VirtualVocations is Seeking a Writer
VirtualVocations is looking for a writer to add to it’s team. Individual will work from home (of course!). Position will require the following commitments:
- Able to write TWO articles each month, (due by the 20th) on telecommuting related topics. Articles must be a minimum of 500 words long. ($50 each)
- Able to write ONE article each week (due by Sunday evenings) on telecommuting related topics. Must be a minimum of 350 words long ($35 each)
- Willing to write as a ghostwriter, meaning VirtualVocations retains all ownership of materials and credit.
- Ability to write as a contractor-1099 basis
This would be a total of 6-7 articles per month (depending on how many weekends there are). Writer must be able to do own research for article topics, finding the latest news stories published on working from home and telecommuting and any other resources needed to provide fresh, new reading on a regular basis. We are looking for someone who can provide keyword rich articles and ideally would know some about optimizing them for the Internet.
We are looking to hire someone quickly, but want someone who has samples of work and experience. If you have the availability, are willing to work LONG-TERM with our team and are an experienced writer, please send your resume’ and writing samples to laura (at) virtualvocations.com.
Thanks Everyone!
Beyond Beige: For a New View Color Your Home Office
If you find yourself in a work-at-home rut — maybe your job is turning monotonous or your rejection e-mails are mounting — a change of scenery may be all that is needed.
Consider adding color to your home office walls. Depending on the shade you choose, the color can soothe the stress of a project deadline or stimulate the tedium of writer’s block.
According to Pantone, the think tank widely regarded as the foremost authority on color, different colors have varying effects on the body and mind.
Take red, for example. A warm color, red is said to act as a stimulant — which may explain why the walls of many restaurants are painted red (to stimulate hunger) and why the neon signs of Las Vegas are red (research has shown that people make riskier bets when seated under a red light as opposed to a blue light).
Colors can be cool (blue, green, violet) and have a calming effect associated with nature. They can be warm (red, orange, yellow) and have an attention-grabbing effect, exciting your emotions and motivating work.
Scientists have found some evidence that actual physiological changes take place in human beings when they are exposed to certain colors, though the mood-changing effects may be only temporary.
Therefore, whether you need a stimulant or stress-relief, a can of paint can precipitate a big change in your daily work. Consider these wall colors for the room in which work:
* Orange: Represents healing and positive energy.
* Blue: Soothes and calms.
* Yellow: Signals purity and can be stimulating, depending on its shade.
* Green: A symbol of nature and wealth.
* Red: The ultimate stimulant in color. Shown to increase blood circulation upon exposure.
* Purple: A color of purpose and good judgment, it is often used in meditation.
Incidentally, Pantone each year pronounces a “color of the year.” This year’s color is Mimosa, a warm yellow illustrative of the flowers of the Mimosa tree and the shade of the champagne-infused beverage.
Mimosa speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation, Pantone directors said.
Imagination? Innovation? Sounds like a prescription for re-energizing your work-at-home agenda.
Your Computer: When to sleep and when to shut down
To sleep or not to sleep?
That is a question computer experts have debated on and off since the personal computer first became a fixture in our tech-savvy homes.
Back then, tech support experts told us to put our computers to sleep — or on standby — and shut them down only sparingly. The work it took to power up a computer, they reasoned, wore on its hard drive and shortened the life of the machine.
Now, with a heightened awareness of energy conservation, these original claims are widely disputed as myths. Shutting down your computer, experts advise, takes little work and allows the machine to refresh itself.
Although researchers acknowledge there is a small surge in energy when a computer starts up, this energy is still less than the energy used when a computer is running for long periods.
The U.S. Department of Energy recently released guidelines about when to use sleep mode and when to shut down your personal computer.
The guidelines recommend turning of your monitor if you are going to be away from your computer for more than 20 minutes and shutting down the machine if you are going to be away for more than two hours.
Here are some considerations that can help you taylor these guidelines to fit your work-at-home computer needs:
* Normal startups allow the machine to perform self-tests and alert you to software updates.
* A sleeping machine still consumes power and produces heat. Computers left on all the time may, have a shorter life.
* Laptops still use power when sleeping, so be careful putting it in sleep mode when your battery charge is low.
* Wireless network connections may not refresh when you move from one network to another in sleep mode.
* When you awaken your computer from sleep mode, you do not need to restart programs or reopen files as you would if you had shut down the computer.
* While many users opt to set their computer to automatically enter sleep mode after a certain amount of time (usually about 15 minutes), they also choose to set up a screen-saver, whether it be a collage of photos on the hard drive, or a laser show or underwater scene. The Harvard University Computer Reduction Energy Program recently released a study about screen savers and energy consumption and found that using a screen saver likely uses more energy than leaving the computer on.
Quick Diversions for Kids While Working at Home
Your deadline is fast approaching but your 3-foot-tall “coworker” does not want to leave you alone.
Here are ideas for quick 20-minute diversions to help you finish your assignment before focusing your full attention on your child.
* Foam stickers. Stop by the nearest chain craft store (Michaels, Jo-Ann) and pick up a bucket of foam stickers. Hand your child a small stack of printer paper and let him or her create. This craft project can be done on the floor next to your home desk.
The foam stickers are easier to peel than some sheet stickers, so even toddlers can stay busy. And with designs ranging from animals and flowers to shapes and letters, this assignment can be tailored depending on the child’s age (“Find the letters that spell your name” or “Make a pattern of shapes and colors,” you can suggest to the child.)
* A story reader. Do not have time to read a book just yet? A portable storybook reader will let your child listen along to their favorite storybook (most of them come with headphone jacks) while you finish your work. Created for the youngest children are audio books, and feature popular Disney, Nickelodeon and other character tales.
The story readers cost about $25; a three-pack of books is about $20. Check out eBay for used bundles of books.
* A kids’ work station. If room permits, set up a child-sized desk in the corner of your home office. Top it with a play phone and play laptop (VTech makes a “learning laptop” with a working mouse for ages 4 and up). Convince your child it is time to get down to business.
* Online printables. In about a minute, you can surf and find printable coloring pages of your child’s favorite characters. The web sites of Playhouse Disney and PBS Kids feature easy-to-navigate printable sections.
Invite them to sit next to you at your desk while you search and print. Then, they can feel like they are helping you finish your work.
* Set a timer. Sometimes children just need to know that you will be done with your work eventually. Consider using a portable kitchen timer that your child can use to watch the countdown to when you will be finished.
Healthy Snack Options while Working from Home
The new buzz phrase in nutrition is mindful eating: being more aware of what you are eating so you feel more fulfilled by your food. This theory involves eating slowly and without distractions — not exactly conducive to the work-at-home environment.
With the kitchen just a few steps away from our home offices, the temptation to snack while working can be unending. It is easy to wander past the pantry or fridge between e-mails or phone calls.
To battle the temptation, keep healthy, nutrient-dense snack options on hand.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has put a focus on these types of snacks through its “Go, Slow and Whoa Foods” guide. It is a program developed for schoolchildren, but it is applicable to all of us.
The program puts a focus on “go” foods, which are foods that can be eaten any time. These are vegetables and fruits, whole grains like pita bread, tortillas and unsweetened whole-grain breakfast cereals and skim or low-fat milk, yogurt or cheese.
Likewise, “slow” foods are foods we can eat occasionally, and “whoa” foods are sugary or fat-laden snacks to have sparingly.
When you have 5 minutes prep time
Nutritionists at Mayo Clinic developed these “go” snack ideas:
* Toast one-half of a whole-wheat English muffin. Top with one slice Canadian bacon, a tomato slice and one slice low-fat American cheese. Microwave until the cheese melts.
* Mash half a banana into 2 teaspoons peanut butter and spread onto a whole-grain bagel. Large bagels contain up to 300 calories, so choose a smaller 2-ounce bagel.
* Layer a 6-inch soft corn or flour tortilla with 2 tablespoons shredded low-fat cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Microwave until the cheese melts. Slice into bite-sized pie shapes. Dip into some salsa.
When you have a free hour for make-ahead snacks
The Whole Foods Market web site includes several nutrient-dense snack recipes. You can make these ahead of time, seal them in a container and snack on them throughout the week.
Snacks include hemp seed apricot snack chews (a good source of omega 3 fatty acids that satisfies an afternoon craving for sweets); three-seed rosemary crackers (full of fiber and protein); and chocolate chip granola bars (using honey rather than brown sugar).
When you have 30 seconds between work commitments
* 1 large stalk of celery (10 calories)
* 6 medium baby carrots (25-30 calories)
* 2 cups air-popped or light popcorn (60 calories)
* 1 fat-free chocolate pudding cup (100 calories)
* 1 cup sliced apples with 1-tablespoon smooth peanut butter (150 calories)
Work-at-Home-Sewing Opportunities
While many work-from-home jobs call for typing, filing, customer service or writing skills, there is a market for work-from-home crafters. In addition, while companies may not readily seek out these services, a little investigating might help you find steady work.
Consider sewing, for example.
Most dry-cleaning services offer button-replacement and other mending help. In about 15 minutes, you could phone a dozen dry-cleaning services in your area to see if they need reliable sewing help.
Likewise for clothing stores. While Nordstrom and other department stores have a tailor on staff, other niche stores offer hemming services. Again, some time with a phone directory of local malls could turn up some work. Focus on higher-end stores that carry more formal and semiformal clothing (banana republic, JoS. A. Banks, for example).
These stores often pay by the job. It could take awhile to build up a client list, but there will always be a demand for pants to be hemmed and sleeves to be shortened.
Another way to find sewing work is on Craig’s List. Look under “Etc.” in the “Help Wanted” section of your local Craig’s List directory. There you will find women wanting to hire someone to sew a bridal gown or prom dress. Payment for these services should be negotiable; feel free to charge a by-the-hour rate in addition to the cost of your materials. Always require a deposit.
Be wary of work-from-home ads for sewing work found in craft or trade magazines. While some may be legitimate opportunities, they often require you to purchase their machines and pay up front for the materials.
If you have a passion for sewing, market yourself. Do you sew baby quilts? Take photos of the quilts and create a bulletin board flier to hang at doctor’s offices or preschools. Do you enjoy working with formal fabric? Advertise near the mailbox area of a college dorm, especially in advance of sorority initiations, homecomings or other formal events.
Be creative — persistence can pay off.
Virtual Tools for Online Organization
When you are juggling more than one work-from-home project, you are likely juggling multiple work-from-home deadlines.
Deadlines for sending an invoice. Deadlines for making a tax payment. Deadlines for completing a new project.
Sure, you can jot down daily commotion lists on a napkin at breakfast. Alternatively, you can fill in the blanks on a traditional desk calendar.
However, a simpler way to keep track of tasks and deadlines may be as near as your computer keyboard.
Several options for computerized calendars exist, from online formats like Google Calendar to applications like iCal or Windows Calendar.
These programs and services can sync specific calendar entries with calendars on other computers (so when you enter something into your calendar it can send the entry to your spouse’s calendar). They can also sync with your phone, which often give you the option of receiving reminder “dings” as your deadline approaches.
Here is a look at a few popular virtual calendar and organization tools.
* Calendar applications. Windows Calendar (included with Windows Vista) and iCal (a standard Mac application) both feature daily, weekly and monthly templates to enter meetings and deadlines. You can get as basic or detailed with information, as you would like. You can print a fresh copy of the calendar every day, incase you need a hard copy to hang on the fridge.
* Online calendars. Google, Yahoo! and MSN all offer calendars to help you track daily, weekly and monthly tasks. The Yahoo! version will send instant messages to your phone to remind you of an event. Google’s calendar automatically uploads information from G-mail messages into your online calendar.
* E-mail managers. GooToDo is one popular e-mail management service that organizes your inbox by forwarding messages to future days. When an e-mail comes in, you can choose to respond to it or save its response — or action — for an upcoming day. This avoids a cluttered and overwhelming inbox.
* Online list makers. TadaList and Remember The Milk are two free services that allow you to create and publish to-do lists, which can then synchronize with your calendar or e-mail.
