Regardless, it becomes quite easy for us. The chatter part sometimes slows us down. After all, any man who has been married for any length of time rarely gets the opportunity to practice his chattering skills. This is why most husbands talk in their sleep.

Last, but not least is “jargon.” This calls for a specialized language requiring the employment of words that do not mean anything whatsoever. Words like, “thingamajig” and “whatchamacallit.” For those who are going to master the skills of gibberish these kinds of words are absolutely necessary.

When my father was working in the garage, he used to tell me, “Go get me that thingamajig next to the whatchamacallit.” I always brought him the hammer. He always invited me to go outside and play.

Gibberish is a present help in time of trouble.

Nobody has raised gibberish to the high art standard as the humble politician. (The word “humble,” is gibberish and I can’t tell you what it means.) The average politician can say more gibberish in five minutes than the average husband can in a lifetime. And I know they mean well, they do not want to hurt our feelings and so they employ the tactic of gibberish. (The gibberish union must have strong lobbyists in Washington DC to get all this employment).

Some of the gibberish used in the past has been, “I feel your pain.” Certainly you feel my pain. You caused it. And the famous one, “No new taxes.” Of course not, it will be the re-employment of the old taxes. (Again, here is a strong lobbyist representing old taxes union.)

However, in light of all this, there has been an old gibberish that I never quite understood what it meant until lately. I think it was Harry Truman who said, “The buck stops here.” I thought I knew what it meant until lately.

When a politician says, “The Buck stops here,” he is actually referring to all those bucks in your wallet.

Only one person I know does not employ the tactic of gibberish. Fortunately, for all concerned that one person is God. The Bible says, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19 KJV).

God always says what He means, and always means what He says.

Once again, we, the American consumer, have been treated to a celebrity apology. I am not sure what we have done to be treated to such highfalutin entertainment. If I could find out, I would immediately stop doing whatever it is I was doing.

I certainly do not downplay apologies. Heaven knows, I have done my share of apologizing throughout the years. And, reflecting on past activities, I am looking forward to many more apologies in the future. In fact, right now I just would like to apologize for anything I might do or say in the future that would in any way offend anybody. I feel better now that I have said that.

As a connoisseur of apologies, I would like to point out that there are three types of apologies common to mankind. I want to emphasize the word “man.” It seems to me, as someone of experience, that we, husbands in particular, are usually on the husband-side of making an apology. I do not know if it is supposed to be this way, but it usually ends up this way as a matter of course.

The first type of apology is when you have done something wrong and you know it. Believe me, nobody since Adam has ever done anything wrong and not known it. They may deny it, but behind every denial is a lie.

I think doing something wrong is universal among everybody born of a woman. Everybody makes a mistake at some point in his or her life. Those who have made no mistakes are living in a fairytale world of make believe. They make believe they are perfect and people not wanting to cross them go along with the ruse. But normally speaking, making a mistake is part of growing up.

Making a mistake is not the problem; it is what you do after you have made that mistake. That is where apology comes into play.

The second type of apology is when what you done or said offends someone. This covers a lot of territory. It does not matter what you say or do, someone somewhere is going to be offended. Even if you do not do something, someone is offended because of your inactivity. I do not know what to do here. The only thing to do is always have a generic apology ready for someone who has been offended.

Then there is the third type of apology. It has taken me many years to understand this type, and yet I must confess to being a novice in this area. This apology is for everyone who is married, particularly husbands.

Every man goes into the life of matrimonial bliss believing he has married the girl of his dreams. I know, I was one.

The problem here is simply this. Have you ever analyzed your dreams? My dreams are all scary, convoluted, hideous with a complete twisted sense of reality. If I had to live with my dreams, I would immediately go insane.

This is where harsh reality hits the pavement of lifelong companionship.

My simple rule is this, if you want to marry the girl of your dreams never wake up. Because, as soon as anybody wakes up, reality hits you in the face. That “girl of your dreams” could become a nightmare when she realizes you are not the “man of her dreams.”

This just shows the difference between husbands and wives. The wife goes into the marriage relationship knowing that she has a lot of work to do to make her new husband the man of her dreams. And she will work at this until the day she dies, or he dies, whichever comes first. To her it is an upward road to marital nirvana.

The husband starts at marital nirvana and it takes several years for him to realize that the person he married is not an angel but rather a human being subject to all the frailty of humanity that he is subjected to.

The husband starts out at perfection, while the wife has perfection as a goal. And if you have been married for any length of time, you will understand the kind of difficulties this presents. It is the kind of difficulties that call forth the apology ritual. Whoever designed apologies certainly had married people in mind. Or, better yet, husbands in mind. It is my experience that husbands need to exercise the apology ritual much more than his better half. It is the prescribed pathway to self-improvement that every wife delights in.

Therefore, we who are bound with the bonds of matrimony have greater use, especially if we are husband, of the apology ritual. And, this is not a bad thing. It is a well-known fact that husbands have a greater chance of self-improvement. When I say “self-improvement,” I am assuming that my “self” is greatly facilitated by my wife. This is the advantage I have over the unmarried sojourner of life’s pitted highway.

There is no better relationship than marriage. Jesus made this quite clear. “For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Matthew 19:5-6 KJV).

No matter what the relationship is, the apology is the first step towards a better relationship.

When it comes to networking on forum boards, are you building a quality business reputation? Do you even know how to properly network on forums?

I would like to share a few important tips on how to make your networking experience a positive one, for you and your business reputation.

1. Read All Rules and Guidelines. It is very important to read all of the forum board rules, before proceeding with your first post. Rules and Guidelines vary from forum to forum, don’t assume they are all the same. If you feel you can abide by the rules posted, then it’s time to proceed to step 2.

2. Fill Out Your Forum Profile. Your forum profile is very important, so please don’t overlook filling it out. Try to be as complete as possible with the information requested on your profile. Forum members do read new member’s profiles. It’s a great way to let others know about you and your business, without having to spam an Ad. It’s equally important to make yourself a signature tag, while filling out your profile. Most forums won’t allow business links in the body, of the message board post.

3. Post An Introduction. After you have completed your profile, it’s now time to post a new member introduction. Your introduction should be a brief 1-2 paragraphs in length. Your introduction should state your first name, state or country location, a few personal tidbits (such as hobbies), and a brief blurb about your home business.

4. Visit General Topic Discussions. It’s important to build relationships with other board members. One way to do this is by participating in some general topic discussions. This shows the other members that you are there for the right reasons, to build networking relationships. There is nothing worse than joining a forum board and immediately spamming a business Ad.

5. Placing Business Ads. Every online message board has different rules and guidelines regarding the business advertising folders. It’s your job to read those rules before placing any business Ads. If you are joining a forum board to just spam business Ads, then don’t join! As a forum owner, I can personally tell you that we will quickly delete your spam Ad, and remove you as a member.

6. Consistency. Be consistent with your networking efforts. Set aside time on a weekly basis, to visit the forum board. Participate in current topic discussions, or better yet, start a few new topic discussions yourself.

The key to success when it comes to networking on various forum boards involves all 6 of these crucial steps. By taking the time to build quality networking relationships, you will build a professional online business reputation.

About the Author
Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. You can visit Shelly online at www.workathomebusinessoptions.com for Direct Sales articles and home business tips. You can also visit Shelly online at www.classybusinesswomenforums.com/index.php Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

This week the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and Yours Truly had the privilege of attending our youngest granddaughter’s second birthday party. I wanted to go to her third birthday party but she was not old enough yet. So, I will have to wait another year.

On the way home we sat in silence thinking about the party we had just attended. It just does not seem possible that we have eight grandchildren. I broke the silence with a little comment along this line. “I’m just not old enough to be a grandfather of eight grandchildren. I don’t feel old enough to be a grandfather”

From the other passenger in the car came a rather sarcastic snicker, if I say so myself.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I retorted.

“Well,” she said rather slowly as if she was trying to collect her thoughts and use the right words, “believe me, putting all feelings aside, you’re old enough.”

I did not quite know what she meant by that, and I was afraid if I ask she would tell me. I quickly changed the subject and said, “Didn’t Jordin look cute with birthday cake all over her face?”

She laughed.

Then, I thought I was talking to myself but apparently, I said it aloud, a least loud enough for my wife to hear. “I wonder what it’s like to be two years old?”

“Get ready,” my wife said with a laugh in her voice, “you’re about ready to enter into your second childhood.”

At the time, I rather resented the comment, but upon further reflection, I do not see anything wrong with that. After all, what is wrong with enjoying childhood the second time around?

I really do not think it is possible to enjoy childhood the first time. There are so many things to interfere.

First off, are parents constantly telling you what to do or not to do. Telling you when to go to bed. Telling you when to get up in the morning. Telling you when to eat. Telling you what to eat. Telling… telling… telling…

How in the world can anybody enjoy life when people are always telling them what to do? The problem is, when a person is two years old they have absolutely no leverage against overbearing parents. The only thing the two-year-old can do to get the upper hand with his parents is to wait until they are in the supermarket with lots of people around and then throw a temper tantrum.

Here is the advantage of entering a second time into your childhood. Nobody is around to tell you what to do or what not to do. You are on your own, at least in this area. Of course, in your second childhood it is not possible to throw a temper tantrum in a public supermarket and get away with it.

The advantage of having a second childhood is that you have all that experience behind you to use to your advantage that a two year old could not possibly have. This in itself covers a multitude of sins.

“What’s wrong with your husband?” Somebody may ask my wife.

“Oh,” she responds quite mechanically, “he’s into his second childhood.”

“I understand, my husband’s there too.”

And all is right with the world.

In a person’s first childhood, he is quite limited in his outlook. He does not know what he is missing. But during the second childhood, he has the benefit of knowing this and using it for his own personal profit.

For example, when the parents of a two-year-old take him out to a restaurant he is completely at the mercy of the parents.

“Eat your vegetables,” the parents demand, “then you can have dessert.”

There is nothing the two-year-old can do at this point. After all, the one who pays the bill gets to say who does what.

Now, as I enter my second childhood I have the advantage of knowing that all that malarkey about eating your vegetables first is just that… malarkey. And, since I am paying the bill, I will eat the desert whenever I want to eat it. In fact, I will start with dessert and end with dessert. And while I am on the subject, if I do not want to order vegetables, I will order no vegetable.

Many has been the time when my wife and I are out to a restaurant and she will order a properly balanced meal, while I order dessert.

“You do know vegetables are good for you?” my wife will insist.

“I know no such thing,” I reply.

The two-year-old believes it when his parents say that vegetables are good for him, especially the green vegetables. But someone like myself, enjoying the second go around of his childhood, knows this is absolutely not true. And, it is not true that I have to clean my plate before I can have my dessert.

As a mature man enjoying his second childhood, I do not have to believe everything people tell me. If dessert was not good for me, why in the world does it taste so good to me?

I have good scriptural evidence that God is on my side here. In the Psalms I read about God, “Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalms 103: 5 KJV).

God has my best interest in mind for the longest period of time.

About the Author
The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is www.whatafellowship.com.

My first attempt to find a job via the internet was very discouraging. I scrolled through each job post until I found something that lined up with my experience. Once I found something interesting I’d read the job description and be saddened because the job only paid $10 to $12 and hour. Doh!

Then I’d see other jobs that paid more but the minimum requirements were frightening. The jobs that paid more required that you have a certificate in all these scary abbreviations. I had no idea what ACT; CSI; CAT; DOG; and BUG meant. It was way too confusing for me.

To ease my worries I called my buddy Eric for some advice. This is what he told me, “Looking for a job after all these years is like breaking up with the girl you’ve been with for over 15 years and all of sudden you have to start dating again. You’re not sure weather to take her to a movie or dinner, buy her flowers, or hold her hand on the first date.” It was pretty funny.

The first few days I was good. I was walking by faith that if God closed one door, he would open up a bigger,
better door for me. “God will provide”, I told myself. But I’m human; doubt and fear still popped up in my head.
One day with my head hanging low I said to God, “I know you’re there, I’m getting a little scared over here, help me please!”

Within a few minutes I turned on the T.V. and before the picture showed up, I heard the word DOUBT! I
was taken aback. How did Jesse Duplantis know that I was thinking about doubt? His message was about
stopping the devil’s words from taking root in our heart. You see if a thought comes to us, it first enters the
mind then if allowed it enters and plants itself into the heart.

That’s why we must “bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Cor 10:5). We need to
take the word doubt and rebuke it before it can take root into our heart. We need to speak the Word of God
saying, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Tim
1:7)

From that trial in my life I learned that a man needs to be tested in order to grow stronger in his faith. The Bible verified it in 1 Peter 1:6-7, “So be truly glad. There is a wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trails, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

If you are struggling in your faith walk remember when there is a drought a tree will dig its roots deeper into the ground to find water, which makes its foundation stronger. So you too must dig deeper to strengthen your foundation of faith.

Orlando Javien Jr, Author
God Made Me Pick Up Underwear, Finding Faith In Unusual Places

About the Author
I am the author of the book God Made Me Pick Up Underwear, Finding Faith In Unusual Places (Tate Publishing) and the weekly newsletter, The Javien Chronicles.

My book draws out a picture of the day I found my faith at an exorcism and how God tested my faith by asking me to pick up an underwear. It’s filled with funny stories of faith, love, and encouragement. It’s a story of my journey with Christ. More of my stories can be read at www.ItsAllAboutTheStories.com.

As far as I can remember, I have never been out of sorts with good ole Mother Nature. I have had, however, some issues with Father Time. I wish, for example, he would take a vacation. Really, all that marching on must be quite tiresome.

I go my way and I allow Mother Nature to go her way. It has been a marvelous system dating back as far as I can remember. I respect her, and she ignores me. Nothing could be more harmonious.

Recently, there are those who seem determined to try to embarrass Mother Nature. I suppose they have nothing better to do with their time, after all, all the major problems in the world have been solved. The focus of their assault on Mother Nature is in the area they call Global Warming or as they have recently called it, Climate Change.

Those of us, who have not strained our brain with extracurricular thinking, know the climate changes all the time from one season to the next. Without fail, spring follows winter, winter follows fall, fall follows summer and summer follows spring. A monotonous cycle dating back to the very beginning of time, whenever that was.

The experts are predicting that the temperatures will rise significantly in the foreseeable future. (Which, of course nobody can see.)

I think we need to have a different definition of the word “experts.” It seems to me that somewhere along the line somebody has changed the meaning of the word.

For example, the financial experts on Wall Street were predicting prosperity for the whole country just before that ship hit the rocks sinking everybody on board. The primary financial expert at the time was Bernie Madoff. And we all know how that worked out.

Then, the economy experts in Washington DC predicted the economy was booming, with nothing to fear. That turned out to be a boomerang, and boy, did the boom ring.

In addition, some theological experts made predictions. One televangelist predicted that in 2005 the United States would be attacked by some nuclear bomb sending repercussions around the world.

The same televangelist also predicted, because of certain actions Disney World did in Orlando, God would judge the state of Florida. How do you suppose God was going to judge the state of Florida, according to this preacher? Why a hurricane, of course, and it would destroy the entire state.

Since making that prediction, the state of Florida has not had a serious hurricane.

Why is it that normally rational people make idiotic statements? After all, we idiots rarely make rational statements.

In the midst of all of these predictions of Global Warming, Mother Nature has turned a cold shoulder.

Florida has had record low temperatures this winter. Even where I live in Florida, tiny snowflakes kept falling on our heads. I had to requisition my retired long johns, buried deep in the attic, just to keep warm.

When the Global Warming conference was held in Washington DC, a while back, there was such a snowstorm some people could not even make the conference. They next went to Copenhagen and the snow followed them like a well-trained puppy.

Even this week, a record snowfall has blanketed the entire Northeast of the United States. Washington DC, also, has had an avalanche of snow, not to be confused with the snow job that is usually part of the city social climate.

If the predicted Global Warming pattern continues, we all will be buried in 18 feet of freshly fallen snow. Furthermore, I personally, want that televangelist to predict another furious hurricane season for Florida. I could use another calm season.

All I can think is, some people have been educated far beyond their intelligence and have ended up in a world of hypothesis, which is where I think all their hype is coming from.

Mother Nature is having the last laugh.

While I was musing on this, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage made an interesting observation. She said, “Some people confuse education with intelligence.”

And boy, was she right. Most of the mistakes in our country have come from very highly educated people. A sad commentary on our educational system. The difference between a highly educated person and just a common every day person is the common everyday person knows he does not know everything.

A person who thinks he knows everything is a person who really does not know too much. The Bible says, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12 KJV). And, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.” (Psalms 111:10 KJV).

Just when you think you have everything figured out, something happens that completely disavows your supposition.

I personally take my refuge in the Bible, the infallible Word of God. “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:” (2 Peter 1:19 KJV).

It is astonishing to me that sophisticated men could ever think they were so important that they could do something jeopardizing God’s creation. After all, this is Our Father’s World.

Mere man is no threat to God or to His creation.

I was having a wonderful time and everything seemed to be going like clockwork. Then I got out of bed. I thought I was awake but I was only acting. I remember getting out of bed and shuffling off to the kitchen and pouring a cup of coffee in my favorite coffee mug. I have had this coffee mug as far back as I can remember. I never start a day out without a good old cup of Joe in my favorite coffee mug.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain coming from my right foot and then it seemed like it was on fire.

I looked down only to see my favorite coffee mug smashed on my favorite right foot and my toes dancing some kind of exotic jig. My coffee mug was beyond repair, but my right foot was another story.

I am not sure how I am going to start my day anymore without my favorite mug. Sure, I could get another one, but it would not be the same. Some things cannot be replaced for any amount of money. Of course, offer me $1 million for that cup, and see how I forget that cup.

If you stop to think of it, and who has time to think about anything these days, some things are absolutely replaceable. I, for instance, shall always cherish fond memories of my favorite morning coffee cup.

I could either bemoan my loss or drink my morning coffee from a substitute. I know a substitute is never quite the same, but at least it gets the job done of getting the all-important caffeine into my system.

I had just adjusted to using my new coffee cup when I heard some very disturbing news.

Whenever I feel upbeat and cheerful I always know what to do. It is rather simple. I always turn to the news. Nothing can bring me down to earth faster than the latest news broadcast. These men and women are trained to deliver to you and me bad news.

What in the world would they do if a day… or an hour… would go by without anything terrible happening in the world? Of course, we all know what they do. They would make up the news and follow a balloon.

I am not sure I believe anything I hear on the news broadcast. How do I know what is really happening? It used to be that you could trust good ole uncle Walter, but those days have gone by the way of the hula-hoop.

Here is the thing that disturbed me so terribly. Personally, I think it is a hoax. Then, what if it really is true.

This past week we celebrated Groundhog Day. One of the great holidays of the year, as far as I am concerned. I celebrate this day by going out and purchasing a fresh apple fritter. With all of the reverence that goes into celebrating this special holiday, I carefully and reverently dedicate the eating of that apple fritter to Groundhog Day.

Such sacred days deserve special remembrance.

Then, to bring my world crashing around me, some newscaster reported that there was a plot underway to replace Punxsutawney Phil with a robot.

I know what you are thinking! Such blasphemy should carry with its severe criminal penalties.

However, somebody with his hatband just a little bit too tight suggested that Groundhog Day celebration was a terrible hardship on the groundhog populace. For some reason he thought, the groundhogs being awakened early on Groundhog Day created some kind of a mental hardship on the little furry creatures.

Just how that person knew about mental hardship on animals escaped the reporter’s report. Somehow, these people believe that severe atrocities are taking place among the groundhog population because they are being awakened out of a midwinter’s sleep.

How do they know, but just maybe those groundhogs enjoy being aroused out of their sleep to bask in the sunshine of all that attention? What other animal enjoys such notoriety? Hollywood celebrities excepted, of course.

Supposing this is a real problem. How in the world did they come up with their solution of replacing groundhogs with robots? What would these robots do the rest of the year?

We know what groundhogs do the rest of the year.

With all the problems in the world, somebody has taken the time to think groundhogs have a problem with Groundhog Day and have even come up with the solution.

The next thing you know somebody will come up with the suggestion to replace people with robots. And right here is where I have some suggestions to offer myself.

First off, I think we ought to replace all politicians with robots. The robots I have in mind are battery operated so that eventually these robots will run down. I have often been tempted to run down a politician, but this might be a better way. If anybody is under mental distress, these people are.

Then, I think all TV news reporters who report on hoaxes should be replaced by robots. After all, all they do is read something off a telemarketer. A well-trained and oiled robot could do the very same thing.

Some things certainly cannot be replaced. Personally, I take refuge in the unchangeable Christ of the Bible. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8 KJV).

It is nice to know something is absolutely irreplaceable.

About the Author
The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is www.whatafellowship.com.

Before you become a guest blogger, here are five tips you should follow.

Research
Research the blogs you are interested in or you want to become a guest blogger on. Get a feel for what the blog is about, get to know the blog owner and see what their writing style is like, read the blog posts and comments. Look for posts or categories that are the most popular. This way you can get an idea of the kinds of topics that their target market is looking for.

Network
You can save a lot of time researching if you’re networking with other bloggers. Many times bloggers who are looking for guest bloggers will ask their fellow blogger friends or people they respect and trust first than to seek out a stranger.

Proposal
When you pitch your proposal to a blog owner provide as much details as possible. Simple details like how you can format the blog post so they can just copy and paste it to their blog will make a difference especially if they don’t plan to give you guest access to their blog. Convenience is important in this type of situation.

Make sure you back it up with proof of your writings or blog posts. Remember it’s not what’s in it for you, but what you can do for them as a guest blogger. What knowledge or topic of expertise can you provide for their blog?

Take it a step further and attach a sample blog post. From your research, you should be able to find a topic on their blog they haven’t covered yet. This is a good idea because the blog owner can get a feel for your writing style or voice and they can determine if you would be a good fit.

Write Good Blog Posts
When you’re a guest blogger always write your best. It’s a poor reflection of you if you write crappy blog posts and it’s disrespectful to the blog owner. Know exactly what you’re allowed to do and then do it well.

The last tip a guest blogger should follow is to promote their guest posting to social networking and social bookmarking sites, on their own blog or website. This benefits greatly for both parties to get more traffic, get new blog readers and an opportunity for you to become a regular guest blogger.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Get tips and learn more about blogging on Sophia’s work at home forums.

Sophia co-owns a work at home business blog that focuses on helping others who are looking for opportunities and ideas to work from home. You will also find tips and articles on how to balance work, family and play in your daily life.

This article may be reprinted for free so long as the author’s resource box is kept intact and all links remain live and clickable. The Article Source must also be included. All rights are reserved by the author.

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To find these plugins, login to your WordPress administrative area, click “Plugins” on the left menu, then click “Add New.” You’ll see a page with a search box you can type the plugin name into and then install the plugin.

Akismet: Blog spam is out of control and can be overwhelming if you have to delete it all yourself. Let Akismet deal with it for you instead.

All in One SEO Pack: This is a great plugin to help make WordPress more search engine friendly. It gives you more control over various elements on your pages.

TinyMCE Advanced: The default editor in WordPress has an extremely annoying habit of removing line breaks and spaces. It also doesn’t allow an easy way to change the font. This plugin fixes those problems.

WP Security Scan: Make your WordPress site more secure with this plugin. It scans for common vulnerabilities and things you can change to keep your site safer from hackers.

Subscribe to Comments: Encourage your visitors who comment to come back and stay engaged in the discussion by giving them an option to receive an email when a new comment is posted after theirs.

Similar Posts: Help your readers find more information they’re interested in so they’ll stick around longer with this plugin. It will add a list of similar posts at the end of each of your blog posts. You can see how it works below (it’ll list 5 posts that are related to this one in case you want to read more of what I have to say about WordPress or plugins).

Social Bookmarking Plugin: There are lots to choose from, just be sure you’ve got one! You can use Sociable, Sexy Bookmarks, Share This, or others. Make it easy for your visitors to share your posts with their networks online.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Michelle Shaeffer, The Small Business Muse, publishes The Muses Brainstorm, a weekly ezine with tips to help you balance, manage, and market your home based business. With your subscription you’ll also receive access to free gifts including 101+ Free/Cheap Ways to Market Your Business, 119 Things You Can Outsource, and more. If you’re ready for inspirational guidance and bright ideas sign up free at www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com

This article may be reprinted for free so long as the author’s resource box is kept intact and all links remain live and clickable. The Article Source must also be included. All rights are reserved by the author.

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Products Maven – Virtual Store Manager & Blogger

1) Pick a Good, Reliable, Secure Website Host

Where you choose to host your WordPress website can make a difference in your security. Two important things to look for are server security and backups for restore.

Choose a host who offers you php5 and runs it in suEXEC mode. With suEXEC you are able to lockdown your files more tightly. You can find more technical (very technical) details in Wikipedia.

Also look for a host who offers a reliable backup system and will restore your site for you free in the event of being hacked. Most hosts offer weekly and monthly backups at a minimum. Some hosts also do nightly backups and incremental hourly backups. I’m hosted on a server with monthly, weekly, nightly, and incremental backups. This means that if my site were to be hacked I could easily roll back to what it looked like 3 or 4 hours ago. I wouldn’t loose much, if any, of my content or other files.

2) Use Fantastico to Install Your Blog (or Change Your Admin Username)

If you install yourself with FTP and cPanel, you’ll have a default username of “admin” which is very easy to guess. By using Fantastico, you will be given the choice to pick a username and password that are unique. Plus, it’s easier than an install with FTP and cPanel. Either way, don’t use “admin” for the admin username. And don’t EVER use “password” for your password.

3) Use a Secure Password

Hackers and bad people are constantly attempting to crack into our online accounts and access everything from our email to our online banking records. How can you stop them from easily accessing your accounts? One important step is to use SECURE passwords that aren’t easily guessed or cracked by their software.

Here are tips on how to create secure passwords:

• Don’t use names, dates, phone numbers, or addresses

• Don’t use common words from the dictionary

• Mix up letters and numbers

• Make it at least 8 characters long (longer is better)

• Change it often (for online banking or hosting accounts)

You may also want to use an online random password generator.

4) Stay on Top of WordPress News

Subscribe to the updates at the WordPress website so you’ll know immediately when the developers release an update or patch for any security issues.

5) Keep Your WordPress Installation Up to Date

It’s critical to your security to keep WordPress up to date. The new versions of the script make that very easy and you can update in just a couple of clicks. It’s under “Tools” then “Upgrade” on the menu on the left of your admin pages.

6) Keep Your Plugins Up to Date

Anytime a plugin is updated, be sure to update the version on your site. You’ll know an update is available because when you login to your admin area, there will be a number in bright orange-red circle next to the “Plugins” link on the left. Click “Plugins” and it will show you which have an update available. You can follow the steps to automatically upgrade your plugin(s) as needed (backup your site before you upgrade anything, including plugins).

7) Install Security Plugins

Here are two security plugins I run on my WordPress websites and recommend installing:

• WP Security Scan: wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-security-scan/

• Secure WordPress: wordpress.org/extend/plugins/secure-wordpress/

With these seven steps you’ll have a more secure installation of WordPress.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Michelle Shaeffer, The Small Business Muse, publishes The Muses Brainstorm, a weekly ezine with tips to help you balance, manage, and market your home based business. With your subscription you’ll also receive access to free gifts including 101+ Free/Cheap Ways to Market Your Business, 119 Things You Can Outsource, and more. If you’re ready for inspirational guidance and bright ideas sign up free at www.thesmallbusinessmuse.com

This article may be reprinted for free so long as the author’s resource box is kept intact and all links remain live and clickable. The Article Source must also be included. All rights are reserved by the author.

Copywriter for strong headlines and taglines

Photography Writer Needed

Gaming bloggers needed

Blogging though it began as sort of a hobby for many, has turned into a profitable business for others, and also a way to assist business owner’s in connecting with their target audience and drawing them into their websites through a new format, the blog.

So, you may already have a blog or you might be a business owner who sees the need for one but you either don’t know where to begin or don’t have the time it takes to maintain a blog. If either is the case for you, you should consider outsourcing your blog management. Here’s why:

Blog Management helps to provide keyword rich content to your company’s blog and website. There are many benefits to having a company blog, these include:
Branding – Having a blog gives you a place online to help establish your brand. It can help you to build a reputation with your readers that will give you a positive image and help lead your readers to become your customers.

Fresh Content – Fresh, original content on your blog helps the search engines find you. The more often you can provide fresh content the better off you are.

SEO – Search Engine Rankings are where it’s at these days and you can receive higher rankings for your website by using a blog and its content to drive those rankings. We optimize your blog posts with key words that help drive traffic to your site, increasing your search engine rankings.

More Traffic – Above all the blog helps with your traffic as previously mentioned and whether you want higher search engine rankings or just more customers, traffic is the way to receive both. And a blog with fresh content is how to get that traffic.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Alyssa Avant is a Christian speaker, writer and business owner. Her Writer for Hire business provides online entrepreneurs and business owner’s with articles and content. To have Alyssa write for you, visit her website at awriterforhire.com For resources on using content to grow your business go here: awriterforhire.com/subscribe.html.

This article may be reprinted for free so long as the author’s resource box is kept intact and all links remain live and clickable. The Article Source must also be included. All rights are reserved by the author.

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Convert and Format Documents from Home

Hiring Nonfiction Freelance Writers

Living in the Sunshine state of Florida and seeing snow accumulating on the ground is the closest thing to blasphemy I know. Everybody knows it does not snow in Florida.

The other night I was so cold I tried to pick a fight with my wife just to get into some hot water. Unfortunately, she was too cold to participate and so we sat together shivering and trying to keep warm.

Just when I thought all of that cold was behind me it happened.

Some people say that the inevitable is simply that. I, the other hand, do not know the meaning of the word inevitable. But if it means something that is supposed to happen will happen then I guess, it has happened to Yours Truly.

Several nights later all was quiet in our domicile when trumpeting down the hallway came a sneeze of the like I have never heard before. Then came a series of sneezes each louder than the previous one. Following the sneeze came an eerie moaning. At first, I could not make out the words. It sounded like something from outer space.

After another crescendo of sneezing, I heard the moaning again but this time I was able to make out the words, “I think I’m sick.”

At first, I was stunned because those words and sneezing were not coming from me. And, I usually do not think. Then a dreadful thought gripped the remnant of my brain. If I am not sick and sneezing, who is?

At that time, a most frightful creature emerged from the dim hallway. It was a balky creature with its head out of proportion in size to its body and a large, thin flickering tongue. Never before in my life have I seen such a creature. Whether it was human or not was for me to decide. I had been cold before, but this time I froze in my tracks. Was this a home invasion? Was my life in mortal danger?

The strange figure kept coming at me out of the darkness, hissing and puffing and sneezing as it came. I was about ready to scream bloody murder when I recognized the hallway monster. It was the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage wearing her bathrobe with a huge towel wrapped around her head and a thermometer sticking out her mouth.

Looking at me with watery, bloodshot eyes she said, “I don’t feel so good.”

At the time, I was tempted to say, “That’s all right, you don’t look so good, either.” However, not knowing the kind of monster she had morphed into, I checked my razor-sharp wit at the front door.

Then the hallway exploded with another crescendo of sneezing, all of it, by the way, in my specific direction. The hallway is rather narrow and the force of her sneeze was like a tornado.

Like a jackrabbit on steroids, I jumped out of the way of the flying germs as best I could. Not knowing what infectious diseases my beloved was carrying, I was not in such a sharing mood as I could have been.

Then the room begin to rumble again and I heard her say, “I don’t feel good.”

Up to this point in our marital relationship getting sick was the sole responsibility of Yours Truly. I am the one that comes down with everything that goes around. I am the one who looks like an unshaven monster in the morning. I am the one that groans and grouches, especially when he is sick.

I have a special relationship with my bathroom mirror. Before actually coming into the bathroom, I knock and in a loud voice tell my mirror I am coming in. The first time I did this without knocking my mirror took one look at me and cracked in all four directions.

Now, someone other than Yours Truly is scaring the heebie-jeebies out of people. Actually, it is quite nice not to be the disfigured object for the moment.

Whatever my wife had, it had her and had her good.

Now the tables were turned. And by tables, I mean the dinner table. It would be my responsibility now to prepare the meals for “She-Who-Is-Sick.” The $64,000 question was, would S.W.I.S. survive the culinary attempts of a nutritionally-challenged-cook?

I made a nice cup of tea and took it in to her. At least I know how to make hot tea. Of course, it took me four attempts to make her tea. The first 3 cups were not quite hot enough, so I had to throw them out.

I took the hot tea into her and said, “Here is some nice tea. Don’t you worry about a thing; I’ll take care of everything and do all the cooking. You just get some rest.”

With that, an unearthly moan escaped from her trembling lips.

I head back into the kitchen and commenced my preparation of the meal. It was not long before I heard some rustling behind me, and when I turned around there was my wife.

“I’m feeling much better now, I’ll make lunch.”

I did not know that my cooking would have such a miraculous effect upon someone as sick as my wife.

As I walked out of the kitchen, I was reminded of a wonderful verse of Scripture. “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes” (Psalms 118:9 KJV).

I may be a prince, but do not trust my cooking.

The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is www.whatafellowship.com.

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It is of the utmost importance to establish some form of a backup plan. To leave your business in limbo can be disastrous to it. Your clients, customers or consultants depend on the function of your business to be smooth and consistent at all times. It is in fact business.

With a few bad reviews from poor communications, delay in orders and anything of the like can take your growing business and send it crashing to the ground. This is why it is imperative to have a backup plan in the case of emergencies.

There are many options to obtain security for your business in cases of these emergencies, from very basic to complete running of your business. We will also explore how to communicate in the aftermath if you have nothing in place.

Here are some FREE Options:

1. Have a family member or close friend have access to your business email, contact list and client/customer list. Make sure they have this in a safe place and readily available. With that have a document saved in a file they can access from their computer, with a form letter to send to your contacts, clients/customers that there is an emergency. Also it is important that you offer your clients/or customers a way out, if they have paid for anything. Allow them to chose to back out and receive a refund if they desire, make sure to inform them that if a refund is requested it may take up to 30 days, this will allow you enough time to do it yourself or forward the information to your family helper. If you owe business money or consultants make sure this information and instructions are with your helper too.
2. In your email account you have an auto responder/vacation setting, pre-write a general message that there is an emergency. Include alternative contact if you have one, such as a helper. You will also need to inform those who contact you regarding money owed, refund request and when to expect communication from you.

Here are some PAID Options:

1. If your business outsources, such as a virtual assistant set up a plan with your VA to cover emergencies. As in the case of the FREE option of a family or friend helping out, you will have more security knowing your paid help will get the job done and done right. With working with a VA, they already know your business enough to adapt to a little more work should you need them too.
2. If you have a business partner, this is one beauty of security. Offering them 100% of the profits during the time you need them to take over your part of the business is invaluable. Your partner knows the ins and outs of the business.

Some people do sell tangible items. In the cases of making your own products that you fill and ship yourself, if you have no helper, then inform your customers of the situation through one of these methods mentioned above and offer refunds should the customer not want to wait.

What do you do if you have nothing in place? Well thankfully in this day and age most of us can access the internet from our phones. The first thing you should do and as soon as you can is to contact the most important contacts. Those would be anyone who’s purchased from you; you owe money and consultants if you have a direct sales business.

If that is not an option then at your earliest convenience contact everyone, offer refunds, pay outstanding business, briefly explain the situation and apologize. Do what you can do to make it right.

There are some emergencies that will take you completely offline, been there had to do that in 2005. I made sure my businesses went into good hands and only informed my partners who took over of the situation. It was rough, there were many loose ends and a few bumps getting refunds out, access to websites to move etc. Had I not done that, took in the consideration of my clients and customers my name would still be smeared today.

It is so important that your business is prepared for an emergency. Although most work at home moms understand, we can’t pretend all do. Business must be treated like business; to expect it to become personal when an emergency arises is unprofessional. So get prepared and stay prepared.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

This article was written by Christa Jensen AKA Chrissy from www.eccentricwahm.com. Chrissy writes short short stories, poetry, articles and content. You can read more of her writings at www.workingmomwrites.com.

This article may be reprinted for free so long as the author’s resource box is kept intact and all links remain live and clickable. The Article Source must also be included. All rights are reserved by the author.

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FREE Home Business Information from CWAHMs

It should be obvious that a person should finish up one project before moving on to another one, but it’s not always clear cut. With many of wahms running more than one website or business it is almost inevitable not to have more than one project going on at any given moment. It is not unheard of that many juggle multiple projects successfully and without falter.

How does one figure out if they are working on too many projects?

Here are some simple questions to help you figure that out:

1. Are you behind in getting emails out? Correspondence’s times lacking? Email backed up and getting worse?
2. Where have you networked this week? Have you networked this week?
3. Are you working without the stress of I must get this done now feeling?

Did you answer yes to any of these questions? If you have, then it is time to rethink your work load. Here is a lis of what you can do to free up your time to do those important tasks.

* Make a list of the most important projects, finish those first and schedule the others for completion.
* Hire a virtual assistant to take on some of your projects.

Did you answer no to all of the questions? Really? Well then you are good to go, you don’t have too many projects or your super WAHM.

Just remember, with each new idea for a project to jot it down in your organizer and revisit it when you have the time. If it is something you think you can implement today make sure it does not infringe on other areas of your business. Finally if and when you find your self buried in projects, simple solutions can free you from overworking yourself, under marketing and a whole list of other things that come from taking on too much.

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

This article was written by Christa Jensen AKA Chrissy from www.eccentricwahm.com. Chrissy writes short short stories, poetry, articles and content. You can read more of her writings at www.workingmomwrites.com.

This article may be reprinted for free so long as the author’s resource box is kept intact and all links remain live and clickable. The Article Source must also be included. All rights are reserved by the author.