Supplement Your Income: ChaCha!

Earn Money~Work From Home~Choose Your Hours

~Do you need to supplement your income?
~Do you want to work from home (or your choice of location)?
~Do you want to work around your everyday life?
~Do you want to choose your own hours?
~Do you enjoy helping others?
~Do you like trivia and knowledge?
~Are you a self-motivator?

If you answered "YES" to any of these questions, consider working on my ChaCha Team as an independent contractor.

But first - ChaCha, if you haven't heard by now, located in Carmel, Indiana, is basically "like a smart friend" you can call or text for answers to all your questions at anytime and for free.  ChaCha was founded in 2006 by Brad Bostic and Scott A. Jones, who launched the mobile service early 2008, with a huge promotion at the Sundance Film Festival.

The founders claim the ChaCha name came from the Chinese word, Cha, which means "search," the Cha Cha, the dance, a "fast-paced ballroom dance, and our Guides can be thought of as dance partners who will lead you to the best answers quickly and smoothly," and because... it's just plain silly.


And so, there are different independent contractor ChaCha guide jobs (I'm a generalist and a specialist), and at the moment, it does seem as though the new Vetter position is the one that's most available.  Either way, you'll earn between about .02 - .20 per question.  It's up to you how many you answer, whether you answer during a bonus perioud where money is added to what you earn, whether you are in the midst of a contest where you can win additional money, how quickly you work, how often you work, how much time you put in. It's up to you.


Ironically, people save aluminum cans often more for the money than for the environment or recycling, and that's sometimes not even an entire penny per can––but they do it.  So, I know that this puts ChaCha's money making opportunity into perspective.  You are simply supplementing your income, learning, and having a bit of fun (yes, you really do, because some of the questions are absolutely hilarious!).


I probably really have confused you here and put you in a position where you have to just go try it to understand.  Basically, you'll fill out an application with the bare minimum, including where you put me as your referring guide (Teraisa@gmail.com - they CANNOT change that later) so we can be on the same team and I can help you. Altogether, this takes about a half hour or less, which includes some of your training.  It's easy to understand, they explain well.


And to jump the gun, assuming you are accepted as an independent contractor, ChaCha is INCREDIBLE with their help. There are tip sheets, videos, practice quizzes, and an entire forum dedicated to helping you be most successful. The only way you can fail is to not show up. 


Whether your goal is to answer just one question a day, work for eight hours, work only weekends, earn $3000 by the holidays, you can do it because you are in charge.


Read the flyer below, then click on it to go to the ChaCha application form. In order for you to be a part of my team, and we deliver quality work,  type in Teraisa@gmail.com where the application asks for "ChaCha Guide Referral Email Address"  Again, you cannot change this later and I will not be of much help to you.  Don't worry, there's still help, it's just not me.

Good luck, let me know how it goes and if you join using my good reputation (so far!), send me a note or comment here so I can do something special for you.

ChaCha Facts

Working, working, working.

Nothing spurs you on to work hard more than the need for money. Right? Yet, working for yourself is a bit different than picking up an hour or two here and there: the gratification is often not instantaneous. Even a 9-5 job that pays per hour each two weeks is often more reliable. But we did choose to work from home, right? Why did we do this?


Answering "WHY" is important. If you need money fast, working for yourself is not always the best option. If you need money and have time to obtain it, it's a perfect option and can possibly earn you the needed money and keep you from a future need of money (because you'll already have it via your business). If you simply want to work from home, for whatever the reason (I personally did not have kids so others can raise them), then, duh, working for yourself is more than ideal.


Here's my personal deal - we are military and were told my hubby is deploying to a scary place. We made plans, we made decisions, and we put all my businesses on hold (writing, victim's advocation, ChaCha researching, and AtHome America consulting) until he left.  Except, nearly $8,000 later, they changed his assignment (many times in the course of two months) and left us hanging.  We don't WANT hubby to leave, especially to be in such a dangerous position, but we would have NEVER EVER made the decisions we made, in particular the financial decisions, nor had me stop my work if we had known there was even a 15% chance he'd be deployed as planned. If we thought there was any possibility in having his orders changed, we'd have waited and made decisions accordingly.


Now, we need money.  Now.  We have not only lost our entire savings and reserve, but we have four unexpected high payments to make before the end of the month; last month, with company, an 18th birthday, graduation, and seeing our son off to college, we were already at the end of our rope.


Putting this into perspective, I know it'll pass and we are not going to die from the lack of money.  This fact alone pushes the stress level way down.  Still, writing is lucrative in general, though the time and money ratio is extremely off balance in a negative way... I simply don't know when the money will come in, as each publisher is different.  So that's out for quick monetary relief.


Since being a victims' advocate costs us money, we cannot even consider pushing it harder.


AtHome America is the practical and obvious money maker.  But... no one is booking at the moment in Hawaii. Dang it.  The best I can do is beg a few mainlanders to host online parties in exchange for bonus free homewares, which will take at least two weeks to host the party and close it, but if I do, I can have an immediate 20% cash back reward (AtHome Specialists earn more than 20%, but for immediate money, that's the highest amount, the rest is delivered via direct deposit).  


That leaves me to my only other option:  ChaCha!


ChaCha pays when you have earned a minimum of $150.  It's also direct deposit; I won't even have to wait for mail or the bank.  I guess you have it.  I'll be working ChaCha as much as possible.


What do YOU do when you need fast cash?  Do you sell things? Do you babysit? Do you pick up the slack on your home business?  I'd love to hear from you, though if I plant the seeds right, I'll be sowing enough green cash to make sure we're never in this predicament again.


By the way, if you'd like to be a part of my ChaCha! team, follow the link, fill out the application and be sure to let them know Teraisa@gmail.com referred you.

ChaCha Tip

Are you a ChaCha guide?  (Do you wanna be?  Go to ChaCha and let them know Teraisa@gmail.com referred you so we can be on the same team!).  There are two ways to get started as a ChaCha guide, provided you're in and signed as a freelance - you either put one toe in at a time or you jump in, just like a pool. I'm typically the person who jumps, but in this instance, I'm barely at my calves, right now.

It's important to me to be a good ChaCha Guide, not just someone who works a job and that's that.  I want my answers to matter, because they matter to me.  I like to do things right; I like to be accurate.

My ChaCha tip for the day:  After you log in, check out at least one tip sheet (re-read if you've read  them all) and go to the forum for a post or two.  ChaCha can't exist if it doesn't work, which is why the particular rules are in place and need to be followed. You don't always have to learn by trial and error - that's what the tip sheets are for! 

As you read more and more tip sheets and answer/research more and more questions, you'll feel more comfortable and perhaps, along with me, we can get go above the knees and beyond. For now, though, I'm taking it slow and watching my quality. 

Bonus on Bonus Income

I'm using my five minutes of time wisely - write here, research a few questions, then an hour on the website. I'm finally understanding CSS much better than ever (or maybe it's Dreamweaver I have had trouble with?) and the brand new website is not depressing me any longer; it's exciting and I can't wait each day to get started... and I can't wait until I've got the original 50 pages back up and running and HELPING those in need. Check out True Crime Fanatic when you have time.

You know, I think I better hurry, we were just alerted there's another bonus for us ChaCha users and I love bonuses on top of bonuses.

Considering ChaCha is freelance and not a major source of income, I do consider it a "bonus."  What I love most of all?  My bonus income gets a boost from ChaCha because they're constantly adding bonuses for researching and/or answering a certain number of questions, which only makes my per hour money go up, up, up, something I love, love love!

If you want to earn a few more pennies a month researching and/or answering intriguingly crazy questions, consider joining my ChaCha team by clicking the link, filling out the application and going through the Expediter or Generalist/Specialist training (yes, they TRAIN you and it's excellent!).  Be sure to give them my email to make sure we're on the same team, and then write me and let me know so I can congratulate you and help out with anything.  Teraisa @ gmail.com the ChaCha team I want YOU to be on.

Wanna Be On My Team?

In between writing and waiting (for checks), I work a home party business (and online), AtHome America and at ChaCha (as a Specialist and a Generalist - let them know Teraisa@gmail.com sent you). If you're interested in earning a few dollars here and there (more if you're willing to work!), please click on the links and join me.

Happy Easter everyone; God bless you and Us.

Here's My Secret To Using Writing Skills To Earn Extra Money

Writing may be my passion, but it's not my favorite paycheck.  It can be great money, but you never know if or when you'll be paid (unless your name is Ann Rule or Stephan King, for example). I've had one huge magazine holding my article (and money) for YEARS.  I've even tried resubmitting it several times, thinking maybe they just forgot, only to get a call or email back saying thank you, they have an article just like that one in cue.

For us character writers (think: character actors), we have plenty of jobs, but we're not well known and we'll never get the best tables at a restaurant.  If you write for money as little as I do (I tithe 90% of my writing), you need to supplement your income. 

For me, it was natural to turn to a place where I can combine writing with my other love, information. I am an information freak.  There are a couple of options if you want to freelance with ChaCha (I'm hereby referring you-use email Teraisa@gmail.com).

I can work as much or as little as I like; it's up to me how much money I make.  One thing I love about being a generalist/specialist is that you already know you'll earn a dime or so for each question, but there are times all month long where bonuses are given away, depending upon several things, maybe how many questions you answer, and maybe you simply are given a surprise bonus.

You won't get rich answering questions (unless you're the owner), but you'll be keeping your researching skills sharp and honing your writing craft (cutting words down to only what's necessary) and still get paid.  If you're looking for a few extra dollars each month, want to work your own hours, have a computer and Internet (or have access to both), and are willing to try, ChaCha may be the place you've been looking for.  Earn money freelancing while you write that next big novel.  Use me as a referral, be on my team:

http://becomeaguide.chacha.com  - referred by Teraisa@gmail.com

 

Perfectionism

It could be from my life as a competitive gymnast, and it could be that my mother was so smart, I had too much to live up to, but I am a serious perfectionist.  It's horrendous because it leads to procrastination, which leads to depression and feelings of inadequacy and worthlessness.

This DOES affect my home businesses.

I spend HOURS writing a thank you letter, for instance, making sure it's just right and second guessing what each word may mean to the receiver, regardless of what and why I wrote in the first place.

Even here, on this blog, I never ever re-read and edit it because to do so is death.  I would never get anything published. I have to close my eyes and push "publish post."

Great ideas are easy to come by in the wonderful world of writing-I write on the wall ideas all day AND night long. I have ideas for books, articles, screenplays, essays, poems... you name it. And they really are great ideas (I know because after a while, someone else thinks of it and makes a ton of money), but that first word gets me each and every time. It must be perfect. It has to be right or I cannot go on.


I self edit as I write, yet I'm a one-draft-deadline writer, and here's why:  the first chapter of The U-Haul Murders is the Littlest Angel/The Last Day; it's been rewritten more than one hundred times and I'm not joking.  No matter how good it is, by my standards for fellow readers, it can always be improved. Knowing Shakespeare and the Bible can be rearranged and changed for improvement - two perfect works of art (Shakespeare=all his work) - doesn't make me feel any better or edit any less.

I've been trying to earn the ChaCha bonuses (tell 'em ChaStriss sent you so we can be on the same team!), but I'm slow because I want the answers to be perfect. I want to earn 100% on the quality scores.  As a former ChaCha user, I know for a fact I'm too hard on myself compared to others, but still, I sweat it each and every time.  It's a hindrance, I tell you.

When I decide to make cold calls for my AtHome America (which, yes, I am re-instated and working until June to see what happens and how the customers deal with the new direct shipping) business, it's the same thing. I take hours to prepare and make sure I know the specials of the month and the next month. I make sure I have everything at hand, either the hard copy or the reproducibles on the computer... and I'm scared to death that I'll either be asked something I do not know, or worse, I'll know the answer and will not be able to recall it, even with everything in front of me.

Now, I know that no one is perfect and I also know that I probably won't lose a penny by a stutter or two, yet, there I am, striving to get it right before I start.

By the time I've gathered my wits about me and am ready for ChaCha or the cold calls, I've pretty much gone into the next time crunch for me, where the kids are home and I need to work on homework, or dinner's supposed to be ready, or the time zone where the customer lives is wickedly late... always something.

This perfectionism not only does not work, but it works against me.  By wanting to be perfect, I am earning less money by researching less on ChaCha and earning less money by having less home/online parties/sales with AtHome America.  0% of 0 is $0, no matter how perfect it is.

Taking the five minute idea and the knowledge my way isn't working, what if I spend just five minutes a day on ChaCha and five minutes a day making cold calls with NO PREPARATION and let whatever comes my way... come my way?

As for the writing?  I'm going to have to change it up a bit more.  No more "freewriting" because I know it's just a bunch of rambling with no intentions ever of going anywhere.  Instead, I'll have five minutes of completely unedited REAL WORK that has a preplanned purpose.  Every other day I'll write, and the next day, I'll take five minutes (and only five minutes) to edit the piece and improve as needed.


Practice makes perfect; nobody's perfect.