Blogs

Hi ladies!

This is a post I recently wrote on my blog. Hope this helps someone:

• Get a fabulous and effective website. By having a design that's professionally created (or at least looks like it), you'll gain credibility- and it's not as expensive as you might imagine. Two options to consider: 1) Use a theme that everyone and their grandma isn't using, or 2) Use a little money to hire a designer to modify an available, free theme.
• Be serious about SEO (search engine optimization). Whatever business you're in, you don't want to spend a lot of time looking for clients/customers- you want to use your time to make money. If you take the time to work on your SEO, your name (or business's) will come up higher in search results; so, when someone is searching for the service/product you offer, they'll be more likely to choose you first.
• Create compelling copy. You want the words on your website to convince others to purchase your product or service. However, it can be hard for you to write about how awesome you are, so you may want to think about hiring a copywriter. He or she can objectively convey why individuals should choose you.
• Convey your brand to others. It's easier to form a brand following when you can "piggy-back on top of an exisiting brand." And with blogging being so popular, gaining recognition is pretty simple- one way to do this is by writing guest posts on other blogs.
• Make a product to establish your authority. Having a product or download shows prospective clients that you know what you're doing. A couple of options: Write an ebook, or provide a free download that's related to your business's experience.

Check out more business and writing tips on Mocha Writer's Blog.

Happy Branding!

All of the major search engines use link popularity to determine how well a site will rank. The more high quality, relevant links that lead to your site, the higher your site will rank. Being listed in our Wedding Vendor Directory is a great opportunity to increase your search engine ranking. The basic listing in our Wedding Vendor Directory is for 1 year (365 calendar days). All listings are by category and are listed in alphabetical order. The listing includes business name, contact information and a link to your website. If you would like a basic listing in our directory please complete this questionnaire.

Thanks,

Stephanie LaRae

Soulful Engagements

We’ve asked some of the most experienced public relations professionals to share their secrets on how to market a company on a small budget. Here are some of the best ways to use social media and word-of-mouth marketing to gain a competitive advantage in this tough economy. stated Senior Writer, Linsey Knerl

If I asked you what the top priorities in your life were, I'm sure there'd be many different responses. Your family, your children, your grandchildren, your business, your finances---these are all valid and extremely important. However, no matter who you are or what you do, your health should indeed be your number one priority. Why? Because without your health, you have nothing at all.

Read the full article by following this link: http://blackdoctor.org/articles1.aspx?counter=37281

Find more information at: www.blackdoctor.org

In addition to the fact that no matter how hard you work or how successful your business is, it’s nearly impossible to convince your friends, family and especially your parents that you actually have a job, working from home has some other challenges.

The overall key to success is to realize that your home is set up for your personal life, not your professional life. At the office you have all the resources you need to get your job done; at home, you have to decide between what you need, what you can afford and what space allows. At work you have co-workers; at home you have family.

If you’re new to or are considering telecommuting or working from home, here are some ideas to help you get off to a good start:

1. Set up a designated office – even if it’s just part of a room. When you walk in that area, consider yourself to be punching-in for the day. Make sure the rest of your family respects this area and treats it as your “Corporate Headquarters.” Set up your office hours and stick with them. This will help you distinguish between your personal and professional life and prevent you from getting sidetracked by non-work-related distractions.
   
2. Designate one outside space or third space as an alternative office or meeting space. Some people use coffee shops; others actually rent office and meeting space by the hour. While etiquette experts say it’s fine to work from home, clients may feel uncomfortable when asked to meet at your home (unless you have a separate office space with a separate entryway). Whether it’s the local coffee shop, or even better, a rent-by-the-hour meeting and office space, meeting with clients on the outside of your home office creates a professional impression while still allowing you to retain the freedom of the work-at-home lifestyle.
   
3. While one of the much-touted advantages of working at home is the ability to work in your pajamas, avoid that temptation and get dressed. Getting dressed symbolizes the beginning of the day and helps get you into work mode.
   
4. Install a separate telephone line for your business. If this is not possible, answer your phone in a professional manner during your business hours.
   
5. Avoid isolation by joining professional organizations, chambers of commerce, or a business networking groups. Also, consider renting space occasionally or even once a week from temporary office space providers.
   
6. Meet people face-to-face every so often. Even though technology has enabled us to work in virtual space, the power of the face-to-face encounter cannot be underestimated. If you have co-workers, go to lunch. If you work for yourself, be sure to find others who do the same and meet regularly for coffee or lunch.
   
7. Get broadband cable or DSL. These services are no longer considered luxuries. Your clients and colleagues expect you to have fast Internet access and the ability to view rich websites and receive large files in your email.
   
8. Consider going wireless. Why tie yourself down to one corner of your office? A wireless router and card for your laptop can be had for around $100 and will give you great flexibility. Once you have a card, you can stay connected while on the road by stopping by one of the growing number of wireless “Hotspots” available in cafes, hotels and airports.
   
9. Protect yourself. Make sure you have the latest anti-virus software and keep it updated. Anti-spy software is now just as critical as anti-virus software. Lavasoft’s Ad-aware and Spybot Search and Destroy can both be downloaded for free at download.com. Also, consider a personal firewall. Zonealarm, McAfee, and Symantec are just a few of the popular packages available.
   
10. Consider hiring your own personal “computer geek.” You have a plumber, electrician, and a handyman to maintain and fix all of your household appliances, so why treat your computer any differently? Computer technicians typically charge from $65 to $125 per hour (just like a plumber) and offer a range of services from keeping your computer and software up to date to installing wireless networks and firewalls. Best of all, they come to you in your home office. Call someone BEFORE you lose your hard drive so that they can be ready for any unforeseen events.
    

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We live in tough times. Those who are not unemployed are under-employed. Many people agonize between taking a second job and family time. My goal is to share with you some resources that allow you to earn extra income for your family from the comfort of your own home on your schedule.

1. Demand Studios

www.demandstudios.com

They have many different employment opportunities that range from Writers, Editors, Title Editors, Filmmakers, and more. They are usually hiring for certain positions at certain times so you have to keep your eyes peeled. As a writer you can make between $7.50-$20.00 per 150-500 word article. You do not have to be a prolific writer or have a background in writing to get accepted. Most articles are in a “How to” format. So, if you are the type that enjoys learning something new and then explaining it to someone else then this could be a fun work for you. Most of their content goes on eHow.com or LiveStrong.com.

Let’s say you have a trip you want to take in a month. Just decide how many articles you would have to write a day to reach your goal. They pay by Paypal every Wednesday and Friday. There is no payment threshold that you have to meet either. If you have money in your account, you will get paid. They currently have thousands of titles to choose from in the system and you can reserve up to ten at a time.

2. Live Work

www.livework.com

This is mostly like a running projects board for a company called LiveOps (which I will discuss later on). Live Work has many different projects that you can bid on. Many are data entry and task-oriented. You work as much as you want. There really is a wide-variety of work available there.

3. Leapforce

www.leapforceathome.com

They are a vendor for Google. Once you are accepted in the program you log-in to the Google interface and rate websites. Google wants their searches to be relevant. They use human raters to rate whether the content is worthy or spam. At the time of this writing, they pay $11.50 an hour.

4. Textbroker

www.textbroker.com

This is a great place to earn extra income if you want to write on simple projects. They pay is much less, but the projects are easy to write on.

5. Liveops

www.liveops.com

If you want more human interaction, then you might want to consider LiveOps. LiveOps is an at home call service that you dial into while in the comfort of your own home. You will have to make a weekly schedule, but you will never have to commute anywhere. All calls are inbound from people responding to infomercials and you basically take their ordering information while being logged into the LiveOps system. They pay is around $9.50 but you do earn commission for different products sold.

Wrapping it up

Hopefully, this list will get you started thinking about ways to supplement your income. This resource is also good for Stay-at-home moms that are looking for ways to earn so money without being on a tight schedule.

Content reprinted with permission from ChristianPF.com

As a freelance writer, I help entrepreneurs and small business owners develop their businesses. I do this by writing articles, blog posts, website content, press releases and more.

This month, I have a special going on:

Purchase one service, and get the second one half off!

If this is something that interests you, please contact me at jamiefleming@mochawriter.com, or leave me your email in the comments below, and I will contact you.

Check out all the services I offer, samples of previous work and testimonials from clients on my website, mochawriter.com.

Have a fabulous and blessed week, everyone! ^_^

~Jamie (Mocha Writer)