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My Blog does not appear in IE correctly at the moment. This may take a millenia to fix. Excuse the appearance of the blog until then.

W.H.Y. - New Online Magazine for Work at Homers

Looking for a e-zine targeted to people who work from home? Look no further, W.H.Y. magazine, which is an acronym for work, home, you, is here. With articles featuring items like "10 tasks you can farm out to a virtual assistant right now", "how to get your home office up and running", and "7 cheap ways to get folks to find you", this may prove to be a free, fun, educational, and perhaps profitable read.

If you are looking for cheap classified ads, they feature ads for less than $30. Might be worth a try. Can't say. Don't really need to advertise, yet. You may also browse past issues. Looks like fun!

To top it all off, there's a celebrity interview. This month it is children's singer and music legend, Neil Sedaka. Have fun perusing the articles, and I hope you find something that helps you!

Money Order Scam

Here is a copy of the email that arrived in my box the other morning:

Hello,

 

How do you do?

 

My name is Christopher Narey, Finance Director, Barnardos Charity Organization. I just came about your email address online and I would be very interested in offering you a part-time paying opportunity in which you could earn a lot. This opportunity would be based on contract and commission terms and would involve quite a handful of trust and honesty.

 

Over the years the organization has been rendering helps and supports on humanitarian services pretty much on orphanage homes, less privileged scholarshipand subsidized medication for good health most especially in the developing world.

 

 

At Barnardos, we work hard to support the community. As a brand, we aim to help improve the quality of life for children and their families. This is demonstrated in our role as corporate partner with the Well Child charity with money raised going towards helping sick children and their families.

Presently, I have just been granted a funding to head a charity support project in the tropical regions of West Africa regarding Poverty Alleviation, Provision of clothing materials to all kids in rural areas, extending to Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali etc, and more counseling on AIDS, which is increasing at an alarming rate and provision of basic amenities in support to humanitarian services to the third world nations and this would be commencing very soon.

 

However, my funding's were by my American counterparts which sent me the bunch of payments mostly in US based money orders. Getting an accountant in the states or opening an account would have been my best choice but I have a deadline to meet and taking any of those choices would cost me time and a whole lot of other requirements I am not ready to deal with as I would be traveling a lot in the meantime. I would be willing to employ you on contract basis to be my Payment Representative back in the states.

 

This way I could issue and make these Payments (Money Orders) out to you, you could then process them easily, deduct ten percent ( 10%) of the total amount on these money orders as your commission for the great service you have rendered in support to saving life's in the third world and then have the rest wired to Organization via Western Union Money Transfer. The Western Union Service fee should also be deducted alongside your 10% service charge before having the rest wired via Western Union.

 

Bear it in mind that we would be dealing with quite a handful of money, and you could be making good money working with me in a short period of time.

 

I would be glad if you accept my proposal and I intend to commence on the project as soon as you are ready. If you are interested, please do properly fill out the attached Application form, and then we shall make the concluding arrangements.

                                                   

                                        

Please be careful that you do not fall prey to this scam. This is not a legit money making opportunity. It is a work at home scam. Money order fraud typically involves forged check and money orders, typically drawn on an overseas bank, which are issued to an unsuspecting person. The victim deposits the checks into a bank account, and initially the check clears. The person then withdraws all or part of the funds, and wires them to the person who sent the check. The check is then dishonored as a forgery, and the bank withdraws the money from the victim's account or demands repayment from the victim. Click here to read more about this type of fraud.  

Cash Strapped People Raising Money Online

As money gets tight, more people are turning to online sites like Craigslist in an attempt to raise a little cash. (Oct. 20)

Here are some Craigslist ideas, and our featured news story of the week. Enjoy.

Ugotitfirst - Make Money Downloading Coupons

Ugotitfirst shares its profits with its members and affilliates. Their members and affilliates receive up to $0.10 for each coupon they recieve or each coupon someone in their network receives. When you complete a survey as a member, you can be paid up to $2.50. $25 is the minimum payout. You do not have to buy the product, register for something you don't need, or use the coupon. This is a big hook that they promote.
You can also sell your local businesses on the coupons and if they advertise through Ugotitfirst, you can earn referral money through this. The only reason that I did not sign up and will not sign up is that you must use your cell phone to sign up for some reason. I do not want any extra cell phone charges. I assume they are not much, but at the same time I am not willing to take the risk for the money. This is the honest warning that you receive when you sign up:
"THIS IS A SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE THAT RENEWS EVERY MONTH. STANDARD MESSAGING CHARGES APPLY WHICH WILL BE ON YOUR WIRELESS BILL OR DEDUCTED FROM YOUR PREPAID BALANCE. TO OPT OUT, PLEASE TEXT STOP TO 99134 ANYTIME." It does not seem to hard to cancel, and you may want to try it, anyway.
You can receive as many coupons from as many places as you want, and you are paid for it.


You can also get invited to

• Gallery Openings
• Dance Clubs
• Open Houses
• Bar Specials like "Ladies Night"
• Themed Events like "Halloween Costume Parties"
• Home BBQ's and Parties
  

This seems like a really neat oppurtunity to use your cell phone to make money, save money, and get invited to some really cool events. Let me know what you think...

The SpiderWeb Marketing System

The SpiderWeb Marketing System, in truth, seems like

another way to market GDI. I am not absolutely sure,

but this looks like the catch. The site just looks too bogus

for me. I signed up for it once before, and I thought I

would feature it so that you guys would know why I did not

sign on, and wouldn't miss out on an oppurtunity that

might otherwise be profitable to you. I am trying to sign up

for free. As far as I can tell, you do have to purchase a GDI

account, which is the same as purchasing a website with

hosting, and doesn't really cost much more.

The actual website setup is easy,and GDI is very easy to

cancel. You can dispute your charge through PayPal if any

problems have occured. He features over 22 videos on his site.

Through these 22 videos he shows you how to set up the system

so that you make $5 - $450 for every

SpiderWeb Marketing System that the system automatically

gives away for you. You do not have to sell anything or even

speak to anyone. There are fees involved. You just have to go

through really detailed information. I know that the first startup

cost is the website that you must use to host this system. The

SpiderWeb Marketing System has about 22 "income streams". Not

all of these are free, and some of these require a monthly fee

(ie. GDI is $10 a month). They have incentives that are provided

when someone you bring in signs up for these paid income streams,

and that is one of the ways that you make money. The marketing and

traffic, the hard part, you have to learn yourself.

For a great, realistic outlook from someone not making

any money from you, go here:

The SpiderWeb Marketing System Review and Forum

This is a video about the SpiderWeb Marketing System. This guys seems to know what he is talking about, although he is a newbie. This really just shows proof of payment and tells nothing about how the system works. Let's see...

Here's another with a little more information. It still centers around payment proof and Global Domains International without much else.

The site screams about outrageously high passive incomes. I do not doubt this, I just feel that maybe I should have a little more Internet marketing experience, some more steady,

internet finances, and, of course, a little more time on my hands before I jump into this. I am skeptical of most MLM and marketing in general. I suppose there are those that are

really awesome at it, and I know I can be one of those people and all that, but I always prefer to look before I leap, and I know that the results above probably are not the same for

everyone, and would require an investment for advertising, etc. So Good Luck to you who chose to pursue the SpiderWeb Marketing System!

Money Making Idea: Create Your Own Pyramid Scheme

A pyramid scheme is sometimes referred to as multi-level marketing or MLM, for short. Wikipedia defines MLM as:

Multi-level marketing (MLM), also known as Network Marketing, is a business-distribution model that allows a parent company to market its products directly to consumers by means of relationship referrals and direct selling.

Independent, unsalaried salespeople of multi-level marketing, referred to as distributors (or associates, independent business owners, dealers, franchise owners, sales consultants, consultants, independent agents, etc.), represent the parent company and are awarded a commission based upon the volume of product sold through each of their independent businesses (organizations).

Independent distributors develop their organizations by either building an active customer base, who buy direct from the parent company, or by recruiting a downline of independent distributors who also build a customer base, thereby expanding the overall organization. Additionally, distributors can also earn a profit by retailing products they purchased from the parent company at wholesale price.

Distributors earn a commission based on the sales efforts of their organization, which includes their independent sale efforts as well as the leveraged sales efforts of their downline. This arrangement is similar to franchise arrangements where royalties are paid from the sales of individual franchise operations to the franchisor as well as to an area or region manager. Commissions are paid to multi-level marketing distributors according to the company’s compensation plan. There can be multiple levels of people receiving royalties from one person's sales.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing

Pyramid schemes started long before the Internet with companies like Avon, Herbalife, etc. In a pyramid scheme, membership is offered for a set price. When a new person enters the scheme, the one that refers him is paid a certain percentage of the membership fee, the one who invited the inviter is paid a certain percentage, and so on. You get the picture. The people at the top of the pyramid make a lot of money, and the people at the bottom make only a little. If you want to start your own, you can be the person at the top of the pyramid. 

Here are the business plans of an MLM ( again thanks to Wikipedia ):

• Stairstep Breakaway plans This type of plan is characterized as having representatives who are responsible for both personal and group sales volumes. Volume is created by recruiting and by retailing product. Various discounts or rebates may be paid to group leaders and a group leader can be any representative with one or more downline recruits. Once predefined personal and/or group volumes are achieved, a representative moves up a step. This continues until the representative..."breaks away" from their upline. From that point on, the new group is no longer considered part of his...upline's group - hence they are a "breakaway". ^[6] Stairstep Breakaway plans are not level based.
• Unilevel plans This type of plan is often considered the simplest of compensation plans. Uni-Level plans pay commissions primarily based on the number of levels a recipient is from the original representative who is purchasing the product. Commissions are not based on title or rank achieved. By qualifying with a minimum sales requirement, representatives earn unlimited commissions on a limited number of levels of downline recruited representatives. ^[6]
• Matrix plans This type of plan is similar to a Uni-Level plan, except there is a also limited number of representatives who can be placed on the first level. Recruits beyond the maximum number of first level positions allowed are automatically placed in other downline (lower level) positions. Matrix plans often have a maximum width and depth. When all positions in a representative's downline matrix are filled (maximum width and depth is reached for all participants in a matrix), a new matrix may be started. Like Uni-Level plans, representatives in a matrix earn unlimited commissions on limited levels of volume with minimal sales quotas. ^[6]
• Binary plans: A binary plan is a multilevel marketing compensation plan which allows distributors to have only two front-line distributors. If a distributor sponsors more than two distributors, the excess are placed at levels below the sponsoring distributor's front-line. This "spillover" is one of the most attractive features to new distributors since they need only sponsor two distributors to participate in the compensation plan. The primary limitation is that distributors must "balance" their two downline legs to receive commissions. Balancing legs typically requires that the number of sales from one downline leg constitute no more than a specified percentage of the distributor's total sales. ^[7]
• Hybrid plans are compensation plans that are constructed using elements of more than one type of compensation plan

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-level_marketing

Have fun designing your new MLM company. You may want to sell actual products, memberships to your new website, or just provide some type of service. Websites are not that expensive. Now you can be the one at the top!

 

Google Adsense - It's Been Done Before

I know, you already know about Google Adsense. I thought I would feature it here for educational and reference purposes. Google Adsense is advertising that matches your sites content and audience. Adsense offers Adsense for Content, Adsense for Search, Adsense for Feeds, Adsense for Domains, Video Units, and Adsense for Mobile Content. 

My favorite new feature is Google Adsense Video Units. Here is an example:

Videos About Working From Home:

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

There are many products devoted to helping publishers and advertisers( Google Adwords ). Here are a few if you would like to review the websites:

1. Google Websites:
Build your own Google Websites with 150 content websites.

2. Make Money With Your Blog:

The best blogging related products on the topics of affiliate marketing, pay-per-post, and 

Google Adsense. 

3. Top Paying Keywords:

2,500,000 keywords to maximize profits from Google Adsense.

There is an unlimited money making potential with Google Adsense. Google Adsense comes in many sizes and colors, and you are sure to find the perfect fit for your website. You must apply and wait a few days to use Adsense on your site, but once you are approved, you can start posting and start making money automatically as long as your ads are viewed and clicked. The minimum payout is a steep $100, you must give them some personal information, and you must enter a special pin that they send you in the mail in order to receive your payment. Good Luck!

Lunarpages - $65 Referrals For a Stellar Product

Lunarpages Affiliate Program

The Lunarpages Affiliate Program offers $65 base commission rate, $5 second tier commissions, and ready made banners for your website. Lunarpages is a relatively inexpensive web hosting service. Right now their running special is $4.95 month with unlimited space and unlimited bandwidth. They feature $775.00 in software and services included with all hosting plans.

For those of you who promote Global Domains International, this affiliate program is somewhat similar, only you have no pressure to form a downline. Lunarpages has a Basic Hosting plan that is ideal for webmasters, small businesses, and bloggers. The Basic Plan also features Apache 2 and Secure Shell is available. LPQuicksite is a complete website that only takes minutes to design and place on the web. You can manage, park, and register unlimited domains with Lunarpages.

Windows hosting includes ASP.NET and frontpage. Lunarpages has virtual private server hosting and Windows virtual private server hosting, dedicated servers, and reseller hosting. The Basic and Business Hosting service come with free web design templates, blogs such as Wordpress, Content Management Systems (CMS) like Joomla, Photo Galleries and are CPanel ready with Fantastico, etc. All annual web hosting plans include a free domain! Lunarpages also features free webhosting for schools.

I actually looked into this company just a few months ago when I was deciding who I should go with for an actual website. I did not make a decision at the time, and still haven't. I tried GDI, but it just did not have the features that I needed to access. Lunarpages does, but I will need to save just a little more money.  ASP.NET, Wordpress, AJAX, PHP, and MySQL, Ruby on Rails and JSP are all nice features that Lunarpages possess.  GDI charges a monthly rate, while Lunarpages charges a lump sum, GDI has almost none of the previously mentioned bonus features. Lunarpages is worth the purchase, in my opinion.

Lulu.com - Publish Books, DVDs, CDs and Get Paid

Lulu.com is a website that publishes your books, cookbooks, technical writing, novels, poetry, articles, photographs, animation and content. The site helps people to distribute a wide range of material on a vast array of topics. All ages are invited to publish their materials on Lulu, but adult content of a sexual nature is discouraged. They also support copyrights, so your work must be your own.

You can set your own prices on Lulu.com. If Lulu sells your content, and receives payment, Lulu will pay you the amount you have chosen. Lulu’s service fee is usually 20% of the gross margin resulting from the sale of the content. The gross margin is the net amount actually received for your content after freight and manufacturing costs are subtracted.

For example, if a User publishes a book that costs $5.00 to manufacture and chooses to receive $4.00 in Creator Revenue, Lulu will set the price of your book as follows:

Manufacturing cost:	$ 5.00
Creator Revenue:	$ 4.00
Lulu service fee :	$ 1.00
Final price of download:	$10.00        Source: Lulu.com

 

If you choose to make your content free, Lulu waives its service fees altogether. You (the creator) are paid by PayPal or paper check, PayPal generally takes 1-2 months and checks are distributed quarterly. The minimum payout is $20.00. Lulu.com has received rewards for Editor’s Choice from PC Magazine and is a 2008 Web 2.0 Awards Winner. Lulu.com also offers Editor’s Analysis, Book Formatting, and Custom Covers. Lulu.com also offers free marketing tools.  Check out the demo video here.

YouTube and Six Figure Incomes!

Although it's perceived as a recreational video sharing site, some people are earning six-figure money on YouTube. Michelle Miller reports.

Herbalife - Shakes and Supplements Fit For Kings

                                              
Herbalife is a nationally recognized MLM company. It has a Better Business Bureau rating of B+, which is a decent grade. Like I mentioned earlier, I am trying to find some vitamins to buy for myself at a discount and maybe sell. The main problem that I am experiencing at this time is that most of these vitamin companies sell a mixture of multivitamins and I buy supplements of individual vitamins, but that is another story. Herbalife is very popular and rated up there with Avon when it comes to MLM that you can do from home.

 

This is how the BBB describes Herbalife:

"This company's business is multi level sales, offering business opportunitues for independent distributors marketing Herbalife's products for weight management, dietary supplements, energy & fitness, aging, skin & hair care, nutritional and personal health care products developed by scientists, doctors and nutriltionists. 

"

It seemed like a really good idea and a very well known company, but I ran into problem number 2 as soon as I received the catalog. The items are too pricey for me. There are a few of the items that I thought were interesting and that I can afford, but most were way over my budget. If I had the money I would buy these, and I would invest in this company. The products look natural and wonderful, but as a poor student, they're just not for me. Maybe you would like to try Herbalife one day. I think you should. I love vitamins and the supplements I take, and these seem to be of a higher quality. Their lotions and face washes also look like something that I might want to try along with their aloe shampoos and conditioners. The company gave me an all over good impression.

The cost of an herbalife distributor kit is (IBP) is around $88.00 plus tax and shipping. It contains an application form, DVD, and training materials. You can purchase one from your local distributor. You receive a 25-40% discount on Herbalife products, and you may even start your own Herbalife business online.  

Recession Proof eBay - Sell Clipped Coupons

I received this comment for moderation today:

Selling on ebay is a waste right now, everybody is holding on to their money. Ebay is a fantastic place to sell. When the buyers have money. I had a bunch of items on feebay but had to pull them to keep from selling them for nothing. Be better off at a flea market selling.

These are rough times, and I do agree. I did decide to include a money making idea for you that is recession proof, convenient, and absolutely free. All you need is a newspaper or magazine, a pair of scissors, and some free time. This idea also saves YOU money in the process. You may be able to pay your electricity with the money you save from coupons you clip yourself at the grocery store and on things like shampoo, etc. 

Step one:

Locate coupons in 

a magazine, newspaper, cereal box, at the grocery store, etc. Go

for the coupons with the most money. The more money you save with the coupon, the 

more money the more money the coupon will earn on eBay.

Step two:

Sign up for an eBay seller account at www.ebay.com if you do not have one. You are going to 

have to list the item on eBay. This is relatively simple, and eBay has many tutorials to help you if you need them. Here is an example of a listing of coupons that are sure to sell: "You are bidding on a LOT of 20 Office Depot Coupons $60.00 VALUE You can use up to 3 coupons per purchase: $9.00 off your purchase. You can buy office suplies, cleaning suplies, school, home, food,etc... Description on Coupon: Get $3.00 Off Your Next Office Depot Purchase Minimum purchase of $3, before tax, required. Offer valid in-store ONLY. Must present this original coupon to cashier at the time of purchase. "

You might want to add that you are not selling the coupons, but your labor that you expounded clipping them for legal purposes.

Step 3:

Keep clipping and keep posting, rinse and repeat. There was a listing that I saw for 20 Pedigree canned dog food coupons, $2 off 5 cans. The bids were already up to $32.13 + $0.85 shipping and handling. Cat food and dog food must be popular.

Here are some listings:

Got Money - Proof of Payment eHow

Click the image to enlarge. I thought that the minimum payout for eHow was $10, but they paid me through PayPal  within the first month. My payment was only $6.18. Not bad for the first month. I have written around 50 articles, so this money hasn't come very easily. I have really enjoyed the experience, and it's like writing articles with compound interest attached to them. You write one, that one makes money. Then you write another, and the one you wrote before that is making money. Then you write a really good article that makes really good money, and the one you wrote before that is making money, and the one you wrote before that is making money and on and on and on. You get the picture. I have posted the proof of payment in the image above.

I wasn't so sure about eHow at first because you only make money from advertising. If the user does not click on the advertisements, then you make nothing. It has actually turned out to be pretty profitable, though. Upfront payments are nice for Associated Content, but CPM ( or pay per 1000 views ) tends to be higher with my eHow. 

Money Invested: $0 Time Invested: 50 hours Money Earned: $6.18 so far...

USANA - Vitamin MLM

I have not invested in USANA, but as an avid vitamin taker, I have been looking into vitamin MLM. With USANA you can be a preferred customer and buy at discount prices, a non-distributed associate, or a distributed associate. The preferred customer option is free and allows you to buy at a discount price.

The associate plans are as follows:

Distributor Associate 

As a USANA Distributor Associate, you'll operate your own home-based business, share the USANA opportunity with others, and as an added benefit, be able to resell USANA products for a profit. This means you'll buy products at the discounted wholesale price, sell them at retail price, and profit from the difference. As you will have the ability to resell the products, you will pay sales tax on the retail price of the product. The only required purchase to become a Distributor Associate is a Business Development System (Starter Kit) $49.95 USD or the electronic version (e-BDS) $19.95 USD.

Non-Distributor Associate 

As a Non-Distributor Associate you are entitled to purchase USANA products at the discounted wholesale price, enroll Preferred Customers and new Associates, and take part in all company Associate programs. As you cannot resell USANA products, you will pay sales tax on the wholesale price of the products and you must meet your sales requirements through the Preferred Customer program. The only required purchase to become a Non-Distributor Associate is a Business Development System (Starter Kit) $49.95 USD or the electronic version (e-BDS) $19.95 USD. This looks like a pretty reputable company. Click here to see the video presentation for USANA.I have pasted some USANA products at the top of the page. This is a multi-level marketing program. You can recruit others to sell as well. You should be able to access all of the information here.

USANA's compensation plan is a binary compensation plan. You will develop a right side and a left side. You are paid when your right side and left side volumes hit certain levels. For example, if you have 1000 points on your right and 1000 points on your left you will receive a commission of $200.00. You do have to recruit your friends and family, attend hotel meetings, and attend sponsored company trainings. This is an MLM company. I feature them here because it is a way to make money at home. You do have to sell, sell, sell, and you need to be the right type of person for that. These companies are similar to AVON, and when I find the right one for me, I am going to join one, invest in it, and sell it in my spare time. My goal is to find one that requires no recurring investments, is easy, and that I consider a worthwhile venture. I am still in the education phase of MLM.

West at Home: Become an Agent

West at Home is an apply and wait program for customer service representatives. Depending on the project, you may be obtaining, entering and verifying customer information, answering questions resolving issues, explaining sales features or offering additional products or services. You can work from the privacy of your own home and they do provide medical and dental benefits. West at Home offers schedules based on either per minute rate, per call, or guaranteed hourly rate. 

The application process is not difficult. I applied in less than 45 minutes. There were no questions about previous employers or references needed. You do have to submit to a background check if you are chosen for a position. There is also a short quiz that you must take that features questions about normal, everyday situations that occur in customer service related work. Some of the answers can be quite tricky so choose carefully. 

These are the required hardware for the computer:

•  Computer Type: PC compatible (sorry, no Macs)
• Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 6.0 or Higher
• Monitor Size: 15 inches or greater
• Minimum OS Version: Windows XP SP2 or Windows Vista
• Minimum RAM: 256 MB or higher for Windows XP SP2. 512 MB or higher for Windows Vista
• Minimum Processor Type: AMD Athlon, AMD Duron, Celeron or Pentium III or better
• Minimum Processor Speed: 1 GHZ (1000 MHz) or better
• Minimum Graphic Resolution: 1024 x 768 16 bit
• Sound card with speakers or headset for training audio (During call processing a headset that is attached to your phone is required.)
• Internet Connection: DSL or Cable connection only (Sorry, no modem access OR Satellite connections. 

Good Luck! The website did not mention a waiting list or that they were full, so there may be a possibility of at home employment.