Work At Home - Make Money Writing What You Know

It is said that an author should write what he or she knows. If you are a musician you write about music, a mom can write tips about being a mom and caring for the kids and home workers can share their knowledge and expertise. Everyone has a skill, knowledge or expertise in one or more areas that can help others.

If you love to share your knowledge and you want to write what you know then here are several venues where you can do just that. I am not affiliated with all these sites, but I do write or have an account with some of them so I do know they pay.

Examiner - You can read my article about How to follow your passion for green jobs or check out other articles and their about section for more information before you sign up to write for them.
Gather - This is a community that allows for social networking and writing about what you know for points that lead to getting paid.
Squidoo - You can write about just about whatever you want. You get paid through the traffic your lenses (that is what they call their articles) generate. You can find a lot of information about how to make money using this website. You can read one of my lenses here: How to Make Coffee Less Bitter.
Hubpages - That is my profile but you can sign up for your free account as well. One of my best traffic generating hubs: Retro Cool 1950s Advertising Art Prints and Ads.
Text Broker - This site hires you after you provide them with the appropriate credentials and information. You get paid according to what you accept and your level as a writer. You can find out more by visiting the site.

These are some of the top sites that offer some form of pay for writing. You can also find out more about becoming an About.com author by visiting the site or go to Triond to check out how they work. Some writing sites are harder to get accepted but the most reputable ones pay in a timely manner.

I am not affiliated with Rat Race Rebellion or Work at Home Mafia but I have found some great writing gigs from there. They both have a great listing of writing venues and other work at home information that is reliable, reputable and legitimate. I am more than happy to provide as much free information as I can about working from home and real jobs you can do from home.

Stay tuned for more updates on working at home, writing venues and other great ways to start making a little bit of money online. If I can do it, anyone can.

How Smarterer Are You?

So, you think you're smart when it comes to Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress, Tumbler, LinkedIn and other online venues? You may be smart, but are you "Smarterer"? Smarterer is a testing site where you can take tests to find out just how smart you are and share your smartness with your social network friends. You can also make your own tests and test your friends, colleagues and coworkers.

It is fun and the owl just makes the site so cute. I tested over 700 which put me on the "Smarterer" tab on the site. I can't wait to go back and test my other skills on the front page after I log on to the site. The featured tests are the best ones to start with in my opinion. Okay, so I only currently rank in the top 200 for the BzzAgent test, but that score will change as I will get Smarterer as a BzzAgent as well as on other sites. If you want to find out if you can rank higher than me, go visit my profile at http://smarterer.com/celestialcameo and sign up if you are feeling spunky.

Working at home does not mean you don't get to have fun. Smarterer could be just the break you need to keep you on track for work. The more tests you take, the smarterer you get!

Dressing for Work At Home? StyleFind Has Fashions

Hello again my fellow homebodies and/or work at home parents! I am a BzzAgent as you all probably already know and I love to share the things that I think make life easier for all of us. This includes fashion clothing and accessories.  That's right; just because I work at home does not mean I do not like to put on nice clothes sometimes. However, to be completely honest I do work in my jammies or at least comfy clothes most of the time.

No matter what I decide to wear I like to be able to comparison shop online. I used to spend hours comparing prices and values online through various websites, but now I use StyleFind. What is StyleFind? It is a website that InStyle magazine provides where you can easily shop for top name brands at top retailers. I personally have my favorite stores already, but as I use StyleFind I have discovered favorites can change.

I think StyleFind  offers the ideal shopping experience and makes things easier for me to choose the clothes, jewelry and accessories I love to wear.

All this being said, I do wear a lot of PJ's and comfy clothes and StyleFind makes them so easy to find the styles and sizes I want. From Juniors to Plus sizes and men's women's and children's fashions I use this site to compare, save and work at home in style!

Read Any Good Books Lately? - The Hunger Games By Suzanne Collins

If you work at home like me, then it is important to find some free time to yourself to do some reading.  Kids, work and all the hustle and bustle that goes on in your daily life earns you the right to read a good book.

I highly recommend The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I was fortunate enough to get my copy as a BzzAgent so I can share my opinion about this book. I cannot say anything negative because it kept me on the edge of my seat. Without giving too much away I will hit a few highlights in this review.

Let's just say that the United States is no longer in existence in The Hunger Games and all of North America is run as a dictatorship. Suzanne Morris has created a great story about a horrifying, suspenseful reality television show where  24 teens are chosen via a sort of lottery to go to the "arena" where winners get to live and the losers die!  It is basically a fight for survival where the only "rule" is you cannot eat the dead contestants.

That is about all I am going to write on this book, but that should be enough to interest you.

Are You Getting Frustrated With Article Writing?

One of the most popular work at home jobs is freelance writing which is what I do, I make a decent living as what is really considered ghost writing for marketers. I write SEO content based on their keywords and instructions and they pay me through the business for which I freelance. I never have any contact with the clients at all. It is really quite the cushy job.

They say content is king and that is the truth. You have to write articles for blogs, article directories and other websites like Squidoo and Hubpages to get attention to your website. The problem with this is that writer's block becomes a stumbling block for so many.

If you find it difficult to write, write and write some more then you need to look at this special software. This will boost your article content and save you a lot of frustration. Article Writing Software

Writing is one of the areas where you can work at home at your own pace for the most part. Some self-publishing writing venues include Hubpages.com, Squidoo.com and blogs like Blogger, Live Journal, Wordpress, Thoughts.com, Mom Bloggers Club and other free to use blogging platforms. These have infinite possibilities for making a decent living at home. There is no reason you cannot make enough to pay your bills. I will cover some advice on that down the road.

If you love to write, can spell, use proper grammar and have a specialty or two you can really cash in on these websites and others like Constant Content, Ehow and Helium.

I also use Send Earnings to grab a few extra bucks here and there.  Send Earnings now has a tasks section where you do tasks and get paid a few cents which can add up to at least gas money for the month. I also click email ads which are not intrusive and make a few cents. The site has many other ways to earn from signing up for various offers and surveys.

Does Working At Home Mean No Makeup?

Work-at-home moms have the luxury of working in their pajamas without wearing makeup whenever they want. However, working at home does not have to mean no makeup. For many moms working from home productivity is important. Productivity can only happen when you feel good about yourself, are focused and use your time wisely. I know this because I am a work-at-home mommy.

Granted I have two teens left at home and 3 older kids on their own, two of which gave me "Grandma" status. Yes, I am a proud parent and grandparent. Both my teens are homeschooled and I work as a freelance writer and I have just started my own business working as an affiliate and building websites. This does not mean I don't understand the plights of all work-from-home mothers. I have always been self-employed so I could spend good, quality time with my kids. I also understand the need to feel good and most days this means throwing on at least some blush, lipstick or gloss, eye shadow and mascara.

Feeling good about yourself does help make your day go better and ensures that positive attitude no matter what kind of work you do at home. Makeup is what makes me feel good whether I stay in my jammies or I change into a pair of jeans. I have a few favorite brands I use and I don't always spare expense when I find something I really like in makeup.

So, if you work at home and love makeup like I do, go ahead and put it on and make your day as bright and productive as possible.






A little extra income for short surveys and now short tasks.

Feng Shui Your Home Office?

Okay, so Feng Shui may not be exactly the best term to use for this blog, but here are the basic things you will need before embarking upon your work at home experience. No, that is not a photo of my home office, but of my master bathroom from a unique angle.

Computer - This can be a desktop or a laptop. You will need to check the specific requirements of the jobs you are interested in to be sure your computer is compatible.

Landline Phone - Customer Service jobs require that you have a landline phone to use for taking inbound calls (and some outbound). VoIP and cell phones are not permitted for these types of jobs. There should also be no special features like caller ID, cal forwarding etc...

Software - You will also find that with work at home positions, many companies require you to have certain kinds of software in order to take their training. Don't worry. It's usually free to download and most of them provide it to you. Some companies require the download of their software for the position.

Hardware - Your computer will need a working sound card and speakers to be able to hear presentations and other training aids. A scanner, fax and printer could be necessary for some work from home positions.

Internet Access - As you look through work from home jobs available and the requirements for specific jobs, you will notice that most are contingent upon having high speed Internet access such as cable or DSL. Dial-up just isn't acceptable in these positions.

Headset - You will need a headset for some positions that you apply for in order to be handsfree during your shift. Good handsets or handset phones can be purchased for much less than you think.

Office Space - Having all of the above equipment for your work at home experience is a good thing, but without a quiet workspace, it is useless to you for almost any position you choose. Your home office absolutely must be free from distractions and outside noise.

Computer desk and chair - You need to make sure you have comfortable surroundings in order to have a productive and functional home office. A good comfortable office chair is a great investment for your home office. Something with good back support is needed as you will be sitting for extended hours. You will also need a computer desk that allows you to have all your equipment together and at hand.

This is a basic equipment list for anyone aspiring to work from home. Any other special equipment or software will be mentioned in the job description before you apply. An example of a job that will require special equipment is medical transcription.

Well, that about does it for today. Stayed tuned for tomorrow's information that will cover how to handle working from home with small children and pets.

Are You Cut Out For Working at Home?

Working from home was a dream of mine for I cannot even tell you how many years. It took me years of research and trial and error to discover the truly legitimate JOBS out there. I had to weed out the scams and the business opportunities that I did not have the money to start or the resources to succeed.

I have spoken with many people that desire to work from home without having to worry about what it is going to cost them. Almost anyone that desires to work at home in a legitimate position can find one. Some of these jobs require certain training/degrees and equipment while others have few requirements.
This photo is one taken during my office remodeling done by my wonderful husband.

Working from home is not for everyone. Even though it seems like an ideal situation, not all folks desiring to work at home have the dedication or work ethic to do it. It may be harder for some than others.

Keep in mind that having a job where you work at home is really no different than a job outside the home. You must be reliable, dedicated, consistent, organized, be willing to follow directions and in some cases be willing to go on location for training.

The advantages of working from home are that you can set your own hours around your own schedule, spend more time with your family and friends, work in a relaxed environment and make a decent first or second income.

This is a very basic overview of what it takes to work at home, so stay tuned for further information about what you will need for various positions and find out more on how some of these companies will pay you while to train.

Thanks for stopping by!

Questions and comments are encouraged here!