As more and more people (women are leading the exodus) look for ways to earn extra money from home, a common question is “Where do you look for these virtual jobs?”  Although you may find a few listed in Monster and Hotjobs, the majority of them can be found through fee-based services like  Sohojobs, or free services such as Craigslist and Virtual Assistant Jobs.  You can also find openings and requests for virtual professionals through free organizations such as Virtual Assistant Forums after you’ve become an active participant and contributor to the forum.

Speaking of Virtual Assistant Jobs, they have just posted a whole host of jobs that you or someone you know may qualify for some of the positions. They have current Work at home jobs and projects for:

• General Office Support
• Resume Writers
• Admin Specialists
• Customer Service Reps
• Customer Service Agents
• Data Entry Researchers
• Keyers
• Data Entry Specialists
• and many others….

You can take a look at the specifics by visiting: http://www.virtualassistantjobs.com/job_listings.php

Registration is FREE and only takes a second. There is no fee to apply or be hired however hiring employers do require the following:

• Must provide at least three references (they will be checked)
• Must have acceptable credit score and history. You will need to request your free credit score
• Must have newer computer. Please provide details about your system.
• Must have backup storage before being hired.
• Must have high speed Internet access (no dial-up accepted)
• Must have online collaboration access for job interviews
• Must have dependable email (aol, yahoo, hotmail and others are problematic). If you must use free email, we suggest Gmail
• Must have the ability to send and receive faxes via email and set up multi-mailbox voicemail.
• Must have a USB headset
• Must have experience with the Internet, email and file attachments

TO REGISTER:
Please visit http://www.virtualassistantjobs.com/register.php

You will need to verify your email address and then login and setup your Resume Profile my selecting the MY ACCOUNT option. Then, simply click on the job that interests you and select the “APPLY NOW” button. Your resume will be automatically sent to the hiring employer!

Good luck!

Leveraging your time is one of the ways that smart businesses operate. One way that you can do this is by borrowing resources, trading skills and services instead of using money. But first what is a team? According to Webster’s dictionary, a team is “a number of persons associated together in work or an activity.” There are many ways to assemble a team, and one way is through what is known as a joint venture. How does a joint venture work?

• Let’s say that at one of those business mixers you meet a Ms. Escribe who runs a transcription business. You two develop a friendly relationship. Now somewhere down the road you decide to create an audio or webinar product that you want to sell to your client base, but you want to also include a free eBook for those who prefer reading information to watching or listening. You think of Ms. Escribe and give her a call. You tell her your situation and plans. You offer her a deal. If she will do the transcripts for the product launch for free you’ll split the profits from the sale of the eBook and product. Ms. Escribe accepts and now you are in a joint venture.

Carefully planned joint ventures can be a winner for both (or more) parties involved. All you did was exchange skills (her transcription skills for you marketing skills). By exchanging these skills you’ve created another source of income for both of your businesses without any additional cost to either partner.

• Another way to add members to your team is to enlist contractors to get the work done for you. Some virtual assistants are Marketing Mavens and can bring in business faster than you can blink. However, the downside for these gifted people is that now they may have more work than they can physically accomplish! To alleviate the stress (and panic!) that this will cause they reach out to fellow Virtual Assistants for help. These subcontractors are paid to do the overflow work for the Marketing Maven VA who is bringing in the business.

This is another win-win scenario. Newer virtual assistants can join up with experienced VAs while they learn the ropes and gain greater skills. For VAs that may not be as successful in attracting clients, this allows them an opportunity to earn a living while still doing the work that they love. And in many cases they also learn some marketing skills from an expert. Of course the subcontractors are still responsible for their own taxes, so the Marketing Maven VA has not added any additional tax liability to her business.

VAs that create joint ventures and make up a team not only gain the monetary benefits, but have a built a talented support system to keep their business chugging along in good and bad times. Speaking of which, I just found out about an upcoming free teleseminar that’s being held on January 27th, 2010 at 8 PM (EST). It’s being hosted by someone I just discovered named Sydni Craig-Hart. She’s a coach to virtual assistants and has some great material at her websites EAtoVA.com. You can sign up for her seminar by visiting VASuccessSecrets.com.

You can “employ” your children once they turn eight years old (and earn tax deductions too!).

Imagine how much of an advantage our children will have by learning the ropes of business firsthand and at an early age. As our children grow, so will their skill sets and experience.

Imagine your son or daughter approaching their first outside employer with a full set of office skills (and references!) as a young teenager. Their credentials will jump them to the top of line. And all because you recognized the many benefits of working at home to help your family.

For example, in my home office, my eight year old is learning how to file away papers properly.   and other easy tasks that meet her current abilities. She also has learned how to answer the phone in an appropriate business manner (i.e., “Hello my name is Jade Khalid. How may I help you?”). Watching me work hard to make deadlines teachers her about time management and the importance of fulfilling contracts.

So, not only is Jade learning the ropes of basic office management, but I can count her current allowance as her salary and receive a tax deduction because of it!  Her little sister, Alaya has a natural bend towards organization so I ask her to also help with the filing even though she is still an early reader.  She’s very good in math, so I’m letting her help me balance the books as well.

And I’m helping them to launch their own business as well. After coming home from Rhea’s Beach Retreat, I’ve also helping her to setup her own Ebay store to raise money towards the  many important things in her life, Barbie clothes, cool games and books. I learned how to get started while on the retreat and we’re photographing and writing up descriptions for the things we’re selling. They are very excited and proud.

For more information on tax deductions click the link here.

Would earning tax reductions be a good thing for you? As a home-based business owner or an independent contractor this is one of the benefits waiting for you? Here’s a quick look at some of the perks:

General Office Supplies and Equipment

Items which are used to do your job are also deductible. This includes office supplies, your personal website, phone service, office furniture, computers, copiers and fax machines. You are allowed up to $17,500 a year for such deductions.

Automobile

The cost of maintaining your automobile can be a large deduction, especially with the cost of gasoline these days. The amount of the deduction for fuel and maintenance of your car depends upon what percentage of usage is for business.

If you have two cars and one is used exclusively for business, 100% of the cost of the car used for business is deductible, including gas, oil, repairs, insurance, licensing, parking, etc.

Food and Entertainment

These costs are deductible if you are spending time with existing or potentially new clients. Travel Expenses: Hotels, motels, cab fare, and parking can be deducted if you are traveling for any business-related reason, such as meeting new clients, or attending a seminar or conference.

Education and Self Promotion

Membership in organizations, subscriptions to publications, seminars and conferences can be additional deductible items.

Mortgage

You are allowed to deduct many of the monthly costs of your home if a section of it is designated as your office. The deductible portion is based on what percentage of the total square footage or rooms is designed for business use.

This means a portion of the cost of your rent or mortgage and interest can be deducted, in addition to various types of home insurance, utilities and taxes, including a portion of home repairs, painting and even house cleaning.

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If reducing taxes is so easy, why isn’t everybody doing it?

One major reason is that we’ve been conditioned to be employees and not employers, so we never took the time to investigate the two different tax systems that we have in the United States. But never fear, there are quick and easy ways to get yourself up to speed.

Tax Reductions I.Q. Test

Working at home can teach your children the hands-on life skills they will need to get or create genuine jobs for themselves in the future.

Through observation and participation in your business the children can discover their own “Geni-in-us” and feel confident to follow their talents and interests towards their goal of being a fully functioning adult.

Robert Kiyosaki reports that his Rich Dad spoke of every person being a genius. The problem was that most people didn’t take the time to learn what the Genie in each us has in store. Only through discovering our own personal genius will we (and our children) be able to accomplish the things that are closest to our heart. The benefits of working at home include teaching the life skills that homeschoolers need to survive as adults. Take note of the plight of many young adults today as noted in “Rich Kid/Smart Kid” :

“Most students leave school financially needy and looking for security … security that cannot be found outside. Security is found on the inside. Many students leave school unprepared, mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.”

While this is just another reason why our role as homeschooling parents is so vital, it also points out something that I am puzzled by in the United States today. Nowadays, in most states in the United States, children are not able to start working for an outside employer until they are sixteen years of age!

That is an appalling waste of precious time for our young ones to practice how to handle financial responsibilities. No wonder many young people find it difficult to transition to the adult world – not enough experience! But lots of homeschoolers are redressing the balance by encouraging their young ones to explore the world of entrepreneurship.  You really should check out www.HomeschoolingEntrepreneur.com to see what these young adults are creating.

Well, this is something we can ensure won’t be the case with our kids! What a cool bonus for working at home!  And if you’d like to learn more about how to train your kids to think for themselves while building towards a secure financial future you should check out www.EducatingForSuccess.com.

I just got this in the mail and I wanted to get the info out ASAP:

You will research data and provide information, resources and tools
related to your area of expertise (this might be your local city or town
or any subject of interest to you). For example, a Sports Examiner in
Atlanta may enter data about the Atlanta Falcons, including covering
updates on draft, trades, the latest game, where to find statistics and
video, etc. Even more important, however, would be to add local
perspective, such as: What’s the liveliest place in Atlanta to watch the game? Where can you buy tickets? Which hot dog stand in the stadium serves up the best goods?

You will also offer some support to readers and customers by answering emails and replying to posts. So you must enjoy working online and helping others.

This is very easy work and we will offer full training to use our
system. You can usually start working and earning money within a few
days after you complete our application.

Don’t worry if publishing online is new to you. We provide the training
and tools needed to publish and promote data. Our most successful
workers also spend time promoting their data to their social and
business networks using tools such as Twitter, Digg, Facebook, LinkedIn, StumbleUpon, email lists, message boards and word-of-mouth. If you are unfamiliar with these networking tools, we will provide the resources you need to learn and master online data marketing.

100% free. There is no fee to apply, be hired or work from home for us! Some data agents are earning $20 – $50 per hour.

Hiring for these positions will end soon. Apply Online Today before
positions are filled.

http://homeworkersnet.com/job_detail.php?id_code=161

These jobs are (in my opinion) the best options for people who have children under the age of seven years of age. As I mentioned before,  these recommendations are based upon my own experiences. You, however, know your children’s personalities and habits better than I, so please don’t take my recommendations as gospel.

The following is an example of how a child’s personality can really impact your choices:

I started working as an appointment setter for a sales team when when my youngest daughter was two years old. Alaya has a very mild personality and was content to play with her five year old sister for extended periods of time. I taught them not to answer my phone during business hours and that if they enter a room and I put my finger up they must wait to speak. (The upraised finger indicated that I was talking with a potential customer).

One day, the girls had a big fight and came running into my office. I put up my finger, they became silent, and held their tears until I put my finger down. As soon as that finger dropped, the crying, screaming, etc. started as if it had never stopped.

As this example illustrates, it is possible to do heavy phone work with younger children. However, you need to be realistic about the youngsters that you have. I could never do that same job now with my son! Your object is to help make more money for the family, not to stress yourself (and the family) out.

Now, here’s that list of potential employers you’ve been waiting for, but before you start clicking keep in mind that these jobs aren’t $60K working from home kinds of jobs. They are a beginning to you working at home and some of the salaries do reflect that entry level feel.

Blogging/Writing: 451 Press Blogs, Blog Burner, Bloggerwave, About Guide, Bukisa, Demand Studios

Secret Shoppers: Check out http://www.mysteryshop.org for the latest legislation and approved companies so that you can avoid scams. Secret shopping has also moved online, so be sure to look for companies that have internet secret shopping as well. You can also check out  Customer Service Experts and Market Viewpoint

Medical Coders: Coding Network, EGH, OSI Transcription, T Systems Group, Shared Services Careers

Researchers: MP Global, Nationsearch, Click N Work

Word Processing/Data Entry: Abstractors, Customer/Data Entry Agent, Bowne, Pliner, Driver Guide, Key for Cash

Editing/Proofreading: TCNY 2000, Sign Industry, RLPG Books, Academic World

And if you know of any more that can be added to the list, please post them in the comments.  Thanks!

In some cases, a work at home job is an easier option than trying to start your own business from scratch. The majority of people like to know exactly how much they will make each and every week. Working for an established company may provide benefits and taxes may be taken directly out of your earnings so you don’t have to worry about it at the end of the year. For many, this gives a sense of security and stability.

There are many types of work at home jobs. There are jobs that will hire you as an independent contractor. This basically means that although you’ll be working for Company ABC, you are solely responsible for your own taxes, no unemployment benefits if and when the assignment terminates, and no health benefits.. If you are thinking about going that way, you should definitely talk with your tax advisor. You wouldn’t want to have a whopping tax bill at the end of the year.

So, what are some of jobs you can get as an independent contractor? Tomorrow there will be a short list that I’ve broken down by children’s ages. Some jobs (mostly phone work) are nearly impossible if you have little ones under foot. The reason that I say “nearly” is because a lot depends on your children’s personalities and interests.

Stay tuned for the “Infancy to 7 Year” types of jobs you can do from home in my next post.

Jimmie has received the title of “Queen of All Minibooks” because of her educational creations. I’ve decided to feature other homeschoolers who have found or created work from home positions to help inspire others to create a Financial Plan B for themselves.  Since I’ve developed a love affair with lapbooks I thought it was appropriate to re-introduce Jimmie and her creations to the world.

I met “The Queen of All Minibooks” at The Homeschool Lounge where great mompreneurs can be found. I was unfamiliar with lapbooks and just discovering notebooking so finding Jimmie’s profile was a godsend for me.

I was fascinated by the work of her daughter, Sprite. Jimmie and Sprite create beautiful notebooks, lapbooks and minibooks that relate to the lessons that they’re learning. Little did I know that my new friend already had the honorary title of “The Queen of All Minibooks. I am very honored that she agreed to talk about her work and her life in China.

Jimmie is an example of a mom who pursues her passions and allows here passions to pay her back. She’s a perfect example of how to merge homeschooling with a business. And best of all, her daughter helps create her samples!

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“The Queen” Explains All

So how did Jimmie become “The Queen of all Minibooks”? Well, here’s her story:

“My first lens was Lapbooking. (Lapbooking is a bit hard to define concisely. It is a learning product made of miniature books that are put together into a comprehensive project.) To be totally honest, it was all for myself. I wanted a place to store all the links I had for minibooks, folds, lapbook pictures, how-tos, Yahoo groups, and blog entries. There was no ONE website that had the best of the best in an attractive, organized format. I wanted a reference tool that would be easy to use and navigate when I needed something specific.

Squidoo lenses looked like just what I needed to create my lapbooking reference page. So, I created my first lens: all my lapbooking ideas, tips, and links in one convenient spot.

I never dreamed that my Lapbooking lens would become so popular. I shared it on my blog and in the Carnival of Homeschooling. It started to rise in lensrank.

It ranked as high as THREE at one time stayed in the top 100 for months and months. WOW! (For those of you who don’t know, there are over 500,000 lenses at Squidoo!) The ironic thing is that in the beginning, I had no idea how amazing it was for my newbie lens to be ranked so highly. I had found a niche! I had found a topic that needed to be written about! I was not the only one who liked to see all the lapbooking links organized on one page.

Over many months, as I honed my lensmaking skills (mostly through the SquidU forum and some wonderful HTML lenses out there), it just got better and better.

I started getting compliments via email and comments. People asked me for lapbooking advice. People started linking to my page and saying it was great. (Blushing, here) I was asked to speak at a homeschool conference about lapbooking! (I couldn’t go, but, wow, was I flattered!) Now my lens is in the process of being translated into French by a homeschooling mom in France!”

And thus the Queen of Minibooks was born. Jimmie took her love of learning and has helped others with her curriculum creations. Creating informational sites like Jimmie’s can be used as a launching point for a curriculum business, ebook creation and a lot more.

So, where does your passion lie? Could you turn your knowledge and interests into a source of additional income? You’ll never know until you try.