Work from home Mom

Integrity Reviews

2006-10-15T18:03:00.000-04:00

I have been searching for a website which helps those of us searching for a non scam type of "work at home" opportunity and I found this link while searching today. Looks like a husband and wife team have done alot of extensive research trying to find what is legit and what's not.

Here is a quote from their website:

We found that about 98% of the websites that offer to tell you how to make money on the Internet are frauds. The other 2% are actually legitimate. But the only way that you will be able to find them is by reading reviews of the actual product that is offered.

98%!! Wow, if that's not scary huh.

Now, this company actually intrigued me. They came highly recommended on this Integrity Reviews website.

Watch out for scams

2006-10-15T17:50:00.000-04:00

What to look for when searching for online jobs where you can work from home.

Scammers come a dime to the dozen, if it's not in the field of love there are ways which scammers are pretending to provide an online opportunity for you to make money, when in fact, all they really want is your banking account number so that they may embezzle money from your account. Crazy isn't it, how difficult it is to find a legitimate job anymore, when there truly are wonderful work at home opportunities out there, but you have to search and search and research and research. It's mind boggling at best.

Process Rebates

2006-10-15T17:31:00.000-04:00

I am searching for a way to make additional income and came across an ad for a company listed in my local pennysaver called Process Rebates. I would appreciate any comments to be added to my blog in regard to this company.

I reviewed their website and the very first big red flag was where you have to pay them to become an employee. That to me, says MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) all over it. I never could understand why a person would want to work for a company where you have to pay them to basically hire you. I seriously have my doubts about this "company". Please share your experiences with me in the comments section. I'm looking forward to hearing if this is a worthwhile venture. It sure sounds easy enough. My parents always taught me that if it sounds "too good to be true, it probably is". I've been burned by MLM and I'm extremely hesitant to fork over cash to a not so reputable company. Just the concept makes my skin crawl.

They also call themselves "Paid Refunds". And EasyCashJob is also linked in with this organization which appears to be a way to make money by doing online surveys. I would be interested in hearing about these different companies, if that's what you want to call them.

Better Business Bureau Online

My Telecommuting Story

2006-07-05T10:45:00.000-04:00

I have been telecommuting full time from Pennsylvania, since January of 2001 and prior to that, I telecommuted from Woodbridge, VA. When I lived closer to the office, I went in once a week, to check on paper work and to let them know I was still alive basically. At that time, telecommuting was still something my boss wasn't 100pct comfortable with, plus she enjoyed "seeing me" :-) As time went on, the need for me to be physically in the office became less and less important, and to tell you the truth, it wasn't even needed when I did go in.

My loss of stress from the daily commute was worth it's wait in gold. How it all came about was I told my boss, the owner of the corporate travel agency that I work for, that I wanted to move back home, to Pennsylvania. My complaints were I missed my family and the stress of the commute was simply not worth living and working in the DC area. So, I worked from my home in Woodbridge for 3 years or so and as my son got older, I realized that I still wasn't fully happy. I really needed to be home in Pennsylvania, to have the loving support of my family. I had NO family in the DC area. I had put in my time in as a single woman in "the big city" and because the telecommuting had worked out so well for all of us, my boss agreed to let me continue working for her and live in Pennsylvania too. I truly have the best of both worlds and short of sounding hokey, I am truly blessed.

What are they thinking?

2006-03-02T00:34:00.000-05:00

What in the world is China thinking? They're considering allowing direct sales companies open up their markets of direct selling and let's not forget the dual marketing companies. This includes Avon and Mary Kay Cosmetics. I never had any issues with Avon but look out China, once the pink bubble hits, things will NEVER be the same. Your country will never be the same if you let the likes of Mary Kay Cosmetics into your country. I just feel sorry for those unsuspecting souls who are going to be "sold" the American dream. This will be interesting to see if they actually go through with it and allow this travesty to happen. It seems to me that China should maintain their 7 year ban on this type of selling.

The ban on direct selling was imposed in 1998 to wipe out pyramid schemes that led to millions of yuan of losses for individuals.

source:

Support Group

Travel Agent in my Community

2006-02-25T19:13:00.000-05:00

Are you trying to find a travel agent near you? If you're saying to yourself, I want to find a travel agent near me. I have to ask you why. Did you know that today, being a travel agent, because the larger percentage of our clientele is serviced over the telephone or via email, that travel agents no longer have to go to an actual office to continue servicing their clients and traveller's. They can do it all from the comfort of their home. I have been telecommuting now since around 1998 (I might be off by a year or too). My clients have no idea, unless I tell them, that I'm not setting in Washington, DC or Alexandria, VA. The ones I do tell, are happy for me and don't even care that I'm "so far away". As long as I can continue to take good care of them, is all that matters to them. I have an Alexandria telephone number, so it's not long distance for them and with the technology of permantly call forwarding a phone number it's a piece of cake for them.
So if you're trying to find a travel agent in your neighborhood, you don't need to use that as criteria any longer unless you're the type of person who needs to see a brochure and if you're simply not internet savvy, chances are you won't even be reading this blog article :-) I encourage you to learn more about me and what I do and why my clients love me. You'll know you're in good hands as soon as we start talking and you will feel like we've known each other for years.

When will these towns get up to speed?

2006-02-25T18:36:00.000-05:00

I found this article interesting because people who might benefit significantly from telecommuting would be those who are handicapped. What a wonderful way to help these people live productive lives by offering them the opportunity to work from home. These cable companies and phone companies need to get expanding their services to allow the expansion to those in the rural areas. Wow, sounds like job security for those employees these bigger companies could hire to expand the services. And by the way, not all companies software which they provide for folks to telecommute is satellite system ready. I've heard that satellite service is not nearly as reliable as the cable and/or broadband service, which makes alot of sense to me. Time to get some petitions signed.

Here is an article I found online: I had to comment on it.

Towns Caught in Clash Over Net Access

By Joseph Popiolkowski and Brian H. Kehrl - Bardwell, Ky., three miles east of the Mississippi River, is so isolated that only in the 1990s were its homes upgraded to private phone lines from a shared party line.

Stateline.org - infoZine - Valerie Davis, a Bardwell resident who suffers from the progressive neurological illness multiple sclerosis, wanted to telecommute on her worst days to her job as an information systems analyst at a hospital 35 miles away, but found her dial-up connection unreliable.

Connect Kentucky (CONNKY), a state initiative to make high-speed Internet access ubiquitous, caught Davis' attention. For a one-time installation charge and monthly service fees, a satellite provider in December 2005 extended always-on broadband access to the farm Davis shares with her husband, a state trooper, and their 6-year-old daughter.

"For me this is a necessity - a utility, not a luxury," Davis told Stateline.org.

Davis was invited to Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher's State of the State address in early January where he introduced her and touted CONNKY's successes. Maine Gov. John Baldacci (D) recently stumped for a similar program - Connect Maine - in his address. In both states, the initiatives are charged with assessing the penetration of broadband services throughout the state and identifying funding sources and incentives to spur investment in greater high-speed access.

While Kentucky has been a model of public-private cooperation in promoting the spread of high-speed Internet connections, the role of state and local governments in hastening the spread of the technology has proven contentious in many statehouses and in Congress.

In some states, local governments are subsidizing broadband access for residents and businesses, especially those in rural areas underserved by private companies. Conversely, some states have enacted laws limiting municipal involvement, often after telecommunications companies complained about unfair government competition in the free market.

There's "a crazy quilt of different laws in different places," said Jim Baller of the Baller Herbst Law Group, which represents community broadband interests.

While providing dial-up access came easily through use of pre-existing, standard phone lines, broadband requires a large and costly infrastructure of its own. But if dial-up access is a two-lane country road, then broadband is a superhighway, able to handle traffic up to 100 times faster.

Broadband allows users to experience the full spectrum of Internet capability including downloading large files, running multi-media programs and using Internet phone services, all of which are slow and sometimes impossible over dial-up lines.

By 2005, 14 states had laws restricting municipalities' efforts to deploy their own public communications; half of those laws directly apply to the broadband technology. Cities in Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin face strict barriers to entry through administrative and legal hurdles, according to the American Public Power Association.

Tempe, Ariz., recently launched a city-wide wireless network - which like cable and Digital Subscriber Lines (DSL) falls under the broadband umbrella - to lure young workers and businesses attracted by a tech-friendly environment. Tempe is allowing a contractor to install transmitters atop its light poles. The subscriber cost is expected to be substantially lower than prices proffered by the region's current industry leader, Cox Communications. Arizona has no law banning the city's involvement in providing the service.

Elsewhere, San Francisco is currently soliciting proposals for a city-wide wireless network under the watchful eye of all parties. California's Constitution actually authorizes taxpayer-funded utilities, including those offering "means of communication."

According to John Horrigan, an associate director for research at the Pew Internet & American Life Project, "The general dynamic is that communities get interested in it [extending broadband service] for a lot of reasons. The companies go to the states and say, 'uh, uh,' and the states then go ahead and prohibit it." The Pew Internet Project, like Stateline.org, is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

A 2004 U.S. Supreme Court decision upheld state laws limiting municipal involvement despite a 1996 federal telecommunications law that says "any entity" is allowed to compete in the marketplace. The court found that the law applies only to private enterprises.

In 2004, Philadelphia's plan to become the first major urban area to propose a city-wide wireless system met resistance from state lawmakers, who introduced a bill to place strict limitations on any municipality's ability to provide a network.

After a heated debate, a law was passed that grandfathered in Philadelphia's proposal but required other Keystone State localities to consult the region's established telecom companies and allow them 14 months to offer high-speed Internet service - "the right of first refusal."

The city, in the form of a nonprofit called Wireless Philadelphia, partnered with service provider EarthLink to offer far-reaching inexpensive access. Philadelphia's plan intends to provide an affordable high-speed system for the whole city, including its low-income residents, as well as a unified network for city government and first-responders, according to Bernadine Hawes, a legislative assistant for Pennsylvania Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, past vice-chairman of the National Conference of State Legislature's Internet caucus.

The argument for public involvement is that government intervention is needed to help bridge the so-called digital divide where economically disadvantaged and rural residents are less likely to have consistent, affordable access than their wealthier, urban counterparts. Connection speed is a determining factor in who uses the Internet, how much they use it and what for, according to a survey by the Pew Internet Project.

"We are in a district that has a large minority constituency and we understand the need to have this broadband access so they're digitally included," Hawes said of Thomas' North Philadelphia district.

Experts also warn of an expanding "international divide" and decry the United States' fall from first to 16th in the 2005 International Telecommunications Union survey of broadband usage.

But the argument against municipal participation is that government will only interfere with market forces that will provide high quality, reasonably priced access in due time. Telecom companies such as Verizon, which is the dominant provider in Philadelphia, claim governments actually will slow down progress by undermining the competition that drives the business.

"Verizon does not support bans on municipally backed broadband networks and services. We recognize that circumstances vary, and that local and state governments have a keen interest in ensuring public access to important services. However, we believe primary reliance for deploying and provisioning broadband networks and services can and should be placed on the private sector," according to a Verizon position statement obtained by Stateline.org.

Opponents of government involvement also argue that taxpayer dollars will be put at unacceptably high risk because of the unpredictable nature of the industry, where advances in technology may emerge too fast for governments to keep pace.

The issue has leapt to the federal stage as well. U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) has called for local governments to cease offering the technology. In a bipartisan showing, however, Arizona Sen. John McCain (R) and New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D) last June proposed legislation that would ban states from barring municipality-offered broadband.

McCain said his bill is necessary if the country is to achieve President Bush's stated goal of "universal, affordable access for broadband technology by the year 2007."

Brian H. Kehrl interned at Stateline.org in fall 2005 and is now working in Cambridge, Mass.

Send your comments on this story to letters@stateline.org . Selected reader feedback will be posted in the Letters to the editor section.

Source: Contact Joseph Popiolkowski at jpop@stateline.org - © 2006 stateline.org

What is Teleservices

2006-01-21T10:38:00.000-05:00

Working solutions teleservices. Teleservices is a new word for me, but
when you google it, you get tons of hits. So what exactly is teleservices
and how do you pick out the right company for you? What is a teleservices
company? I get the best results when I ask a question. So, this is what I found and I'm thinking it's just a new word for the dreaded telemarketing. Well so far, I don't think I'm going to lump it in with the term telecommuting, that's for sure. After having done my search, I've come to the conclusion that teleservices is not something of interest to me. Now, telecommuting is a whole different story. There is a big difference. I'm all for working from home and having people come me via a company to assist them over the phone. I am all about customer service. Sorry for the rambling, but this was a quick decision on my part lol I'll stick with telecommuting.

10 Great Reasons to Work from Home

2006-01-14T17:21:00.000-05:00

Ten Great Reasons to Work from Home

It’s National Work from Home Week, so let’s explore some reasons and benefits of working from home.

1—With the ever-rising costs of fuel, your commute can be a huge expense – in dollars and in time. Working from home decreases your gasoline costs as well as wear & tear on your vehicle. Assuming a minimum commute of 30 minutes per day, that saves you eleven hours per month, or 132 hours per year. Plus, there are no traffic jams on the way to work, and you don’t have to listen to early morning radio jocks unless you choose to

2—With a computer, the internet and a phone, you can be almost as connected from your house as you can from any office. There is significant growth in both small business ownership and in telework (or telecommuting), or working from home for someone else. It cuts down on office costs for employers and helps foster better life-work balance for employees. Many companies currently have telework options, and many more are exploring the possibility.

3—Decreased clothing costs. You really can get away with one good outfit of your choice and a few separates since you’ll only be “dressing up” for meetings. The typical work from home outfit: sweats (shorts in summer) and a t-shirt. The beauty of this uniform – it’s easy to care for (wash, dry & wear) and works equally well for gardening, walking, boxing up your online auction orders, and writing the great American novel. A week’s worth of work from home outfits at any good discount store: $60 USD. Some people profess to get professionally dressed just as if they were going to the office, but that just seems silly to me.

4—Increased productivity. There are no co-workers dropping by to lament their dating, dieting or drinking dilemmas. Of course, you must refrain from e-socializing, but it’s easier to ignore an email than it is to dodge a whiny office-mate on day 2 of Atkins or the office party dude who wants to rehash his weekend. Plus, there are fewer dumb meetings where everybody’s late or unprepared and nothing gets accomplished. With online meetings, email and the phone, you may find you don’t need meetings at all.

5—Childcare issues are easier. Depending on the age of your children and the nature of your work, you may still need a babysitter, but probably not full-time.

6—Leftovers make great, easy lunches. No need for brown bags, just heat & eat. You save money and even if you’re not a great cook, it’s usually better than fast food or snack machine offerings. If you usually go out for lunch at work and spend just $10, that’s $50 a week saved.

7—You can set the heat/air temperature to your liking. Ditto music. Ditto office décor.

8—You can be productive during work breaks—throwing in a load of laundry, unloading the dishwasher, watering the garden. Of course, you have to avoid the impulse to clean and cook and wander around the house aimlessly, but usually after week one, you learn to separate work duties from home duties pretty easily.

9—Sodas don’t cost $1.25 each. Your refrigerator never takes your money or gives you Mountain Dew when you wanted Diet Coke. Coffee does not require making a choice between $4 a cup, or “free-but-tastes-like-mud”.

10—Freedom, in most cases, to set your own hours and work when you want to work. You can work when you are most energetic, whether that’s 10 am or 10 pm. You can take off to run errands or go see your kid’s school play. It becomes about your productivity, not about your “face-time” in the office.

So, are there any cons to working from home? Of course. Some people are not self-motivating and just cannot do it. Some require much more socialization than working from home allows. Some people don’t have the space or equipment to create a work area in their homes. It all depends on the individual circumstances. But, if you long to work from home, explore your options. Small business ownership is great but not the only way to work from home anymore. You may even be able to create a work from home opportunity with your current job. Do your research and present a great plan to the powers that be and see what happens.

Here are some resources you might find helpful in starting your own business or finding a work from home opportunity:

Source:
by: Deborah Crawford

What are the downsides

2006-01-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

of working from home? So far, I have only two negative things.

1. I miss the inter office interaction and greeting people on the
elevator each day.

2. I have to fix my own computer. I'm constantly troubleshooting
and fixing (thank God I have two computers, so I know if it's me
or the computer or my ISP. And Thank God for internet searches
where others have typed in their exact error response, I type it
in and then am usually able to fix my own problem. Thank goodness
for error responses lol Also, if I take my computer to the shop
I can't deduct that either because I wasn't able to claim my office
as a business office to begin with.

3. Working from home is for my convenience, not my office, well
at least in the beginning and my home office space is NOT tax
deductible. Because she provides an office for me, even though
it is now 6 hours away from me and even though she wouldn't have
let me quit even if I had wanted to, my home office space is NOT
deductible.

So far though, those small bad things certainly outweigh the good
things. I don't miss road rage AT ALL!!!

Why are Employers SO skeptical about telecommuting?

2005-11-19T13:49:00.000-05:00

Before I even read the article, my defense mechanism went right up.
I am a full fledged telecommuter for a company and I have become a
much better employee (not to say I wasn't a good employee before).
Here is the article with my comments after it in quotes.

New study by Business 21 Publishing shows that companies are deeply
skeptical about allowing employees to telecommute. Only 30% encourage
it, while the rest are either opposed or allow it only for employees
they really trust.

My first thought, I can imagine their biggest concern/fear is
that people would be doing things other than their job
and I do agree, there are some types of people who would
take advantage of the situation, but hey, isn't that what "firing" solves. I say give them a chance to prove themselves, before you totally write the option off. Don't knock it till you try it. For me, I have become even more productive working from home.

(PRWEB) October 27, 2005 -- A new study by Business 21 Publishing shows that companies are deeply skeptical about allowing employees to telecommute. Only 30% encourage it, while the rest are either opposed or allow it only for employees they really trust.

I can respect that "the ones they really trust".

Companies need to start thinking about their telecommuting policies immediately because it’s expected to explode in coming years. Experts say telecommuting will increase 60% by the year 2010. That’s right: the telecommuting workforce is predicted to grow from the current 24 million to 40 million in just five years.

And I think that's absolutely fabulous. Just imagine
the opportunities that people will have, being
able to telecommute for large companies. Resume's
saying, experienced and successful telecommuter will
become the norm. I look forward to teleworking for
companies in the larger cities and still be able
to live out in the country where it's peace and
quiet. The quality of life is half the battle in
having a fabulous and dedicated employee. Don't ya think.

As more and more employees start being offered flexible schedules and telecommuting opportunities by their companies, employers will see more and more existing and prospective employees demanding the same.

And the problem with that would be??
They could always put them on a "temporary employment status" or trial run. Its' sort of like gambling I guess and employers need to get into the new era and new
ways of doing things.

This could have serious implications for both recruiting and retention.

WHY???? This makes NO SENSE to me at all!!

The time is now to determine:

1. How your company feels about telecommuting. In some industries and for certain job functions, letting people work at home is a no-brainer. In other circumstances, it’s not even an option.

True, ie factory work, but hell, we're sending all of our factories overseas anyway and those folks will be needing new jobs or be allowed to maintain good customer service by keeping their more experienced employees on the books. Sadly the laborers are the ones who will lose there. OK, so I tangent lol.

And then there’s a big gray zone in between, where telecommuting either works or doesn’t depending on company values.

2. What your policy toward telecommuting will be. Who will, or won't, be eligible? How will you justify offering it to one employee but not another?

When 120 HR executives were asked, "Should companies encourage telecommuting?" more than 4 in 10 said they didn't see much benefit and would trust only a minority of employees. Nearly a quarter of respondents indicated that telecommuting is a bad idea because it risks making good employees less productive.

Or just the opposite even. When I first started, my boss was
skeptical too, but I need to have an income and can't afford
to be a slacker. She saw that it worked for everyone,
company included, by having me telecommute. I would
hope that these skeptical employers would simply give
people an opportunity to telecommute. What would be
the harm in it? It all goes back to what type of company
we're talking about.

To read the a complete summary of the study’s conclusions, as well as an in-depth article that discusses telecommuting pros and cons, and offers suggestions for how to make it work, go to

The Trophy Job

2005-11-13T23:45:00.000-05:00

'Taring down the Walls of Traditional Working' An Unusual Telecommute Site, Answers the Call Increasing numbers of job seekers are taking on the tedious task of trying to get, what has evolved into 'The Trophy Job.' When finally secured; it can bring rewards to both candidates and employers, but for many the search is turbulent.

Sacramento, CA October 13, 2005-- Job seekers have positioned telecommuting on a pedestal, as “The Trophy Job” that is only attainable for a lucky few. However, TeleRepsathome is "taring down the walls of traditional working" by paving a pathway for home based job seekers that lead to the nation's fastest growing telecommuting job market. Telecommuters’ calls are being answered for; work now, consistent job leads and readiness for telecommuting. The surge of telecommuting jobs in the teleservices industry has helped many “want-to-be” telecommuters realize their goal of working at home.

"In the process of researching the job progress of telecommuters. TeleRepsathome has discovered that the very first job, a high percentage of telecommuters get, is telephone related,” said Tara Brewer, founder of TeleRepsathome.com. "Surprisingly, further research has revealed, the majority of telecommuters would not choose telephone work as their "work-at-home" dream job; some of the reasons given were- background noise from children and pets, plain old phone phobia and irate customers"

So, why are these jobs wanted but not welcomed? 5 reasons...
1. Telephone related jobs are the most frequently posted for telecommuters. For Instance, Customer Service Reps, Telemarketers, TeleNurses, Travel Agents and Appointment Setters, are always in demand. 2. Telephone jobs usually can be performed from any city or state. 3. Pay is realistic. 4. A large number of these jobs hire quickly and do not require specialized training or certification- of course candidates should meet the employer’s qualifications. 5. The only major equipment required to start working, is a computer with an internet connection; which generally is not a problem, because a desktop with internet service is already in the homes of most people. All these factors spell- income now for potential telecommuters.

Although companies are hiring rapidly for these positions, only a hand-full of home based job seekers get them. Many people who desire a job from home- do not know how to find one that does not have a hidden scam or are just too busy to search and purge job listings; and then, if they are able to climb over these hurdles- telecommuters need to have a few exclusive job leads in order to cut out some of the competition, in this highly hunted job market. Having immediate access to a job service that does all of this for them, help telecommuters accelerate their job search.

“Despite, what people may think; home based workers are college educated and highly skilled,” stated Tara, “In fact, employers would be hard-pressed to find a more motivated work force. Employers are becoming more and more privy to this niche market of candidates and how they are changing the face of employment as we knew it.”

Employers need a targeted recruiting tool, especially if they are seeking to hire candidates in the highly popular telecommuting job market, using a targeted recruiting tool gives the employer an advantage. Most employers do not know that posting a job for a telecommuting or home office position- on a public job board, may be sabotaged by a scam post. Scam artist also use key words such as "telecommute", "work from home" and "home based"; to trick candidates who are earnestly seeking work at home. The majority of the time, job searchers have to weed through countless scam post in order to find the “real” home based job- that’s if they do not get frustrated before they find it.

On the other hand, an environment of controlled job post would prove more effective for the employer, saving time and money. This pre-screened job service, lift the burden of financial risk and emotional distress off the shoulders of candidates because the irrelevant job post are eliminated. Candidates are able to easily access and apply for jobs that are real home based employment opportunities, which ultimately benefit the candidate and employer.

With the move of call centers from building to home, the teleservices industry is having a tremendous impact on the telecommuting job market; it has been the driving force of creating more virtual workers than ever before. Through this revolutionary transition, TeleRepsathome.com is “taring down the walls of traditional working” by giving telecommuters access to jobs that are in demand now, and the resources to get them.

About TeleRepsathome.com:
TeleRepsathome is a member of the Association of Teleservices International. TeleRepsathome.com was founded out of the need for telecommuters to find jobs quicker and to create more employment opportunities for individuals who live in an economy where jobs are limited. TeleRepsathome specialize in telecommuting jobs in the teleservices industry; however telecommuters can also apply for a variety of other home based jobs. The internet is full of business opportunities and paid surveys, but you will not find these at TeleRepsathome. We understand that every one is not an entrepreneur; some people just want a steady pay check. TeleRepsathome is committed to helping individuals who want to work for a reputable company, at home. New jobs are posted weekly, for telecommuters in the US and Canada. Employers seeking to hire virtual or home based employees are welcome to post ads free! http://www.telerepsathome.com/Employerintro.html

Visit TeleRepsathome

Mystery Shopper

2005-10-24T00:39:00.000-04:00

I've always thought this might be kind of fun to be a mystery shopper.
If I ever decide to do it, I'll let you all know how it goes. From
what I've seen, there are many mystery shopper types of companies, so
now to find a reputable one. Let the mystery shopping of mystery
shopping companies begin :-)

Sinclair Service Assessments, INC

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

DiversityInc Names Allstate a Top 10 Company for Diversity

2005-10-17T01:23:00.000-04:00

and telecommuting is offered by this company as well.

Read the article:

Telecommuting Center - What an awesome concept

2005-09-30T13:15:00.000-04:00

Would you like to hunt? Fish? Telecommute? I just think these
telecommuting centers are an awesome idea. How many people are
sick of living in the big cities and would rather live out in
the country and still get paid the big bucks for doing their
jobs and going to work with a smile on their faces each and
every day. To not have to live with the daily stresses of
commuting. What a pleasure it would be to work for a company
who offered that kind of lifestyle. Can you say "best of both
worlds"? I can. I live it every day, but in the comfort of
my own home.

I guess it's time for a case study maybe. Where would I start?
The community in which I live needs more employment opportunities.
Hmmm... who would I pitch this to? That is the million dollar
question. Maybe the county commissioners. Uh oh, the wheels are
turning. :-)

This article inspired me to dream big for McKean County:

A new name: Teleworking

2005-09-30T12:58:00.000-04:00

A law firm, corrections department and manufacturing company are among 13 Atlanta employers to take part in a unique telework initiative that offered free consulting services and even reimbursed employers for certain funds spent getting their telework programs off the ground.

This is wonderful. I'm so glad to see more and more of this happening. Way to go Hotlanta!! I can't stress how wonderful this is for America's workers. Thank you Bill Gates!!

Among the program findings:

Teleworking improves morale . Almost 90% of teleworkers reported improved morale because of teleworking, and 80% of managers agreed that staff morale was up as a result of teleworking. More than 65% of teleworkers said they're less likely to look for another job as long as they can telework, and more than 45% of managers said that teleworking gives the employer a competitive edge.
Productivity doesn't suffer. More than 80% of workers reported no problems completing their work while teleworking, and 74% reported an increase in their productivity. On the managers' side, 85% reported that productivity increased (by an average of about 20%) or stayed the same. In addition, 91% of managers said that work quality was not hurt by teleworking, and 52% of managers said supervising teleworkers took no more time than supervising non-teleworkers.
Technology is key . Participating companies invested or improved their computer technology, remote access and telephone systems. Companies with good remote access options found it easy to telecommute more often, according to Clean Air Campaign.
Execution matters . Among the lessons participating companies learned is that telework training for employees and managers makes a difference, as does selecting the right employees for teleworking and having solid management approval. Formalizing existing programs lets organizations increase participation, the group says.
Perhaps the most telling finding is that all 13 participants plan to continue and expand their telework programs. Each manager, on average, plans to allow four more employees to telework. At current levels, these teleworkers will reduce more than 10 million vehicle miles from metropolitan Atlanta roads each year, Clean Air Campaign estimates.

Read the article:

Telecommuting - It's a win win for the Employer

2005-09-30T12:09:00.000-04:00

Statistics show that telecommuting is on the rise. Read a few comments
from others who already have the luxury of telecommuting and what their
companies have to say about their employees. It certainly makes for a
much happier working environment not to mention, happier employees who
are willing to dedicate their employment to just one company.

Read the article:

Virtual Assistant is Becoming a Popular Home Business Opportunity

2005-09-26T00:41:00.000-04:00

With gas prices rising, many displaced from their jobs, and more and more businesses downsizing, comes the need for finding an alternative way to make a good income. Now more than ever, families are seeing the need for two incomes. One Industry that is increasing in popularly today, being rated one of the top 5 home-based businesses for 2005 by Entrepreneur Magazine last year, is virtual assisting. Becoming a VA allows you to work from anywhere in the world and requires little in the way of start-up costs or fees. The main requirement is the ability to type well and a good understanding of the Internet.

By definition, a Virtual Assistant or VA, is a highly skilled professional who provides administrative support and other specialized services to businesses, entrepreneurs, authors, online businesses, executives, sales professionals and others who have more work to do than time to do it. Many VA's also provide web design and maintenance, publicity and marketing, desktop publishing, word processing, and business start-up consultations. The services are endless depending upon the VA’s knowledge, skills and creativity.

Virtual assistants are instrumental in helping businesses with their marketing, capability to run their offices getting more work accomplished, and also they have a solid understanding of the latest tools to make a business succeed. One example is blogging. We all know that it is essential for a business to have a blog today to succeed, yet many businesses don’t have the time to create and maintain a blog. A good virtual assistant will handle that for you and more.

"What started out in the 80’s as home-based word processors has grown into what we are seeing today," says Diana Ennen, President of Virtual Word Publishing. "Plus more and more clients are realizing the need to outsource their work and let a professional virtual assistant do it, so they can focus on that they do best, running their business.”

Ennen, along with co-author Kelly Poelker have written, "Virtual Assistant ~ the Series, Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA It has the endorsement of work-at-home experts Priscilla Huff and the Mompreneurs® as well as a number of others and has helped thousands over the years start their own thriving business. Virtual Assistant The Series is also the primary textbook for the Red Deer College-Canada VA Certification Program in Canada, Owens College, and several other large colleges, and is required reading for students of "Virtual Assistance U" -- an online training center for virtual professionals.

source:

High gas prices fuel options for getting to work

2005-09-19T14:10:00.000-04:00

Telecommuting is the best thing which ever happened to me. I will
continue to work for my same company as long as we're in business.
Being a single mother, it allows me to be around my son more and
still do well on my job. I do put more hours in, than my co-workers,
because they are needing to go home and spend time with their families
while, the rush hour and babysitting necessities are simply not of a
concern.

Happy work force: Some employers help with transit costs; others allow
telecommuting for some jobs. At one company, Draper, 50 of the
company's 600 employees telecommute, taking calls from home as
customer service agents. Most of the telecommuters are mothers
and enjoy being home with their kids in addition to saving money
at the pump.

"We find that the people who telecommute usually stay
with the organization longer, have a lot more satisfaction and they
get to work in their pajamas - that's always a bonus," says Seth
Picket, who works in human resources at 1-800 CONTACTS.

Alexis Evers manages the company's telecommuters from her home.
Before she started telecommuting, she spent $40 on gas every week.
She estimates that not driving to work has cut her gas costs by
two-thirds. "I find that I'm able to get more done just because
I don't have all of the other distractions" that were in the
office, Evers says.

Employers who allow employees to work from home can expect
productivity gains of 10 to 20 percent, says Pat Katepoo, founder
of Hawaii-based WorkSolutions.com, which helps people negotiate
flexible work arrangements.

"Now that gas is going up so dramatically, I'm seeing a spike in
[interest in] telecommuting," Katepoo says. People are wondering,
"Why am I driving to a desk to do the same things I can do at a
desk in the next room?"

Read the full article:

Good reference for working from home

2005-09-17T14:20:00.000-04:00

The value of this site speaks for itself.

Wanted to share my find.

Future computers being modified

2005-09-16T12:07:00.000-04:00

to accomodate future telecommuters from more corporations.

I think this is an awesome idea and will allow more corporations to let their employees work from home. This is such a productive and good idea they're coming up with. Hewlitt Packard and Dell are in the process of designing a new computer which will accomodate corporations and restrict the amount of information on these personal PC's.

Computer makers like Hewlett-Packard and Dell said Thursday they’re paying close attention to their easy-to-tote laptop lines after a study forecast the number employees around the world who telecommute will increase nearly 36 percent by 2008 compared with last year.

The number of employees globally who telework at least one day a week is expected to rise 35.5 percent to 41.39 million, compared to 30.54 million in 2004, the Gartner study said. That would represent a 322 percent jump from the 9.8 million employees who telecommuted in 1998.

You should check out the article here

Benefits of allowing my employee telecommute?

2005-09-15T14:09:00.000-04:00

Telecommuting has been a win-win for both my company and most
importantly myself and my son. I find that I put in longer
hours than when I worked in the standard office and believe
me when I say, I am at my desk for the designated hours and
take my lunch when I'm supposed to. You discipline yourself
to stay with the rules of the office, because you need that
paycheck. You can't afford NOT to do it right.

1-800-flowers

2005-09-14T23:54:00.000-04:00

For Barbara, another day at the "office" means a few hours in an upstairs bedroom at home. She's an employee of 1-800-Flowers, but never leaves home. She does it all online.

"It's perfect," she says. "You can stand here and iron as calls come in. You just turn around and get right back to the computer." And Barbara says her start-up costs were minimal. "You need the computer set-up and you either need two phone lines or one phone line and DSL."

The rest is whatever she makes it. "I play with scrapbook stuff and you name it. You can sit here and work on laundry--and get paid for it," she says laughing.

This sounds interesting. Source:

I want to run my own FM radio station

2005-09-11T00:00:00.000-04:00

where I live. There are NO hip hop radio stations around here at all. I wonder what it would take to start one.

Helping hurricane survivors get new jobs.

2005-09-09T17:03:00.000-04:00

Katrina victims being offered the opportunity to telecommute. This employment firm is also offering free job advertising, searching for victims who might be in need of work as a way to help out. I think this is a fabulous idea.

Read the article here: