Amazon Mechanical Turk

If you're like me, you probably spent too much on Christmas. You're facing a few tough months to play catch up with your bills, right? I have a solution that won't put big bucks in your pocket, but it sure will help with gas money. Have you heard of Amazon Mechanical Turk? Also know as mTurk, this site allows you to earn as much as your level of patience permits. It is comprised of small tasks and surveys, each paying from a few pennies to a few dollars. There is no limit to how many you can do each day. They offer two ways to get paid. If you have earned at least $10.00, you can simply transfer the money to your bank account. You can also transfer your money to your Amazon account and spend it there. I paid for most of my Christmas shopping by earning money and putting it in my Amazon account. Need a new set of pots and pans? Work on mTurk and you can earn enough to get them free through Amazon. This is one of the easiest ways I have found to earn extra cash from home. Just sit back in your recliner, fire up that laptop, and start earning!

You need to watch this

Please take a moment to watch this video. It is America's story, told by someone who lives in my small town.... Bank of America has really shown their evil with this situation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwro-wKXRIQ&feature=share">

Please share this any way you can. Thanks!

GameNite Mobile - A brilliant home business

I wanted to tell you all about a brilliant idea for a home business that I came across the other day. This is a perfect example of someone taking something they love to do and turning it into an income stream. This small business owner loves gaming. How many guys do you know who are unemployed and sit around playing video games all day and night, apparently waiting for a job opportunity to come to them? Probably at least a few, but Chuck Jones in Ohio isn't one of them. He takes his love of gaming and takes it on the road, providing an amazing gaming experience for parties, special events, or even just a few guys who want to have a rockin' good time. I predict his business, GameNite Mobile, is going to be one of the best home businesses I've ever seen. You can read about GameNite mobile in their new blog or simply go to their website to learn more. Chuck Jones and GameNite Mobile definitely get my vote!

Mindfield Online Surveys

For those of you using multiple methods of making extra cash, which is most of us, I can't sing the praises of Mindfield Online enough. You know how some survey companies will let you get three quarters of the way through the survey, only to tell you that they don't want you? These guys don't do that. Of course, anyone will screen out from time to time, but most of the time you will complete your survey and get paid. Most of the surveys pay $1.00, and you only have to have $5.00 in your account to cash out. They will send you a paper check, or you can be paid via PayPal. If you want an easy way to earn cash at home and supplement what you're already earning, Mindfield Online is a great place to do it. You really can earn cash taking surveys.

The Challenge of eBay

I think I have finally gotten the science of eBay selling down to a science. After months of reading, watching auctions, and selling on eBay, I have come to a conclusion - you can make good money with a little work and knowledge. If you want to make extra money selling on eBay, the first thing to do is determine what sells for the best profit margin. Notice I didn't say what sells at the highest price, but the highest profit margin. Let me save you some research by sharing what I have discovered. The hands down, number one seller on eBay is electronics. Any kind of electronic device that is in good working order will net you a tidy sum. If you can pick up items cheaply, or even free, you will make money on ebay. Another great seller are medical scrubs. I'm not even sure why, but these things sell like crazy. Another great seller is women's clothing, especially brand names. How do you find things to sell? First, clean out your closets. When you are done, do it again. Put everything on eBay. Think it won't sell because it's broken? Nevermind, list it anyway, just disclose the item's condition. eBay is full of people looking for pices and parts. Once you have rid your home of everything you don't really need, it's time to cast your net for eBay items. Tell your friends that you would like to have items they plan to throw away or donate. (You can donate a percentage of your proceeds to any charity upon completion of the sale). Let them know you will be happy to rid them of broken or unwanted electronics, computer games, etc. Next, hit the thrift and consignment shops. I have found that these shops will offer a large variety of things you can't resell, but they always have hidden treasures. For example, the swap shop in my neighborhood is actually a bit pricey, but they sell clothing for $.25 per piece. I go through every item on the rack, focusing on the brand, not the actual item. When I locate a name brand piece of clothing, I then inspect it for flaws. If it's in good condition, in my shopping cart it goes. I will start the item for $.99 on eBay. Even if I only sell it for the starting bid, I still have a huge profit margin. Everyone wins. The swap shop sold an item, I sold an item, and the eBay buyer got a name brand piece of clothing for pennies. So, your challenge for today is to make a game plan and start making some much needed cash on eBay. You CAN do it!

How To Get Hired On oDesk

oDesk is a tremendous resource for those seeking freelance work from home. It doesn’t matter if you are a freelance web programmer, a software developer, looking for web design jobs, or just simple data entry, oDesk is the place to find work you can do from home. Considering a 2nd mortgage or home equity line of credit to pay your bills? Don’t do it! Instead, take your skills and go to oDesk to make that extra cash. It can be a bit daunting to get hired on oDesk, but it can be done. Let’s look at some of the ways you can increase your chances of finding a work at home job on oDesk.
Your oDesk Profile
The first step, once you have registered at oDesk, is to create your profile. This will be your public face to potential employers (known as buyers in oDesk lingo), so it is a very important step. Make sure you choose your screen name wisely. Stay away from the cutsie names like PuddinPie4856, and socially inappropriate names (use your imagination). Pick something short and to the point. Think about the image that comes to mind when you say it out loud. If you upload a picture, make it a professional one. The next part of your profile is choosing your skills. Although you may be talented in many areas and willing to do many kinds of work, try to keep your list of skills focused. Avoid, for example, choosing data entry as a skill, when what you really want are web design jobs. Choose skills focused around the type of work you want. Next, you will be asked to state your average hourly fee. I highly recommend starting low, about half of minimum wage in your area. When you actually apply for a job you will state your desired wage for that particular position anyway. The only reason the wage listed in your profile matters is to inform potential buyers who may be surfing profiles. The last step in your profile building adventure is testing. Everyone has to take a standard proficiency test to be able to work through oDesk. This test is not difficult, but must be passed before you can be available to work. There are numerous optional tests that will showcase your abilities. Take as many of these as you can. If you score well, the scores will be displayed on your profile page. Lots of high scores are very attractive to buyers. Here’s a hint: Open a second browser window while you are taking a test. You can then search for answers when you get stuck.
Applying For a Job on Odesk
oDesk offers two types of jobs – fixed rate and hourly. There are pros and cons to both. A fixed rate job is one in which you and the buyer agree on a set rate for a predetermined task or amount of work. The advantage of a fixed rate job is that you know how much you will make in total. The disadvantage is that oDesk will not assist you should your buyer decide not to pay. I only work fixed rate jobs, and I have learned that they can be a bit risky. My general rule is that communication must remain open between me and the buyer until the job is complete. If the buyer stops responding to my emails, I stop working until he does. This doesn’t happen very often, but it has saved me from an unscrupulous buyer a time or two. Never accept work outside of oDesk from an oDesk buyer. There is no legitimate reason to do this, so you will get scammed if you agree to it, period. If you decide on an hourly job, you will have to allow oDesk software to run while you are working. It will take screenshots that will be used as your “time sheet” and for your buyer to check job progress. You can edit the screenshots, thus remove anything you didn’t want captured, but I find this to be a hassle. Most don’t mind it though; it’s just my personal preference. When you are looking for a job, only bid on jobs offered by buyers whose payment method is oDesk verified. This means they have a payment method on file with oDesk. These buyers are much more likely to be reputable. Read the feedback provided by previous workers. This can reveal a lot about the buyer, both good and bad. Pick a few small jobs and go ahead with the application process. Once you have oDesk experience, you can work your way up to bigger and better jobs, but starting small will allow you to build your provider reputation.
Your Cover Letter
As part of the application process, you will need to submit a cover letter to the prospective buyer. Make sure you create an original cover letter for each job. Avoid the temptation to use a template, buyers can spot them a mile away, and they hate them. Start your letter by introducing yourself and explaining why you want this particular job. Explain what skills you have that make you the right choice for this buyer. Tell the buyer why he should hire you, a newbie. You can do this by telling him about your work ethic, personality, education, etc. This is your opportunity to convince him to give you a chance to prove yourself. Next, include complete contact information, which should include an alternate email address, instant messenger ID, and any other forms of communication you wish to utilize. Note what times you are available to interview (include your time zone). Finally, thank the buyer for taking the time to consider you. Now that you have done all you can do to get a job on oDesk, you wait…and maybe wait some more. Keep applying for jobs daily. If you happened to get several offers, you can always politely decline the ones that don’t interest you.
General Guidelines and Tips
There are some very basic things to keep in mind when apply for a job on oDesk, or any other freelance site. They are subtle, yet can be deal breakers in such a competitive market. First, always use correct grammar and spelling. Don’t rely on spell check; it won’t catch many common errors. Instead, rely on your own eyes and ask a friend to proofread your work. Nothing will turn off a prospective buyer faster than slang and spelling errors. Don’t ever take on a job you aren’t really qualified for. If you do the job poorly, your oDesk reputation will suffer greatly. It isn’t worth the risk. Always be polite in your cover letter and interviews. Buyers are just like the rest of the world, some are more difficult than others. Keep a professional and friendly demeanor, no matter what. Don’t bid the same on freelance jobs as you would expect to get paid for a “regular” job. No one is going to pay you as much to work from home as you would get if you were driving to an office every day. If you consistently bid too high, the offers will stop coming. Be prepared to work, and work hard. You may be sitting in your sweat pants while you work, but you will work just as hard as you would in in office. This is not an easy buck, it’s a job. Now get out there and get hired on oDesk!

Great resources for all of you who are marketing your websites

Hi all! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you a prosperous and happy 2010! I came across a great website with all sorts of resources for marketing your sites, and I wanted to share it with you. Many of the things are offered free of charge, and there is a neat tool that checks to see if your website is in the top 100 in several search engines. Here's the site: Search Engine Rankings - Instant, online reports of web site rankings in 8 top search engines and web directories, including Google, Yahoo! Search, Bing (MSN), AOL, AltaVista, AllTheWeb, Yahoo! Directory, and Open Directory (Dmoz).">

Another great site for marketing resources is a Boomja's Internet Marketing Directory

I'm a bit partial to Boomja because I work for them, but they truly have one of the best directories of marketing resources I've seen.

Check both of them out, I'm sure you'll find something useful at each site. Why my sudden interest in internet marketing, you ask? Well, I am planning to leave my regular job and work from home. This plan has been in the works for quite some time, and it is now coming down to the home stretch. Part of my plan involves some marketing, so I have been doing some research in preparation. I will keep you all posted as my plan progresses. This is a huge and risky move for me, and for my family. We could win big, or lose it all. Nothing is ever gained by playing it safe, though, and I am ready to take the gamble. I hope you will all tag along as I chronicle my trials, tribulations, and hopefully, my successes. With some luck and lots of hard work, I believe I can do this, and perhaps you can find some information or inspiration that will help you make the leap into the work at home world, too.

EzLaptop Scam

For several months I have been reading ads to earn a free laptop from ezlaptop.com. I finally reached the required number of credits and clicked the link to claim my laptop. I got no confirmation email, not have they replied to any of my emails asking for the status of my shipment. Now let me say this - I went into this with my eyes open, knowing that there was a 99% chance that this was a scam. I am quite tired of these sites that make big promises and then scam their loyal members, so I am prepared to file a complaint against these folks. I am going to bulldog this one, folks, and I'll keep you updated as to my progress, or lack thereof. For any of you who have had issues with this site, full contact information can be found here:
http://whois.domaintools.com/ezlaptop.com

Let's band together and let them know that this is unacceptable!

Make money taking surveys

I just wanted to share with you guys a little tip I figured out about earning money from surveys. The smaller the company, the better your odds of winning their prize drawings. Most survey sites will pay you a dollar or two to take a survey, but also have a prize drawing; usually everyone who attempts a survey is entered in the drawing. I have won twice, and both times they were small, relatively unknown survey sites. This month I won $300 from Macorr Research. They are small, I only get a few surveys a year from them, but heck, $300 is nothing to sneeze at! I was informed by email, received a money order four days later. Another little tip: my notification that I had won went to my junk mail folder. If I hadn't checked it (and I usually don't), I may not have gotten my money because they needed my mailing address. Whew! Close call!

MyLot

I don't know if you have ever heard of MyLot, but it is a great social discussion forum that will allow you to talk about virtually anything and get paid for it. They pay via PayPal, and you can set your payout for $10, $25, or $100. I really enjoy it and I have learned so much about earning online that it would seem wrong to not include it here. You will make friends, earn money, and learn a lot in the process.