Phantom Computer

So last night at about midnight my Skype turned on by itself and I freaked out. I get up to check what the issue was. I noticed my mouse was moving across the screen in little patterns and loopty loops. my natural reaction of course is to freak out some more.

I own a Dell Studio One 19 which is a touch screen computer that I purchased for ease when designing. However, my pen tablet is more useful as the screen is too sensitive. I decide to get up and see what the heck is wrong with my mouse, I figured the batteries were dying or my cell phone was too close as it makes the mouse move sometimes.

Low and behold there is some flying bug (no bigger than those big black ants) walking across my screen. I don't shut my computer off so it was attracted to the light of the screen. HAHA! I was laughing so hard I almost fell over. A tiny little bug had turned on my Skype and deleted some stuff off my word document (thank god for undo) and was just trailing along clicking things. Crazy!

What Can Go Wrong Will Go Wrong

Good evening everyone!! Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems like murphey's law. A majority of my clients are out of town so I had a relatively easy day. I thought "well I will just use this time to focus on building my business". This involves searching for an effective CRM and building my site. All goes well until BAM!!! My Internet goes out!!! I usually get about 2 days a month where I have enough free time to get my stuff together.

So, naturally I am without connection to the Internet except from my iPhone where I am actually writing this now. Right now my office is ran out of my bedroom closet on a pc and MacBook. It's stuffy as it is and my first goal is to buy a bigger house with an extra room for an office.

Of course without the opportunity to focus on getting my business together, it's a pipe dream. Like my dad says "if hopes and dreams were nickles and dimes, I'd be rich!" I guess I tend to get on a roll and then I get out of the groove if some obstacle hits. My goal for the month is to spend 3 hours a week on my business idea regardless of the obstacles.

We Are Not On Call!

Ok today was seriously rediculous. Why do people feel that freelancers are like doctors; on call 24/7. It is amazing how clients feel that you should do whatever they need at the exact moment they need it. However, when it comes to your requests to meet to go over the project, they are never around and then blame you for not being productive.

I usually set a specific block of time per client each day in an attempt to be efficient and organized. However, set backs like this cause shifts and delays. My suggestion to all other freelancers is to create an agreement each time you take on a new project or client that requires them to adhere to rules you set.

The first one should explain that you are allotted a certian amount of time to perform the task. Another key point should explain that if they do not respond to your requests within 24-36 hours you obtain the right to terminate the working relationship without issuing a refund.

Time Management For Work At Home Moms

I know all too well that being a work at home mom is an extraordinary feat. Your family seems to think that if you work from a computer all day that you are just sitting around. On the contrary! I work from home and am a student so my time is minimal. To add to my stress, my spouse is laid off and I am the sole bread winner.

This means I work 60 hour weeks and bring home just enough to skim by and have just enough time to get average grades. Unfortunately, before I realized how to manage my time, I missed out on a large chunk of my children's milestones. The most important thing to do when working from home is to achieve balance.

Here are 3 tips for getting the most out of your time:

1.) Don't Accept Underpayment
I know how it can be to be desperate and take any job that is thrown your way. i realized just how fast a person can burn out this way. NEVER accept less than you are worth. My work on ODesk has proven to be tough because I am competing with overseas workers who charge a substantial amount less than I can afford. Someone once told me "act your wage" and once I did I was able to make more and work a little less.

2.) Utilize Break Time
It is always important to take breaks from your work so you can refresh. Even if it is a 10 minute break take that time to read your children a story or pick up the kitchen. 10 minutes seems like a lifetime to kids and you will be able to cherish your time with them.

3.) Remember You Are Human
My first downfall was pretending to be Superwoman and assign myself so many tasks that I was falling behind and losing more clients than I should have. Keep track of how much you are able to accomplish when you apply no more than 10 hours a day to work. You will be able to create a realistic schedule without burning yourself out.

Software such as Microsoft Outlook or Central Desktop are great tools for organizing your time and gaining more balance in your life!

It's Been A While!!

Ok so it's been a while is an understatement!! Two years is definitely a long while! So a lot has happened since my last post (obviously). Odesk turned out to be a bigger success than I imagined. My initial tagline was geared towards following me on my journey to find work.

Well I found work and am in a different area in my life, so now it is geared towards following me in my journey of building my success from the ground up! I am a few steps closer but not where I want to be fully. I have an Associate's in Business and a Bachelor's in Design, and am now enrolled for a Master's in IT Project Management.

I still live in a dinky town with my family and we make it by in the economy, but I want more for my family and that is on the To-Do list!

I am organizing my time, what with three kids and my work, so I will be posting more soon.

My First Job/Project!!!!!

i landed my first project on odesk as an industry researcher. I will be calling companies to verify that thier contact information and so on is correct. BTW i landed it through odesk.com like i said it is a good site.

i have also decided to start my own virtual assistant business so keep in touch to see how that goes!!!!!!!!!!

I had two interviews

I had two interviews yesterday, one was great the other not so great. the first interview i had was with a freelance job i applied for on odesk. it was done via chat and i think i did a very good job and hope to land that project.

the second one was for PMI http://www.phonemagicinc.com/frame_set.html

some advice if you land an interview, which if you call the number it will give you his cell phone which is the best contact method.

be prepared to give a 'from the top of your head script' he asked me to 'wow' him and when i was put on the spot to create a speal i froze and giggled (DO NOT DO THAT) he is very easy going. he asked aboutmy hobbies, and past experience. he was very interested when i mentioned telemarketing experience, but you will actually be setting appointments for him.

he is hiring at the moment so give it a try and see what happens.



p.s. some of you may call me crazy for helping the competition but i feel that soon my karma will be returned, and if i feel that i didnt get the job, then why deprive other wahmers from succeeding.

Ameriplan Scam and Odesk is Cool (so far)

Craigslist job postings
job #664790056
job # 624708340

i applied for both and they were from a company with bad reviews and noo proof of payment the company is AmeriPlan

here is a link to a review on them http://www.associatedcontent.com/subject/article/ameriplan

ok and i also think you guys should check out Odesk.com it is a lot like elance but it is free and has quite a few mor eoptions for you as well.

A cool blog to check out that i have found very useful is www.workathomespace.com they have a varity of telecommuting job sites

HOT LEAD!!!!!

America Inbound has a telephone secretary position available. they are based out of bloomington indiana, and they have a few openings, thier number is 800-322-6445. or you can fill out an application through thier website (thats how i did it). good luck!

Where I am at now

A look at where I am at so far will how you that I currently work for Associated Content. Although I enjoy doing this, I want other opportunities to expand my earning potential. My CP page is listed on the right.

I have also applied at about.com and am waiting on a word from them…………please pray for me.

So far here is a list of companies I have sent resumes to…………and you should try as well.

Microsoft

Air Products and Chemicals Inc.

1800flowers

Virtual Assistants

Tutor.com

Keyforcash

If you have any leads please let me know, but please no GPT or any other wasteful sites!!!!

The Beginning..........

This is probably my thirtieth try at beginning to be a stay at home mom but so what. I am going to embark on a journey to become a wahm simply because it is what i prefer. although i have pulled clumps of hair out numerous times, i am still intent on trying. i will be posting leads and anything that may be helpful. I also want to specify that no advertisements will be posted unless they are free or resourcefull. I do not believe in posting clickbank or any other junk like that.

i want to help people not hassle or confuse them. i hope that you can learn from my trial and errors to better your work at home search.

i hope you enjoy it.........