Do You Have A Paypal Account?

I got excited when my brother told me that he signed up for Paypal! I got excited for him because that meant that he now has another way to get income. But he doesn't see it that way. When he told me that he was signing up for paypal my thoughts thought of him getting "big-time" money. How? Well he is very knowledgeable about computers. He doesn't just know about computer programs but he also has a whole lot of experience at fixing them.

He said to me that the reason that he was signing up for paypal was for his ebay transactions and that was the only reason for him.

He explained to me that since he does fix computers his customers / clients would have to be of a "local" nature. Now I do agree that it would be quite cumbersome to have clients hundreds of miles away who want their computer fixed but he is not seeing it like I'm seeing it.

He could set himself up as a consultant and / or expert and answer people's questions about computers and be paid a fee for it - hence having the paypal account. There are so many consultants and experts who are doing exactly this very thing! Again - he doesn't see it that way.

I won't give up on trying to convince him though because this is a very great opportunity for him! He just can't see it yet!

If you have a paypal account you should seriously consider using it to get paid yourself. Almost everyone has an area of expertise and you should let that work for you. If you're having doubts about being able to accomplish this kind of thing then you should take a look at some of the websites that are doing this very same thing!

"Your Sign Here"

Since I am a 3D Beginner, I am a member of Renderosity.com which is a site for graphic artists (and even webdesign artists) of all kinds. I was looking throught their "free stuff" and saw a picture similar to the one above. (I couldn't use their actual photo without permission so that's why I didn't post it here - I made one of my own)

What came to my mind is that advertisers are ALWAYS looking for a place to advertise and why not online. I have read that online advertising is popular and becoming more and more popular!

Offline I remember I was watching a movie yesterday and during one of the scenes - which was a chase scene - I saw this great big Pepsi truck and I just knew that Pepsi paid a lot of money to have a truck with their logo in the movie! I have read about this type of thing in the newspaper - companies paying big bucks to advertise their products in the movies!

Online there have been people who have auctioned off theirself as advertising displays on Ebay! For instance one guy auctioned off his forehead as advertising space and he got over $37,000! for his efforts! The winning bid for advertising on his forehead was over $37,000 and the winning bidder was a company that makes some sort of snoring-related product.

If you're into graphics of any kind you could simply put a graphic such as this on your website as an invitation for advertisers who might want to advertise on your site!

Constructing the above graphic took me all of 5 minutes and that's not even including other kinds of ways that I could have enhanced the above graphic. I could have made the graphic animated, given it different kinds of colors and just so many other different kinds of ways that I could make it look more better.

Of course you would need a website but if you already have one then you could start there. If you don't have a website you can get one free because there are a lot of free webhosting sites that are out there. The reason why they are free?

Because they accept advertising!

I hope you are getting the hint here! That hint being that if other sites can solicit for advertisers - why can't you do the same thing?

"Relocation" Astrology

Now I myself do astrology readings but this is the first time that I have heard the term "relocation" astrology.

A relocation astrologer will help people by composing astrological charts for different locations to find a location that charts good results. I was just reading an article about one such astrologer who has a good client base and they work with online clients.

This is just yet another example of successfully being able to work online and have online clients. The astrologer mentioned that they loved doing this kind of work which is also a good example of taking something that one loves and turning it into a business.

If you think your own "work at home" idea may sound silly or impossible then don't forget this post.

Podcasting!

Well I am just all over the internet today! I'm visiting blogs and reading newsgroup threads...............posting to my AOL Journal.....and so on................

One of the things that I am currently working on is one of my podcasts for my local area.

This podcast of mine is relatively new and I'm still learning it. However I have some things already included on it so far. I have a public service announcement that I produced about my area's local firehouse. There are also a couple of other public service announcements that I got online and added to my podcast as well. I'm also working on adding music to my podcast but here is where you have to be careful! Unlike Live365 where you can add any music, my podcast's host doesn't allow just any type of music to be added - it has to do with copyright issues. But there is a site where you can download certain music and add it to your podcast.

I'm treating this podcast like my own little radio community talk show! It's like having your own talk show and being the host of your very own talk show!

Just think of the things that YOU could do with your very own talk show! Money and income-wise you could get advertsing and sponsorship for your show and since its YOUR show - you have control over what goes into it!

Now you may be thinking that it might just be too hard to produce and have your own podcast but to that I say just think of the possibilities that you could do!

My podcast (so far) consists of me recording to my computer and simply uploading the file to my podcast host site.

If you have had a chance to listen to podcasts on the Internet then you know that there is a whole lot of possibilites there!

So far hosting my podcast is not costing me a thing - except for my Internet access. And since I'm doing my income taxes now and having to report my Adsense income its also making me think of the possibilities of adding my podcast(s) as part of my self-employment business. When I do so there will be a lot of deductions that I will be able to take as part of this business!

So really think about starting your own podcast!

It's Time To Take A Little Bit Of Mystery Out Of The "Business Plan"!

One of the services that I provide for clients are customized / personalized business plans. However you don't really need to have someone create your business plan for you because you can do it yourself!

Basically speaking a business plan is simply a plan for your business. You can find websites that are online that have templates of business plans that you can download for free and adapt to the kind of business that you want to start.

You can even start your businessplan on your own by getting a blank piece of paper. At the top just write down the kind of business that you want to start. Then figure out how much you would have to make monthly in order to make a profit. Also list your expenses - and you don't have to know all of this right away because no business plan has to be absolute - you can change it as you go along.

Once you know what your expenses will be and how much you will have to make to make a profit you can go on from there.

Like I said before a business plan is a plan for your business and you will / can include both your expenses and income on it. Then you can add things like advertising costs and the other expenses that come with owning and operating a business.

There are quite a few businessplan software out there and there are probably some free ones that you can download for free. And again don't forget about the websites that are out there that have free business plan templates that you can download for free and adapt to your own business.

I have a business plan software that I use for my clients and it was "kinda" free because it came with my computer.

So if not having a business plan is holding you back just get on the internet and start searching.

Attention All Aspiring Singers, Songwriters and Artists!

I just read one of the most inspiring blog posts from a singer who is making her way in the world. She has CD's out and she is touring!

Many times I have advised those that want to be singers or actors that they have resources available to them that are right in front of them but they just don't see it!

There have been many aspiring artists who have decided to just pack up and move to Hollywood or New York hoping to have a career right away (and unfortunately a lot of them end up on the streets)

No matter where it is you live you have the makings of starting your own career as an artist. Just look at Myspace.com! MySpace even has it's own recording label! There have been some artists who have gotten recording contracts strictly on the basis of their music on their myspace page.

Computers have become so sophisticated now that one can record their own CD (and sell it!)

One of the things that fascinates me so is that one artist won a grammy for music that he produced entirely on the computer!

So if you think that it is hopeless to have a career in music then you should definitely read this blog article!

Comments Received

"You should post your singing talent at ~.com. (It) has many aspiring singers who are joining the website to show there (their) singing talents. It's like a Facebook for aspiring singers. Also read article on a internet magazine."

Your Career By Horoscope?

I'm going to post a link to an article that talks about career choices for people determined by their horoscope / astrological sign. I was very curious to see what mine said:

Cancer (June 22-July 22)

Your traits: Compassionate, energetic, intuitive and imaginative. Your sensitivity, loyalty and organizational skills make you an excellent *caregiver.

* - I was a caregiver to my mother and I have also worked as a nurse's aide.


Compatible jobs: Tap into your nurturing nature with a job in health care, social work, psychology or teaching. You might also consider a career in law, where your desire to protect and defend others would be put to good use.

Since I do a lot of grant research this really would come under the heading of social work because social workers do help those that are having problems. Like I noted above I have been a caregiver to my mother and I have also worked as a nurse's aide so I have done work in the health field. Psychologically speaking the work that I do with both grants and Dream Job Consulting helps to dispel the myth about what a person is capable of no matter what their circumstances are. You may be eligible for a grant to help you financial or you may be eligible for a grant to help you start your own business - but you will never know until you try. The same thing applies to people who are seeking their dream jobs - if you think that achieving your dream job is impossible then it will be. Chances are no matter what kind of dream job you want there is someone who is already doing it!

Jobs for This Sign:

• Social Service Worker: $45,461
  
  
• Public Defender: $83,442
  
  
• Adult Education Teacher: $43,763

To read this article and possibly find out what career is for you just click here

Dream Job - A Baby Sitter?

Someone recently sent me an email saying that their dream job was to be a babysitter in their own home.

Well there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with that!

As a Dream Job consultant I would have a lot of advice and tips for this person.

• First of all I would advise them to check out their own state's website to find out what the criteria is for people being able to take care of children in their own home. Sure you can provide babysitting services for a certain number of children without being considered illegal
  
  
• Secondly I would advise that this person look into operating as a official and licenced daycare business. Many grant recipients have received money to start their own daycare business. And some have even received grant funding to start their own daycare business in their home! I had one previous client who was looking for grant funding for her already licensed daycare business and I was able to find her over 10 pages worth of information about grant programs that her for-profit daycare business could apply for!
  
  
• There are so many other things that can be associated with operating a babysitting service that could generate additional revenues of income. You could start a babysitting blog or website and have a newsletter as well. Accept advertisers and sponsors who will pay to advertise on your online and offline sites! Join Adsense so that you can put ads on your online sites and start earning money when visitors to your online sites click on the adsense ads that appear on your site.

It's just like those wise old sages have said:

You are only limited by your imagination!

Please Remember To Have Some Fun!

Please do not be all work and no play!

Today is Saturday and I decided to have some fun with my computer! I'm going to enter one of Renderosity's Fractal Art contests. Here is a link to my "Fractal" site. Here is one of my fractal creations!



Even though I have decided to have fun today I still can't help but be in the working from home "mode" when I think about fractals. Everything is related - even my interest in creating fractals.

Here is a link to one of my past blog posts about fractals and how you could start your own business having to do with fractals. I did a quick google search and found that there is a business that creates fractal business cards!

You may not think so but you could start a business in almost ANY area that you could think of.

Want To Work From Home? Have You Thought Of Giving Ebay A Try?

There was a segment on my local news about a woman who runs a MILLION DOLLAR business selling on Ebay. What I found most interesting about her story is that she never thought that it would turn into such a profitable business!

Not only does she sell her own items but she sells other peoples' items as well. Of course she charges a percentage of what the item brings in and as well as she should because she is doing the work!

But this would be a very good idea for someone who wants to be able to work from home.

It doesn't take too much to belong to Ebay so that you can start selling on it. There are a few fees involved and you should find out more about them by going to the Ebay site.

Tips To Help You NOT Get Fired From Your Work At Home Job!

Here is a link to an online article about things that you should avoid when working from home.

Woman Starts Her Own Business

Here is a link to an online story about a woman who started her own toy rental business.

Usually this is a good success story about someone who was able to start their own business - however in this particular case she had some money from her other businesses to start her own business. So this is a lot different from the way I try to advise people who have little or no money to start their own business.

But there is a very interesting lesson to learn here. I, myself took a look at the article and what struck me as so interesting was the "comments" section below the article. It reminded me of the fact that no matter what kind of business you want to start there are going to be "naysayers" and those who are going to criticize you. I'm sure that this woman is laughing herself all the way to the bank!

Here is something for you to think about....

On my Grant Basics 101 Blog I currently have this widget at the bottom that currently says 215-MILLION people are currently on the Internet! If you think about that - that is a lot of people but more importantly that is the number of potential web traffic that YOU could have going to your website or blog.

I mention this because if you don't have one now, you really should have either a website or blog! There are many free webhosts and free blog sites around. I highly recommend that you start a free blog at Blogger.com. What is so great about Blogger.com is that you can create your own blog for free and you can also add adsense to your blog so that you can earn money when visitors to your blog click on the ads. Here is a link to a blog post about just how much money people have been making with Google's Adsense program.

Hopefully it will encourage to start your own website or blog.

Are You Good At Fixing Computers?

Then you might want to take a look at Fixya.com. As the name says it is a website that helps people with their computer problems. (They also provide assistance on other kinds of problems relating to other electronical and consumer equipment like refridgerator and washing machine repairs.) How it can help YOU is that they are offering you money if you become one of their "experts".

In their words:

"As a qualified Premium Assistance Expert, you'll have the opportunity to solve Premium Problems and participate in Premium Live Chats with other FixYa users - and earn cash for your solutions!".

You have to become a registered "expert" by registering with the site but so far it seems that registration is free.

Their payment process seems comparable to that of Adsense where your earnings are calculated over a 30 day period. You earn more by participating in live chats concerning computer (and other kinds of) repair. You can earn from $3 - $12 per "successful" (which means your solution has to be chosen) solution.

You can find out more about this by clicking here.

Are You Praying For A Financial Miracle?

I found this very interesting article about "Are You Praying For A Financial Miracle. I posted it on my Financial Basics blog.

So many people are looking and praying for a financial miracle. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't. Basically what this article is saying is that one should use their own talents to help achieve that "financial miracle" that they are looking for as opposed to just not doing nothing.

The article says that we all have gifts and talents of one sort or another and we should use them - spread our talents out to the world! And now with the Internet that is more possible than ever!

Take a good look at the article. Maybe it will help inspire and motivate you.

You Never Know Where More Money-Making Opportunities Will Come From

and I can use myself as an example of this.

As my profession I do a lot of grant research. I have participated in a lot of forums and message boards that have to do with grants, grant programs and just people seeking more information about grants and the grant process in general. This started me starting a blog called Grant Basics 101 - just because there were so many questions being asked about grant programs.

As I stated before I participate in a lot of forums and message boards that relate to people asking questions about grants. One such forum I have been particpating in for a few years now. Out of the blue I decided to visit this forum and there was a message in my inbox from one of the moderators of the forum who wanted to introduce a concept to some of the people that were actively participating and providing valuable and good advice (I'm flattered that they thought that I was doing so).

It is another potential good income source for me.

But I wanted to make the point that I never thought of this forum as a possible income or money-making source. Just goes to show you that you never know where an income or money opportunity will be coming from.

Do You Still Want To Be Able To Work From Home?

When I first started this blog about working from home there were not a lot of legitimate companies that were hiring people to work from home. I only knew of 2 such companies and I recommended them to my clients all the time!

However there is now an increasing number of companies (legitimate companies) that are looking for and hiring people who will work from their own home.

Some of these work at home opportunities consist of:

• you providing customer service for a company that is representing a number of legitimate businesses
  
  
• working as agents in sales, technical support and customer service
  
  
• working as virtual assistants who perform a variety of administrative and other business tasks from your home for clients

Please be aware that if you are seriously considering working from home, you should prepare yourself! You should research a company before you apply for a position to ensure it's legitimate. A little homework can help you avoid the many scams out there.

You also should make sure that you have the right computer equipment. Some of the things that you should consider adding to your home office include having a high-speed Internet connection, mobile phone, printer and other related items.

If you would like a listing of these "Work At Home" companies you can submit a $20 payment via the "Buy Now" button on the side of this blog.

Please specify that you want to pay for the "Working From Home" company list!

What Is Your Wealth Potential?

Here is an interesting little quiz that I found on the Internet. It is a quiz to find out what your wealth potential is.

I took it and here is my result:

Smiles, winks, anything of that nature is what puts extra bucks in your bank account. Take life and its knocks with style and you will see a payoff. You can make more money using your sense of fun than you can with any other skill you develop. Keep in mind that you do need skills; we all need skills. However, you do not have to make a big display about what you can do. Go after situations that will make you look good.

It seems like its saying that my "flirting" is my way to success!

10 Ways To Make Money On The Internet!

I have to give credit to this site for reminding me of what I wanted to blog about today. The blog talks about 10 different ways that you can make money online. I was particularly interested in "sell your expertise".

Have you ever heard of Dr. Wayne Dyer? He gives very inspirational talks and one of the things that I remember him saying is that one should "sell their expertise". Almost everyone is good at something. You may not think that you have any talents but more than likely you do have something that you are an expert at! The story that I like to cite most often is the story about two guys who used to mooch off of people. When they ran out of people to mooch off of they wrote a book about how to mooch off of other people. Now they have their own beachhouse!

Can You Make A Living As A Poet?

This was a reply to someone who was looking for work as a poet.

---

A "company that needs a poet"? Have you tried greeting card companies? You should also think about investing in a copy of "The Writer's Market Handbook" - it lists publishers and what they are looking for in the way of submissions.

Have you considered songwriting? That is related to poetry and artists are always looking for good material.

If you are looking for a way to "commercialize" your poetry you might want to take a look at this blog.

Here is a quick excerpt that I got off the internet:

"Let me give you the upshot of this book in a quick thumbnail. Yes, it is possible to make a living as a poet, no matter what your mother told you. But you must remember two important points if you want to make a living as a poet: first, you will not make a living at writing poetry. Second, you must do something no one has ever done before.

This book is full of examples of people who make a living (or part of a living) as poets, and the ways they do so. And none of them make their living by sitting in their garrets inscribing verse. They all find ways to get out into the community and sell themselves, AS POETS, as a commodity that people are willing to buy. "