What is a keyword? A keyword is the word (or phrase) your potential customers type into the search box as they look for images. Within mere seconds, they’ll be rewarded with a flood of suggestions. Your goal is to be one of these–the closer to top of the first page of results, the better your chances are of making a sale. If your pictures stay buried on page 18 of the search results, chances are no one will even bother to look, much less buy. To ensure that doesn’t happen to your photos, choose your keywords with care. Here are ten suggestions to help!

1. Avoid generic terms.

If you’re posting a photo of a Golden Retriever, don’t tag it as “dog,” and be done with it. The microstock photography business has grown over the past few years; you have plenty of competition. Chances are good that your “dog” photo will simply be overwhelmed in an avalanche of “dog” photos. Your buyer, who really did want a great picture of a Golden Retriever saving the life of a young boy who was about to go over Niagara Falls, is going to give up in disgust after scrolling through the first 5 pages of dog results, and buy a “good enough” photo of a wet spaniel. Make it easy for people to find your work.

2. Be Specific

You do this by being specific. Look at every aspect of your picture. In the example mentioned above, you could use “Golden Retriever,” “boy,” “child,” “Niagara Falls,” “lifesaving,” “waterfalls,” “heroes,” “rescue,” etc. Which season is portrayed in your picture? Is there a dominant color scheme? What is the orientation of the picture: vertical or horizontal (these things matter to a web designer)? The more specific your keywords, the more likely your photograph will be presented to the people most likely to buy it.

3. Describe the Mood

This is one of the most downloaded pictures on fotolia.com with over 10K downloads. What keywords can you think of when you see it? Bet you didn’t think “thirties”, “countryside”, “generation x” or “family activities”, did you? Check out all the keywords here.

4. Location!

Don’t neglect to use your photo’s location as a source for keywords. Some locations are obviously a plus, such as Paris, Timbuktu, Antarctica, or the planet Saturn. But add keywords that narrow it down a bit, such as Sacré-Coeur, “tree-lined suburb,” “New York City brownstone,” and so on. Again, the idea is to provide enough information that the person who is really looking for your image will be able to find it (and buy it) quickly.

5. Use a Thesaurus

Let’s face it: we’re not all English majors, and even if we were, some days the words just aren’t there. How many other words can you think of for “sunrise”? Using this online thesaurus I can bet you can come up with at least 20 different keyword you can use to describe that perfect surise shot you captured. Even if they’re not all suitable for your photo, they might inspire a train of thought that will help you find the word that is.

6. Ask for Help

As an artist, you know that sometimes what you really need is a different pair of eyes. When you’re at a loss for keywords, give the photo to a friend or family member and ask them to come up with ten terms they would use to describe the subject. This method can be invaluable. After all, not all people think alike; your uncle may come up with a word you’d never have imagined, but which will deliver that photo to a whole new group of prospective customers.

7. Scope Out the Competition

As you’ve probably already noticed, there are a lot of aspiring stock photographers out there. Don’t let this discourage you. Instead, learn from the competition by examining the keywords they use. Search for photos with the same subject as yours, and then look at their keywords for ideas. Some microstock photo sites also provide a list of their most popular search terms; after all, they want to make a sale almost as much as you do!

8. Use SEO tools

Yes, the same tools that Internet Marketers use for coming up with keywords to market their site can help you find the keywords to market your photographs. The most popular free tool is the Google Keyword Tool which you can use for getting ideas of new keywords that are related to the keyword list that you have already put together. A paid tool, which we use a lot for our own SEO research is the Market Samurai tool. You can plug in one term, see a list of hundreds of related terms, and then pick any of these terms and continue looking for terms closest to them and so on.

9. What’s My Motivation?

Remember, the people searching for your photo are doing so, not because they like pictures of fluffy bunnies, but because they need your image to achieve a purpose. Find a keyword that describes how your photo might be used, such as “instructional,” or “motivational,” and add it to your list.

10. Never Tread Water

You’ve spent time and effort choosing just the right keywords. You’ve uploaded your photo, and you’re done. Nothing to do now but sit back and wait for the dollars (or cents) to roll in, right?

Not so fast!  Make it part of your work routine to go back and tweak your photos’ keywords every so often. Affiliate marketers know that one way to propel their website to the top of Google is to continually add new, relevant content. Adopt this strategy by changing a few keywords. Add new ones, get rid of underperformers, and check the “most popular” lists to get ideas on what’s currently garnering sales. By doing this, you’ll ensure that your image will appear in new results lists, attract new eyes, and find new buyers, making you new money.

Money making ideas, such as selling stock photos, are a great start; however, making money in any business requires time, effort, and attention to detail. By working hard to find the right keywords for your stock photos, you’ll attract the right buyer, at the right time, and ensure that your photographs can keep on bringing you money even for a long time to come.

Software engineers and network experts often hire out on a contract basis.  Case managers and clinical study professionals for pharmaceutical firms, even executives with backgrounds in finance or operations management are to be found today working under contract.  But this article is about people who are interested in starting a freelance writing business in partnership solely with a computer and high speed online service.  One of the cultural phenomena that are driving the freelance writing business today is the remarkable range of online commercial enterprises.  Those that are depending on using the internet for marketing purposes need quality content, and a lot of it, to establish their presence.

Beware the Bidding Wars

Some freelancers read everything they can about blogging and set out to develop a site with sufficient quality to build a following that in internet terms, translates into a revenue stream from advertising dollars.  Others who are casting about for a starting point in the business gravitate to one of the bidding sites for freelance services such as Guru, Elance, oDesk, ScriptLance, and many other lesser sites offer the freelance writer an opportunity to sign on and bid on posted writing jobs.

Most of these have a premium subscription level that provides full access to listed jobs, so you’ll be paying a monthly stipend.  In addition, once you land a job with one of these services payment is handled through their site and they take a cut of up to 10% of your earnings.  If you’re being paid through PayPal, that’s another deduction from your earnings.

But the real high wire act with these services is the bidding.  You can count on some ridiculously low bids, usually from offshore writers; it’s a phenomenon that has skewed the entire pay structure in the business (see the comments on the article How Much Should You Pay a Freelancer, for example).  The best you can do in these situations is to develop your profile on the site with a focus on quality work.  You can’t sell yourself out for jobs that end up paying $4 or $5 an hour; you’ll just have to wait until a potential employer comes along who is looking for quality along with price and hope that you get the job.  Once you’ve established contact with an employer and made a favorable impression with your work, you may have your first steady client.

The Craigslist Carnival

I turned to Craigslist when I was first starting out in this business.  There are postings for legitimate writing jobs to be found there, interspersed with a remarkable variety of hustles.  You’ll learn to recognize the frauds fairly quickly; the most obvious being those that promise instant income of thousands a month while working from home.  Don’t even think about responding.  Then there’s the “paid internship” opportunity and the listings that are looking for bloggers or content writers for unspecified topics, work available instantly wherever you are.  Those sorts of open ended ads are usually a waste of time.  There are also ample placements for non-profit organizations involved in social activism; generally they are counting on your dedication to the cause as justification for starvation wages.

There are also listings for legitimate positions at various seniority levels, but many of those are for office jobs.  Occasionally you’ll find one that will consider telecommuting but often those are for technical writing or specialized work that doesn’t require interacting with a team.  Most of them want some sort of background: could be SEO, could be medical writing, and could be finance.  If you meet the qualifications for experience it is sometimes worth submitting your resume and bona fides with an inquiry about at least part time telecommuting.

Sometimes the best legitimate gigs on Craigslist are the most boring but they can mean steady work.  Commercial websites that need a paragraph of written material to accompany every picture for the hundreds of items that they are selling are in need of a ton of content.  It’s assembly line work but it’s steady – and if the proprietor has a list of keywords then you can raise the pay scale a bit.  The best way to find these and other legitimate telecommuting jobs is to check the twenty five largest cities in the country every couple of days.  Listings do vary from market to market although you will see the same listing in each of the cities; usually those are listings to avoid.

Building a Client Base

If you explore the writer profiles on Guru or Elance you’ll read about writers that have earned a handsome living working with the one-off proposals put out to bid by employers.  That’s one way to do well in the freelance writing business but it requires a lot of personal marketing through the site, and the ability to write on many topics knowledgeably without much time for research.  The job bid sites and Craigslist all have listings from employers who need quality product and will continue to need it, but you’ll have to search through a lot of writing opportunities to find them.

Those are the people that you want to connect with and stay connected with, if you don’t wish to spend endless hours bidding on jobs.  Once you’ve proven your worth as a writer, employers are going to stick with you because if they’ve been in the business for a while, they’ve encountered lots of inexpensive writers for whom English is a second language.  You’ll also find that the entrepreneurs building out commercial websites tend to know one another and are not averse to recommending a writer who has given them good service.

Basically, creating a freelance writing business requires a startup period when you get your first jobs and in so doing, establish some experience in the business.  From there if you keep up your trolling for new clients eventually you will find a few that are a good fit for you, that pay a decent sum for your work, and that have constant needs for additional content.

It is simply a matter of working the odds: connect with lots of people who need content, stick with those who don’t haggle over price, and develop a group of clients that keep you working full time.  Good writers are not that easy to find, even though the competition is fierce.  Employers who connect with a quality writer will often take steps to maintain those writing services – it’s not always the employer that holds all the cards.

Why Do We Hire Freelancers?

Generally there are 3 reasons why we utilize the services of freelancers. These include:

1. Freeing Up Time Many individuals do not want to sacrifice time for money. When considering the online market, for example, it allows Internet Marketers the opportunity to outsource work such as article writing or graphic designs etc.  Many established Internet Marketers will rather pay someone else to do the work for them in order to free up more personal time.
2. Professional Service Very often the skills of a professional are required to carry out certain tasks. With our example above, Internet Marketers involved in affiliate programs wants to motivate readers landing on their websites into purchasing the products advertised. Not everyone can write great motivating sales copy, and therefore the services of skilled professionals are often utilized.
3. Freedom of Choice
   This is a combination of the above 2 points but with the focus of having the freedom of choice in utilizing any freelancer on an as and when required basis. There is no formal contracts entered into, and you have the freedom to decide whom you want to use and for which project.

Tips in Deciding How Much To Pay Your Freelancer

First of all, you will need to determine how a freelancer is to be paid, whether it is per hour or per project, or by some other rate. There is, however, a few ways to gauge payment structures. These include:

1. Industry Rates By finding out what others pay for a similar service is often the first step in deciding how much to pay. The more common the skill, the higher the competition tends to be, and therefore the cheaper the rates for the particular service. This, unfortunately, does not necessarily mean that a standard quality will be guaranteed.
2. Skills and Experience At the end of the day you want to ensure that you receive value for money, and therefore freelancers with great testimonials and proof of work is often is seen to charge higher rates.  A pool of online writers, for example, may charge similar rates to write informative articles about a specific subject, but might not be as effective in writing sales copy. A professional Copywriter, on the other hand, does possess the skills to motivate most viewers in purchasing the product, and therefore charge higher rates for their skills.  At the end of the day it all boils down to what you want to achieve.
3. Quality of Work Generally, people are willing to pay more when their given product or service beams with quality. If you pay a lower rate compared to the industry norm, than you will need to accept that you might receive substandard quality. On the other hand, you may have just stumbled upon a ‘gem in the making’, especially with new freelancers competing for the same market. In such situations, however, there is nothing more motivating paying a little extra to the freelancer especially if you understand the amount of work that was invested in the end product, and if you want to create a long term relationship with the individual.
4. Negotiating Other Rewards The rates charged from a freelancer may not always suit your budget, and therefore other rewards could be negotiated. If, for example, you want a specific designer to create a specialized set of logos and headers, but find the services charged is to steep, you could offer a lower payment in return for a revenue sharing deal. If you want a cheaper flat rate, determine what other rewards the freelancer may be willing to negotiate on.

Final Word

Considering all the above mentioned factors will help you in deciding how much to pay your freelancer as well as identifying a range of fees charged in the specific industry. From here there is nothing stopping you from contacting the individual and negotiating deals.

Luckily, I had attended an SAT preparatory academy during high school to study for the SAT’s and had done well enough to get asked to teach there during the summers while I was in college.  And that marked the beginning of my decade-plus long career as an SAT instructor. While I’ve had numerous jobs from being a barista to taking sushi delivery orders, no other job has given me the opportunity to pay my way through school and to gain financial independence from my parents.

From then on, I’ve always been fortunate enough to help a steady stream of students through word-of-mouth (thanks to all the tiger moms!) and this financial freedom has allowed me to take certain risks, ones that I would never have been able to do without these teaching gigs. For example, I had worked in publishing for some time and was seriously considering a career change, but without having a severance to fall back on, there was no way that I could’ve taken the leap without having tutoring’s safety net catch me.

Lesson 1: Get Everything in Writing

Whether you’re acting as a freelance tutor or working for a private institution, make sure all the terms, including number of hours worked, hourly rate, cancellation policy, etc., have all been discussed, negotiated, and on paper. If you’re working for a private institution, pay close attention to your hourly rate for a class versus a one-on-one tutoring session. Although logically, you should be getting paid more for a class in comparison to one-on-one tutoring since you’re teaching more students and the academy is making a greater profit, ironically, most places pay a flat hourly rate per class and a higher hourly rate for one-on-one tutoring simply because the hourly rate that it charges parents is higher. If you’re a freelance tutor, you’re your own boss, so you have the freedom to make your own hours and charge whatever you want per hour. But beware—that flexibility comes at a cost! Since parents are paying a higher hourly rate, they also have higher standards and demands, so if you can’t deliver, you won’t be able to maintain a steady workflow. Ultimately, by making sure that everyone’s on the same page, this will prevent unnecessary conflicts.

Lesson 2: Be Selective with Your Students and Don’t Overload Your Tutoring Schedule

If you’re working for a private institution, you don’t really have much of a choice in this matter. Since at the end of the day, it’s still a business, a private academy’s number one priority is profit, so it’ll do whatever is best for its bottom line. Because that’s the case, you’ll encounter all kinds of students, even troublesome ones, who’ll have absolutely no desire to learn, which means your success rate with them is generally low. But that’s not your problem—you didn’t choose them! With a private institution, you’re not liable for your success rate and won’t have to play PR manager with the parents either. However, if you’re working as a freelancer, know that reputation is gold and word-of-mouth goes a long way! Just because you have many students, doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a good tutor or that you’re the right tutor for a particular student. Ultimately, if you’re not a good fit with a student, he/she will neither perform well on the exam nor get into his/her first choice school, which can be damaging to your reputation. Don’t get me wrong—the money can be tempting, but remember that your hourly rate and the pool of students you have to choose from will be based on your success rate. Also, if you pack in too many students, then you won’t be able to provide the same focus and enthusiasm to each student (especially those later on in your schedule), which can hurt your success rate as well. I recommend a trial run with each potential student for about a month to see how well you mesh with him/her and take it from there.

Lesson 3: Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!

Whether you’re working for yourself or for an academy, preparation is a MUST. Be sure to review all the material that you’re going to cover in class because if you’re unprepared, students will take notice and are less likely to respect you let alone pay attention to you. If you’re working for a private institution, it will have the agenda set and resources made available to you, so all you need to do is show up. If you’re working for yourself, make sure you create a precise and focused road map of your plans then buy your books, create lesson plans and tests, and be ready to assign homework.

Lesson 4: Be Patient with Your Students

I know everyone’s all too familiar with the cliché quote, “patience is a virtue,” but there’s no other quality more necessary than in teaching. First, if you don’t like adolescents and can’t stand the teenage angst years, then this is definitely not the job for you. There are already so many odds stacked against the teacher-student relationship, ie-age, culture, and the usual differences in personality just to name a few, so a little patience can just a long way. Point out that this is a short-term goal (especially since we all know the short attention spans of teenagers!) and to relieve the pressure, emphasize that the SAT’s are just a means to an ends (more specifically, getting into college), which may help to manage them a bit easier. Don’t use threats or ultimatums. Instead, use your patience to learn to read your student well and find out what methods work when trying to get through to them.

Lesson 5: Just Have Fun

Do you remember that one teacher who always had a scowl on his face, barked through an entire class, and expected everyone to magically understand everything he taught? If you don’t like what you do, your attitude will be reflected in your demeanor and in your ability to teach. The money is only a temporary incentive, and eventually, you’ll turn into a cantankerous wolfman (or woman!) who’ll make everyone suffer, but most importantly, not learn anything! Know that whether it’s tutoring for yourself or at an academy, you have an amazing opportunity to make some good money AND to mold the minds of tomorrow’s generation. I’m have never been prouder of myself than when I was contacted by an ex-student who told me that he got into his top choice university because I pushed him to work a little harder and dream a little bigger. Being able to help a student realize his/her potential and help them to achieve his/her goal is the most fulfilling aspect of the job, something that even money can’t replace.

If you’re one of those people, you know how an organized work space could help you. You realize you waste countless hours looking for things that “ought to be here somewhere,” privately fretting that you’ve accidentally thrown them away. You’re aware that an organized office leads to increased productivity,  your boss’s confidence–and even promotions. And it’s not like you haven’t tried. It’s just that, no matter which system you implement, or how good your intentions, within a week or two, you’re back to the same old clutter. You may, of course, have a break-through one day. You may become just like all the neat people surrounding you, who effortlessly put things in order and…keep them there. Until then, however, here are some tips to help you maintain some control over your work areas.

1.  Be Excited

Imagine how thrilled you would be if you could redecorate your home just the way you want it. Now look at your latest desk organization effort as redecorating, but on a much smaller scale. Obviously, you’re going to do a lot of sorting, some tossing, dusting (air compressors!), and unearthing dubious treasures from the recesses of your desk. This may seem like drudgery. Reward yourself by purchasing office supplies that fit your personal style, and imagine how you’ll feel once the organization project is done.

2.  Be Thorough

Before you can decorate, however, you have to clear the space. You’re probably not going to be able to accomplish this during an ordinary work day; arrange a time to come in early, stay late, or even take a weekend to clean up your area. Here’s what you’ll need to do:

• Clear out any trash which has accumulated, including old coffee mugs, condiment packets, coupons, and menus. Designate a small area in your drawers for emergency toiletries, but keep these to a minimum. You really won’t need to treat the entire office. If you’re a packrat, remind yourself that you will always be able to replace an item when it’s gone. Return anything you’ve borrowed, and take most of your personal items back home.

• Sort through your papers. File everything you don’t need for your current projects. Throw away papers you’ll never need again, such as memos from old meetings, outdated contacts lists, old supply catalogs and journals, and anything you thought you might need six months ago, but have yet to look at. If you’re nervous about throwing something out, put it in a file and ask a colleague’s opinion. You can also scan a copy into your computer, put the image in a designated electronic file, and toss the original.

• Is your e-mail inbox a mess? Take advantage of the quiet to finally make those folders your program so helpfully provides. The delete key is your friend; however, if you’re not sure about dispatching a message into eternity, save it in a folder to ask a coworker about later.

• Give your work area a thorough cleaning.

3.  Be Simple

One reason why your previous organization efforts failed may be that they were designed for someone else–probably someone who adores order. This time, put some thought into how you work, what you’re comfortable with, where disorder is hurting you, and what level of organization you honestly believe you’ll be able to maintain. This probably means you’ll want to keep things simple. Here are some minimal organization tools to try:

• Wall Calendar. You may forget to check your phone or an agenda-style calendar. A wall calendar is right there in front of you, all the time.
• Inbox. For everything that comes in that day. This keeps it from sticking around in a pile you never get to. You may want to have two boxes: one for items that can wait, and another for work that needs to be completed that week.
• File Folders. At the very minimum, you need folders for your current projects, and some for important correspondence and administrative items, such as expense reports. Label these clearly, and use colored folders for quick-and-easy location.
• Master Contact List. Keep this on your computer. Every time you make a new contact, enter their information, along with a brief identification note. This obviates the need for little post-its and scraps of paper.

Focus, not on making your work area neat, but functional. Large piles of paper and books are not functional, even if you think you know where everything is. By using inboxes and file folders, you are, essentially, giving your piles a name and a place to be. Your desk may still be a little cluttered, but it will be comfortably, not chaotically, so.

4.  Be Yourself

Very few people enjoy working in a sterile environment. However, if you’ve filled yours with so many photos, cards, and tchotchkes that it’s hard to work around them, you should take a box or two home. Rotate items in and out for an occasional change instead. When it comes to office supplies and organizational tools, choose some that reflect your interests and personality; this will make your workspace more inviting, and you might be more inspired to use them. Don’t however, buy items you will never actually use. If you find, for example, that you’re not using that desk caddy, give it away.  Don’t pressure yourself to keep a work area as spotless as your most orderly co-worker. A little clutter can be comfortable. Just make sure your workspace encourages productivity, rather than panic.

5.  Be Realistic

Given the title of this subheading, you may be expecting us to let you off the hook a little, giving you permission to go back to any organizational bad habits. Sorry. Instead, we are going to disabuse you of a common notion: it’s not over.

Many of us harbor the illusion that, once we clean, organize, or otherwise improve something; we will have “arrived,” and will never have to do it again. Unfortunately, the laws of the universe are against us. Now that you’ve organized your space, you will have to do it again, and again, and again. Reserve a few minutes at the end of the day to put everything away in its drawer, box, or file and, come Friday or Monday, take the time to go through those inboxes to plan your work for the week, and clear out anything you no longer need. This may seem like a hassle at first however, hassles can soon become habits, and you’ll enjoy the benefits of a more productive work day.

Organizing your work space doesn’t require complex methods or loads of expensive containers and tools. What is does involve, however, is a realistic assessment of your work habits, the ability to accommodate your organizational style, and the will to make it work. You’ve got everything it takes!

1. Adjust Your Expectations

You’re an ambitious person, with high standards and goals for yourself and your business. After a long day at work and a long night at home (and still more work), it may seem, however, that for all your ferocious paddling, those dreams are drifting further away. When you find yourself weighing your goals against your progress, and finding the latter wanting, it may be time to reconsider both. Ask:

• Are my goals realistic?
  You may want to break into the Fortune 500, dominate e-pubs, or be the state’s best caterer by the time you’re thirty. However, that level of success usually requires years of effort and–dare we say it–occasional failure. Before you berate yourself for falling behind, make sure your goals are reasonable to begin with; ask a friend’s objective opinion if necessary.
• Is my progress measurable?
  Once you set realistic goals, find ways to reassure yourself that you’re actually moving towards them. Break your goals into steps, and relate those steps to your daily work. Then–and this is important–write it down! In this way, at the end of every work day, you can make the connection between what you’ve accomplished and your long-term goals. When you see progress, you’ll feel less overwhelmed.
• Are my expectations of myself and others sensible?
  When you’re working so hard to achieve a dream, it’s important to remember that you are not, in fact, a machine. You need rest, healthy habits, and something in your life besides work. And while your employees, friends, and family all want to support you, they’re also human beings with limitations and desires of their own. Don’t push them–or yourself–beyond endurance. By adjusting your expectations and allowing yourself to relax, you’ll avoid burnout and damaged relationships and, paradoxically, make better progress.

2. Adjust Your Hours

One of the most important things you can do to avoid feeling overwhelmed by your business is to leave it. That’s right, go home. Turn off your phone, or pager, or e-mail. It’s a common fallacy that, when you run your own business, you need to be working 24/7. It’s true, of course, that some enterprises are particularly demanding; if you’re running a restaurant, for example, you’ll need to be at work much more often than if you sell used books online. But when you spend every available moment at work, you run the risk of burnout, or of losing touch with the people who are important to you. So leave work at a reasonable time or, if you must work long hours, schedule a regular day off. Then, when you’re not working, spend time with your loved ones, doing things you enjoy. You’ll return to work calmer, more balanced, and less likely to feel overwhelmed.

3. Adjust Your Workload

Sometimes you feel like you have too much to do because you do, in fact, have too much to do. If this is the case, you can:

• Designate a day or two for catching up. Close the office, put the answering machine on, go offline, and concentrate on clearing your backlog. Enjoy the sense of achievement afterwards!
• Hire an employee. Perhaps your business has grown to the point where it is no longer a one-person operation, or maybe you just don’t have an aptitude for administration. If you cannot afford a full-time assistant, look into hiring a virtual assistant for particular projects, or a student intern to work part-time. You could also barter some of your services to a friend in return for her expertise.
• Cull your client list. Have you taken on too many projects? Do you have a client whose demands keep you from satisfying other obligations? It’s all right to let your less-than profitable clients go. Simply finish their current jobs, explain, nicely, that you’re refocusing your business, and give them a list of referrals.

4. Do Something…

Are you sitting at your desk, thinking of the massive pile of work you have to do, the over-full e-mail inbox, the fifty-seven phone messages, a heap of dishes in the sink, that one form you were supposed to fill out, taxes, and the strange smell somewhere in the living room? Do you just want to disappear? Well, there’s only one way out of this overwhelming mess and that is to–

Do something. If there’s a most pressing task, choose it, but otherwise, pick any job, and do it. Then move on to the next. Sometimes, when faced with an unimaginable workload, we freeze and end up doing very little except hiding in distractions like online farms or an “important” forum discussion. But if you just tackle one item on your to-do list, you’ll break free from that inertia. Progress feeds on progress, and as you keep working, you’ll begin to feel less overwhelmed and more capable.

5. But Be Sure to Finish It

You may have noticed that, while it’s easy to start a project, it can be difficult to finish it. This doesn’t just apply to home improvement or sewing projects; even your workday can be full of half-completed tasks. The amount of work left sitting contributes to your sense of being overwhelmed, while the knowledge that you’ve not finished any of it can lead you to feel down on yourselves and your abilities. So as you begin to work through your chosen task, don’t allow yourself to be distracted until you’ve finished. File all of the paperwork. Answer all of your correspondence. Each completed project will give you a sense of accomplishment which is rewarding in and of itself; still, once you’ve cleared your backlog, treat yourself to something special. You’ve earned it!

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed; life demands a lot of us, and we demand even more of ourselves. But remember, feeling overwhelmed is only that–a feeling. It is no reflection on your abilities, or the future of your business. Feelings are changeable, and they pass. By revising your expectations and taking control of your workload, however, you can move past uncomfortable emotions and achieve your goals.

Your First Month

For a single month, carry a journal with you to work, shopping, home, where ever you go. This journal will be your best friend for at least one month. You will need to write down every penny you spend and how it was spent during this period of time. Every bill that you pay gets recorded in the journal, every time you visit the grocery store, record that as well. Make sure to note whether you paid in cash or used a credit or debit card for the groceries. When you stop for gas, get the journal ready for an entry. When you run into the gas station store for milk or soda, write that down. It will take a little time to get used to, but your journal will soon be filled with financial solutions. Using a journal (or any other device) to record your spending habits will give you an idea of where your money is going. It will also let you know exactly where money can be saved. Even though you might believe that you cannot live without those daily lattes or a pack of cigarettes, seeing your purchases on paper might change your mind.

Switching the Methods

For the second half of your experiments switch to cash. This is going to seem like a difficult project, and it is not easy to break old habits. In today’s fast-paced society, we have become accustomed to paying with credit. Whether we are buying gas or a new stove, credit cards make an appearance on a daily basis for many people. The process of handling actual money rather than just a piece of plastic will create a change in your mentality. When you use a credit card, it does not feel like you are spending money. When you pay with cash, you can actually see the money disappearing. So break out the checkbook and begin paying bills and making purchases with just the money that you have in your checking account. Do not use credit for any purchases or payments for one single month. This will give you an idea of the total money that you earn and spend per month, without increasing your debt. Borrowed money from a credit card company is not your money. The cash in your bank account is yours. It can be used for any purpose and it will not cause more debt. This is important to remember as you journey down the “cash only” road.

Where Does the Cash Flow Go?

Carrying cash in your wallet is going to limit you in many ways. You will not be able to spend more than you have on-hand, because there is no more! You will become more cautious about your purchases and more likely to comparison shop. When the green money leaves your wallet, you will be careful to keep your change. The old adage, “A Penny Saved is a Penny Earned” will finally be clear to you. When you have $25 to spend on a gift and are limited to cash, you will remain within your budget. When you have to pay for gas through your checking account using a debit card, it will become more difficult for you to pop into the store for a few unnecessary items. You will immediately see the difference between things that you need and things that you want. The process of limiting yourself to only cash spending will change you. It might seem strange at first, but you will become a much more creative spender. The have-to-have item on your gift list can still be purchases, but you will be amazed at how shopping-savvy you become.

In the past, you might have gone to your favorite department store for a present for a friend. With your new budgeting limits, you will shop online, compare prices in several stores and search for coupons. The best part about this process is the money you will save, so keep that in mind while you are searching for deals. There are people who create entire lifestyles out of coupon-clipping and trading. You do not have to go to that extreme, but you can put a little effort into finding the best price on any item. Using cash will force you to do this and do it well.

When your monthly cash allotment begins to run low, the experiment will force you to be creative in ways that you never imagined. You might focus on handmade items rather than buying new products. Making candles or soap as a hobby can be fun and relaxing. Making soap as a hobby and not spending money on expensive soaps in stores is the perfect balance of creative and frugal. You will be amazed at how much you can live without and how much you can do yourself. That $25 that you spent each month on the lawn service will look much better in your own pocket. You can purchase a lawnmower from a flea market or yard sale for much less than you will spend in a year on lawn services. The same effort can go into the pool and the house cleaning. Selling used items at a yard sale can supplement your income and what you can do for yourself will save you cash.

Even though a “Cash Only” lifestyle takes work, the effort will not be wasted. Every month that you stick to spending only cash, you also do not add any debt to your financial situation. These changes become a habit and suddenly you aren’t struggling with thousands of dollars in credit card debt, you are enjoying your life and your money.

Using Template Responses

If you’re dealing with any number of clients throughout the course of your day, you’re likely writing and replying to a ton of emails. Now, people have been using emails for a while, and a client will be able to spot a template email from a mile away so you really don’t want to be using these. It may save you a lot of time, but could end up costing you clients down the line. You should also have your own email address that’s specific to your site. This is, of course, depending on the size of your business, but if you’re using a generic email account, it looks really unprofessional.

Ignoring Social Media

Most every business has some sort of social media account these days. Whether it’s through Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, you need to get involved in it. It may not make-or-break your business, but when you start creating networks, you’re exposing yourself to potential clients and advertising that you might not have seen. Most companies of pretty much any size are using links and social media to get attention and keep people aware of what’s going on with their company. If you’re not doing this, it’s the equivalent of not having a phone number or email address. It makes you look out of touch and slow to respond. It’s more of a PR move and is important to show that you’re a adaptable and viable venture.

Giving Your Company A Face

If you’re a smaller company, one of the worst mistakes you can make is by not giving your clients a face to put with the company. The benefit of being a small business is that you’re able to create the personal business relationships that larger companies can’t afford to do. Sometimes it’s as simple as having a video conference or taking your client out to lunch. It might cost a little, but putting it on one of your small business credit cards will be worth it, and, at the same time, you will be building up a client relationship that could lead to others.

Distracting Advertising

As is the case with many online businesses and blogs, one of the best ways to build capital is through online advertising space sold through sites. This is a common strategy, but the approach isn’t often thought all the way through. There are many sites that will crowd their space with banners, pop-ups, and overwhelming advertising that confuses the user. Higher end sites usually stay away from this, but some start-up online businesses often use this type of advertising as a way to make money.

At the beginning, cash flow is tight so many times a site will oversell their ad space. When this happens, you create a poor interface for you current and potential clients. These ads often distract from your core message and can really end up turning people away from your products and services. Overselling ad space ends up making you money in the short-term, but, as far as the long-term is concerned, you end up losing clients.

Parroting The Competition

As a general rule, you always want to be aware of the competition and what they’re doing, especially if they’ve been doing it for a while and their approach has shown itself to work. However, it’s a bad idea when your site or approach too closely resembles your competitor. Ideally, you want to know what’s going on with the competition and look for ways that you can mirror, and then improve upon their approach. You never want to do what the competition is doing, otherwise you’ll confuse your client and just become another company that’s trying to capitalize on someone elses’ success. Look for ways that work and then make them your own. Don’t parrot what someone else is doing.

You may want to do everything yourself, but make sure you’re not making big mistakes that could hurt your company’s longevity. Look into your marketing approach to see what you’re doing right, and more importantly, what you’re doing wrong. You can browse through the web and get tips that could help so you know your DIY approach is the right one.

Twitter & the Blogger

Twitter is your very best brand ambassador out there. Twitter allows you to promote yourself, without promoting yourself at all, which is generally how people like to like someone. Take a look at any successful, money-makin blogging mom. Let’s use Naomi Davis (@lovetaza) of the Rockstar Diaries. You can bet that she makes a very, very nice side income from her little family’s blog, not to mention that she probably scores enough product discounts and/or donations to double the cash she’s making from those ads and sponsors. Now, Naomi Davis is not “selling” anything. She’s writing cute, adorable, warm-fuzzy bloggy posts about her and her husband and their adorable little baby girl. But. You can bet that 12,000 people know that her favorite color is yellow, that their English bulldog Kingsley rocks “freckles on the ears” and that her little daughter Eleanor, has never been away from momma for more than 2 hours. She’s got 10,936 followers on Twitter. And every time she tweets, she’s not literally saying “Go Buy ______!” But she is indirectly, and ever so subtly, pointing us to her blog, where we become another page view that increases her page rank that increases her appeal to blog sponsors who become willing to pay even more for that side ad spot. Naomi Davis, or @lovetaza, has created herself an incredible brand without selling or at least seemingly selling, a darn thing.

Twitter & the Freelancer

If you’re a freelancer and you aren’t using Twitter to spread the word, you are absolutely, 100% missing out on revenue you could be adding to your bank account. Not only can you promote yourself, you can find outlets to write for.

Let’s start with the first. Every time you freelance for anyone, you want a tweet going out about that article. You want to tweet that article to influential people. Just finished up an eco-friendly piece about the salmon in the Clarkfork? Then you should be tweeting that link at REI, at Outdoor Magazine, at the local college’s ecological professors, etc. The bigger the popularity of whoever you tweet it to, obviously the better, because you could really go places if they ever decide to retweet that article back. AND, you never know who will read it and who will want to hire a freelancer just like you.

For the second option: finding work via Twitter. There are plenty of hirees who have realized that they can avoid the hassle of advertising and hiring the old-fashioned way that took ridiculous amounts of time to write out professional job advertisements, read incoming emails, cover letters, resumes, etc. Instead, they can just tweet out a simple hashtag to the entire world (for free I might add) and sit back while the people come to them with quick 140 character pitches they can read in 10 seconds flat. If you need to add in some extra income, go to Twitter and start searching all relevant hashtags: #hiring #writer #freelancer #editor #copywriter #freelancerneeded, and so on. Send out your own: #freelancerforhire; #freelancer in need of work, all topics suitable. See www_____.com for portfolio. Make sure you’re following all the businesses who promote and offer work to freelancers. There’s a world of opportunity and wealth on Twitter for freelancers if they’re willing to go look for it. Follow magazines who hire freelancers. Follow other freelancers to see where they are posting links to of sites who’ve hired them. The options are endless here.

Twitter All on Its Own

Finally. Maybe you’re not a freelancer. Maybe you’re not a blogger. Maybe you’re a virtual assistant or have the whole 9-5 job thing well covered, but you are avid in social media and wouldn’t really mind adding a few extra dollars into the big scheme of things. While you generally need a fairly large following for these money-making options, and hence the “avid in social media” clause, that’s not to say that you cannot start to build up this following starting today. And once you do, there are countless options to look into. We’ll cover a few of the more common and basic here.

1) Sponsored Tweets

Sponsored tweets come from big companies like Kmart, Disney and Blockbuster. They write up a short 140 or less messages, and you sign up and choose which messages you’re willing to tweet (opting between those you can and cannot edit). Once you choose, the company will then automatically schedule the tweet to go live at the time of their choosing. For those of you with high enough followers, you can make upwards of $250 for just one sponsored tweet.

2) ClickBank

By creating a topic specific twitter account, you can then sign up to find and promote topic specific products in the role of an affiliate marketer. If your topic is organic, you could promote organic foods, organic books, organic restaurants, etc. Clickbank will help you find the most applicable products to promote.

3) RevTwt

This is incredibly simple. When anyone clicks on an ad you post, you get paid for every single click.

These, of course, are just a few of the plethora of options available to you. Any number of companies may be willing to pay you to send out occasional tweets. Options like @magpie will post on your account as frequently as every other post, as infrequently as 1 in 20 posts. At the basis of all of these methods, however, is a large, extensive Twitter following. So, if you’re looking at a few hundred followers, your first job is likely going to have to be increasing that number drastically.

No matter what, if you’re already making money and want to make more, Twitter can easily become that tool. Promote your name, your brand, even your product. Take advantage of the easiest, cheapest way to connect with the entire world. You’ve really got nothing to lose!

Here are some real reasons you need to level the scales in your life and start to prioritize, aside from the fact that you only get one chance at life, well at least in this lifetime. You better make it worth it.

Stress Kills

You’ve heard it countless times before but you’ve got so much going on in your head and home that it doesn’t actually penetrate. Sorry, no euphemisms when it comes to the serious stuff, so here are some scary facts that might just shock you into action:

Stress can elevate your blood pressure to the extent that you’ll put yourself at risk of heart disease, strokes and heightened cholesterol.

Stress Can Make You Sick

Believe it or not, your body responds to stress on a biological level. On a primal level our bodies are equipped to deal with stress, be it acute or chronic, in the ‘fight or flight’ response. That means your entire system mobilizes and gets ready to deal with stress by either running away from it or sticking around and fighting it face-to-face. Either way you’re going to need a lot of energy so your body releases a hormone called cortisol to help it cope. One of the ways it copes is by depressing your immune system so that it can help your body focus on the stress in front of it. Cortisol is great, in small and controlled quantities, however when the stress is continued so is the cortisol release, meaning your immune system could be in for a bit of a knock, making you susceptible to illnesses.

Stress Can Make You Fat

Another coping mechanism that cortisol employs is to convert your carbohydrates, fats and proteins into glucose- to give you the energy you need to run away or stay and make a fight of it. If there isn’t anything to fight- because you’re so tightly strung that stress has become a seventh sense- all of that glucose gets stored for another time. And that storage takes place in your fat tissues- and usually around your middle. And if that happens every day…you do the math or read the scale, if you can still do up the top button on your pants, that is.

Easier said than done, right? Well, not necessarily. Juggling your busy schedule just to start enjoying your life doesn’t have to be an existential dilemma. There are simple steps you can follow to ensure that you get it all done, and get some satisfaction out of it too. After all, that’s what we’re here for isn’t it?

Keep a Diary

Or find an App that works for you, if that’s too old-school. Write down your priorities and make lists of everything you need to do every day. Check your lists through the day to see how you’re doing and make sure you are touching the sides you want to be.

Include things like homework time with the kids, a gym session or a Sunday lunch with your parents. Review your activities every week to see if you’ve missed anything or anyone out- and that includes yourself. Make sure you balance what needs to be done with what you want to do on a ratio of one to one.

Get Active

While your body will definitely reap the benefits of regular exercise, your mind will also get a release. Exercise and regular activity are great ways to de-stress and get endorphins pulsing through you. Not having any time is called an excuse and, if you’re a multi-tasker, you can cross more than one item off your list.

Running around a playground spending time with the kids qualifies as activity and quality time, as does a game of family basketball or a brisk walk around the neighborhood with kids in tow. Do that three times a week and suddenly you’re exercising without even really trying. Making your family time more active will improve the health of kids and parents, and give you that dose of quality time you need for family bonds.

You’re Never Too Old for Romance

Keeping your primary relationship with the man or woman in your life is especially important because it forms the foundations of all the relationships in your home. Tension between you and a spouse can cause bad vibes in the home and your kids will notice. No matter how busy you are, you need to try and find time for love, romance and sexual intimacy. It ranks on the third tier of Maslo’s laws of human motivation, and its part of your subconscious programming as a need that must be fulfilled in your path of self-actualization. Sound fancy? Well, it’s an important part of your identity and family life, so consider it a fun investment and something to look forward to.

Learn to laugh with your partner or take up a physical activity that keeps you both fit. You’ll both appreciate the company and you can have a lot of fun in the process.

Take Your Own Time-Out

Get out of the house or away from the kids, even if it’s just for five minutes a day. Moms feel guilty about everything, and taking some time “off” (shudder) doesn’t need to be something to beat yourself up over. Escape into the garden, away from the house or your office and let someone else help you out.

If you’re really splashing out, half an hour in the bath with some lavender-scented oil can do wonders for the morale. Use your time management skills to carve out some “me” time. It only works with the door closed and the kids attended to though.

If you’re in the office and starting to feel edgy, go for a drive around the block or take a walk to stay focused. If you’re working a nine to five job make sure you take some time out of the office at least once a day to regroup.

No matter how busy you are, you have to find the time for yourself as well. You’re only as good at your job, your parenting routine or your hobbies as you feel and can only do it justice when you’re at your best.