You're Not The Boss Of Me

After reading about all that Brittney Spears has been doing these past few weeks, you can hardly say she's the boss of her own destiny. It looks like she'll have an uphill battle to retain custody of her kids if she keeps running around, night after night, with her famous girlfriends, Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. What's even worse, is that photographers caught her with her skirt up, and no underwear. She reportedly sold her Malibu mansion for around 17 million and is looking at real estate in Miami for twice that amount. She may have fame and money, but she really has no direction.

Be the boss of your holiday shopping and shop with convenience. I just got a great pair of Uggs from Zappos and I not only bought them at a great price, but with no shipping costs at all. I didn't have to spend a whole afternoon running from store to store to try and find my size and color and I saved money in the long run on gasoline and shipping. Best of all, their return policy includes free shipping as well. When you are shopping this holiday season, check several websites for the same products and see where you can save money. Many sites are very competitive this time of year and want your business, so take advantage of it now. These boots were received within five business days as well.

Mary Kay was a rebel in the cosmetic industry. She started her own business for women, when women should have stayed home to raise their kids. With Mary Kay, they were able to do both by being the boss at home and in their own business. However, there's a dark side to everything and My Mary Kay Truth is just one of several blogs that exposes another side to this business. If you are thinking about joining Mary Kay, then read what is written here and do your homework first. This goes without saying for any multi-level sales company. I have to say though, I did sell Avon for many years and I have nothing bad to say about them except that every territory is just so overly saturated that it's hard to build a customer list when you are competing with so many other sales reps. If you are daring enough to try new start-up company that has no history behind it as a multi-level sales company, take a look at Suzanne Somers brand new venture. She wants you to sell the products she has been selling herself on Home Shopping for years. The only problem with this one is there's not much of a track record behind it and, if it goes, bust, you'll be stuck with the products. Luckily her start-up fees are not astronomical.

The new boss of all things media is beautiful Rachel Ray. She is on a great streak right now with a successful talk show, more Food Network goodies and a new book geared towards entertaining for small dinner parties. She also just started a new charity for children aimed at feeding the hungry and educating those in need on good nutrition. The charity is called CAKE and you can read more about it at http://rachaelrayblog.blogspot.com/ .

She's the boss of her own conglomerate which includes televsion shows, merchandise that bears her name and books that can guide you to be the perfect host. Now she has a new book to help you solve all those nasty household problems called "Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook". She tells http://www.people.com that the way to keep your home smelling fresh is to use a small amount of vinegar placed around the house in small dishes. The vinegar will eliminate cigarette smoke, cooking odors and musty smells. If you have mustry draws, empty the draws and put in a small dish of vinegar. In a few hours the musty smell will be gone. If you are cooking fish or vegetables that give off strong odors like broccoli or cauliflower, simmer half a dozen lemon slices and a handful of cloves in a pan of water for ten minutes and odors will be removed. Zeolite is sold in hardware stores in pouches or shaker cans. It is a nolntoxic, odorless volcanic rock. It can remove smells from smoke, must, cooking and pets. You can hang pouches in closets or your basement or use the powder on spot odors.

Super nanny, Jo Frost, has been helping parents become the boss for several years now. She definitely can keep parents from collapsing under a mountain of guilt every time their kids throw a tantrum and she can get kids to listen. So how to you stop your child from whining? Jo responds in People Magazine by saying there are two kinds of whining. The first is a persistent drip of please, please, please. She says to tell your kids to just stop asking and ignore the rest. Eventually they will stop when they see they are getting no response. The second kind of whining is when kids are hungry, thirsty, tired or all of the above. Often they will whine with exaggerated demands. She says to copy them so they can hear how they sound. Kids will most likely collapse in giggles when they see your animated behavior. After you've jollied them up, ask them to make their requests in a normal tone of voice so they can be understood. You can get more great tips from Jo in her book 'Ask Supernanny: What Every Parent Wants to Know'.

Do you long to be your own boss, but don't know where to begin? Maybe you just want to do it part-time for extra income, or you really want to quit your job and be the master of your own destiny. There are lots of multi-level companies that offer opportunities with little start-up. The most popular are Avon and Tupperware . They provide wonderful opportunities for women especially and many women have become so successful, they are making six figures per year. The downside is that some of these companies are so huge, the competition is very tough. Avon in particular, has so many sales representatives that you can't go to any doctor's office, salon or PTA meeting without seeing one of their brochures. If you are serious about doing this for either extra income or to begin a new chapter in your life as your own boss, then take the time to investigate all the opportunities that are out there. In the near future, I will be investigating some of these opportunities for you so check back here to see what I've found. One company that offers great opportunities with little start-up and little competition is Urban Botanic . This company was started by two women and has been featured on television and in magazines as a great way to start a business while doing something that you enjoy.

If you are a small business owner, then you must check out my husband's blog It's Only Business . Not only does he give savvy advice about being the boss, but has some wonderful ideas for marketing your business, big or small. The holiday season is the perfect time of year to show your customers you care with personalized greeting cards or calendars. You can order them to suit your needs and it's a great way of advertising your business. Calendars are also a great way to welcome your new customers into your business as well. You can find out more about ordering personalized cards and calendars at Merrick Printing .

I began blogging almost one year ago, shortly after Christmas. When I began blogging, it was a creative outlet for me and a way to vent some of my frustration with my then current employment (or lack thereof) status. I had not expectations with blogging as I had no experience. I had no idea where it would take me or how long it would last. I also had no idea how much information I would need in order to keep my blog going.

It's certainly easy enough to begin blogging. This blog server (blogger.com)is one of the easiest to use. That, for me, was never the challenge. The challenge comes with improving my knowledge about increasing the popularity of my blog. Increasing traffic isn't that difficult either. At some point during my blog education, I hooked up with a few blog surfing sites, one of which I frequent on a regular basis. Although blog surfing will increase traffic to your blog, while you surf other blog sites, the quality of the traffic isn't always the best since other bloggers are surfing to earn extra credit so others will read their blogs. It's a catch-22 situation sometimes, but in all fairness, I have also garnered some regular readers from that traffic. It's kind of like speed dating inasmuch as you have to go through a lot of blogs in order to find quality writing enough to want to make you come back for more. I hope I have achieved at least that much interest with my writing style and with the information that I share with you.

So if earning more traffic isn't the answer, then what is? The bottom line is page rank. In fact each page of your blog has it's own rank determined by how many times reader go to that page or post. If you have a site meter on your blog you can check the page rank of each page. By monitoring this I can determine which subjects are of more interest to my readers.

It goes without saying that getting your blog "out there" can not only increase traffic and page rank. Have you signed up with any blog directories yet? Do you belong to a blog ring or blogging community? Have you exchanged links and left comments on other blogs to increase the popularity of your own blog? These are all the things that bloggers need to thing about in order to increase both traffic and page rank.

What I have learned over the past year is that blogging is an ongoing education in and of itself. I wouldn't be surprised if it's not offered as a college course in the future. Thankfully, there are lots of wonderful and generous, experienced bloggers who have helped me along the way. I hope I have done the same for some of you.

Thanks to Link and Blog for the writing challenge.

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Posted by Susan to Susan's Spa at 11/27/2006 07:35:00 AM

Coffee makes a wonderful holiday gift for someone on your list. Who doesn't enjoy a great cup of coffee and giving a bag of gourmet coffee is a nice, personal gift for someone. You probably never give a second thought to where that coffee comes from, who grew it, harvested it and sold it to make money to support a family. Most coffee growers live in third world countries and make very little money for their hard word. They may be offered a $1 per pound, but may only come away with 50 cents when a middleman steps in to handle the sale. Not so with fair trade coffee. Grown by farmers in the same regions as other coffee growers, these farmers are guaranteed a certain price for their coffee (around $1.25 per pound)with no middleman, meaning that they get the exact price offered them. So where can you buy fair trade coffee? Well, Starbucks for one, is a seller of fair trade coffee. They don't advertise it though, so when you go in and ask for coffee, ask, which ones are fair trade and buy them. You'll not only get some great coffee, but you'll also be giving back to the world and that's good karma. We all need a little more of that. Let these coffee growers be their own bosses and earn their fair trade market value for the coffee they grow. For more information, you can go to Fair Trade Coffee .

If you are a college student or a high school student embarking on a journey to college, there's a website sponsored by Monster.com that can help you find a college, scholarship money or an internship or part-time job to help you pay for school. The website is called Fast Web and they can help you pinpoint a college or scholarship that suits your needs. Another great website is Princeton Review . This is a great website to determine which college is best for you and how that college is rated by the website, the students and the college adminstration. They will give you a quick overview of requirements for admission. Now is the time to do this since applications should be in no later than January.

If you are a mom or student and you are looking for a part-time or full-time job in your geographical area, then try using a website to find a job. One website that has become very popular is Snag A Job . Snag a Job can put you in touch with hundreds of jobs within driving range of your home, simply by plugging in your zip code. Many of these jobs will allow you to apply online. Like Monster.com you can also create and store a resume if you like, but many of the jobs don't require it. In many instances, you will be directed to apply at the location, but at least you can pinpoint what companies or retailers in your area are hiring immediately. They will also advise you of any local job fairs. This is a great way to maximize your job search and get the job to best suit your needs.

She's the boss of her own life and her empire is growing larger every day. Rachel Ray has gotten lots of attention since her television talk show hit the air waves a couple of months back. Backed by Oprah Winfrey, she has garnered more and more fans who are buying her books and tuning in religiously to see what's yummo! Now Rachel has even more to celebrate with her own line of furniture sold exclusively through Ellen Burgs . The line og 'get togethers' furniture includes dining sets as well as preparation tables and extra chairs. The idea of this homey line of furniture is to create a setting that is warm and inviting, yet stylish and down-to-earth (a lot like her).

If you are a blogger who earns money from blogging, then you know traffic consistency is of the utmost importance. Of course, blog directories like Technorati are one way to increase your blog's exposure. There are also blog rolls and blog circles that you can join that expose your blogs to readers of a particular niche group. One such blog roll is Wahms . One blogger named Theresa, began this blog group because she saw a need for work-at-home-moms who earn a living from blogging to get more exposure. Once a week or so, Theresa will ask a question to her bloggers and we are all free to answer or not on our own blogs and link back to her Wahms site. This is a fun and creative way to improve your blog's exposure. Of course, there are lots of other blogging communities that do this so if you are looking to increase your blog's traffic, they are worth the time of investigating.

My fondest memories of my favorite video game goes way back before video games were even invented (yes, I'm that old). I may not have been able to excel at some of the arcade games in the bars I frequented when I was single and I couldn't play pool to save my life, but when it came to Pacman, I was the boss. I saved my quarters for the arcade games and prayed that whereever we ended up, there would be a Pacman game. Actually, Pacman was a great way to meet guys. One would always come over and challenge me, but few could beat me. After that, they weren't interested in pursuing any future relationship, but it didn't matter to me. The only scoring I was interested in was at the arcade. Years have passed since then and I haven't played Pacman in years. Then, a few years ago a gift arrived at my home. It was a video game you could hook up to your television. There were a number of games on it, including Pacman. I hooked it up to the television and was surprised to find that I could still play as well, eating up all the dots and avoiding all the ghosts. For that moment in time I was transformed back to those smokey, dark bars and all the good times I had playing Pacman.

If your goal is truly to be your own boss and work from home in your pajamas, the read the post on my other blog Susan's Spa and read what I just wrote about Blogitive . I've earned a nice amount of money writing for them and, if you have several blogs, you can make even more money. They are introducing even more services for bloggers, so check out my post and check them out too!

Here's a message from Blog Advance. If you want more information about joining, just click the Blog Advance icon in my side bar:

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If you are your own boss and you want to spend some cash on holiday gifts, but have a budget, then beware of the mall traps. Shopping malls are set up to draw you in and make you spend your money on things you don't need. Anchor stores, like Macy's and Nordstroms are set up in such a way that you must walk the entire mall in order to reach them. As a result, you will probably be drawn into one of the specialty shops along the way, buying things you don't need. Malls also charge more rent, which is passed on to the consumer. There are other traps which can draw you in so beware of things like free gift offers and credit cards that promise %10 discounts with purchase. Stick to using one credit card and, if possible, stay away from the mall and head for the big discount stores. Many offer the same items for a lot less. Be the boss of your own finances this holiday season.

Whether your the owner of a large or small business and whether you work from home or have an office or storefront somewhere, you will want to check out It's Only Business . Here, you will find great tips on marketing your company and just good, common sense about making decisions that will impact the success of your business. It's not just business, it's your business and you need the tools to make it work so you can continue to be the boss.

The boss of our country made a decision to send our men and women to war in Iraq. I don't necessarily agree with his decision to do that, but I support our troops and they are in my thoughts today. So, while you are enjoying your turkey, stuffing and pies, remember our men and women who are proudly serving our country and say a prayer for their safety and speedy return home to their own families, who will be missing them today.

If you are a blogger who has Amazon as an affiliate, they just made earning money easier for you. Amazon is now offering earnings on gift certificates. This couldn't come at a better time of year, of course. When Thanksgiving is over, the shopping season begins with black Friday. Take advantage and add the gift certificates as part of your program or, add Amazon to your blog for more earning potential and get closer to being your own boss!

If you are a blogger and you want to maximize the earning potential of your blog, consider selling links on your blog's sidebar or right inside your post. One site that can do this for you is Blogging Ads. Here you create an account and submit your blog for review. Once your blog is approved, you place the "advertise here" link in your sidebar and when links get sold, you make money. It's that simple. To see the link, just visit my other blog at Susan's Spa .

If you have a special area of interest you want to work in, but want to become an independent contractor, there is a great website just for you. Guru post a number of jobs up for bidding in so many areas including numerous technology jobs, administrative and jobs in the fashion and art world. You need to register and post your resume. You will also need to check back with them on a regular basis to see what jobs are available and bid on those you are interested in. You have to work hard to do this, but the fruits of your labor will be rewarded. Many of the professionals who bid on jobs make almost as much as independent contractors as they would working for someone else.

Sometimes being your own boss in the business world is a temporary thing. What I mean by that is that working as a temp can sometimes give you a good perspective at what your strengths and weaknesses are and what direction you wish to either pursue or avoid. I worked as a temp many years ago for about a year. Eventually I came to an office that was a top law firm. They liked my skills and offered me a high-paying position with good benefits, which I took. I ended up not staying that long, but it was something I would have never found had it not been for my temping. If you are currently in a place of no employment or dislike your job so much that you feel the need to leave for your own sanity, consider temping for a period of time to allow you to continue to earn some money while you find a direction. Here is a great article from the Wall Street Journal's Career Journal which gives another view of temping from one woman's perspective as well as some great advice. Just click here .

One more thing. You can check out a great website, recommended by pediatricians for their parents at Kids Health . This is a fantastic website for anything and everything regarding your kid's health from birth all the way through the teenage years. It's easy to navigate and gives great tips about health and developmental issues. Check it out!

When it comes to your health, the only person in charge should be you. This is especially true if you are attempting to manage a chronic condition like diabetes, high blood pressure or anything else that requires continuous monitoring or medication. How about when you are faced with a healthcare crisis? At that time, you will need, more than ever, to be the boss when it comes to making informed decisions about your own health or the health of a loved one. So where do you turn? The internet is the most convenient way to find information, but be very careful which websites you access. I work in a hospital and there are very few that are endorsed as the most current, up-to-date and reliable. The one that is used most is Medline Plus . This wonderful website was created for consumers by the U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. It is free to use and there you will find health topics of every kind, interactive tutorials, drug information, a medical encyclopedia, a directory of doctors, dentists and hospitals, a dictionary and the latest on research. You can also access Clinical Trials which is a great data base. If you or your loved one must be hospitalized, be sure to ask if there is a Family Resource Center there. Most hospitals have one and here you will find books, pamphlets and computers to help you find what you need. Most FRCs are fully staffed with trained personnel to direct you to the most up-to-date and pertinent information you need.

Blog Advance has been added to my sidebar. This is a great blog surf site with a 1:1 ratio. What does this mean to you? Every time you surf someone's site, they will surf yours too. No waiting until you surf two or three to get one page view of yours. If you are blogger who works at home and need to increase traffic to your blog in order to earn more income, then sign up now here . You will immediately earn 50 credits and you'll earn more, once you place a referral banner on your blog. More traffic, means more money for work-at-home bloggers.

Have you ever seen those ads that say they will pay you to read e-mail, fill out surveys, proofread, etc.? There are lots of opportunities to do these things legitimately and get paid for them, allowing you to stay at home for whatever reason. Maybe you're tired of commuting, having a boss or want to make your own hours. Beware, because there are lots of scams that promise you thousands of dollars. Anything that will promise you that is, indeed a scam. Look out for anything that asks you for money up front. There are too many opportunties that are absolutely free to use whereby you can make some money. No one thing will yeild you a great deal of money. You must be willing to multi-task in order to make enough money to warrant you leaving your job. Here is a thread from WAHM Magazine that is dedicated to those sites that have already been tried and have yeilded a pay out. Remember, knowledge is power, but it can also legitimately earn you an income. Just click here .

Making the decision to leave your job because you want to be your own boss or because you are a mom and want to spend more time with your children, is not an easy decision to make. Make no mistake, if this is what you want to do, then go for it. However, working from home takes more preparation than training for a job working for someone else. You need to create a work space just for work, separate from the rest of your personal space. You also need to keep organized and make time to work every day. Neither is an easy task if you plan on working from home. In this regard, you need a lot of support and thankfully the internet is chock full of ideas on how to get that support. Here is magazine that is designed to help you called Connecting At Home . First of all, this is a great website for anyone (including dads) who choose to stay at home and work. For just $7.99 you can get a full one-year subscription to 'Connecting at Home' magazine. This isn't a downloaded magazine that you print out yourself. It's an actual magazine that's mailed to your home with so many great ideas and inspirational material to help you achieve your goals and stay connected to the rest of the world.

Who hasn't wanted to fire their boss? Almost anyone who has had a job working for someone else, has some horror story about their boss. The truth of the matter is, most bosses didn't go to school to learn how to become bosses. They went to school to learn an area of expertise, obtained several degrees in that area, excelled and climbed up the corporate ladder, which invariable led them to be bosses. Along the way they never really learned how to manage their company's most valuable resource...other people. I believe that great bosses are born, not made. You either have the ability to manage people correctly, or you don't. You can learn, but those who teach the skills often don't practice it themselves. Perhaps you want to be your own boss because you want to make your own hours and not want to have to answer to a higher power (human power that is). There are tons of opportunities that will allow you to work from home as well as outside the home and I hope to explore all of them in this blog. When I was fired from my job one year ago, I began to blog as a way to vent my frustrations and use my energy for more positive things other than sulking about being fired. Blogging has lead me to things I've never imagined over the past year and I am still a novice. One place I found tons of information about blogging and about finding great work-at-home opportunities is at Wahm . This great site has tons of information about working at home and it's not just for moms. Everyone is welcome here to post and sort through all the various threads. The people are friendly and extremely helpful. I can't wait to pass on more information to you, but I'll do it a little at a time so as not to overwhelm you. In the meantime stop by the Wahm board and get acquainted with all the great people!

Welcome to my brand new blog. I'm beginning a new blog in celebration of my almost one year anniversary of my first blog and what better way to celebrate. In this new blog, I'll be addressing anything to do with being your own boss, dealing with a boss or bossing your kids around (no kidding). I've got lots of great ideas and tips for you. I hope you enjoy my new blog and I look forward to a very long and bossy relationship with you!