Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Adult Education Instructor

Each Thursday, I highlight a work-from-home job or business.

Position: Adult education instructor

Education: Most program require teachers to have at least a bachelor’s degree. For public school teaching, licenses through the state could be required.

Skills: The ability to communicate to adults and out-of-school youths in reading, writing, speaking English, and math to equip the students to solve problems, improve job opportunities and further their education.

Job outlook: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says job opportunities should be favorable, particularly for teachers of English to speakers of other languages. “Employment of adult literacy and remedial education teachers is expected to grow by 15 percent through 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations,” according to the BLS. Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.

Possible employers: Universities, community colleges, municipalities adult education programs, churches and nonprofit organizations. You could even advertise your private tutoring services online and through some of these organizations.

Preparation: Make sure your license, if applicable, is up-to-date. Take some classes to brush up on the latest teaching techniques if you haven’t taught in a few years. Practice your class material on friends and family to help iron out any kinks in your presentations.
Get your foot in the door: Consider offering to teach one class section for free. Audit a few classes with the group with which you want to teach.

Until next time,

Sarah

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Password Protection

If you're like me, thinking up inventive--and potentially hack-resistant--passwords for all your online accounts and websites can be taxing and time-consuming. ReadWrite Enterprises has a solution, outlined in "Why Using 2 or 3 Simple Words May Be the Best Password Protection of All."

Hackers access accounts by using a variety of methods, such as guessing (which is why birthdays, anniversaries, etc. do not make good passwords), scams, trial-and-error (entering in various passwords), dictionary approach (using all words in the dictionary) and listing common words.

While most IT professionals advocate complex words and symbols as passwords, most of us can't remember those and end up writing down our passwords, which defeats the whole purpose of passwords.

The author recommends stringing together three common words, such as "this is fun," as your password. Also having your provider put in place delays when entering wrong passwords, such as only being able to enter a password every five seconds and 10 wrong passwords locks you out for an hour, can further strengthen your password protections.

So toss out the old, complex and hard-to-recall passwords and try three simple words together. You might find it easier to remember and more fun to type in to your accounts.

Until next time,

Sarah

 

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Work-From-Home Job Spotlight: Accountant/Bookkeeper

Each Thursday, I will highlight a work-from-home job or business.

Position: Accountant or bookkeeper

Education: Most accountant or bookkeeping jobs require at least a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field. Having professional recognition through certification or licensure, especially a CPA (certified public accountant) can translate into more job opportunities.

Skills: Accounting skills encompass bookkeeping, payroll, tax filings, tax returns, tax advice, generating financial statements, and accounting for profit and loss. You can specialize in audit, budget analysis, financial, management or tax accounting.

Job outlook: The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says job opportunities for accountants and bookkeepers should be favorable. “Must faster than average employment growth [from 2008 to 2018] will result from an increase in the number of businesses, changing financial laws and regulations, and greater scrutiny of company finances,” according to the BLS. Check out the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook for more details.

Possible employers: Small businesses and local companies probably offer freelance accountants the best opportunities for at-home employment. Try cold calling or searches through online job boards, such as Craig’s List, for specific companies looking for accountants or bookkeepers.

Preparation: Make sure your certifications and/or licenses are up-to-date. Brush up your resume, highlighting your accounting or bookkeeping skills. Gather references from previous or current employers in this field.

Get your foot in the door: Consider offering to work for free on a small project or a few hours of accounting or bookkeeping. Even if the company doesn’t end up hiring you, you might be able to garner a current reference. Also ask if the company knows of any other business that might need a part-time accountant or bookkeeper.

Until next time,

Sarah

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9 Customer Service Trends for 2011

Recently, research firm Mintel revealed its consumer trends for 2011. The following is an excerpt from the press release detailing those trends.


While consumers are still reeling from the aftershock created by the global economic crisis, lessons have been learnt, behaviours changed and consumer adaptability has created a new way of life. With that in mind, Mintel predicts nine key consumer trends for the year ahead, examining how long term behaviour has been implicated. In 2011, consumers are living for the long term with attitudes inspired by a changed value set.

1. Prepare for the worst. With a heightened sense of what economic collapse looks like thanks to the global recession, a renewed emphasis on prevention will drive consumers to think defensively.

2. Retail rebirth. With online experiences developing rapidly, for bricks and mortar retailers, discounting is a no-win battle against the internet.
3. Where its app. With smartphones becoming the dominant mobile force, QR codes and app technology will pique interest, provide portals into unique experiences and improve our quality of life.

4. No degree, no problem. Economic uncertainty has changed the workplace and the meaning of job security for the foreseeable future.

5. On her own terms. Women are earning and learning more than men, creating new gender roles in business and consumerism.
6. Retired for hire. People are working beyond retirement – either due to financial need, or because they have grown attached to a lifestyle of leisure and pleasure.
7. The big issue. Our attitude toward weight is polarising, pitting the rise of the super-healthy against the eternal appeal of indulgence.

8. Garden state. Modern city dwellers have a growing love of gardening and a need for nature and with fresh, organic produce still economically out of reach for many, consumers are finding their own ways to bring healthy home.
9. Who needs humans? As we move into an ever more digital era, automated technology has machines replacing people – for better or worse.

Food for thought as we look at how our work-from-home businesses will fare this year.

Until next time,

Sarah

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Stay-at-home Moms Denied Credit?

The Federal Reserve is proposing a rule to clarify the new Credit Card Act that could have unintended consequences for stay-at-home moms who attempt to get credit at retail locations. The Weekly Standard wrote that the act appears to require retailers to consider an applicant's independent income, rather than household income, meaning that those without income could find themselves denied credit.

The Standard quoted a Wall Street Journal article that elaborated on the situation: " Under the proposed rule, if a customer with no income requested credit on the spot, he or she wouldn't qualify for it unless a higher-earning spouse applied jointly.

“The proposed clarification would have a chilling effect on the willingness of customers to apply for store credit because of the embarrassment of being denied credit at the point-of-sale, and the possibility of being told by a store clerk in front of other customers that she must have her husband co-sign for the account.”

As a stay-at-home mom who works from home but that doesn't receive a regular paycheck--and one who couldn't "prove" that I have independent income apart from my husband--this is rather chilling to read. Such changes as this would yank us back into the 1950s and 1960s--and earlier--where women could not conduct financial matters without their husband's permission.

Hopefully, this rule will not become permanent.

Until next time,

Sarah

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New Employment Projections

Every Wednesday this year, this blog will examine a different work-from-home job or business, giving a description and some ideas to help you embark on that endeavor. Today, we will briefly look at what the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) predicts about employment trends.

A BLS press release from December 2009 contains projections for the 2008 to 2018 period. Total employment is projected to increase by 15.3 million, or 10.1 percent, during the 2008-18 period. The projections show an aging and more racially and ethnically diverse labor force, and employment growth in service-providing industries. More than half of the new jobs will be in professional and related occupations and service occupations. In addition, occupations where a postsecondary degree or award is usually required are expected to account for one-third of total job openings during the projection period.

Projected employment growth is concentrated in the service-providing sector, continuing a long-term shift from the goods-producing sector of the economy. From 2008 to 2018, service-providing industries are projected to add 14.6 million jobs, or 96 percent of the increase in total employment. The two industry sectors expected to have the largest employment growth are professional and business services (4.2 million) and health care and social assistance (4 million).

Three of the 10 detailed industries projected to have the most employment growth are in professional and business services: management, scientific, and technical consulting; computer systems design; and employment services. Altogether, these three industries are expected to add 2.1 million jobs. Four of the top 10 gainers are in health care and social assistance industries. Employment in offices of physicians, home health care, services for the elderly and persons with disabilities, and nursing care facilities is expected to grow by 2 million.
This means that work-from-home businesses and jobs could thrive, given that most of those businesses are in the service-providing sector. Next Wednesday, we will take a look at accounting and bookkeeping from home.

Until next time,

Sarah

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Blog Intregration

When you have an at-home job or business that you need to promote, blogging should be one tool in your marketing arsenal. "How to Integrate Your Blog With Your Marketing and Social Media Strategy" from Network Solutions offers several good ways to make your blog promote your business.

Create an editorial schedule for your blog, linking in your other marketing efforts. Use regular features or interviews to supplement the information to keep your readers coming back.

Use social media to support your blog and vice versa. Set it up so that your blog posts automatically feed into your social media. Insert an RSS feed to make sharing your blog quick and easy. Request comments from readers about your blog.

These are a few of the ways you can use your blog as an integral part of your marketing plan.

Until next time,

Sarah

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To Do List Management

I love making lists, whether it's a to-do list, or a what-to-save-for list, even grocery lists are fun if I remember to cross off the items as I put them in the shopping cart. But when your to-do list has to do with your business, keeping up with the tasks can mean an inflow of cash.

"Five Tips for Managing Your To-Do List" in the Wall Street Journal has some good ideas to keep on track with the to-do list. Keep one on paper. While electronic lists can be helpful, maintaining them can become a distraction, as you worry about color-coding things or grouping tasks together. A small notebook or legal pad might be a better way for you to map out your tasks.

Check out the article for a few more ways to keep on task when working on your business-related to-do list.

Until next time,

Sarah

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Tips for Starting a New Business

If you've put "start a new business" on your New Year's Resolution list, read "Thinking About Starting a Business in 2011? Read This First." The article from the National Federation of Independent Businesses lists several trends that will effect start-ups.

For example, pick a business that has low input, or startup, costs. That will help you to maximize your profits while slowly building your business.

Find out what are the must-have products or services. NFIB lists chocolate and alcohol as products that are doing well in the current economic environment. Repair services for various electronics, appliances and other goods also are doing well because people are hanging on to items longer.

Read the rest of the article for more information on why 2011 might be the best year for you to begin your own at-home business.

Until next time,


Sarah

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