Beginning Article Writing (Quorafied)

Practice:
Choose a book in the public domain—one that interests you and is well written. Find something in the book, just one part of it, and rewrite the story but as an article. Discover your purpose before and while writing--are you informing, entertaining, persuading, or serving some other purpose to the reader? When you are finished, read out loud. Change anything that doesn’t sound right. Read out loud again.

Next, give it to someone you trust and who will follow through. Have them read it and answer questions such as did every word move the article forward, was there repetition, did you write down to the audience, and what did they get from the article—what service did they feel you were serving?

You can do this until you feel comfortable, but the best way is to write articles for real and you’ll know you’re doing a good job when you get that first check.


Other Things to Do:
Read articles

Make a list of subjects you love and write about them

Make another list of subjects that can be entwined with other subjects and write about them

Write articles regardless of having a market or audience

Find online websites, magazines, and publishers that need freelance writers and ask for writers guidelines—this shows you what they are looking for


Get Used to Seeing Your Name in Print:
Write to the editor of your local paper regarding something current that you are also passionate about

Review products—books, movies, etc. and post wherever you can

Write a blog—whether personal or professional

Share your success stories with highly niche newsletters, for instance, your company newsletter, a product or service newsletter


Lastly
Article writing is fun and can be lucrative as long as push yourself—the writers who succeed do not wait for the check before writing—heck they don’t even wait for a green light from an editor or publisher—they write, send it in, write some more, send more in, write some more… and so on

Keep good records, not just on your submissions and paid work, but on your work itself

Do not be afraid to ask questions

Figure out if you are an independent contractor/freelancer and what the laws are about taxes

Organization: Simple Receipt Management for your Home Business

It's nearly tax time.  We've talked about organizing and managing your business, regardless of your space, time, and income; let's talk about receipts.

Receipts: can live without them, but for tax purposes (and refunds, returns, and exchanges), we will not.

For the sake of simplifying and working in a small space, let's try the easiest and smallest method available (aside of the computer program).  If your home business has become  so big you need a complete and elaborate method, not counting a computerized program, you may need to move your business to a separate location. While this receipt system can pretty much work for most businesses, it's not the best solution for a multi-million dollar business.

Using an inexpensive accordion file wallet with at least twelve tabs (each accordion wallet file shown here is under $4 and has 12 tabs), label one tab for each month (if you use a fiscal period, start with the first fiscal month).  Mark the front of the wallet with the year (when using fiscal years, use the actual year your twelve month file ends).

File each receipt into the corresponding tab, always filing each receipt behind the one that came before (this is an easy habit to get into and is more likely to find your receipts in dated order).

Make notes on the back of receipts and circle business items and amounts on the front. My businesses are small enough that I actually file ALL receipts in the wallet, even copies of the receipts I give away, and copies of items shipped to me.  Do what works for you.

Keep your wallet in the same place throughout the year; consistency makes for good habits.

At the end of the year, secure with elastic band or ribbon, tuck into your tax box or set aside until you're ready to file.  

Once taxes are filed, store your receipts, wallet and all, in a safe place for however long is necessary in your line of work.  

Many business owners scan and electronically file their receipts, throwing out the hard copy, however, the wallet is affordable enough to use a new one each year, keeping the old one for storage (this method also saves you time - no scanning and labeling).

Okay, do you understand the system?  Get a receipt; file a receipt.

Still Sick; I Reflect...

Before I even knew I was going into direct sales, I attended a few home parties for people I recently met (we moved into our home-thousands of miles from our last home-two months ago) and always, I found something I could purchase for myself or a gift, and often, if you search hard enough, you can even find something very affordable. If shipping's the problem (maybe it cost more than the item), I let the hostess know I want to place an order but I cannot justify the shipping. She can either add it to her own order or another guest who lives nearby.  I simply write them a check or hand over cash. I always include an extra dollar or two for their help. Why not?

Why is it that people today aren't willing to help their own? Why is it that people are so quick to say, "Me, me, me!"  Do you know, not that I was allowed to assume they would, but I sure hoped... ONLY ONE PERSON WHO I HELPED OUT with sales helped me out in my new business.  One.

You have to say it's like Christmas, we give gifts and pretend we only like to give, and don't mind not getting.

Before I go on, let me say this: if we truly only like to give and not receive, then why are we giving gifts in the first place? If no one likes to receive, aren't we making an awful lot of people uncomfortable? We give because we want to. We like to give. We give because it's expected and we have also taught others to expect it (many of us).  We like the community. We. Also. Love. To. Receive. Yes! I said it!

We like to receive. Thou doth protest too much!  We do. I love knowing someone is thinking about me when I'm not around (feel better now that I changed it from "WE" to "I" and "ME?")!

I like that someone cares so much about me, they know I love the 49er's and all the colors that go with them. I love that they know I'm not into twangy country music, but I love 80's metal.  I love that someone cares enough to know I am not in love with chocolate, but I like sunflower seeds (stocking stuffers).  One year, I got a DVD most people would say to themselves,  "What was the giver thinking; it's her 40th birthday?!?!" But actually, this person knows I LOVE the Lizzie McGuire Movie!  And you know what? I like to receive.

And so do other people, otherwise, giving becomes selfish and ends up being all about YOU.

So here I am, surrounded by the quite-a-few-home-parties I attended and also the only people I know... can't they help out a little?  Can't they say, hey, I can't afford this right now (after all, I know how much they earn, we earn the same thing!), but is there anything I can do in another way?

Can't they help out a little?  I want them to succeed, and they know it by my actions (I am helping FREE people FREE learn FREE how FREE to manage FREE businesses FREE and taxes NOT SO FREE! when on a Hawaiian military installation - and yes, it matters).

Here are ways you can help - purchase something affordable, aren't you buying Christmas gifts anyway?  Let the hostess know you can't help this time, you don't even have to give a reason, and maybe take the catalog you know you are taking anyway, which costs money, and share it with someone who can afford it.  Maybe you heard someone say they need something that the party person can supply- for instance, I told everyone who may have stood a few feet from me that I need wall hangings -you can show them the catalog or even suggest they host a party in order to get it free; don't forget to tell them you'll attend.

There is so much you can do to help. I'm not saying go to every party you are invited to, I'm not saying purchase from every party or everyone will hate you. I'm saying, hey, I just started this new business AFTER I HELPED YOU OUT, can you just give me a REAL MINUTE OF YOUR TIME?