Web And Audio Conferencing

The technology boom in the 21st century has created wonders for the telecom industry in a tremendous manner. With the arrival of mobile phones and the Internet, communication is fast becoming a necessity. It is indeed a technological revolution.

The Benefits Of Web And Audio Conferencing:

In this regard, web and audio conferencing have taken the IT boom to its next level of revolution. Today, equipped with the Internet technology, we are able to carry out conferences with people all over the world while sitting in our office. Web and audio conferencing has enabled the postmodern world in connecting with a virtual reality through the medium of cyber space.

With web and audio conferencing, large business organizations are able to deal with their clientele and other associates within seconds. The video aspect of the conference allows the maintaining of a physical aspect of the communication which is a part of virtual reality.

Some Basic Requirements Of Web And Audio Conferencing:

To facilitate the Internet web and audio conferencing, you must have Windows, Java, Linux or Mac software and an internet connection of at least minimum 128kbps. For video conference, VOIP (voice over Internet protocol) is mandatory and a camera which will help in receiving and sending the analog digital message in the form of audio and video.

This is the cheapest medium of communication which saves a lot of money and time as it can be established almost instantly and does not require a huge amount of investment in comparison of the expenses on traveling for business and personal use. It is the easiest medium of maintaining oneâ€"toâ€"one conference which can be highly efficient in running a business. Thus, web and audio conferencing is the new technological revolution, which enables the IT revolution to move to the next level.
About the Author

Discover the best internet web conference services online. Learn how web and audio conferences can help improve your business efficiency and sales.

How To Use A Computer To Work From Home

Copyright (c) 2007 Rebekah Mack Bono

If you are interested in working from home and have a computer with an Internet connection, most likely there is a job opportunity for you on the Internet. If you are willing to do some research and online legwork, chances are you will be able to use the computer to work at home.

Using a computer to work at home is actually quite simple. There are several types of jobs that require you to use a computer to work at home ' freelance service based jobs, transcription work, virtual assistant work, online auction sites, and many other options are available to you if you know how to use a computer. In fact, using a computer to work at home is one of the easiest ways to begin working from home.

Freelance service providers such as writers, graphic designers, and web developers all can use computers to work at home. If you do this job from a computer in an office for a corporation, it could be just as profitable, if not more so, to do the same job from your computer at home. If you're interested in using a computer to work from home, you could either ask your current employer about telecommuting, or go into business for yourself as a freelancer.

There are many transcription sites that allow you to train as a transcriptionist and then use a computer to work at home. If you have experience with typing or transcription, and are interested in working for an online employer instead of going into business for yourself, transcription might be a good way to use a computer to work at home.

If you have secretarial skills or have worked as an administrative assistant, you are probably qualified to work as a virtual assistant, or VA. Virtual assistants perform secretarial duties for clients over the Internet, using a computer to work from home. They may never meet their clients face to face, but work with them virtually in the same capacity as a secretary. There are many agencies that hire VA's, or you could go into business as a freelance VA and market yourself.

These are just a few of the many ways you can use a computer to work from home. Working from home is rewarding, allowing you flexible scheduling and free time when you need it. If you're interested in having more time to spend with your friends and family, or would like to avoid a long commute or the hassles of the corporate world, working from home might be the answer for you. Using a computer to work from home isn't difficult, and it just might be the best decision you ever made!
About the Author

Rebekah Mack Bono is an expert in the work at home field, providing work at home ideas, tips, and resources through The Best Work at Home Resource website, which she owns. She is also author of eBook, The Best Work At Home Resource Guide, which offers ideas for freelancers, stay-at-home moms, or anyone looking to work from home. http://www.best-work-at-home-resource.com

Choosing The Right Strategy for your Online Business:

Choosing The Right Strategy For Your Online Business: Pay for Inclusion versus Pay per Click

By Richard Zwicky

Back in the old days of the Internet - in 1993, - there were 284 locations on the entire World Wide Web. According to Bill Clinton, only 8 of them ended in .com or .net when he was sworn into office. As of January 1, 2003, there were 171,000,000 domain hosts in use. In 1995, the largest search engine database was Altavista, and it had most of the Internet categorized. Today Google and FASTsearch own the largest databases. Yet neither one of them has even 10% of the Internet covered. It's estimated that more than 8,000,000 web pages are added to the Internet every day. None of the search engines are able to keep up to that pace. So how will your website stand out? How will it acquire the traffic it needs to succeed? There are many ways to approach the issue of marketing an online business, but for the sake of this article, we'll concern ourselves solely with online tools, and ways to expedite success. In that vein, we'll concern ourselves with Pay for Inclusion and Pay for Placement (or Pay per Click) advertising.

Some engines, such as AltaVista, Inktomi, Looksmart and FAST, use a pay for inclusion model. What this means is that to be guaranteed to be found within that specific search engine index, the website operator must pay a fee to be listed. It's similar to the fee a business pays for a Yellow Pages listing. These fees vary from monthly to annual. Looksmart charges a listing fee, plus a fee of $0.15 per clickthrough.

Engaging a Pay-for-Inclusion service does not come with any placement guarantees. If your website is not properly optimized, but you paid an inclusion fee, it is guaranteed to be indexed and listed somewhere within that search engine. If you want to ensure success with a Pay-for-Inclusion search engine, then your website must still be optimized. Without proper optimization, which includes an analysis from the perspective of all the factors that the search engines look for, a pay for inclusion service will not deliver the desired benefits to the website operator.

When properly matched with a comprehensive Search Engine Optimization regimen, a Pay for Inclusion program will result in powerful results: Qualified Traffic, Customers, and Relevant Traffic.

Pay per Click advertising is the process by which a web site operator can arrange for a website to be placed in a pre-defined position within certain search engines, such as Overture.

Search Engine Placement is always a Pay-Per-Click solution. While advertising websites are only permitted to buy advertising in search queries that are relevant to their content, they are not sorted by relevance but rather purely based on bid value.

Pay per click services allow advertisers to bid for each visitor directed through to their web site, based upon the number of clicks the ad receives. Pay per Click search engine placement should be realistically viewed for what it is - an online auction. Advertisers bid against each other for a fixed position within a list of search results. The advertiser who bids the most is given the top spot in the list. Each advertiser bids according to their budget, and has to know his or her Return On Investment (ROI) to determine how much money should be spent on acquiring new customers.

How Do I Know Which Strategy Is Right For My Website? For those advertisers where the ROI is sensible or worthwhile, pay per click search engines are valuable customer acquisition tools. But is it right for you? While it can be expensive, here's a way for you to easily determine the ROI for your online business, and determine if it is the right choice for you. Take out a sheet of paper, and at the top of the sheet mark down the average price of the goods you sell - we'll use $100.00 for the purpose of the example. From that number, make some simple and basic calculations, outlined here:

$100.00 Sale Amount -$ 50.00 Cost of Goods -$ 5.00 Transaction Cost (bank charges, credit card) -$ 8.50 Shipping Fees (This assumes you're delivering a product, it needs a box, label, and has a delivery cost. -$ 10.00 Customer support costs - time on phone, email, etc... supporting and processing the transaction. What's 1 hour of your time worth? $ 26.50 = Margin Assuming this margin is correct for your website, is a Pay per Click campaign right for you? You'll need to look at your stats to judge this properly. You need to determine how many of your visitors are converting into buyers. IF your website has a 4% conversion rate, and your category is moderately competitive, you will probably need to budget at least $1.00 per click to get spot #3. Spot #3 is important because more often than not it's the top 3 spots per page of search engine results that are reserved for Pay per Click advertisers.

Assuming your website gets into the top three spots, here's how the math works if you get 100 clicks in a month. Since it's all percentage based, the same holds true if you get 25 clicks or 10,000 clicks.

100 clicks @ $1.00 per click = $100.00 cost 4% conversion = 4 sales = 4x $26.50 (margin on sale) = $106.00 Profit = $ 6.00

So, if the above were true, and IF the pay per click advertisement sent you 100 visitors per month, you would make only $6.00. Would you make much less having spot #4 instead of spot #3 ? If it meant one less sale a month, that would be worth it. You would make $70.00 more by selling less! Does spot #3 get much more traffic than relevant results in spots 4 through 10? Not at all for spot # 4, 5, 6, and only a little bit more for spot #'s 7-10. Remember, people usually look at the title or site description to see if it is relevant. Pay per Click is worth the money if your website is not found under any relevant queries in the top 20, but its value drops quickly if a website is found easily in the free listings within the search engines.

Is Pay for Inclusion Less Expensive? If we use the same calculation as above, and your website had 4 sales from a pay for inclusion engine where you paid $39.00 per year, or $3.25 / month, your profit would have been $103.25.

What About The Cost Of Search Engine Optimization? Search engine optimization does not have to be expensive. You can do the work yourself, but you need to ensure that it makes sense to do so. By this I mean, is doing it yourself a cost efficient, business proposition? Any time that you as an individual put into search engine optimization is time that you take away from business fundamentals and essentials. It's time away from customer support, content creation, service, administration, product research, other marketing, etc... What is that time worth? It's got to be part of the ROI calculation too. More and more people are choosing to outsource this work. It's estimated that 70% of online businesses will outsource non-core operations this year. It only makes sense. It's smart business to focus on what you know and do well and to hire others to support you in the other areas. Not many smart businessmen write their own contracts - they get their lawyer to do it. They want to ensure it's done right. Doing it right in the first place saves money in the long run. Outsourcing means getting someone else to do the work for you, properly. It does not mean getting someone to tell you what to do, or how to do things.

What's Right For Your Website? In the long run, a website operator that has a well optimized website will beat out a non-optimized website that concentrates on Pay per Click advertising for customer acquisition every day of the year. He may make fewer sales in a year, but he will make more profit from each sale. If the website is properly optimized, it will enjoy better placement in more search engines. This means it will survive, and prosper in the long run.
About the Author

Richard Zwicky is a founder and the CEO of Metamend Software, a Victoria B.C. based firm whose cutting edge Search Engine Optimization software has been recognized around the world as a leader in its field. Employing a staff of 10, the firm's business comes from around the world, with clients from every continent. Most recently the company was recognized for their geo-locational, or GIS technology, which correlates online businesses with their physical locations.

What is the difference between Unix and NT systems ?

Shared or virtual hosting is usually available in two varieties: UNIX and NT. What is the difference between hosting on these operating systems?

NT servers are designed to accommodate advanced Microsoft applications. NT servers therefore integrate back office offerings such as FrontPage, Access and MS SQL with basic Web services. NT servers also offer specific programming environments such as Active Server Pages (ASP), Visual Basic Scripts, MS Index Server and Cold Fusion, which mainly link database applications to the Web.

NT servers do not provide an interactive shell, but are accessible through GUI-based remote administration packages such as PCAnywhere. Such packages allow you to log into the server's desktop as chief administrator as long as you have full control over your server.

We only recommend NT hosting if you intend to run your own dedicated server. The quality of hosting degrades rapidly if the Web host attempts to run an NT server as a shared hosting system.

Since NT servers provide unparalleled levels of support, security and integration for the Microsoft family of products, we recommend that you only select NT if you need to link a Microsoft-based service to your Internet hosting requirements.

NT is rather complex and labor-intensive and should only be selected if the webmaster has extensive experience in maintaining Windows systems remotely and requires product/Web integration.

A lot of hosting solutions are also provided on the UNIX platform. This is because the UNIX platform is specifically designed to accommodate heavy Web traffic and server load. UNIX servers are robust and are recognized for their ability to host multiple sites and serve out gigabytes of traffic.

This platform is also preferred by most webmasters due to their technical requirements. Most webmasters outsource their e-commerce solutions, and therefore don't need to configure complex database systems on their pay Web sites. UNIX servers also provide a wider degree of flexibility due to their shell environment. Shell environments are interactive, text-based systems that allow webmasters to interact and customize their services in real-time from any computer system worldwide. Unlike NT systems, UNIX is not limited to special remote administration programs. A typical UNIX system can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet without special or expensive software.

But the most favored reason that most webmasters choose the UNIX platform is because of its uptime. Most UNIX systems with heavy traffic can provide 99 per cent uptime. NT servers with heavy traffic usually cannot make this same claim, unless specially configured. For this reason, average webmasters should select UNIX as their OS.

If you don't know which platform you need, then most likely you do not require NT hosting and you should select one of our UNIX hosting plans. The only time you would need to use NT hosting is when you are using the specific NT applications noted above. Microsoft FrontPage may be used on both the UNIX and NT platforms as since most hosting firms support the Microsoft FrontPage server extensions on both.

For More Articles Please Visit http://www.Hosts2002.Com/articles.html
About the Author

None

How to turn your small business into an empire by outsourcing

Many companies are realizing cost savings of up to 30%-60% as a result of outsourcing.

Companies now consider outsourcing their functions: sales force, research and development, billing, procurement and even human resources.

This approach allows a company to concentrate on its core competency, also saving them cost of maintaining in-house hardware or software or staff.

BENEFIT IN A NUTSHELL

·Direct access to highly specialized skills and knowledge required for a specific industry level.

·The opportunity to offer quality services to clients at a much lower rate than you would normally pay for in-house development.

·The possibility of improving your image and exploding your capacity to execute projects on a global level.

SERVICES YOU CAN CONSIDER OUTSOURCING:

·Web-Designing, ·Software development ·E-commerce implementation ·Industry and software automation ·Web Promotion ·Research ·Accounting ·Copywriting ·Hosting

This can favors both parties.

1: THE FREELANCERS

You may be qualified in a certain domain to perform certain tasks, but as a one-man business you can do so much in handling the market demands.

Let's say for example you are a web designer (I chose this example at random, you may be qualified in any domain, which may include copywriting, accounting, programming, consultancy, research etc…)

Ok, let's get back to the initial example. Let's say you are a web designer and you are very good at it.

You can sit in the comfort of your home and use the Internet to search for people who need your services. The internet has made this process very simple, but as a one man business there is a limit to the number of jobs you can take on at one time without messing things up.

Since there are thousands of design contracts out there and you cannot say for sure which clients will choose to go with you on a project, you will need to bid on many job adverts to ensure that you get one to actually go with you.

I used to be a freelancer myself and I found out that in most cases I ended up with many contracts at a time, but because I didn't have the resources to handle all of them, I had to either turn them down or refer them to someone else.

But you don't need to do that!

THE SOLUTION

There are people out there who will surely do your work for you at a cheaper rate than you expected and you can put them on a shortlist for future jobs you may have.

Say you win a contract to design a site for 500$ and you can't do it in a timely manner, you can find someone who will do the same job at $300 or less.

All you need to do is to collect this contract for $500 and hand it over to designers who will do it for $300 and keep the profit of $200. This $200 will serve as your reward for doing the marketing and bringing in the client.

Using this system, you will never have to loose a job again and if you are a good manager you can turn this into a very profitable business and all from the comfort of your home.

2:THE COMPANIES

There are others out there who have enough capital to hire staff on a monthly basis but you too as a company can benefit from using this system.

The principle is the same.

Instead of loosing jobs because your staff is loaded with work. You can outsource your projects to people who will do the same quality job at a cheaper rate and sill allow you to make a profit.

There are companies out there and not only freelancers who specialize in this market who are ready to do the work for you at a lower rate and in the background allowing you to maintain your company status as a reputable provider.

WHERE TO FIND THESE PEOPLE

There has been a lot of talk on outsourcing jobs to countries that offer cheaper labor and Romania seems to be making a lot of impact in this domain.

India has been a leader in the outsourcing industry for years now, however things seem to be turning around for the giant as well as other countries like China, The Philippines and Russia who are also major players in the game.

Although the cost of using Romania IT workers is cheaper than that of Indian providers this is not the major factor that has put Romania market in the spotlight.

One important factor that is the driving force of this turn around is that Romania is a country abundant with talented, highly skilled and well-educated individuals who as a result of the regional location have a better understanding of Western European and North American culture than its main counterparts Asia (India), China and Russia.

This closer cultural link and the fact that Romania time zone is close to major Western European countries has helped reduce some of the problems that can result from working with companies with differing cultural backgrounds.

Recent studies show that Companies in the United States are also looking for alternative outsourcing partners in the Eastern block and Romania is emerging as a promising alternative partner and supplier of IT related services among others domains.

Although I mentioned only IT above, the outsourcing benefit doesn't limit to that only. You can find Romanian talents in many domains: Accounting, Office work, Research, Data entry, project management, customer service … Just to mention a few.

It is up to you to explore this possibility further and expand your focus. By outsourcing your work you can enter domains that you are not even a specialist and make your service more attractive by offering full service solutions. RESOURCES Here is a market place dedicated to Romanian Providers only. You can find talents in IT, Design, Office and Business related domains. However the lower price has nothing to do with lower quality find out more about this Http://www.rolancers.com


About the Author

Outsourcing has been going on for decades now and technology is taking this venture into a whole new level. As a former freelancer I know how this concept has been evolving and I now dedicate my time to providing a better solution for those who are looking for better and cheaper outsourcing options. ==================== Best Outsourcing Experience http://www.rolancers.com ...Someone may do it cheaper than you expected

Help for the Home Based Business

Wouldn't it be great to get some good, affordable, reliable help, even though you work out of your home? But finding workers and figuring out where to meet or when to bring them into your home office can pose some difficult juggling, personal and security issues.

A popular solution is outsourcing. When you outsource, you can hire experienced people and let them use their creative talents while you focus on other tasks. Another benefit is that the workers you hire may be more up to date on the latest information and technology in their specific fields and can be assets to your clients, as well, offering improved quality service.

OUTSOURCE

Here are the basics to outsourcing:

Focus:

Focus on outsourcing some of the major tasks of your workload. First, sit down for a breather and look around your 'To Do' lists and office area. What CAN you outsource? Which work seems to pile up the most?

For example, maybe you can't seem to find time to update your website each month. Maybe your newsletter is STILL not getting out regularly. Or perhaps your direct mail campaign is not quite as direct as it should be; i.e. it is sitting directly in the same pile it was three months ago.

Then write out one-page project description for these major tasks. Focus on WHAT exactly you'd want done, WHEN and HOW the end product should turned in to you.

Take Action:

Then look for service providers. For example, with the sample tasks above, find people who can help with Internet websites, newsletter creation and sending out direct mail campaigns. Call round and surf the Internet and ask other home based business operators which companies they recommend. Check forum posts; inquire for advice and suggestions. Shop around for comparisons.

Then set up trial periods and test a couple. Remember, no one is perfect. See who you can communicate with pretty easily and who's flexible to work as a team player. Check out the quality (and quantity) of their work. Then choose a candidate. Remember, this decision is not carved in stone. And you can always hire the other person as a back up or second helper down the road. So be kind to all who test, make decisions and keep your business moving forward.

ROI:

Make the most out of your investment and get a great return by investing in your time wisely, too. Outsourcing will hopefully free up more time for you to focus on the work you like and allow more time for marketing and advertising, to increase sales and projects. Don't forget to brush up on your skills and keep up with the industry now, too. Read the latest ezines in your field and take a brush up course or workshop to improve your skills.

Network and seek out joint venture opportunities.

Outsourcing is a great way to help small businesses grow larger while still remaining at home. So reach out and give it a try!
About the Author

Tara Smith is CEO of Wealthontap.com a directory of the best Work From Home Based Businesses. You can make money filling out paid surveys, data entry work, or even start your own online business selling real products for which you make a commission.

How to Increase the Cash Flow in Your Private Practice in 30 Days

If you have a busy private practice, chances are you also have pockets of cash lying around available for the plucking. It simply hasn't been collected yet, and may even have been overlooked. Here are 10 ways to increase your cash flow over the next 30 days.

Collect at the Time of Service Include in your upfront discussions your expectations on payments. Establish that you are paid at the time of service. For services where payment plans are appropriate (for example, payments at key milestones), be clear from the start as to your expectations, then include them as part of your written agreement.

Step-Up Your Invoicing There is really no reason to wait until the end of the month to bill, or for that matter, the end of the week. Get your invoice into the mail the day you provide the service. That includes insurance billings.

Follow-Up on Late Payments Clients can get into the habit of paying late - 30, 60 or even 90 days - if they know that you will tolerate it.

Outsource Delinquent Payments Payments that are overdue by 90 days are more than just "late". They are delinquent. Outsource these receivables and don't let them occur again.

Follow-Up on Potential Appointments Do you have clients who "intend" to schedule an appointment but haven't called yet to do so? Perhaps they left your last meeting with a sincere intention to call back, or maybe whenever you see them they say "I've been meaning to call..." Call them now and get them on your appointment schedule.

Finish the Project or Service Sometimes, all that's between you and a check is finishing the project, mailing the report, getting the signature or conducting that last routine visit so you can bill for it.

Re-Visit Your Appointment Scheduling Procedures If you are one of those offices that routinely schedules the next appointment two weeks to four weeks away - why? Eliminate time lapses. If you can handle everything in one visit - and if there is no good reason for not doing so - do it. If you need to have two or more separate appointments to finish providing the service, schedule them as close together as possible. It will keep the momentum going with the project...and make your billing date sooner.

Handle Appeals and Requests for Reviews Weekly Sure, these things take time and talent to handle properly, but putting them off for weeks just delays your income from a service that's already been provided.

Consider Down-Payments Retainers, down-payments or other forms of upfront payments can boost your cash flow while securing a real commitment from your client to follow-through with the full service to which they have agreed. And don't forget to collect your co-pays at the time of service.

Promote Your Products If you have a product that you make available to your clients, don't keep it a secret. Display it, talk about it, recommend it and, where appropriate, use or demonstrate its use during the visit. This goes for everything from dental care kits to nutritional supplements, to office supplies, special workbooks, kits, tools, books, forms or any other product that you sell.

Tighten Your Financial Policies Use these ways to increase your cash flow, and while you are at it, go ahead and tighten your financial policies so that these things become the norm. Pockets of cash lying around don't add to your bottom line. You have to pick them up in order to count them in...or to spend them.

For more articles like this on Marketing and Business Development for your private practice, visit the Private Practice Marketing Roundtable at http://www.PrivatePracticeMarketingRoundtable.com

About the Author

Download our free Marketing Strategy Tools and resources to grow your business when you visit the Private Practice Marketing Roundtable.

Help for the Home Based Business

Wouldn't it be great to get some good, affordable, reliable help, even though you work out of your home? But finding workers and figuring out where to meet or when to bring them into your home office can pose some difficult juggling, personal and security issues.

A popular solution is outsourcing. When you outsource, you can hire experienced people and let them use their creative talents while you focus on other tasks. Another benefit is that the workers you hire may be more up to date on the latest information and technology in their specific fields and can be assets to your clients, as well, offering improved quality service.

OUTSOURCE

Here are the basics to outsourcing:

Focus:

Focus on outsourcing some of the major tasks of your workload. First, sit down for a breather and look around your 'To Do' lists and office area. What CAN you outsource? Which work seems to pile up the most?

For example, maybe you can't seem to find time to update your website each month. Maybe your newsletter is STILL not getting out regularly. Or perhaps your direct mail campaign is not quite as direct as it should be; i.e. it is sitting directly in the same pile it was three months ago.

Then write out one-page project description for these major tasks. Focus on WHAT exactly you'd want done, WHEN and HOW the end product should turned in to you.

Take Action:

Then look for service providers. For example, with the sample tasks above, find people who can help with Internet websites, newsletter creation and sending out direct mail campaigns. Call round and surf the Internet and ask other home based business operators which companies they recommend. Check forum posts; inquire for advice and suggestions. Shop around for comparisons.

Then set up trial periods and test a couple. Remember, no one is perfect. See who you can communicate with pretty easily and who's flexible to work as a team player. Check out the quality (and quantity) of their work. Then choose a candidate. Remember, this decision is not carved in stone. And you can always hire the other person as a back up or second helper down the road. So be kind to all who test, make decisions and keep your business moving forward.

ROI:

Make the most out of your investment and get a great return by investing in your time wisely, too. Outsourcing will hopefully free up more time for you to focus on the work you like and allow more time for marketing and advertising, to increase sales and projects. Don't forget to brush up on your skills and keep up with the industry now, too. Read the latest ezines in your field and take a brush up course or workshop to improve your skills.

Network and seek out joint venture opportunities.

Outsourcing is a great way to help small businesses grow larger while still remaining at home. So reach out and give it a try!

NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this article within your website or newsletter as long as you leave the article fully intact and include the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)

!!!ATTENTION!!! We can help ANYONE become MORE Successful in their CURRENT BUSINESS!!! http://www.free-homebusiness.com

About the Author

Nial Robbins owns the work at home directory website located at: http://www.NDR-HomeBiz.com Come by and visit us today! Also, be sure to check out our "top pick" work at home opportunity at: http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-9525

Ten Online Customer Service Tips

Other than the current buzz words, customer service has changed very little since commerce first began. If you want a customer to buy from you again, and to recommend your product or service to others, complaints or problems must be handled properly.

"A satisfied customer will tell five people about their experience, a dissatisified customer will tell twenty-five!"

Customer Service on the Internet

The Internet is an impersonal place to shop. Because of this, the online customer feels little loyalty to you or your company. Many online shoppers won't restrain their anger and upset either. They feel safe behind their anonymous email address. Therefore, in responding to a complaint, you must quickly establish rapport with your customer. To do this, your phone skills and email etiquette must be exceptional. You won't likely get a second chance to make the right impression.

Here are some tips to put you on the right track:

1. Don't give stock responses when customers are not asking stock questions! Take care to answer every question or concern that a customer poses in an email. There's nothing worse than getting back an email from a business owner or their customer service representative that doesn't address the concerns you stated in your email, gives canned responses to what you asked, or makes you feel like a nuisance...or a dummy!

2. End the call or email on a high note for the customer. They'll remember your last words best. In other words, don't end the conversation by saying, "And I'm really sorry you didn't receive your widget when promised." Say, "Martha, your widget is on my desk right now. I'll be packaging it right after this call and I will take it to the post office myself." Now stop talking! Don't be tempted to apologize again and remind them of the problem. Leave customers with the good taste of a resolution in their mouths.

3. In emails, use "exaggerated courtesy." Since the person can't see your expression or hear your tone of voice, your words must do everything for you. Read emails at least three times before hitting the send button.

4. Remove or reword phrases in your email that could be considered rude, such as, "As I said on the phone,...." (Ouch, that's a reprimand! We expect the sentence to end like this, "As I said on the phone, Stupid!")

5. Consider outsourcing your customer service. I was a customer service professional for fifteen years in the high-tech industry. As a hiring manager I looked for two customer service "virtues" in candidates: patience beyond measure and a genuine liking for people. If you do your own customer service for your small business, you need to determine if you have those qualities. If not, you might want to outsource your customer service to someone who does!

6. Ask customers what they want! Often their request will be more reasonable than whatever it was you were going to do to make it right. And it will be the solution they want, not the solution you think they want!

7. Acknowledge their pain and make it right! In my experience, customers rarely demand something more than what they originally expected. So don't start offering all kinds of freebies to try and make them feel better. What they really want is for you to acknowledge their pain and make it right. Making it right usually means getting what they expected in the first place. And it doesn't have to be accompanied by a free gift. Don't substitute "bribing" the customer for genuinely caring about their pain. You can't buy their loyalty, but you can earn it.

8. Avoid over compensating for your company's mistake. Gushing with apologetic words and offering them the sky because of a small shipping error can leave your customer doubting your professionalism. And if you've given them the sky for such a small mistake, what the heck will you do when you really mess up?

9. If possible, give customers a choice as to the solution to their problem. They'll view their experience with less pain that way. If they couldn't download your ebook because of some technical difficulty, they might want a full refund, they might want the chance to download the ebook again, or they might prefer that you email them the ebook.

10. If you do it carefully, you can use some customer service situations to upsell customers. "Martha, did you notice on our Web site that you can get a second widget at half price? If I ship them today, both widgets will arrive in plenty of time for Christmas. Gift-wrapping is included, by the way." Now stop talking and let Martha sell herself on your offer. This is not the time for a hard sales pitch!

How does good customer service increase your revenue? Every customer service encounter gives you another chance to:

- improve customer loyalty

- correct problems in your buying cycle

- upsell customers.

By retaining customer loyalty you now have the chance to sell this customer something else, and you can rest assured they'll say positive things about your company. Remember, a satisfied customer will tell five people, but a dissatisified customer will tell twenty-five people!

About the Author

Andrea Wilson is a former customer service professional who now owns Able Webs, an online Web design business. Visit Able Webs and subscribe to Andrea's ezine, "Web Marketing Today." Learn proven tips and tricks to successfully market your business on the Web.

How to Start a Tax Service

Tax Service Businesses from home are the hot home business of today. As more and more companies downsize and outsource work, there's a higher demand for business tax service, tax preparation service and small business tax advice than ever before. If you're thinking about starting a tax service business from home, consider these things:

* Do you have the background and education you need?
* If not, are you willing to, and do you know where to go to get it?
* Do you want to have an income tax preparation service or a business tax service, or would you prefer to offer small business tax advice?
* Is this a profession you want to pursue full-time or only part-time?
* Will your family be affected by your having a tax service business in your home?
* Do you like working with numbers?
* Can you deal with frustrated and angry people?
* Is there a space in your home for an office?
* What equipment or supplies do you need?
* Do you need to get any financial assistance in starting a tax service business?
* Are you willing to put the necessary effort starting a tax service business?
* Should you have a partner?
* Do you need to get any additional insurance?
* What accounting knowledge will you need for your tax service business?
* Where will you go to get the information about what your state's requirements are on starting a tax business from home?
* Does your state require you to have a license?
* What are your neighborhood's zoning regulations concerning home businesses?

Questions like these will start you thinking about all the details you need to attend to before opening the doors to your tax business from home. Do as much research as you possibly can before making a decision.

Once you've done your homework and have decided that, yes, you want to go ahead with starting your own tax service business from home, make or purchase a business plan. Outline what you need to get started with your own tax business and the steps you need to take.

Goals aren't reached by magic. They're reached by understanding what's involved in undertaking starting a tax business and knowing what you need to do. Making a business plan and following it will keep you on track. This will enable you to actually open a tax service from home more quickly with less trial and error. Ultimately, a good business plan ensures you'll be successful at your tax business.

Even with a good business plan, you need to be aware that there will be obstacles in having your own tax business from home. There will be days you think you must've been nuts to go into business for yourself. Especially if you're used to being in a larger business environment where there many people to help carry the business.

Because in a small business, whether it's a tax business from home or a home show business, you're forced to wear many hats. You have to be the boss, the administrative assistant, the office manager, the accountant, the receptionist, as well as the employee doing the work--often all at once. And there's also the stress and pressure of having all the work, as well as all the financial burdens on your shoulders alone. Having your own business isn't for everybody.

And, if after you've given it some thought and done your research, you've decided that a tax business from home is just the right business opportunity for you, you have many things to look forward to. There are far more positives to being your own boss than there are negatives. Not facing that morning commute is usually enough to make most people never look back. Not having to face that evening commute either, is enough to make them rejoice--and never regret for a minute, starting a tax service business at home of their own.

About the Author

Randy has dozens of home based business articles at Businesses that you can operate from Home such as Unusual Business Opportunities.

What every Work from home "want to be" Should Know Before Diving into Telecommuting

Thousands of employees are coveting the chance to clock in from their home office. A fortunate few have earned this position through their workplace, while their co-workers are murmuring under their breath. Others are tired of waiting for their employer to offer this opportunity, so they are jumping ship and abandoning the job that once held the promise of security, for instability-- and trading in the title of payroll employee for independent contractor. But, before you take that dive into the home employment waters. Have you weighed out what it will take to make it to your destination? You should have a tried and true plan to become a telecommuter, or you will be like so many others who have taken the dive and are now aimlessly flopping around.

First of all let's talk about your source of income, in short-- if you do not have a spouse or significant other that can carry your finances, you need to hold on to your day job. I have seen to often people unable to make ends meet because they were suddenly caught off guard when their job search out lasted their savings. Second, how's your attitude? Do you have a strong tolerance for the tedious? How well do you handle rejection? Can you work independently? Are you open to stretching your skills?

Tolerance for The Tedious Bold Underline

Why do you need a strong tolerance for the tedious? Well if you are not of that fortunate few whose current job lends it's self to telecommuting. You will need to consistently search and purge job postings. In order to get a job, you need to be doing this day & night, and then guess what! You do the same thing again tomorrow. I'm not telling you this, to discourage you-- it's actually exciting when you think about your ultimate goal, and the personal reward, working from home is going to give to you.

Assuming that you are new to the idea of telecommuting, I'll briefly explain to you why you have to purge. I refuse to go into all the different scam scenarios you should look for because it has been done to death in almost every telecommuting article you can think of. The word S C A M has been thrown around so loosely by what I call "Scam Phobics", even the image of legitimate work at home companies have been tarnished, just because the position did not turn out to be the dream job they thought it would be. So we want to focus on purging without being paranoid. To start you need to be clear on what you are searching for, your goal is to find a real job for a reputable company, so you are going to have to purge the posting that does not fit this profile. Some examples of this are; job listings that post over and over again, jobs that ask for money and what ever says start your own business... because you do not want a "business opportunity" you want a home based or telecommute job. For best results try key words like-- telecommute, home based, virtual office, outsource, independent contractor and freelance. For more information on scams, just go to Google and search "work at home scams" you'll find endless information.

Handling Rejection Bold Underline

It is important that you know, you are entering a job market that is incredibly desirable to many. You may not get a job from your first application-- second, third, fourth, or fifth. The truth is, it's not likely, that the employer will ever get back to you to let you know they received your application, not trying to intentionally offend you, companies just do not have the time or man power to call every potential candidate to let them know the position has been filled. Nevertheless, you always approach the job with the attitude that you will get it and eventually you will. To cut down on the number of rejections you encounter. Here are some rules to follow:

1. Always follow the instructions that the company have set for applying for the job. If they say, do not send your resume as an attachment, don't do it anyway and think they will accept it--they won't!

2. Now that you are seeking a telecommuting position customize your resume to meet telecommute qualifications, you can do this without padding your resume with false information. Pin point positions where you have worked independently, owned your own business, show manger or leadership skills etc...

3. Always have a cover letter ready, it's fan mail for your resume. The C L's job is to convince the employer to read your resume; Each C L should be tailored to the company and position.

4. Make sure your contact information is accurate and once an employer calls you, they do not reach a voice mail with 5 minutes of your favorite song before the beep to leave a message, remember you always want to project a professional image. If possible give the employer more than 1 way to contact you.

5. Get prepared for a telephone interview. A telephone Interview is the most common way to interview home based or virtual candidates.

3 Quick Telephone Interview Techniques Bold

1. Post your resume by the telephone

2. Illustrate your skills with actual on the job experiences.

3. Demonstrate the ability to work independently.

Can You Work Independently Bold Underline

Working at home means working independently, no co-workers to vent with or talk to about the latest gossip. The IT guy is no longer a few cubicles away to trouble shoot your system when it kicks you out. You can't have some one fax a document for you or take the call you have avoided like the plague. You need to be able to manage your own time. When you work from home you should work as if the supervisor is watching over your shoulder. Log in on time, take breaks when scheduled and don't over do lunches. Please do not be mislead into thinking the boss does not know what you are doing, it's true they may not know what you are physically doing, but they definitely will know what you are "not" doing by your work production--whether it's sales, customer service, or transcription. It's the "not doing" they care about. So, you need to make sure that your family and friends understand that when you are in your home office, you are working. You will not be going on shopping sprees, golfing during work hours or catching a movie, until you sign off for the day. Some people have told me that they even put a sign on the door that says, daddy's at work or gone to work-- it helps to communicate the message better.

Do You Know How to Stretch Your Skills Bold Underline

Consider the skills and experience you have, now think about how you can stretch some of these skills to another job. Leaving your options open to other jobs, will increase your chances of finding a telecommuting job quicker. For instance, if your outside job is data entry, you may consider home based coding or transcription jobs. Here is another example of stretching your skills. Veronica has been a family child care provider for 10 years. Veronica is ready for a career change, but she still wants to work from home. Veronica sat down with her husband and created a list of her skills. After this list was complete, she formed a second list that shows how she can stretch her skills into other work from home positions.

Veronica's 10 Strongest Skills Bold Underline

* Strong verbal and written communication skills

* Excellent customer service

* Good Marketing Skills

* Knowledge of Microsoft windows, with the ability to access and input data

* Self-Starter, works well independently

* Bilingual- Spanish, English

6 Telecommute Jobs That Match Veronica's Skills Bold Underline

*Bold Home Based Call Center Agent:

Answering inbound calls and processing orders for customers or making reservations

*Bold Telephone Interpreter:

Third party on telephone line helps communicate customers' needs through bilingual or multilingual tongue

*Bold On-line Concierge:

Ensure hospitality services for customers of hotels, restaurants, car rental agencies etc...via email and phone

*Bold Home Based Dispatcher:

Dispatch calls from home for trucking and delivery companies

*Bold On-line Tutor:

Tutor children on- line in Math, Reading, English etc..

*Bold Virtual Assistant:

Perform receptionist duties from home for CEO or small business owner

I encourage you to do this exercise at home, try to see how far you can stretch your skills-- your mind will begin to see job opportunities that were hidden to your eyes.

Telecommuting offers the temptations of, never having to see your child cry for you as you walk out of the door, sitting at the dinner table as a family, home cooked meals instead of fast food and no more sitting in 2 hour bumper to bumper traffic while your $2-plus! a gallon gas--slowly slips away. Yes, it is very tempting, but before you take that dive into the work from home waters, use these strategies to make sure you stay afloat.


About the Author

Bold Tara Brewer, is the founder of TeleRepsathome. You can read more articles by Tara on InnoVisions Canada and Yahoo!News

TeleRepsathome is your Inside Source for jobs in the hottest telecommuting job market today, the Teleservices industry. A wide variety of new jobs are posted weekly for the US and Canada. If you are new to telecommuting or would like to find a flood! of jobs in one place, Visit http://www.telerepsathome.com Today.

Help for the Home Based Business

Wouldn't it be great to get some good, affordable, reliable help, even though you work out of your home? But finding workers and figuring out where to meet or when to bring them into your home office can pose some difficult juggling, personal and security issues.

A popular solution is outsourcing. When you outsource, you can hire experienced people and let them use their creative talents while you focus on other tasks. Another benefit is that the workers you hire may be more up to date on the latest information and technology in their specific fields and can be assets to your clients, as well, offering improved quality service.

OUTSOURCE

Here are the basics to outsourcing:

Focus:

Focus on outsourcing some of the major tasks of your workload. First, sit down for a breather and look around your 'To Do' lists and office area. What CAN you outsource? Which work seems to pile up the most?

For example, maybe you can't seem to find time to update your website each month. Maybe your newsletter is STILL not getting out regularly. Or perhaps your direct mail campaign is not quite as direct as it should be; i.e. it is sitting directly in the same pile it was three months ago.

Then write out one-page project description for these major tasks. Focus on WHAT exactly you'd want done, WHEN and HOW the end product should turned in to you.

Take Action:

Then look for service providers. For example, with the sample tasks above, find people who can help with Internet websites, newsletter creation and sending out direct mail campaigns. Call round and surf the Internet and ask other home based business operators which companies they recommend. Check forum posts; inquire for advice and suggestions. Shop around for comparisons.

Then set up trial periods and test a couple. Remember, no one is perfect. See who you can communicate with pretty easily and who's flexible to work as a team player. Check out the quality (and quantity) of their work. Then choose a candidate. Remember, this decision is not carved in stone. And you can always hire the other person as a back up or second helper down the road. So be kind to all who test, make decisions and keep your business moving forward.

ROI:

Make the most out of your investment and get a great return by investing in your time wisely, too. Outsourcing will hopefully free up more time for you to focus on the work you like and allow more time for marketing and advertising, to increase sales and projects. Don't forget to brush up on your skills and keep up with the industry now, too. Read the latest ezines in your field and take a brush up course or workshop to improve your skills.

Network and seek out joint venture opportunities.

Outsourcing is a great way to help small businesses grow larger while still remaining at home. So reach out and give it a try!

NOTE: You have full permission to reprint this article within your website or newsletter as long as you leave the article fully intact and include the "About The Author" resource box. Thanks! :-)

!!!ATTENTION!!! We can help ANYONE become MORE Successful in their CURRENT BUSINESS!!! http://www.free-homebusiness.com
About the Author

Nial Robbins owns the work at home directory website located at: http://www.NDR-HomeBiz.com Come by and visit us today! Also, be sure to check out our "top pick" work at home opportunity at: http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-9525

Ten Online Customer Service Tips

Other than the current buzz words, customer service has changed very little since commerce first began. If you want a customer to buy from you again, and to recommend your product or service to others, complaints or problems must be handled properly.

"A satisfied customer will tell five people about their experience, a dissatisified customer will tell twenty-five!"

Customer Service on the Internet

The Internet is an impersonal place to shop. Because of this, the online customer feels little loyalty to you or your company. Many online shoppers won't restrain their anger and upset either. They feel safe behind their anonymous email address. Therefore, in responding to a complaint, you must quickly establish rapport with your customer. To do this, your phone skills and email etiquette must be exceptional. You won't likely get a second chance to make the right impression.

Here are some tips to put you on the right track:

1. Don't give stock responses when customers are not asking stock questions! Take care to answer every question or concern that a customer poses in an email. There's nothing worse than getting back an email from a business owner or their customer service representative that doesn't address the concerns you stated in your email, gives canned responses to what you asked, or makes you feel like a nuisance...or a dummy!

2. End the call or email on a high note for the customer. They'll remember your last words best. In other words, don't end the conversation by saying, "And I'm really sorry you didn't receive your widget when promised." Say, "Martha, your widget is on my desk right now. I'll be packaging it right after this call and I will take it to the post office myself." Now stop talking! Don't be tempted to apologize again and remind them of the problem. Leave customers with the good taste of a resolution in their mouths.

3. In emails, use "exaggerated courtesy." Since the person can't see your expression or hear your tone of voice, your words must do everything for you. Read emails at least three times before hitting the send button.

4. Remove or reword phrases in your email that could be considered rude, such as, "As I said on the phone,...." (Ouch, that's a reprimand! We expect the sentence to end like this, "As I said on the phone, Stupid!")

5. Consider outsourcing your customer service. I was a customer service professional for fifteen years in the high-tech industry. As a hiring manager I looked for two customer service "virtues" in candidates: patience beyond measure and a genuine liking for people. If you do your own customer service for your small business, you need to determine if you have those qualities. If not, you might want to outsource your customer service to someone who does!

6. Ask customers what they want! Often their request will be more reasonable than whatever it was you were going to do to make it right. And it will be the solution they want, not the solution you think they want!

7. Acknowledge their pain and make it right! In my experience, customers rarely demand something more than what they originally expected. So don't start offering all kinds of freebies to try and make them feel better. What they really want is for you to acknowledge their pain and make it right. Making it right usually means getting what they expected in the first place. And it doesn't have to be accompanied by a free gift. Don't substitute "bribing" the customer for genuinely caring about their pain. You can't buy their loyalty, but you can earn it.

8. Avoid over compensating for your company's mistake. Gushing with apologetic words and offering them the sky because of a small shipping error can leave your customer doubting your professionalism. And if you've given them the sky for such a small mistake, what the heck will you do when you really mess up?

9. If possible, give customers a choice as to the solution to their problem. They'll view their experience with less pain that way. If they couldn't download your ebook because of some technical difficulty, they might want a full refund, they might want the chance to download the ebook again, or they might prefer that you email them the ebook.

10. If you do it carefully, you can use some customer service situations to upsell customers. "Martha, did you notice on our Web site that you can get a second widget at half price? If I ship them today, both widgets will arrive in plenty of time for Christmas. Gift-wrapping is included, by the way." Now stop talking and let Martha sell herself on your offer. This is not the time for a hard sales pitch!

How does good customer service increase your revenue? Every customer service encounter gives you another chance to:

- improve customer loyalty

- correct problems in your buying cycle

- upsell customers.

By retaining customer loyalty you now have the chance to sell this customer something else, and you can rest assured they'll say positive things about your company. Remember, a satisfied customer will tell five people, but a dissatisified customer will tell twenty-five people!

About the Author

Andrea Wilson is a former customer service professional who now owns Able Webs, an online Web design business. Visit Able Webs and subscribe to Andrea's ezine, "Web Marketing Today." Learn proven tips and tricks to successfully market your business on the Web.

How to Start a Tax Service

Tax Service Businesses from home are the hot home business of today. As more and more companies downsize and outsource work, there's a higher demand for business tax service, tax preparation service and small business tax advice than ever before. If you're thinking about starting a tax service business from home, consider these things:

* Do you have the background and education you need?
* If not, are you willing to, and do you know where to go to get it?
* Do you want to have an income tax preparation service or a business tax service, or would you prefer to offer small business tax advice?
* Is this a profession you want to pursue full-time or only part-time?
* Will your family be affected by your having a tax service business in your home?
* Do you like working with numbers?
* Can you deal with frustrated and angry people?
* Is there a space in your home for an office?
* What equipment or supplies do you need?
* Do you need to get any financial assistance in starting a tax service business?
* Are you willing to put the necessary effort starting a tax service business?
* Should you have a partner?
* Do you need to get any additional insurance?
* What accounting knowledge will you need for your tax service business?
* Where will you go to get the information about what your state's requirements are on starting a tax business from home?
* Does your state require you to have a license?
* What are your neighborhood's zoning regulations concerning home businesses?

Questions like these will start you thinking about all the details you need to attend to before opening the doors to your tax business from home. Do as much research as you possibly can before making a decision.

Once you've done your homework and have decided that, yes, you want to go ahead with starting your own tax service business from home, make or purchase a business plan. Outline what you need to get started with your own tax business and the steps you need to take.

Goals aren't reached by magic. They're reached by understanding what's involved in undertaking starting a tax business and knowing what you need to do. Making a business plan and following it will keep you on track. This will enable you to actually open a tax service from home more quickly with less trial and error. Ultimately, a good business plan ensures you'll be successful at your tax business.

Even with a good business plan, you need to be aware that there will be obstacles in having your own tax business from home. There will be days you think you must've been nuts to go into business for yourself. Especially if you're used to being in a larger business environment where there many people to help carry the business.

Because in a small business, whether it's a tax business from home or a home show business, you're forced to wear many hats. You have to be the boss, the administrative assistant, the office manager, the accountant, the receptionist, as well as the employee doing the work--often all at once. And there's also the stress and pressure of having all the work, as well as all the financial burdens on your shoulders alone. Having your own business isn't for everybody.

And, if after you've given it some thought and done your research, you've decided that a tax business from home is just the right business opportunity for you, you have many things to look forward to. There are far more positives to being your own boss than there are negatives. Not facing that morning commute is usually enough to make most people never look back. Not having to face that evening commute either, is enough to make them rejoice--and never regret for a minute, starting a tax service business at home of their own.
About the Author

Randy has dozens of home based business articles at Businesses that you can operate from Home such as Unusual Business Opportunities.

What every Work from home "want to be" Should Know Before Diving into Telecommuting

Thousands of employees are coveting the chance to clock in from their home office. A fortunate few have earned this position through their workplace, while their co-workers are murmuring under their breath. Others are tired of waiting for their employer to offer this opportunity, so they are jumping ship and abandoning the job that once held the promise of security, for instability-- and trading in the title of payroll employee for independent contractor. But, before you take that dive into the home employment waters. Have you weighed out what it will take to make it to your destination? You should have a tried and true plan to become a telecommuter, or you will be like so many others who have taken the dive and are now aimlessly flopping around.

First of all let's talk about your source of income, in short-- if you do not have a spouse or significant other that can carry your finances, you need to hold on to your day job. I have seen to often people unable to make ends meet because they were suddenly caught off guard when their job search out lasted their savings. Second, how's your attitude? Do you have a strong tolerance for the tedious? How well do you handle rejection? Can you work independently? Are you open to stretching your skills?

Tolerance for The Tedious Bold Underline

Why do you need a strong tolerance for the tedious? Well if you are not of that fortunate few whose current job lends it's self to telecommuting. You will need to consistently search and purge job postings. In order to get a job, you need to be doing this day & night, and then guess what! You do the same thing again tomorrow. I'm not telling you this, to discourage you-- it's actually exciting when you think about your ultimate goal, and the personal reward, working from home is going to give to you.

Assuming that you are new to the idea of telecommuting, I'll briefly explain to you why you have to purge. I refuse to go into all the different scam scenarios you should look for because it has been done to death in almost every telecommuting article you can think of. The word S C A M has been thrown around so loosely by what I call "Scam Phobics", even the image of legitimate work at home companies have been tarnished, just because the position did not turn out to be the dream job they thought it would be. So we want to focus on purging without being paranoid. To start you need to be clear on what you are searching for, your goal is to find a real job for a reputable company, so you are going to have to purge the posting that does not fit this profile. Some examples of this are; job listings that post over and over again, jobs that ask for money and what ever says start your own business... because you do not want a "business opportunity" you want a home based or telecommute job. For best results try key words like-- telecommute, home based, virtual office, outsource, independent contractor and freelance. For more information on scams, just go to Google and search "work at home scams" you'll find endless information.

Handling Rejection Bold Underline

It is important that you know, you are entering a job market that is incredibly desirable to many. You may not get a job from your first application-- second, third, fourth, or fifth. The truth is, it's not likely, that the employer will ever get back to you to let you know they received your application, not trying to intentionally offend you, companies just do not have the time or man power to call every potential candidate to let them know the position has been filled. Nevertheless, you always approach the job with the attitude that you will get it and eventually you will. To cut down on the number of rejections you encounter. Here are some rules to follow:

1. Always follow the instructions that the company have set for applying for the job. If they say, do not send your resume as an attachment, don't do it anyway and think they will accept it--they won't!

2. Now that you are seeking a telecommuting position customize your resume to meet telecommute qualifications, you can do this without padding your resume with false information. Pin point positions where you have worked independently, owned your own business, show manger or leadership skills etc...

3. Always have a cover letter ready, it's fan mail for your resume. The C L's job is to convince the employer to read your resume; Each C L should be tailored to the company and position.

4. Make sure your contact information is accurate and once an employer calls you, they do not reach a voice mail with 5 minutes of your favorite song before the beep to leave a message, remember you always want to project a professional image. If possible give the employer more than 1 way to contact you.

5. Get prepared for a telephone interview. A telephone Interview is the most common way to interview home based or virtual candidates.

3 Quick Telephone Interview Techniques Bold

1. Post your resume by the telephone

2. Illustrate your skills with actual on the job experiences.

3. Demonstrate the ability to work independently.

Can You Work Independently Bold Underline

Working at home means working independently, no co-workers to vent with or talk to about the latest gossip. The IT guy is no longer a few cubicles away to trouble shoot your system when it kicks you out. You can't have some one fax a document for you or take the call you have avoided like the plague. You need to be able to manage your own time. When you work from home you should work as if the supervisor is watching over your shoulder. Log in on time, take breaks when scheduled and don't over do lunches. Please do not be mislead into thinking the boss does not know what you are doing, it's true they may not know what you are physically doing, but they definitely will know what you are "not" doing by your work production--whether it's sales, customer service, or transcription. It's the "not doing" they care about. So, you need to make sure that your family and friends understand that when you are in your home office, you are working. You will not be going on shopping sprees, golfing during work hours or catching a movie, until you sign off for the day. Some people have told me that they even put a sign on the door that says, daddy's at work or gone to work-- it helps to communicate the message better.

Do You Know How to Stretch Your Skills Bold Underline

Consider the skills and experience you have, now think about how you can stretch some of these skills to another job. Leaving your options open to other jobs, will increase your chances of finding a telecommuting job quicker. For instance, if your outside job is data entry, you may consider home based coding or transcription jobs. Here is another example of stretching your skills. Veronica has been a family child care provider for 10 years. Veronica is ready for a career change, but she still wants to work from home. Veronica sat down with her husband and created a list of her skills. After this list was complete, she formed a second list that shows how she can stretch her skills into other work from home positions.

Veronica's 10 Strongest Skills Bold Underline

* Strong verbal and written communication skills

* Excellent customer service

* Good Marketing Skills

* Knowledge of Microsoft windows, with the ability to access and input data

* Self-Starter, works well independently

* Bilingual- Spanish, English

6 Telecommute Jobs That Match Veronica's Skills Bold Underline

*Bold Home Based Call Center Agent:

Answering inbound calls and processing orders for customers or making reservations

*Bold Telephone Interpreter:

Third party on telephone line helps communicate customers' needs through bilingual or multilingual tongue

*Bold On-line Concierge:

Ensure hospitality services for customers of hotels, restaurants, car rental agencies etc...via email and phone

*Bold Home Based Dispatcher:

Dispatch calls from home for trucking and delivery companies

*Bold On-line Tutor:

Tutor children on- line in Math, Reading, English etc..

*Bold Virtual Assistant:

Perform receptionist duties from home for CEO or small business owner

I encourage you to do this exercise at home, try to see how far you can stretch your skills-- your mind will begin to see job opportunities that were hidden to your eyes.

Telecommuting offers the temptations of, never having to see your child cry for you as you walk out of the door, sitting at the dinner table as a family, home cooked meals instead of fast food and no more sitting in 2 hour bumper to bumper traffic while your $2-plus! a gallon gas--slowly slips away. Yes, it is very tempting, but before you take that dive into the work from home waters, use these strategies to make sure you stay afloat.


About the Author

Bold Tara Brewer, is the founder of TeleRepsathome. You can read more articles by Tara on InnoVisions Canada and Yahoo!News

TeleRepsathome is your Inside Source for jobs in the hottest telecommuting job market today, the Teleservices industry. A wide variety of new jobs are posted weekly for the US and Canada. If you are new to telecommuting or would like to find a flood! of jobs in one place, Visit http://www.telerepsathome.com Today.

Alternative Call Center Arrangements

Most call centers are based in a centralized location, with many call center agents working side-by-side in cubicles answering telephones or making outbound calls. However, with the advancement of technology, alternative call center arrangements have emerged. Now call centers can make use of remote agents, temporary agents, virtual call centers and interactive centers. We will elaborate on all of these options below.

Remote Agents: Remote agents are able to work at home with the use of their computer and telephone. They are able to access their companies' network and remotely take incoming calls or perform outbound calls. Remote agents provide several advantages for their company and also enjoy a few of their own. Remote agents require less expense for the hiring company. Depending solely on remote agents eliminates overhead costs associated with a office building, office equipment, daily supplies, and insurance. For the agent, the main perk for most individuals is the ability to stay at home while they work. This means no commute or travel time, and no associated costs.

Virtual Call Centers: Virtual call centers are smaller groups of agents who are connected to other call center agents but at a different location. These groups work closely with one another and provide support, interaction and back up when needed.

Interactive Centers: Interactive centers go beyond just answering phones or making outbound calls. Instead, interactive center agents handle email, online live chat and other web based communication.

Temporary Agents: Temporary agents act like an interchangeable workforce. They are only called in during periods of time when the call center volume is expected to be extremely busy. It allows the company to only hire extra staff when they are needed, for example around holidays or tax time.

With the continued growth of technology, call center options, which would have been unavailable just a decade ago, are in fact capable of re-shaping an industry. With the new communication avenues of the web, call centers can reach existing customers and prospects in new and effective ways. The only limitation is a companies' imagination.

Still some sales-focused call centers choose to stay centralized for several reasons. Remote and virtual call center agents lack the ability to participate in the team atmosphere, which can at times, be motivating and rewarding for most call center agents. While having freedom and flexibility of working from home, call center agents in remote or virtual locations have less structure and more distractions than most highly structured professional call centers.

Businesses that want to improve their sales move toward call centers that are operated in the United States and focus solely on sales. There is a competitive advantage to having a call center that handles all calls in-house, has ongoing sales training, strict quality control measures in place and always has your company values in place when handling your call.

About the Author

Ty Price is the E-commerce/Marketing Director of Consult Sales. The professional phone sales call center is engineered to consistently perform with excellence in the consultative phone sales and telemarketing environment, and will deliver more revenue per call than you are currently enjoying. Visit http://www.consultsales.com to see how Ty and Consult Sales can improve your bottom line.

Small Business Financial & Accounting (F&A) Offshore Outsourcing Cost

Fortune 500 companies have been off shoring the financial and accounting business processes (BPO) to countries like India, Philippians, China, etc. These companies have big budgets and a big team of consultants who analyzes the total cost and ROI of sending their financial and accounting work to the service providers in offshore locations. Though smaller companies have started off shoring their financial and accounting work to offshore locations but like big corporations small businesses do not have huge budget to hire consultants to identify the total cost of off shoring their financial and accounting work to offshore locations. But small businesses can still perform their due diligence in calculating total cost of their offshore engagement and gain critical knowledge in finding ROI of sending their financial and accounting work to offshore locations. In this report we will go through all of the hidden costs of offshoring financial and accounting business processes.

1. Different Costs of Offshoring Financial & Accounting Work
Small businesses mainly consider offshoring their work, they will consider only the hourly rate they need to pay to the offshore vendor for various accounting works like bookkeeping, accounts payable, accounts receivable, etc. There are several other additional hidden costs small business have to face in their offshore outsourcing engagement. Typically a small business goes through following offshore accounting work cycle in their offshore engagement
* Selecting an offshore accounting vendor
* Sending the work to the offshore vendor
* Answering questions for the offshore vendor
* Receiving the finished work from the offshore vendor
* Verifying the finished work from the offshore vendor
* Monitoring the quality of the finished work from the offshore vendor

2. Cost of Selecting offshore accounting vendor
The cost associated with selecting an offshore accounting vendor will be small compared to other costs. Most of the time small businesses can find a qualified offshore accounting vendor simply by searching in Google or by contacting other small businesses those who are already using an offshore vendor, for detailed discussion on this topic read Offshore Accounting Success. This cost is the one time cost and it will be similar to selecting an onshore vendor.
3. Cost of sending the work to an offshore vendor
Small businesses must consider various types of cost like Scanner, High speed Internet, Backup Server, etc, to send their financial and account documents to an offshore vendor, but the good news is that it will be a one time investment and most of the small businesses will have these in place already. There are three different offshore accounting models you can use to send your accounting and financial work to the offshore vendors and for these you will incur following one time cost.
3.1. Scanner & Scanning software
Most of the accounting and financial data will be in your accounting software like QuickBooks, Peachtree etc, but there will be other documents like Bills, Checks, Invoices, Goods received notes, etc will be on paper and these should be digitized using a scanner and a scanning software to convert it into PDF documents which will be stored in your computer. Once the documents are in your computer then you can give access to the offshore vendor to view the PDF documents or they can retrieve it from your computer to perform their work in the offshore location.
Most of small businesses already have a scanner, if not a scanner (scanning software comes with the scanner) can be purchased for less than $1000.00. The cost of the scanner will go up based on the volume of accounting and financial documents to be scanned in a given day. It will be a one time cost for the small business and also by scanning all their paper based accounting documents; you can improve the efficiency of overall accounting process.

3.2. High speed Internet Connection Cost
You need to have high-speed Internet connection to send and receive the work to and from offshore location. Again all most all small businesses already have DSL/T1 Internet connection if not they can get a DSL Internet connection for $60-100/month.

3.3. Secure FTP software
If small businesses are using Application Service Provider (ASP) like Quickbooks online, cpaasp.com, etc, then it is possible for offshore vendors to directly access your accounting data directly from the ASP vendor. In this case there is no need to use secure FTP software.

3.4. Backup Server
Once small businesses start digitizing their accounting documents for their offshore vendors, they need to start planning for the backup server to backup all their accounting documents. Most of the small businesses will have this feature already, if not it is a good investment to have a backup server to backup all their accounting and financial data from their main computer to the backup server. For any business "Business continuity" is a vital task and the backup server will help the small businesses to recover all the accounting data in case of main computer failure.

3.5. Additional Accounting software License cost
Small businesses use various accounting software packages like QuickBooks, MYOB, Microsoft Office Accounting etc, for doing all their accounting and financial work. When they offshore the work the offshore vendor will use the same accounting software to do the work. It is very difficult for the small businesses to find an offshore vendor who already owns the licenses for all the accounting software. As described in the offshore accounting models if small businesses decides to use Remote Server or ASP then there is no additional cost for small businesses. On the other hand if the small businesses decided to use Secure File Transfer then small businesses needs to buy additional accounting software license for the offshore vendor to use. Small businesses will incur this cost even if they outsource the work to onshore vendors. This cost is truly soley based on the accounting software package used by the small businesses. Accounting software packages comes with various flavors types of software licenses like concurrent users, fixed number of users, CPU based, Network based etc., Some times small businesses can completely avoid this cost altogether.
4. Managing Financial & Accounting offshore vendor
Once you send your accounting and financial work to the offshore vendor, you need to constantly mange and monitor the quality of finished work that comes back from the vendor. Initially you may need a full-time person educating the offshore accountants and bookkeepers about your accounting process and preparing proper instructions for them to follow in their work. Once you and the offshore team are comfortable in the working relationship then all you need is to verify the work periodically. Basically you need to consider the offshore team as your virtual team and educate them in your accounting processes and procedures, once you are comfortable with their work your own employee(s) will spend less time with the offshore vendors.
5. Offshore vendor wage
For the accounting and financial work performed by the offshore vendor, small businesses will pay either an hourly rate or a monthly rate to the offshore vendor. This will be the actual direct cost small businesses will pay to the offshore vendor and all other costs are indirect cost of sending the work to offshore vendor. Typically the wage cost will be 50-70% less than the cost paid to the onshore accounting and financial vendor. For small businesses this cost savings is one of the major reasons to use the offshore vendor for their financial and accounting work. Small businesses need to consider several costs in their financial and accounting offshore engagement. As shown in the table Small business F&A offshore outsourcing - Fixed Cost Vs Monthly Cost some of the costs are fixed and some of them are monthly expanses incurred by the small businesses. Among the monthly cost only the offshore vendor wage is the direct cost paid to the offshore vendor. While performing ROI analysis small businesses must consider all these costs to find the Total Cost of doing business with offshore vendors. As shown in the table, for certain items finding out the exact cost may not be possible and it is highly based on the individual small businesses and the type of accounting and financial work that has been sent to offshore locations. The total cost may not be a fixed amount and it can change from month to month. For example in some months there will be more questions from the offshore vendor in clarifications and in other months there will be less questions, this cost will vary from month to month.

About the Author

Mani Malarvannan is cofounder of Cybelink, a company specializes in small business financial and accounting outsourcing like Bookkeeping, Tax, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, etc. For more info visit www.cybelink.com

Online Paralegal Courses

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Employment Projections predicts a growth of over 33 percent in the legal assistant profession during the first decade of 2000. The median annual salary for full-time paralegals and legal assistants as of May, 2004 was $39,130. Online paralegal programs make it simple to learn the necessary skills for employment in this growing, lucrative profession.

Paralegals assist lawyers in the delivery of legal services by performing a wide variety of tasks such as research, drafting formal documents, preparing for real estate closings, preparing for court hearings and gathering information from pertinent parties. Paralegals are prohibited from giving legal advice, which can only be given by an attorney. However, through formal education and field experience, paralegals gain enough knowledge and expertise to handle legal matters under the supervision of an attorney. Much like attorneys, many offices bill hourly for the work performed on a file by a paralegal, only at a lower rate.

Over 1,000 schools offer formal paralegal programs and more than 600 different paralegal programs exist. About 260 paralegal programs are approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), the governing association for attorneys. Although ABA approval is not necessary, graduation from such courses may enhance possible employment opportunities for the student. Requirements

for admission to paralegal online schools is as varied as the number of courses currently available and may include a high school diploma, bachelor's degree or completion of a standardized test. Online paralegal courses enable students to get experience in a legal environment while learning essential skills to progress in their field.

Online paralegal programs include 2-year associate's degree programs, 4-year bachelor's degree programs and certificate programs, usually geared for students with a degree that want to specialize in paralegal studies. A few universities even offer master's degree programs in areas such as paralegal studies, legal studies and legal administration. Online paralegal programs can be completed in as little as six months or can take up to four years, depending on the course of education the student chooses. Online paralegal courses are offered through written coursework, reading assignments, email, online chats and virtual lectures.

Seven out of ten paralegals are employed by law firms and the rest work for government agencies and corporate legal departments, with a small number offering their services on a freelance basis to attorney and agencies. The United States Department of Labor states that the largest employers of paralegals within the Federal Government are the U.S. Department of Justice, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Treasury. The agency that offers certification and ethical guidelines to paralegals is the National Association of Legal Assistants, along with the National Federation for Paralegal Associations.

Paralegal online schools are a great way for students to learn while they earn in a prestigious, challenging profession.

About the Author

Mary Jackson is a web contributor for http://www.distance-learning-college-guide.com where you find information on distance learning colleges and online courses. See more related information on online paralegal courses and colleges.

Business Owners: Can You Depend On Wi-fi When You Travel?

"Don't worry - wi-fi is everywhere these days!"

That opinion is widespread, but as I prepared for a 10-week sabbatical road trip from Massachusetts to Alaska and back, I didn't give it much weight. I would be traveling to some of the most remote areas of North America and needing to check my email each morning and night to keep my business affairs humming along smoothly.

Because I found it impossible to get reliable information on Internet access along our route, I prepared for worst-case scenarios. And I'm reporting my findings here to help others plan for a similar trip.

Before we left home, I equipped myself with a wi-fi card in my laptop and purchased a handheld phone/computer device that could access wireless Internet too. The laptop also had a modem that could be used for Internet access through a phone line. And for further backup, I had a virtual assistant whom I could call to request her to check email for me if I were stuck someplace where neither wi-fi nor dialup worked.

My husband and I stayed in mid-priced or budget motels, lodges and bed and breakfast inns. We also took a few overnight ferries. While we took day hikes, we never camped out in the wilderness. Here's what we experienced:

Wi-fi in motel or B&B room, worked fine: 34% Wi-fi in office or restaurant, not in room: 12% Wi-fi in room worked intermittently: 14% Wi-fi took more than 20 minutes to get working: 8% Wi-fi did not work after considerable fiddling, used modem instead: 6% Wi-fi down town-wide from storm or outage: 4% Wired high-speed Internet in room: 4% Wi-fi available but forgot to ask for password: 2% No wi-fi available, used modem instead: 12% No Internet connection at all available: 4%

So, only one-third of the time did wi-fi work conveniently and right away in the room where we were staying. Another third of the time we were able to use wi-fi with some delay or inconvenience. And the other third of the time, we would have been without Internet access had wi-fi been our only option.

In those no wi-fi situations, hooking up the laptop to the phone line was our next option. Most of the time, this happened in isolated places where finding a coffeehouse with wi-fi for patrons was totally out of the question. And in nearly all of those cases, the laptop modem came to the rescue.

In Watson Lake, Yukon, however, a town of about 1500 people, the high-speed Internet network was DSL and did not work because phone service throughout the town was down. This meant that my backup plan - calling my virtual assistant - wouldn't work, either. There was nothing I could do about it until we drove on to another waystation on the Alaska Highway where my hand-held device picked up wi-fi at a truck stop.

In Alaska, we stayed one night at a rustic lodge in the middle of nowhere that said they had wi-fi in the restaurant, but it didn't work, and our room did not have a phone line to which we could plug in the modem. The lodge did not have a pay phone, either, for a call to my assistant, so again we hunted down a wi-fi connection in the next couple of towns the following day.

We were in luck - these nights and the nights we slept on ferries that didn't have Internet access - didn't generate any of those angry "Why the #%@$* didn't you answer my email?" messages that any business owner dreads.

One bonus bit of advice: In many places, motel clerks stared at me blankly when I asked if they had wi-fi. But they all understood the question, "Do you have wireless Internet?" Use the longer question, especially outside of metropolitan areas.

About the Author

Marcia Yudkin, author of Web Site Marketing Makeover and 10 other books, publishes a weekly newsletter on creative marketing, Marketing Minute (http://www.yudkin.com/marksynd.htm ). Find out more about her report "Take Your Business On The Road," at http://www.yudkin.com/ontheroad.htm .

Business Owners: Five Surprising Changes That Affect Business Travel

In 2003, I took my business on the road for three months while traveling by car around much of North America. In 2007, I took almost as long for a road trip from Massachusetts to Alaska and back. In those four years, several things changed that significantly affected some practicalities of taking care of business when away from the office and one's home base for that long a time. If you're planning extensive business travel and haven't been on the road in a couple of years, some of these changes might come as a surprise to you, too.

1. Internet access. In 2003, high-speed Internet was a specialty item in the hospitality industry, restricted to a few name-brand hotel and coffee-shop chains. Before I left on my 2007 trip, several people told me blithely, "Wi-fi is everywhere now." I'm glad I looked skeptically at that assessment.

During ten weeks of travel in Canada and the U.S., only one-third of the time did wi-fi work conveniently and right away in the room where we were staying. Another third of the time we were able to use wi-fi after quite a bit of technical fiddling or by going to the motel office or restaurant. And the other third of the time, we would have been without Internet access had wi-fi been our only option. I had three backup options for this contingency: going online on dialup with the modem in my laptop; using my handheld phone/computer (an AT&T 8525) to pick up email; and telephoning my virtual assistant to ask her to check my email for me.

2. Receipts. If you're planning to deduct business travel expenses on your taxes, then you need to save receipts and you need a written record of the expenses and their business purpose. What changed since 2003 in this regard is that more and more businesses provide receipts on thermal paper whose ink fades and smudges with the least exposure to sun or friction. This means that if you shoe-box your receipts into a pocket or a compartment in the car before you record your expenses, you could be unable to decipher your evidence. I'm not sure what the IRS's take on this development will be, but I'm glad I had the discipline to record the expenses in a little notebook at least every day or two.

3. Plastic. During our 2003 trip, we had to keep hitting up ATMs for cash, because quite a few places where we had to pay for things did not accept credit cards. In 2007, the only places where we really had to have cash were a few tolls and a few tourist attractions. We had one Canadian ten-dollar bill with us left over from the previous trip, and apart from that we were able to charge nearly everything. When a panhandler tried to hit us up for cash, we were able to say truthfully that we had none. We were putting everything on plastic, sorry!

4. Cell phone coverage. Our surprise here was that there wasn't as much improvement in cellular service for the more remote sections of the U.S. as we expected. Along interstate highways, you can pretty much expect to get a signal. But otherwise, where population density is low or nonexistent, cell phone coverage is usually likewise absent. A big exception was national parks. I had a long conversation with a friend back home from Denali National Park in Alaska, where the whole county has only 1800 or so full-time residents.

5. Mail forwarding. This change isn't the progress toward efficiency that you might expect. It took longer in 2007 than in 2003 to get postal mail forwarding going and longer to stop the forwarding. My postmaster explained that forwarding was now centralized and computerized. Whereas previously, individual post offices had been in charge of forwarding mail addressed to residents in their service area, now this was handled at the regional mail processing facility. My postmaster could put in the request to start or stop mail forwarding, but he had no direct control over the process, and it took 7-10 days for the forwarding and the no-more-forwarding orders to take effect.

Be prepared for these and other changing conditions, and you'll have a better, easier and more prosperous time away from home.

About the Author

Marcia Yudkin is the author of Web Site Marketing Makeover and 10 other books. She publishes a weekly newsletter on creative marketing, Marketing Minute (http://www.yudkin.com/marksynd.htm ). Find out more about her report "Take Your Business On The Road" at http://www.yudkin.com/ontheroad.htm .