Sarahha Maker

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Wednesday, 2 September 2009

Russia Ball anyone?

Posted on 18:02 by Unknown
Today, I taught my oldest child and one of her friends one of my favorite childhood games, Russia Ball. Why it’s called that, I have no idea, as there’s nothing inherently Russian about it. Basically, the game involves tossing the ball into the air and catching, with variations. It can be played with one or more people, which makes it a great solitary game as well as a fun group game.

I practiced Russia Ball for hours on my own as a kid. And, years later, I can still do it very well, if I do say so myself. So I got to thinking, does working from home and my childhood experience with Russia Ball have anything in common?

First, Russia Ball and working from home takes practice. Sometimes we catch the ball right away and sometimes we have to lunge to make the catch, only to miss the ball completely. Don’t be discouraged when you make a mistake related to your at-home work. Maybe you lost a client or maybe you had to put in extra hours on a project because something went wrong. You can do it, you might just have to go about it a different way than you had originally thought.

Second, Russia Ball and working from home takes patience. I had to develop patience with myself as I learned how to perform the routines necessary to perfect Russia Ball. Sometimes, we need a lot of patience when performing our at-home jobs. Be persistence and patient, especially when starting your business.

Third, Russia Ball and working from home takes persistence. Doing the same routines over and over again until I had mastered the skills necessary to play the game well took persistence. I spent many a summer’s eve outside banging the ball against the sidewalk in an attempt to “win” the game. That persistence is what’s necessary to be successful with your at-home work, too.

So when you’re feeling discouraged with your home-based business, take a minute to recall your favorite childhood game and the practice, patience and persistence you needed to perfect that game. Then use that memory as a way to encourage you to get right back into the swing of things.

Until next time,


Sarah

PS: If you're interested in finding out how to play Russia Ball, send me an e-mail through my contacts page and I'll send the instructions.
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Posted in Hired at Home, Russia Ball, Sarah Hamaker, Working from home | No comments

Friday, 21 August 2009

25 Million Freelancers and Counting

Posted on 13:08 by Unknown
As a freelance writer and editor, I’m always interested in reading about how freelancing is growing in the United States. For instance, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that there are around 25 million freelancers in the country. Another recent survey finds that approximately 20 percent of employed Americans (one in five) work as freelancers or for themselves.

A recent blog on The New Entrepreneur (on Business Week’s Web site) talks about the “rise of the freelancer,” and how “freelancing is a permanent condition of our economy, not a temporary condition caused by the most recent economic crisis. … Freelancing has been on the rise for decades.”

The blogger writes that “these new freelancers have been celebrated for their independence and entrepreneurial spirit. They are the living example of Adam Smith’s economic actor. They live in the neo-liberal land of our new economy, beholden to no one and rising only by pluck and luck. There is no safety net, most labor laws do not cover them, and they have no benefits--only opportunities. They survive and thrive by their own wits.

“But freelancing is risky. The average freelancer takes no vacations, is scared of the future, and is always frantic to find the next gig. Freelancers do not balance work and family, instead they blend the two into a hybrid lifestyle. Much of the economic risk has been shifted to them and they feel it.”

I can personally attest to the difficulty in keeping my work life separate from my home life—and being a stay-at-home mother of four young children makes that a feat worthy of any circus some days! There’s the inevitable business calls around the lunch or dinner hour, especially since I often talk with article sources who live in different time zones. Nothing like a screaming toddler in the background to make you feel like a not-so-professional person!

But I’ve found most people have been very understanding of my work-from-home limitations, that sometimes there is that childish laughter or screaming when I pick up the phone (usually that starts after I answer, otherwise, I let the voice-mail pick up for me!). To me, this type of article is very encouraging, as it seems to point out the many opportunities there are for freelancers of every ilk and also how commonplace it is for a freelancer to call his office home, too.

Until next time,

Sarah
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Posted in freelance, Hired at Home, Sarah Hamaker, Working from home | No comments

Friday, 14 August 2009

Health Care and Self-Employed Taxes

Posted on 11:22 by Unknown
Recently, I came across this Business Week article ("The New EntrepreneurThe Self-Employment Tax: Into the Swamp") that talked about how the current health-care reform bills would impact self-employed workers who purchase health care. While I am covered under my husband's employer-provided plan, it was enlightening to read about the percentage the self-employed are taxed on healthcare premiums.

The article is also a very lucid description of how the self-employed (those who receive 1099 forms as contract workers) pay taxes. I highly recommend reading it--it certainly opened my eyes to exactly how my taxes are figured out and at what rate they are paid.

Check it out at http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/running_small_business/archives/2009/08/the_self-employ.html.
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Posted in Contract work, health care, Hired at Home, Sarah Hamaker, taxes, Working from home | No comments

Friday, 17 July 2009

Worker, Beware

Posted on 12:26 by Unknown
Once again, there's another article about work-from-home scams, this one in a recent Washington Times edition (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/13/ads-for-big-money-can-just-be-scams/). The article beings as follows:

"The ads are everywhere: in your mailbox, online or tacked to telephone poles in your neighborhood.

They all make similar promises. Earn big money! Work at home!

With unemployment at a 25-year high and even people with seemingly secure jobs feeling uneasy, it can be tempting to respond to offers to turn your computer into a cash machine or help you earn big money for doing simple tasks. There are some legitimate work-at-home opportunities, but there are also countless scams that could cost you money — and even get you into trouble."

Just a friendly reminder to thoroughly check out any job before committing to it--and especially if the company asks for upfront money!

Until next time,

Sarah
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Posted in Hired at Home, Sarah Hamaker, Work-from-home Scams, Working from home | No comments

Thursday, 9 July 2009

Blogging About Life

Posted on 11:40 by Unknown

I've begun blogging about, well, life at StageOfLife.com under Raising a Family and Home Ownership. It's a relatively new site that has some interesting info, so check it out.

Until next time,


Sarah
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Posted in Hired at Home, Sarah Hamaker, Stage of Life, Working from home | No comments

Monday, 6 July 2009

Veggie Stories

Posted on 08:00 by Unknown
This growing season, I have the opportunity to blog about my CSA (community-supported agriculture) and the bounty I receive each week for the Washington Post’s food blog. Along with others who are CSA members, we talk about that week’s produce and what we will or will not be doing with it. Check it out at http://voices.washingtonpost.com/all-we-can-eat/csa-scout/csa-scout-when-a-farm-needs-to.html.

Until next time,

Sarah
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Posted in Hired at Home, Sarah Hamaker, Washington Post CSA Blog, Working from home | No comments

Wednesday, 1 July 2009

Is Now a Good Time to be a Contract Worker?

Posted on 11:38 by Unknown

A recent Business Week article (“Now Hiring: Contract Workers?”) seems to indicate that more firms are hiring contract workers instead of permanent employees, which can be great news for those of us who work from home. May employment data shows that businesses are keeping or hiring contract employees while staying wary of hiring full-time workers.

Something to think about if you’re looking for ideas to work from home. I’ll discuss specific ideas relating to contract work in the upcoming July “At Home News” e-newsletter, which you can sign up for free by clicking on the newsletter button at the top of the page.

Until next time,

Sarah

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Posted in Contract work, Hired at Home, Sarah Hamaker, Working from home | No comments
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