Sunday, July 8, 2007
Friday, July 6, 2007
I'd Like to Thank the Academy...
I've been awarded a Rockin' Girl Blogger Award by Brillig of 'Twas Brillig, a rockin' girl blogger herself. I'd like to thank my mother for bringing me into this world, my father for doing his part, and my first grade teacher, Mrs. Johnson, for teaching me how to read and write. Last but not least, I could never have done it without a helpful community of fellow bloggers who have, with great patience, explained to me such simple concepts as metatags, link exchanges, and page rank. The list goes on...
As a member of the Rockin' Girl Blogger's Club, it's my task to nominate five girl bloggers that I believe are rockin' their blogs. And so after much thought, here's my list:
Essential Keystrokes
Christy's Coffee Break
O the Joys
Freelance Writing Jobs
Success from the Nest
Congratulations! To grab your Rockin' Girl Blogger bling and read all about your award, go here.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
First Impressions in the Era of Google, MySpace, and Facebook
Have you Googled your name yet? I recently did, and I was surprised to find myself six down on the first page. Now my name is fairly common. So if I'm that easy to find, how much easier might it be to find someone with a more unique name?I point this out because so many home business owners and work at home parents are using Facebook or MySpace to promote their business, website, or blog. And sometimes it's easy to forget that whatever you put out there for the world to see should represent you as you want to be viewed by future employers, business associates, and clients.
Social networks can be a great tool for promoting your business or blog if used properly. But you should keep in mind that a prospective client or employer's first impression of you might be the picture that pops up on MySpace, the off-color joke on your Facebook, or the rant about some colleague on your blog.
It's a big world. But the Internet has made it much smaller in a sense. I've had contact with people from China, England, Australia - you name it - because they read and commented on my blog, or I read and commented on their blog. The Internet has made that possible; it's put the whole world at our fingertips. But it's also made it nearly impossible to both have an online presence and remain private.
And once you're out there, you're out there. Google your name and see what first impression you're giving.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
Do You Have What it Takes to Work From Home?
It seems like everyone wants to telecommute these days. After all, what could be better than working in your pajamas? You roll out of bed, grab some coffee, and you're ready to go. No more rush-hour traffic. And just think of the savings on gas alone.
But not everyone has the right personality to work from home. Successful telecommuters tend to be very self-motivated. It's hard to make yourself work when the remote control is close at hand, the phone is ringing, or your children are demanding your attention.
Telecommuters also must have above average time management and organizational skills. No one is leaning over your shoulder, making sure the job gets done on time. There is very little supervision.
But most of all, the desire to work from home must be strong. If you need social interaction, if you just live for office gossip and water cooler society, then telecommuting isn't for you. It can be quite isolating. There's also not much positive reinforcement. No one is there to pat you on the back and tell you what a great job you're doing.
Future-trends.com has a quiz to help you determine if telecommuting is right for you. Take it and see whether you are a good candidate for telecommuting. It's an option that can be very rewarding, if it's the right choice for you.